I don't recall ever having bought anything from the John Richmond brand before but I am always willing to try out new fragrances. I received a handbag sized bottle of Viva Rock a few months ago and was drawn in by the gorgeous pink box that it came in.

~Viva Rock~

Released : 2011
Fragrance family : Floral/woody/musk.

Viva Rock is an eau de toilette offered by designed John Richmond. This EDT is said to encompass 'the rock 'n' roll side of life'. A matching shower gel and body lotion is also available.

*Top notes - Sicilian mandarin, star fruit and cactus flower
*Heart notes - watery jasmine, Damascena rose and cherry blossom
*Base notes - ambergris, musks and orris

The bottle design of Viva Rock is quite nice. A clear, rectangular glass bottle with a bright pink lid holds the clear liquid. The bottle is printed with the perfume name and bright, decorative splashes of colour which I think are supposed to represent the Union Jack flag. A decorative charm is wrapped around the bottle neck. I feel that the bottle design is aimed at younger purchasers.

~Price and Availability~

Viva Rock EDT can be bought from a few online stores as follows :

*www.feelunique.com : £24.65 - £45.13 (30ml - 100ml)
*Amazon : £29.00 - £77.00 (30ml - 100ml)
*eBay : £12.99 - £34.99 (30ml - 100ml)

~My Thoughts~

I was quite pleased to receive my mini bottle of Viva Rock. The design of the bottle is quite fun looking and that combined with the description of the scent would make me think that it would be a vibrant, pleasant perfume to use. I have used it a few times and I cannot say I am overly impressed by it. It certainly doesn't have the same premium feel compared to other perfumes in the same price range.

A quick sniff of the bottle doesn't reveal much about this perfume except a rather powerful alcohol aroma. I wasn't pleased as this often results in a rather cheap smelling perfume. Thankfully the alcohol subsides quickly and the real fragrance of Viva Rock becomes evident. Viva Rock is quite a light fragrance and certainly not one which will have everyone around you asking what you are wearing. I can notice it on my own skin but when I asked my fiance if he could smell any perfume from me he found it very difficult to detect any without being really close to me.

The top notes are light and refreshing. The mandarin is the prominent note and is beautifully sweet and citrussy almost like a glass of freshly squeezed juice. The other top notes seem to fall to the background and aren't easily detectable over the juicy, inviting mandarin. After a short period of 30minutes, the fruity mandarin starts to lose its way a little and Viva Rock loses its appeal as a bright, almost Summery scent.

There is nothing particularly special or unique about the heart notes here. The rose is there as is the complimenting jasmine and I could have handled this light floral combination on its own despite being very generic. The cherry blossom seemed to be lacking. Unfortuantely, these floral notes were also joined by a soapy scent which didn't mix well at all. It wasn't even a clean soapy aroma it was simply a cheap smelling, unnatural aroma which I didn't like very much. Thankfully the overall aroma came through very subtle and I didn't have to subject anyone else to its unappealing soapy scent!

After 2 hours or so, the soapy/floral aroma changes again and the base notes emerge. The scent does redeem itself a little here but not by much. The closing scent on my skin is mainly musky with a very slight woody undertone. I would have liked the amber to come through a little more but it doesn't. Thankfully the musky note isn't too mature smelling but there is definitely more of it that I would normally tolerate. I can detect a hint of Viva Rock on my skin for around 5 hours maximum.

~Suitability~

It is difficult to judge who this would really appeal to. A younger wearer may be taken in by the bright bottle and fruity top notes but the rest of the scent is more suited to someone a little more mature in my opinion. Viva Rock is definitely not a special occasion scent. It is more one to wear occasionally during the day for a change. It is light enough for warmer days/evenings.

~Conclusion~

Overall I haven't been very impressed by Viva Rock EDT. It is a very simple and not very appealing scent. It starts off nice enough but fails to deliver a favourable, rememberable scent and the soapy aroma simply ruins the main part of the fragrance. The scent doesn't suit the bright packaging either and this is definitely not a fragrance I would be paying full price for.

Thanks for reading :)