The milky sweet fragrance everyone needs either in their bellies or in their collection!

Listed notes

Vanilla, mimosa, brown sugar, musks.

Top notes

Fire at Will is a new fragrance by Jovoy Paris and it can almost be reviewed in two words: creme brulee. So, if it is a milky vanilla – a beautifully sinuous vanilla – you are looking for, then read on. Otherwise “creme brulee” will probably suffice!

Fire at Will sets its stall out pretty early and doesn’t shock or disappoint with any unusual twists or turns along the way. Right from the get go it is clear that this is a scent which is predominantly a moreish, vanilla fragrance. At first scent, the vanilla is smooth, supple, and lying in a bath of warm milk. It reminds us of milky drinks, loaded with sweetness, the sort which slip down winter-chilled throats like silk. There is a slight frisson of booziness at times, but it is classy rather than bloated and intoxicated.

It’s quickly apparent that wearing this fragrance feels luxurious, calorie dense, and indulgent. It is the perfect treat and ramps that feeling of self-care up to eleven.

Heart notes

There is a floral element from the mimosa which comes to play once the fragrance has really settled, but it is subtle and delicate. Fire at Will doesn’t push vanilla towards the more floral side of the spectrum, but it does support the darker characteristics of the vanilla with sweetness and floral lift. The mimosa plays on that buzzy, hedonistic feeling that things loaded with sweetness can have and both seems to enhance and control that particular side of the scent, revelling in the fact that yes, it is sweet, but also stopping it from becoming too sickly and synthetic smelling like kids shampoo or a body lotion might.

Mimosa also adds a touch of class to the fragrance, it gives it another dimension and adds interest. It’s not in-your-face and is quite easy on the nose, but the scent would be lessened without it. There’s a touch of the powdery/pollen-like vibe here which likely some skin types will play up more than others, but on my skin it isn’t over the top.

Base notes

In the base of Fire at Will, the fragrance almost takes on a leathery aspect. Whilst it is still very much milky, silky and languorous somehow the vanilla turns slightly tougher, slightly woodier, and a little more leathery.

In the final moments of the scent, Fire at Will becomes dusty, musky and more sensual. It’s never a particularly raunchy fragrance, but it has that easy charm which doubtlessly many buyers will find seductive.

Fire at Will is quite a linear scent, and it doesn’t change a whole lot from start to finish, but given that, you do feel like you know what you are getting the majority of the way through. If you like the start then you are probably going to like where it finishes up because it’s just next door – rather than half a mile down the road.

The other stuff

The perfumer for Fire at Will is Vanina Murraciole.

The longevity of the fragrance is good, lasting about 7-8 hours following an application. The sillage – or projection of the scent – is fairly polite, going to about hugging distance. It seems to be one of those scents though that if someone is tuned in to, it will project further than that. When testing it, I was repeatedly told that I smelled like cake, which is a nice enough compliment to receive!

If you enjoyed this, you may also like Vanille de Tahiti by Perris Monte Carlo which pushes vanilla into more floral territory, or A Une Madone by Pierre Guillaume.

The brand

Jovoy are known predominantly as a fragrance retailer – they have a shop in London – however, they also have their own line of high-quality scents presented in attractive bottles. There are a few real gems hidden within the line so they are worth checking out.

There’s an elegance and understated feel about Jovoy as a perfume brand. The scents aren’t showy or over the top in the way they are framed or presented, but the quality tends towards the higher end of the scale. The scents are characterful and perform well despite flying a little under the radar.

Buy it

Fire at Will is available either in person at Jovoy stores or online via their web boutique. It is priced at £145 for 100ml.

We were kindly gifted a no-strings-attached sample of this fragrance by Jovoy and we thank them for it. Image from Pixabay.