First of all I would like to mention: This is my first comment, so please be lenient if I don't write an essay here that describes the course of the fragrance with the help of a fantasy novel, which would be a bestseller, as some people do here. For the time being, I will stick to a sober, simple narrative style
If you're only interested in how Lautus smells, just scroll down to "THE SEAF".
So, how did I come upon the scent (actually the scent series):
"Lautus" is one of three new releases of the brand "NAVITUS PARFUMS", all of which I ordered in the test set offered by the brand. I have to admit that I had very high expectations for these fragrances, as I had tested the first collection, and I really liked all but one of them (so much so that I even ordered the 100ml version of three fragrances). Since the first fragrances read well and could really perform accordingly, I was of the opinion that the "2nd wave" will be the hammer, if they can also retrieve what is written on paper.
Well, spoiler alert -> they definitely can't!
In terms of praise, this is the one that somehow comes close to what you'd expect when you look at the bottle and read the notes it contains.
To give you an idea of how I assessed the fragrance before its arrival, based on the bottle and the notes:
Fresh and sweetish (because of the turquoise of the bottle and because of neroli, lavender, iris, amber and vanilla), but then again not too fresh and not too sweet (because of the dark half of the bottle and the verbena, juniper berry and woods and musk).
So, that was the initial assessment. When they arrived (which was an absolute impudence, but more about that later), they opened the package with joyful expectations; all three of them were lying on this velvet, shining in a noble way (I think whoever reads the description here knows the brand anyway and also knows how the 15ml bottles are presented).
Next to me was a friend with whom I had ordered from NAVITUS, and both of us were enthusiastic about it at first, although the way it went from order to delivery had really spoiled our mood before (as I said, more about that later).
Then of course we both distributed 2 sprayers from each tester on the arms and looked, which one we would like best:
To be honest, it was extremely difficult to find one. Not because all three were equally good, but because they were equally disappointed and bad.
Here I want to talk briefly about the other two fragrances:
Arcanum (titled as sweetish, mysterious) and Opulentas (titled as opulent, "for kings")
Arcanum -> has a lifeless, scratchy sweetness in the beginning right after spraying it on (scratchy for me because it really scratches my throat when I smell it, because this sweetness is such a funny mixture of little coconut, a lot of cinnamon (but not a nice cinnamon, but cheap stuff), and this overkill of sweetness by vanilla and tonka bean). After 10 minutes there is a bearable phase for 20-30min, where the whole thing fades away a bit and is not so penetrating anymore, which then changes into a mixture of unidentifiable bitter-sweet and smoke until the end.
Opulentas -> who knows these Arabian Ouds, which are not a bit noble, but just really smell too smoky and bitter (nicely put). That's exactly how it smells. You only get the apple top note on paper and there only for a very short time, and after that it just smells unbearable. I really had to refrain from washing it down (my buddy had to wash it down, by the way), so that I might find something good in it. But there's nothing coming. Linear progression: starts bad and ends bad too.
Why do I write all this here, although the other fragrances should actually be described on their own pages? Well, as you can probably see, I can't put a good word to either of them, so I won't write several negative reviews (but if anyone feels the need for me to go into detail about the other two, let me know in the comments). Call it a short digression into the rest of the collection, but now I'll come back to the fragrance we're actually talking about..
THE Scent:
Lautus begins, as the pyramid of notes suggests:
Neroli and lavender are noticeable immediately after spraying. I don't know what Yuzu smells like, so I can't say. The previous two are definitely what you smell the first few minutes, alternating in intensity. Sometimes you get more lavender, sometimes more neroli. So far actually quite pleasant, a bit refreshing (but rather for such a "20°C spring day"; don't misunderstandably assume that this would be suitable for a warm summer day).
After about 5-10 minutes the verbena is added, taking some of the pulsating freshness effect that the interplay of neroli and lavender have created until then.
But what would have to come then, the heart notes, at least for me, is not coming. Admittedly, I can't do anything with the smell of cascarilla and freesia, maybe they have a supporting effect for the lavender+neroli, because you can always perceive them over the whole course of the fragrance. But I don't get a sharpness from juniper. Also you don't really notice the iris. So no DHI- Iris, more like Prada L'Homme- Style, which however only gets involved in the base notes and slightly pulverizes the vanilla. Speaking of the base notes: apart from vanilla, I only get a little bit of sandalwood (emphasis is on very light), but nothing more. So the fragrance is very linear, you smell the top notes from start to finish, and these are only carried by nuances of the remaining notes.
Well, what's my problem with the smell now?
In contrast to the other two fragrances in the series, it is good, it smells the way you would have imagined it somehow. But there is also the problem ... HE IS SOOOO DAMNED BORING! While the fragrances of the first collection not only read interestingly, but also really surprised you when you smelled them (they all have a really niche character), this one is so minimalistic, linear, and predictable. There is no wow-factor, just a "Hmm, well, go". Better than the other two, but not my standard, so it failed for me. I wanted to get rid of her, but Ebay didn't like something about my ad. I have to look at it again.
Now once again to the delivery, what I skipped before:
It took almost 5 weeks to get the stuff from NY via Frankfurt customs to me. I had to pay 50€ transport despite an order value of 700€ and afterwards I was allowed to pay customs! So I asked myself, which costs they actually take over with this business. Maybe the one or the other can understand my even bigger disappointment about the fragrances
Well, that was my first comment. According to the website I am not allowed to add more xD
Top Notes 
Heart Notes 
Base Notes 
MrHonest
Alchemysted
