If you like the smell of YSL’s Black Opium perfume, you’ll love this on-sale Sol de Janeiro mist…
As a beauty editor, I frequently find myself being asked by friends and family for product recommendations. Whether they’re after the ideal moisturiser, a dependable mascara, or a signature scent, I’m always ready to share my knowledge. However, when it comes to perfumes, I tend to be a bit more discerning.
For those seeking a wallet-friendly option that doesn’t compromise on aroma, there’s one body mist I consistently recommend with confidence: Sol de Janeiro’s After Hours fragrance mist. The setback? It was a limited edition from the previous year and was no longer available for purchase.
However, last year, Sol de Janeiro introduced its newest core scent to the fragrance mist list, Cheirosa 76 mist, and it’s essentially After Hours but in a lighter blue bottle. Even better, it’s in a rare sale this week, which sees it drop in price from £24 to £16.80 for a 90ml bottle.
The perfume mist is touted to ’embody the vibrant rhythm of a night out in Rio’, with a scent profile that echoes the ‘glittering 1976 discotheque era’. With intoxicating and velvety aromas, this fragrance melds notes of black currant, pear nectar, midnight jasmine, vanilla crème, lush freesia, amber woods and caramelised patchouli.
But, if you want a more accurate scent description, I think it smells a lot like YSL’s Black Opium EDP.
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I like this scent for one primary reason: it’s not excessively sweet. Some mists, including a few from Sol de Janeiro’s range, can dry down to be a bit cloying. It’s alright for youngsters, but I’m a woman in my thirties, and I look for sophisticated scents with more of an aromatic base.
I would argue this is the most mature perfume mist I’ve encountered, and the longest lasting. I really appreciate the depth of the amber woods but a slight sweet hit from the vanilla, balanced with a subtle jasmine floral. It’s a sultry, moody scent with a light finish.
At £100 less than Black Opium, which you can shop from £104 here for a 90ml, it’s an affordable, and very convincing, alternative for anyone looking for a designer-like spray on a budget. Of course, you can’t compare the quality of the oils used in an EDP like Black Opium with any body mist. A mist is diluted, and as a result, you’ll use up 90mls of it faster than an EDP because you’ll need to apply more to maintain the fragrance.
If I spritz the 76 mist in the morning, it lasts beyond lunch until I feel the need for a top-up spritz. In contrast, I can use Black Opium in the morning and I’ll still smell it on myself by evening.
Having said that, Sol de Janeiro’s Cheirosa 76 has earned a spot in my heart and in my handbag. If you’re looking for another mist suggestion, I also can’t get enough of Phlur’s new Peach Skin Body Mist, £25, which smells like summer in a bottle.