Boadicea the Victorious Solar is one of the more approachable releases from a house better known for heavy ambers and ouds. It is a bright fruity floral with a soft woody base, launched around 2020, and it has quietly become difficult to find because it no longer appears in the brand’s current lineup. That scarcity matters for anyone deciding between tracking down the original and buying the clone.
What Does Boadicea the Victorious Solar Smell Like?
The opening is genuinely sunny. Bergamot leads with a clean citrus lift while cassis adds a tart, slightly green blackcurrant edge and peach brings rounded juiciness. Wearers consistently describe the first hour as fresh, tangy and faintly candy-like, closer to a sparkling orchard fruit accord than a sugary gourmand. There is enough aromatic brightness here that some people initially compare it to classic fresh designer florals.
After the first hour the white florals take over. Magnolia, Egyptian jasmine, lily of the valley and Rose de Mai form a powdery, creamy bouquet that dominates the middle of the wear. This phase is where Solar earns its feminine-leaning reputation. The flowers are polished rather than indolic, so nothing turns animalic or sharp.
The drydown shifts again. Musk, amber, vanilla, sandalwood, cashmere wood and patchouli settle into a warm, gently sweet skin scent, and several reviewers note the fragrance changes character noticeably after the six hour mark, becoming softer and cozier than the bright start suggested. The oakmoss listed in reference pyramids gives the late hours a subtle mossy depth rather than any chypre bitterness.
Performance
Community reports put longevity in the 6 to 8 hour range on most skin, with some testers getting past 9 hours. Projection is moderate to strong for the first two to three hours, easily noticeable to people nearby, then pulls in close during the floral and woody phases. On dry skin the fade comes sooner. It is office safe because the sweetness stays restrained and there is no harsh synthetic edge, but expect compliments rather than a room filling trail. The main performance complaint is that the final stretch sits very tight to the skin, which some buyers find underwhelming at this price point.
Best Clone Or Alternative
Dua Solar Flare is the practical answer. It is sold explicitly as a Solar inspiration and lists a nearly identical pyramid: cassis, bergamot oil, peach flesh, Egyptian jasmine, Rose de Mai, lily of the valley, magnolia, musk, cashmere wood fusion, amber, vanilla, oakmoss, sandalwood and patchouli. At 36 dollars for 34ml of extrait concentration, it costs a fraction of the original’s 580 pound retail price. Because it is an extrait, it can read slightly thicker and sweeter than Boadicea’s airier eau de parfum, but the overall structure matches closely. Two caveats apply. Dua sells out regularly, so availability is unpredictable, and the smaller bottle format means more frequent repurchasing than a 100ml flacon. For most buyers who simply want the smell, Solar Flare covers about 85 percent of the experience for roughly 6 percent of the cost.
When To Wear It
Spring and fall are the sweet spots, and mild summer days work well thanks to the citrus opening. Heat plus white florals can turn loud, so go lighter in high summer. Winter flattens the brightness. It fits office wear, casual daytime plans, dates and spring events equally well, which makes it versatile despite its personality leaning romantic rather than corporate.
Who Should Buy It
Buy it if you love fruity florals that avoid bubblegum sweetness, you want a compliment getter that stays polite indoors, or you are a collector hunting a discontinued Boadicea before prices climb further. Fans of soft musky florals with realistic peach will get the most out of it.
Who Should Skip It
Skip the original if you want masculine-leaning niche, since the floral drydown reads clearly feminine to many noses. Skip it if you balk at paying hundreds of pounds for moderate projection, and skip it entirely if you need instant availability. Anyone on a budget should try Dua Solar Flare first.
Final Verdict
Solar is a well-built, cheerful fruity floral with real development and solid 6 to 8 hour wear, but discontinuation and resale pricing have detached it from its actual quality level. As a scent it earns a 7. As a purchase it is hard to defend when Dua Solar Flare delivers the same architecture for pocket change. Hunt the original only if collecting is the point.