[unpaid/sample/affiliate/ad] Well, this is going be a big divider! A quick background to this gourmand fragrance conceived by noted nose, Olivier Cresp, and his daughter Anais, who founded Akro. Bake is an olfactory representation of the lemon cupcakes enjoyed by them both at their favourite Soho bakery.
The first time I smelled Bake was at the distributor showcase – I hated it and loved it at the same time. I’m truly not a gourmand fan (had to leave the Alien breakfast with a migraine, not helped by the fact most of the breakfast was chocolate – I feel a little bit nauseous just thinking about the journey home) but Cresp has piled on the sharpest possible lemon which takes away much of the sticky sweetness sting.
There’s a definite vanilla undercurrent with a kick of praline – any ‘too muchness’ comes from that and I get a tiny bit of smokiness which perhaps could come from the rum chantilly, I’m not sure. It’s smooth, opulent and excessive but also, like any cupcake, somewhat more-ish. I guess if I take the cupcake analogy further, it’s the one with a bit too much icing that you wish you hadn’t finished so quickly – at the time it felt compelling to do so but the regret is one you sit with for a while. That sharp tang of lemon is the first to dissipate as Bake settles into its own creamy, sugar laden world. If you like that so-bad-it’s-good kind of sweet hit this will be cat nip to your nose – you will smell literally edible, delicious in fact, but if sweet is your nemesis, avoid. I’d absolute recommend the smaller 30ml bottle to start with – it’s £80 HERE.
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