7 Virtues: Cherry Ambition

This is my first foray into the brand 7 Virtues - a brand which prides itself on making sustainably sourced fragrance using essential oils, and using a higher concentration of fragrance for more intense scents. I haven't really taken notice of this brand, but they recently piqued my interest as they're releasing a new scent: Sugared Lychee. I thought I would check out the rest of the catalogue first to get a good grasp on the brand's vibes! They are stocked in stores at Sephora (in Australia), and I picked up some samples to try out! The complete discovery set (5 x 1.7ml sprays) costs $44 AUD. 

Cherry Ambition: Gourmand vanilla swirls with candied agave and bursts with cherry blossoms and floral notes, then crowned by warm amber suede and musky guaiac wood for a long-lasting sweet scent of success. 

TOP NOTES: Cherry, Pink Pepper, Mandarin, Marshmallow

HEART NOTES: Cherry Blossom, Osmanthus, Orris, Saffron

BASE NOTES Vanilla, Amber, Musk, Frankincense, Guaiacwood

Although I initially wrote this one off as a Lost Cherry dupe, this is surprisingly more approachable and wearable than Lost Cherry, which is comparably a little darker and smokier from the peru balsam and the heavier wood notes. The cherry accord here is comparable - there's a very bright, intense cherry syrup, an almost ginja/morello cherry liqueur like potency and sharpness. I haven't yet found a comparable indie perfume cherry accord that has the same elegant, refined qualities, so I always appreciate sniffing these mainstream blends when I get the chance to. I think the way that this blend is a little brighter and sweeter is a nice difference to the other Lost Cherry dupes, the addition of the mandarin here giving it a little more of zingy quality, it's actually quite lovely on opening. On dry down, I personally find the pink pepper with the resinous quality of the frankincense adds a sort of, aged, cinnamon dryness to it, and paired with the musk here, the scent definitely has a lot of body due to the base notes being quite heady and decadent. I don't mind this, although I personally find the heaviness of the scent a little too cloying in addition to the brightness of the top notes, resulting in a scent that's a little too loud for me. This isn't quite a scent I would pick up, but I can see the appeal. I might finish the sample, but it just makes me yearn for a perfect simple mainstream cherry ever more so.