Iconic luxury brand Jimmy Choo has been consistently creating gorgeous shoes, handbags, and perfume for almost three decades, seemingly without missing a step the whole time.
Generally speaking, when I get my hands on a Jimmy Choo product, it means I’m about to enjoy true luxury, style, and quality — and their 2013 perfume Flash is no exception to that rule.
Our Jimmy Flash Choo perfume review is based on multiple days of testing. The tester sourced opinions, and neutral third parties answered questions.
Who Makes It?
Jimmy Choo released Flash in 2013.
Christine Nagel, a Swiss perfumer known for being the in-house perfumer at Hermés and creating iconic, coveted scents like Miss Dior Cherie and Narciso Rodriguez for Her, crafted this scent.
Nagel’s resumé as a perfumer truly speaks for itself.
Scent Notes
Flash is a sweet, sexy floral, with top notes of sweet and spicy pink pepper, juicy strawberry, and tangerine.
Its middle notes include tuberose (sometimes referred to as the most fragrant plant in the world, with a scent reminiscent of a deeper, more potent gardenia), white lily and jasmine.
The base notes of heliotrope (reminiscent of cherry and almond) and earthy white wood ground the perfume.
So what does Jimmy Choo Flash smell like? It ultimately smells like fruit and flowers, but with enough of an earthy presence to keep it out of “sickly” territory. It’s a well-rounded and carefully-considered bouquet.
Who’d Like It?
Flash is the perfect scent for a woman in her 20s—fun, flirty, social, and not too serious, or stuffy. Wearing it with confidence and impeccable style is key.
When Should I Wear It?
The fruity and floral notes in Jimmy Choo Flash perfume make it perfect for summertime; the scent practically begs the cool breeze of a summer evening to carry it away.
It’s sweet enough for daytime wear, but the spicy pink pepper and sexy tuberose suit it for evening wear.
Where Should I Wear It?
It’s fun enough to wear to a party but flirty enough to wear on a date—the earthy and spicy tones plus fruits and florals allow it to do double duty.
Packaging and Presentation
The packaging seems like a strange choice for a perfume that’s so summery and feminine.
The Jimmy Choo Flash perfume comes in a square box with a silver sparkle-esque pattern. The bottle itself is a faceted, rounded cube, with textured sides and is a subtle, transparent bluish-violet shade.
For a perfume that came out in 2013, the packaging seems oddly Y2K—like an attempt at glitz and glamor that’s nearly two decades out of date.
That is not to say it’s ugly; it looks like what it is, a luxury perfume but one of stark contrast to the luxe, minimalist packaging popular today. At certain angles, the bottle is reminiscent of an early-2000s music video set or nightclub.
It’s consistent with the faceted glass typical of all of Jimmy Choo’s women’s fragrances, but something about the colors and shape of this one makes it look dated, even for when the company released it.
Performance
Flash’s top notes last a few hours, and upon testing it, the middle and base notes carried me through the rest of the night.
Sillage is just right. It doesn’t overwhelm me, but people will be able to smell it (I got lots of compliments!)
Personal Impressions
Jimmy Choo’s Flash smells like the scent that a super-feminine, ultra-stylish woman would wear. Fruit and flowers make it incredibly sweet. Flash seems like the kind of perfume that Elle Woods from “Legally Blonde” might have worn.
Her character was sweet and feminine, super-stylish and alluring, but intelligent with a practical edge, and that is exactly what this perfume is, too.
This perfume probably isn’t right for women whose vibe is a little less girly, or who are seeking a more sophisticated perfume experience. Since I’m a fruit-and-flowers kind of lady, Flash perfectly complements my vibe.
The bottle makes it something that I wouldn’t necessarily want on my bathroom shelf or the top of my dresser. I doubt I’d give it the place of honor for guests to see. But for someone with a different personal style, it would fit in.
Plus, when it comes to perfume, the bottle isn’t nearly as important as the scent—and the scent is beautiful.
Has Jimmy Choo Flash Been Discontinued?
Flash is no longer available for sale through Jimmy Choo’s website, but it’s still readily available through other retailers. Technically, the company has discontinued it, but with just a bit of extra searching, I still found it.
The Jimmy Choo Flash gift set—including the other products initially offered alongside the scent, like body wash and scented lotion—is challenging to locate but still available too.
Other retailers still carry Jimmy Choo Flash London Club, the limited-edition version released in 2014. However, the manufacturer discontinued that too. As one might guess from the name, the London club scene inspired the “London Club” version at the time of its release.
It smells fairly similar to the original Flash, with slightly different notes—top notes include litchi (a juicy, fruity scent) and citrusy bergamot. Its middle notes are white flowers and tuberose, and its base notes are musky and woody like the original.
Pros of Jimmy Choo Flash:
- It’s a unique, fun scent.
- Perhaps because it’s discontinued, it’s usually quite affordable.
- It doesn’t require reapplication and lasts all night.
- Its bouquet is clever; fruits and florals can be cloying, but Flash is not a cloying scent. Earthy base notes give it a beautiful balance.
Cons of Jimmy Choo Flash:
- It’s not the most versatile scent—Flash is perfect for a summer night but doesn’t work for other seasons and might be a little much for regular daytime wear.
- It probably wouldn’t be suitable as a daily perfume; it’s more of a “special occasion” scent.
- The bottle looks Y2K in a way that’s not quite on trend for the current Y2K revival. In the wrong visual context, it has the potential to even look a little cheap (without smelling cheap!)
Final Thoughts
Overall, Flash by Jimmy Choo is a great scent; since I was looking for a feminine, summery perfume for dates and parties, this one worked beautifully. It’s discontinued, so I’d recommend getting some before it’s gone!
Selena Marc is a fragrance enthusiast, freelance writer, and dog mom living in Houston, Texas. When she's not writing about her favorite new perfumes, you can find her enjoying yoga or a morning hike.
