Flowerbomb by Viktor & Rolf: Perfume Review / Fragrance Review 

What happened to her? I miss her videos :( she hasn't uploaded in so long!

I never wore perfume until I caught a whiff of Flowerbomb on a friend. Now I wear it every day. It reminds me of the old department store perfume counters when I was a kid.

I would agree with you that Flowerbomb is girly but I think it has a lot more edge and "bite" than you're giving it credit for. FB has personality and presence, more so than a lot of fragrances marketed towards women on the market currently.

Your review is such a relief. I thought my nose was broken because when I smelled this, I thought, "Sophisticated orange cotton candy and incense." It's a very pretty fragrance, but not what I was expecting with a name like "Flowerbomb".

I would love to hear your opinion on Lancôme la vie est belle. People seem to compare it to flower bomb. But I heard Lancôme is for a more nature lady. I am planning to get Lancôme for my wife but not sure if flower bomb is better.

I teetered this one in the store yesterday and I can’t stop thinking about “a cloud that you live in.” It really is funny how this perfume is a sort of smoke bomb. Maybe it’s well-blended because I find it hard to separate and define notes, and maybe because of that it really does come off like smoke. It’s sort of spicy, but not crackly or crisp. Maybe after reading reviews on it I’m starting to understand what patchouli smells like. Every once in a while I get a sense of cardboard, even slightly wet cardboard, on my skin. Generally, to me, this one is pleasant, nice, decently different from a lot of others, but also sort of boring, maybe because I can’t pick out notes, or because it isn’t particularly feminine (I don’t find it as girly as Miss Dior) or sexy. Maybe it’s a little bit sexy, I’m not really sure! I guess I find it interesting but not captivating.

I have to disagree on this one. When I first smelled Flowerbomb I almost fell over from the impact of all the floral-ness. I felt like someone just beat me with a bouquet of roses and left me unconscious in an alley. I give Flowerbomb a thumbs down. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't so strong.

I've been smelling a scent my coteacher wears for a few weeks now. I finally asked her what she wears.......she said it was Flowerbomb. It's definitely sweet, like cotton candy, and warm. I don't know that it's too flowery though. It's strong and lasts all school day, in addition to leaving a trail as she walks by. I would never be attracted to this scent myself, just by reading the notes- as I'm more of a lighter, greener, citrusy lover- BUT I do like smelling it on my coworker. Too strong for me though.

My mom use to choke us out of the car (with her Angel perfume) every time she took us to school when we were kids. We'd beg her not to wear it. Fast forward about 10 years and for Christmas last year I bought her this perfume (Flowerbomb) that reminded me of her and I just thought she'd love. It all makes sense now... Thanks for the review!

@CandleAshes Lots of people love F-bomb's combo of cotton candy with patchouli - it's like a better-behaved Angel. But if you're not a cotton candy gal, it's totally not for you.

This sounds divine! Lolita Lempicka is my favorite fragrance and Pink Sugar is delightful.

I LOVE Flowerbomb and Lolita Lempika, btw, Lolita is my ALL TIME FAVORITE Perfume, I always haave to have it. Great descriptions!

@mindoerico I've not done any vids like that - maybe I should! The notion that body chemistry affects perfume is a popular one, but I think it's a subtle influence at most. Sure, what we eat, our personal hygiene, etc affects our odor, but when you think about it, you can always pick out a scent like Flowerbomb or Coco Mlle or Light Blue, no matter who's wearing it. Thanks a million for subbing!

I cant decide if I love flowerbomb or hate it. But it's $180 here in Canada, so it's not like it matters. Thanks for the review.

@rebelwithcause I forgot to mention that at the very tail end of Flowerbomb's development on the skin, it gets a little spicy...almost like a faint echo of Coco Mademoiselle.

I like the smell of Flower Bomb, but you're totally right, it's very very sweet. What's not sweet is the price tag. I just don't know if I love it enough to drop that kind of dough on it.

There are some hits and misses in that line, as with any brands. I do think it's odd that they claim you can mix/match the perfumes. All you'd end up with is a smell car crash. (It's their strategy to sell more perfumes.)

@youngwilmita The Flowerbomb refill bottle comes with funnel that you use to pour the juice into the original grenade bottle.

Thank you for the reviews. Katie, I'm thinking about ordering Shelley Kyle's Tiramina. Are you familiar with that one? I have a small flowerbomb for my purse. I just can't commit to actually trying it!! =)

I LOVE this perfume, but I HATE frilly floral fragrances. I never would have expected to like something called Flowerbomb, but on me I mostly get a patchouli, darker more sophisticated smell. The chemical reaction with my skin seems to get rid of all of the sugary sweetness. Well done skin!

LOVE our descriptive reviews lady! I have just tried a DUPE of Flowerbomb, but haven't smelled the real deal yet. The DUPE, though, is too much like Shalimar to me.. A classic, but I am not a fan.. Not the spicy, floriental type at all. Love your description of patchouli, haha.. I love it in a blend but by itself I call it, "moldy dirt", lol...

Even through a camera and over the internet, you are so charismatic and you make me smile. As for flower bomb, I need a lot of tartness to my sweet and I don't wear pink so the girliness is...eh.

@LizzyMcBizzy Room temp is fine. But it's best if you keep it in the box or in a cupboard or something. Light will chemically alter the fragrance.

@LizzyMcBizzy If you keep your bottle away from heat and light, it will last for much longer than 2 years. I think they stick that on the bottle just to urge you to plow through it and buy more perfume! And if it so happens that you don't store your perfume carefully, it probably will go off in 2 years - or less. So the company could be covering their hindquarters on that score.

Flowerbomb annoyed me at first because I thought it'd be this edgy offbeat tough girl perfume (grenade bottle, bomb in name, Viktor & Rolf) and then it smelled like butterscotch pudding on a doily. I gave it another chance and like it much better on the skin, sort of rich caramel patch tea on me. So I like it for what it is, but don't understand the branding.

I had to get my rollerball of Flower bomb out, and dab a little on. A little was all it took! it's lovely and patchy, and I can tell the resemblance to Angel. I have a little, .80 oz star of that , too. A celebrity frag, called Gossip Girl Honey for Women, also smells like Angel Light. I'm glad I got mine. all I see for sale is the men's version, now.

This is like my signature scent. It smells amazing

I love watching all of your reviews Katie! Btw, that blouse you're wearing is fabulous!

This is really sugar and cotton candy in a bottle, it's amazing!!!

It really depends on the man. Some men go for sweet vanilla perfumes like Flowerbomb, some go for muskier ones like Stella by Stella McCartney, and some for ripe jasmine perfumes.

FINALLY!! I've been waiting for this review :) I have Lolita and Angel but strangely enough Flowerbomb takes me a while to get used to. Sometimes its nauseating unfortunately ... Thank you!

@TheMoultonj That's such good way of putting it: "Some perfumes make you feel different or special and others like you’re only wearing perfume." You're absolutely right: perfume has the power to transform you. Or it can just...sit there. Flowerbomb is indeed sweet, but it doesn't have an overdose of that brain-splitting soapy musk that can trigger headaches for me. And it's not as penetrating and intense as Angel. It is sweet, but tolerably so - if you like sweet smells, that is.

I sampled this for a woman. Cotton candy is the first thing that pops to mind. Great video.

I was thinking of you yesterday when I visited this little fragrance shop where I smelled a bunch of Miller Harris perfumes. I was taking an inordinate amount of time smelling the tuberose scent and I think the owner was wondering what my problem was but I told myself you'd never hurry things along and I took my sweet time smellin' up the fumes. Their Noix de Tuberose smells like Oscar de la Renta's, Oscar.

How odd that your YT name is "JoyGraceHope". It's good to have aspirations.

Something sweet like Flowerbomb would be Prada Candy, and something more flowery would be Jour d'Hermes.

I love how you speak girl. LOL

Hahha! I loved your scissoring motion! As always, great review. I have yet to sniff Flowerbomb. From what I keep reading and hearing, it sounds as if it should have been given the title, "Sugarbomb."

@LizzyMcBizzy I don't remember pepper being in Flowerbomb - maybe the tea in there conveys a bit of spiciness?

@BarrysDaughter Thanks for checking in, Jools!

@gmr2broadway Good to get your feedback on this. I do feel remiss in not mentioning in my review that it does start to get a little bit spicy the longer it's on your skin. Sounds like you're tuning into that part of it. Some people compare it to Coco Mlle, and I can see where they're coming from, but I would go that far.

So funny, Flowerbomb does not smell like "ribbons and ruffles and bows" on me! I get a rich and complex frangrance that is surprisingly textured. I wasn't expecting nearly anything you said in this review - but I guess THAT is precisely the wonder of perfume... My body chemistry loves Flowerbomb, I guess! (Funny, because "sweet" perfumes are often awful on me!)

Believe it or not, although as evidenced we tend to have similar tastes in fragrances (Ambery/Earthy), I actually kinda like Flowerbomb. To me, it has a very buttery, creamy quality to it. Although it is rather sweet, I find it to be utterly delicious!

i luv luv sweet perfume like flowerbomb. i prefer eu de parfum than eu the toilette

You have the best darned reviews! I wish I could have 5 minutes with you to help me find my new signature perfume. Wore "Knowing" for 20 years..... done my time and desperately searching for the new me.... (obivously... I will be 50 this year). Bought some Bulgari Rose Estentialle... have no idea what demons overtook me that day. HELP ME! HELP ME!!!!

I'm curious about their new fragrance Bon Bon

@JIovannone Wow, really? A little spiciness does creep in towards the end, but to me it's resolutely "girl power". But I've not smelled it on a guy - that would be interesting! I do think guys can absolutely carry off Lolita Lempicka, though.

@sinyeesinyee Thanks. The gloss in this vid is a Chanel Glossimer in 46, known either as "Praline" or "Giggle", depending on which side of the Atlantic you buy it.

@rebecky Well, it totally depends on your own personal tastes, but here's a list of a variety of terrific smells to sniff your way through: D&G Anthology #18 La Lune, Stella McCartney, Juliette Has a Gun, Miss Charming, Comptoir Sud Pacifique Naphé, Kat Von D Sinner, Missoni by Missoni, Narciso Rodriguez for Her edp, Hermès Eau Merveilles, Christian Dior Escale à Pondichéry, Bulgari Black

No "Skank" in Flowerbomb?! Dang! That's my angel, Katie...well, once again you saved me, saved me from its Little Bo Peep-ness. Always love your reviews. You Go, Girl!

What a delightful and concise review. Well done, Katie!

@mstama22 And thanks for taking the time to watch and comment! I really appreciate it.

@Patsymd I wonder if you could get down with Agent Provocateur, another beautiful woody rose? And you might check out Juliette Has a Gun Lady Vengeance (find online). Is Stella McCartney Stella too musky of a rose?

@GloriousNonsense Thanks! It's actually a dress, and I always feel very "perfumey" when I wear it.

@Jen100ism A little 'nilla in a perfume can make spiky or challenging ingredients more accessible (like the rubber in Bulgari Black), and a lot can turn the scent into a spray-on dessert (Flowerbomb). Heliotrope flowers have a delicate vanilla/caramel in their aroma, so perfumes that emphasize vanillic sweetness will sometimes also feature heliotropin (synthetic heliotrope) in the composition. Perhaps you enjoy a bit of sweetness, but not full-on creaminess in your perfumes?

Very long-lasting. Not as much as Angel, but it does stick around.

Cotton candy, light rose and vanillic patchouli. Smells like a B&BW spray to me.... very nice for the tweens I would think. Well, rich tweens. : )

I was a little worried about it when you mentioned patchouli, but thanks for explaining that patchouli isn't always that musky/B.O./pot smell that I don't like. ;) I'm all about sweet, sweet, sweet, so I definitely have to try this one!

Hi Katie! Well, unfortunately i'm not crazy about this fragrance. I wanted to like it, but I just can't go there. It's border line tacky. Way too sweet. Love the bottle though. Oh yea, I love your videos and your sense of humor. Keep up the good work!

@irmiaa What it shows is a point of view. I'm not a robot. I have preferences like everyone else. Along with my preferences, I also indicate the composition and behavior of the perfume, which I hope is helpful for viewers even if they don't share my personal tastes. Thanks for your feedback!

This fragrance is so popular I actually see women all over this when I go to the department store.Its a bit too Pink and sweet for me.The patchouli in it makes this fragrance.It adds that extra bang to it.I am beginning to appreciate the patch in fragrances they are in so many these days but they are doing awesome things to it.So now I am getting used to it.When a fragrance has patch you need to use less as it tends to be stronger.

This reminded me of Angel I bought back in high school,, but better..unfortunately my Ph mixed with this after an hour was awful. I tried to like it darn! I will try Lolita Lempicka next and see how that smells on me after an hour.

To my nose Prada Amber smells very much like Bulgari Jasmine Noir. The exception is that Jasmine Noir has a rich green note. The Prada is warm and sweeter. I gave the Prada to a friend

@Evange Nothing like the unscalable wall of the price to help you decide you can live without it.

Yes Yes Yes Flower Bomb - Angel and Flower bomb - my absolute favourite's I'm on the Flower bomb now.

@soupiscool123 F-bomb isn't for me personally, but plenty of people love how it's a chilled-out Angel with a pinch of Coco Mlle.

@mialovesmusic You might be identifying the patchouli as bitter, perhaps...? Patch is a bit earthy, though it's pretty cleaned up in Flowerbomb. It might also be the tea note.

I've never smelled this but I must say that I love the concept of the bottle. It's very unique and fun!

I just purchased flowerbomb this weekend. I thought it smelled really nice but it smells almost exact to Bijan B exquisite which cost about $100 less.

When I smelled this soon after it's debut, I thought it smelled like Ici by Coty. Maybe Ici has changed since the 90's, but I still have an EDT bottle of it and the original is a lot like Flowerbomb.

@Markisan I'm getting that "unisex" feedback from a lot of comments.

@GlowySweetFabulous i have that one too. I really enjoy that scent alot and for me, it really doesn't take alot to smell it all day long. Sometimes towards the evening I will spritz a little bit of angel..because like she says they have smiliarities and they stacks well imo.

Good description but I wasn't sure whether you liked it or not LOL! By the way I love love love your blouse!!

I love it Katie! It's strong but intoxicating. Thank you for ur review. It's rich smelling to me. I like the shape of the bottle as well. I wear it at home for my enjoyment!

@KatiePuckrikSmells... Today I received the fragrance Lalique Encre Noire Homme, excellent fragrance! very good! Thanks for helping me in choosing ... Thank you Katie! You are the best! ...I'm from Brazil and always watching your reviews!!

@AnneLien1987 Flowerbomb quotes Angel, but is a little easier to live with. Angel can be demanding!

Patchouli SAVES many fragrances IMHO...and actually I am perfectly OK with wearing Patchouli Oil by itself and remembering the good ol days. I recently ordered the Patch 24 and Oud 27 from those feisty perfumers "Le Labo"~~~ Dirty, Filthy, Gritty Skanksville...well, you get my point. I am probably the only one on the planet that appreciates them besides you...and honestly I can only wear them home and alone as they are so offensive until a 2 hour "dry down" Flowerbomb? Well, its better than PS

I love your reviews...I'm a cologne connoisseur and yes, you smell...but someone I want to smell all the time!! Because this scent rocks!!!

@nanue1002 I agree with you...I forgot to mention the slight spiciness at the tail end of Flowerbomb that makes it reminiscent of Coco Mlle.

@CallMeEuphoria I don't know offhand - can anyone else here compare the two?

I tried it in Sephora and since I dont like flowery-sweet smells this fragnance was too much for me. and I agree with you the only edgy thing is the bottle.

Great review, I was curious about this scent. Sounds like it smells wonderful...and you comparing it to Angel makes me -really- want it, since Angel is my #1 favorite scent.

Hello :) I imagine you're crazy busy, but I would love for you to review Viktor & Rolf Bonbon! Your reviews are perfect, because you're so descriptive. So many people list notes and say generic things about how “yummy” things smell, but you describe “yummy”...if that makes sense.

Hey, you're not alone! I can't stand the smell of Flowerbomb at all and, like Angel, I can tell when someone has it on from a mile away...

flowerbomb is one of my absolute favorites. it is a very rich scent.

I think Flowerbomb is a cloying headache inducing mess. It seems like something a spoiled teenager would wear. It’s not a Flower Bomb it’s a sugar bomb.

@KatiePuckrikSmells I use "the bomb" from sometimes and I am a guy :D. I know many male fumeheads use FB too. But I think out of all the gourmandy offerings, FB smells the most dated. I mean take the ordinary flowery/heavy smell of 70's - 80's woman perfume, add in the sugary sweetness and we have FB. Viktor & Rolf's only male offering Antidote is a total rip off of Cacharel's discontinued Nemo too. But it doesn't have the mystical vibe and the wonderful betel leaf opening of Nemo.

@Fejosol Lalique Encre Noire without a doubt. But I do think the NR For Him oil is very nice...but I believe it's been discontinued...?

I love your reviews! However, I have had serious issues with Flowerbomb...I was very sad that I was not able to wear it because the dry down smells like ashtray on me. I however, found the perfect replacement...Prada Amber has the drydown that I was hoping flowerbomb would have! I couldn't believe it...and it's not as sweet which is kind of nice. Can you review Prada Amber?

Excellent description Katie! I love Flowerbomb!

@KatiePuckrikSmells She liked it, but Angel is still her favorite. I guess I'll try again next year...

Guzibillion!!! hehe! I was staying away from this stuff because of the name, I shy away from anything too flowery, but shall try it out. Have you read the review by Tania Sanchez in the book Perfumes The Guide? Funny stuff! I wish Luca had also reviewed it.

Do you know what gives the "bitterness" in flowerbomb? It's very prominent (if not dominant) from the start. I would imagine it being something like orchid (although I don't know if orchids smell bitter-sweet or if there are orchids in there...). Anyway, do you know? I hope you know what I mean :s

@a4rodite Aww, thanks, Colleen. Glad for the feedback.

@Musicnote2244 Hi again - I answered your comment on the other vid, but now that I know you like Pure Seduction, you might check out the following: Christian Dior Miss Dior Cherie L’eau, Fresh Strawberry Flowers (Sephora exclusive), Clarins Par Amour Toujours

I wanted to love flowerbomb so badly :( but my skin just made the perfume smell bad after an hour

I love flower bomb. I get it for my love al the time

I can’t remember. Did she say it’s sweet?

I have angel and I have L Lolita lempicka. I hate both as for now. I have a love hate relationship with them but Flowerbomb is great. I love it !

Thank you, Amanda! Agent Provocateur is one of my very favorite perfumes. I've covered it on one of my Holiday Fragrances videos.