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ru66 – :
Do you know the confectionery “Erfrischungsstäbchen”? I guess this might be kind of hard to pronounce if you don’t speak German, but there doesn’t seem to be an English translation for these, except the literal one which would be “refreshment sticks”. Anyways, Erfrischungsstäbchen are little sticks with dark chocolate on the outside and a weird sugary orange or lemon flavored liquid filling. They are really old-fashioned, I haven’t eaten them for years, but California Chocolate made me think of those.
I don’t know if that’s a good thing. This smells of dark chocolate, obviously, and very strong citrus notes. Lemon, orange and a bit of grapefruit, too. Over the time, it turns a bit musty and also cleaner-like on my skin. It’s a bit too citrussy, not sophisticated enough and the chocolate note isn’t especially delicious either. This is not really bad, it’s fruit and chocolate after all and I love fruits and chocolate, but they can be so much better.
ssasha – :
California Chocolate opens with boozy notes + grapefruit juice + blood orange + a touch of powdery cacao (smells like a citrus liqueur at this point. Grand Marnier?). I was surprised how grape-fruity this stage is on me – makes for a very happy scent. It settles into a powdery orange chocolate scent with a touch of booze and patch for the majority of its progression. This stage does smell like those little chocolate oranges a bit. I don’t think this smells at all like Seattle Chocolate.
But I agree that the chocolate smells very powdery – this isn’t a melted rich chocolate but more of a dried cacao. The late drydown is patchouli + resin? + a touch of cognac. Enjoyable, but not the chocolate I was looking for.
Droxerz – :
This is the exact same as Seattle Chocolate after the top notes burn off. Yes it smells like a chocolate orange for 20 minutes but the chocolate element is powdery and stale. Both this and Seattle chocolate remind me of a gross chocolate sented lube someone gave me years ago and this kinda ruined it for me.
⛤⛤
siniy69 – :
Nicely done orange chocolate combo. This one succeeds where all others have failed.
Matyushenko – :
Another beautiful fragrance from this house. I had wondered at first if it might not be too foody to actually be wearable; the opening is a strong dark chocolate orange liqueur, darkly sweet, but citric and strongly boozy. But it settles fairly quickly into something far more mellow and smooth. Still sweetly chocolate, the orange rounds off nicely, the liqueur still predominant but toned down considerably by gentle musks and a light, earthy undertone in the drydown that grounds the whole fragrance beautifully. Lighter, almost whispering florals, the neroli, gently caress the heart. Its still a very gourmand fragrance, but in a delightfully realistic way. This really does remind me of a hand crafted, orange liqueur dark chocolate that you might find on the shelf in a high end chocolatier, the kind you might purchase only one or two of, but relish the taste of for many hours after its been eaten. Its really quite beautiful. Quite low sillage, to skin even, in a reasonably short period of time, but lovely longevity. Gourmand lovers are sure to appreciate this!
FriendRyan – :
I’m not huge on gourmads, but I got a sample of this and it got me. It smells EXACTLY like the chocolate oranges I used to get at christmas as a kid, with a boozy and somewhat spicy depth. I’m about to order my second bottle. Understandable if this isn’t your thing, but its a wonderful scent.
Максим-1996 – :
i’m quite the anti gourmand but got this out of fandom and for something cheerful this summer. as a huge fan of dark chocolate the creamy milkiness was surprising. there’s something ageless about it in the sense that it’s something i could totally imagine myself have loved even as a child.
the orange has a sweet roundness that totally echoes the finer milk chocolates with pieces of candied peel. the patch is just barely there to give it a subtle bodylike odour and keep it out of the all-too digestible territory. a double thumbs of for me as a contemporary bulls eye of the most accessible kind. actually brings an inner smile to me each time i put it on.
mysha_1 – :
Why?
Too foody to be perfume, too perfumed to be food.
Eeesh.
moham – :
Gosh this is lovely. Its a Cadburys Chocolate Orange in perfume form. Truly orange flavoured british creamy milk chocolate. Yes, it is chocolatey on me but yet it is still not sickly. It is sophisticated and decadent feeling. The orange and other citrus notes are not overwhelmed by the chocolate. The cognac is very low key on me. Decent sillage and lasts for 4-5 hours.
Gurlyns – :
This is not at all what I was expecting, and it took me a while to warm up to it. I had it on my want list before all the notes were uploaded and listed. I was completely oblivious that it had notes like cognac and patchouli, I always imagined it being some sugary sweet orange chocolate. I mean cali chocolate sounds like such a cheerful name, right? Why it is called that I will never know, I call it seattle chocolate all the time on accident because there is nothing cali about this to me.
Today is my 2nd time giving this a full wear, and it really is something else. Moody dark chocolate, bright orange, sour fruit, dark booze, vanilla, musk, earth, and maybe just a little decay. Dry and wet all at the same time. It makes me feel like wearing black clothing, but in an oh so good way.
This perfume was really such a shock to me! It took sometime to wrap my head around it, but now that I “get” it I really do like it. To me it is a moody gourmand with a lot of personality and angles.
казанцев – :
This reminds me of Lush’s Karma. There is definitely orange blossom to give this the orange note. I am not a fan of karma, but this is lovely. The cognac, patchouli and chocolate add depth to this. So its a deeper, sweeter, karma. If you love karma give this a try
leraverrf – :
This one is certanly for those who like their gourmand fragrances as close of the literal as possible. Everytime i smell the opening i can see in front of me the image of a delicious dessert. It makes me think of an specific one we have here in Brazil which is called Pavê (very similar, from what i found, to its Scottish cousin called Trifle). It’s made of cream, layers of ladyfinger biscuit and the flavor that you pick. In this case, i see a chocolate and orange pavê. It’s very mouthwatering, and just before that you think you’ll get overwhelmed by the realistic impression the scent relaxes on the chocolate sweet edge and favors a fresh citrus part which cuts some sweetness and which is completed by a gorgeous boozy aspect. The scent dries into something more musky, woody, and discreet and that works after the intense opening. It’s from the Olympic Orchids fragrances i tried the one that i instantly liked. It speaks deep and directly to my inner child that loves desserts but it’s able to dialogue with my adult side too 🙂
sasdew – :
California Chocolate opens with bright, juicy, tangy grapefruit. It’s quite boozy from the start, with the cognac making a strong entrance. The chocolate is present too, but it’s secondary to the citrus for me. Overall, I get the sense of freshly squeezed citrus juice mixed into a subtle chocolaty-smooth liqueur. The citrus I smell in this is distinctively grapefruit in the top notes, but I also start to smell the orange as it wears.
This scent is sweet but not excessively so. The citrus notes are delicious and realistic, bringing a zestiness to the fragrance that is a nice contrast to the warm chocolate undertones. I don’t feel the patchouli is that prominent, but I’m not particularly sensitive to patchouli in fragrances generally. This is a very well-conceived gourmand. This is the brightest and most vibrant take on chocolate that I’ve tried thus far.
Rhinuelimen – :
I recoiled when I first sprayed my sample. The boozy orange zest soapy smell was crazy overpowering. This is like: It’s 3am, you’ve been driving all night and you stop at a rest stop to go to the bathroom and stretch your legs. The place is empty of people and all you can smell is the strong disinfectant orange cleaner some moody lady is cleaning the toilets with. It singes your nostrils, the flourescent lighting is giving you a headache, the whole place is making you uncomfortable..it’s weird, it’s nasty and you can’t wait to get back to your car and drive off. I don’t even get chocolate in this. total scrubber.
RavenStorm – :
The boozines and citrus is so strong, the chocolate is almost in the backseat with the other two driving recklessly. I think if it was more chocolate and less drunk orange, it would be more wearable. Hard to find an appropiate time to wear, makes you hungry!
Lasts really long. Most other perfumes the reviews say it lasts long and on me it dissapears after 2 hours, this one really does last a long time. About 8 hours.
Bertt – :
California Chocolate is oh, so good. It’s a citrus burst of chocolate-y goodness. The most dominant notes in this delightful concoction is the combination of rich, deep dark chocolate and exhilarating orange. The cognac and citrus notes balance out the sweetness creating this gloriously delectable scent sure to please the most discerning gourmand lover. I do not find it overly sweet … it’s warm and intoxicating to the senses. The patchouli makes its appearance during the dry down but it does not overwhelm, it only enhances the warmth and depth this fragrance exudes.
Lasting power will not disappoint at over 8 hours on the skin. Highly satisfying!
cool 51 – :
218) La note de chocolat en ouverture est ici la même que dans Seattle chocolat accompagnée d’orange, de pamplemousse et d’une pointe légère de fleur d’oranger. Le chocolat se fait de plus en plus discret, le coeur du parfum s’équilibrant sur l’orange qui reste fraiche grâce à l’acidité des autres agrumes et domine heureusement un fond très dense de patcouli-vanille-musc.
Un parfum fruité, patissier, très bien construit qui arrive à rester frais.
Aerohopleneridui – :
This started to me like the scent of a chocolate orange. I wouldn’t want to wear a chocolate orange (the kind you get at Christmastime), but it definitely mellowed into something much more sophisticated. I really feel the musk, vanilla, orange and hint of chocolate. Definitely a keeper. It’s a strong scent that will stay with you for up to 10+ hours. It’s a perfect blend of chocolate and orange. If you don’t care to smell like a delicious treat, perhaps it’s not for you, but I feel like it also has a slightly boozy quality which helps it to grow up and feel more sophisticated.
hotDiz – :
Where Seattle Chocolate is dark, dry and dramatic, California Chocolate is its sunny, juicy milk chocolate sibling. It’s gourmand, but don’t expect a mere chocolate orange – the citrus here is seriously tangy and strong; it is the real focus, with sweet milk chocolate noticeable but in the background.
In the first couple of hours, neroli adds a lovely, delicate flourish. Now, after 7 hours, orange, lemon, and milk chocolate remain, fairly soft, but present nonetheless.
policliniko – :
Well, I’m an addict to gourmand perfumes, so naturally whenever a new one comes out, I feel compelled to try it. This little gem is no exception.
I’ve tried (and loved) several other scents from this house so I had high expectations and California Chocolate definitely delivers.
This is no typical gourmand. It’s a little more unique and complex than many of the ones that are out on the market with new nuances that come out each time I try it.
It opens with a tart citrus note that bursts open like a freshly cut orange. It’s wonderfully sharp and tangy, giving the scent a refreshing quality.
Initially I don’t get a lot of chocolate but as it dries down the chocolate subtly emerges until it balances nicely with the lingering citrus notes.
The patchouli is definitely there in the dry down but it adds a much needed earthiness to the composition, keeping it from getting too sweet or sickly. Hints of musk also become stronger in the dry down giving it a faintly animalic quality.
This is definitely a boozy fragrance…like a rich and creamy chocolate-orange spirit. It smells thickly luscious and decadently edible. It is sweet, but I find it less sweet than other chocolate based perfumes like Chocolovers, Amour de Cacao, or Chocolate Greedy.
There’s no huge sillage coming from this scent but it does have pretty good lasting power, especially on clothes.
There’s something very addictive about this. The more I smell it, the more I love it.
Slipmo3 – :
I won a sample of this and a few other new scents from Olympic Orchids in a givaway on the perfumers blog. On me this is a pretty simple scent with a sharp orange top note that mellows into a boozy vanilla. Very nice, but not really my thing.
Pommopaycap – :
I got this as a free sample, my it is interesting! it smells just like the orange filled chocolate you get. the really good high end rich stuff. Very deep, boozy, dynamic and citrusy. Very very edible. not my cup of tea, but still fantastically done!