Chimidoro
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Chimidoro
Avon's Far Away, is that you?
(OK, OK, they're not even nearly identical, but there's a striking similarity in the opening - this just lacks the vanilla focal point!)
I find this, along with Avon's Far Away, to be a touch too spicy for me. This is where Far Away Gold comes into its own - being far softer. All three scents are incense based, sharp and vanillic - dominating, powdery, sweet, sultry, alluring, smooth.
In the LUSH store, after being nasally bombarded by everything else, I smelled mainly a strong frangipani note in Sikkim Girls, but having brought it home I find the opening initially dominated by an overpowering cinnamon incense, which can be just a little too much. Strong & long lasting, indeed! (When I tried rinsing this off and applying my usual dose of LUST, I discovered that this makes a sensational base! Also works the other way around, of course!)
Sikkim Girls has a wonderfully intense presence. Two sprays turned my living-room into a bazaar.
Apply with a light hand and don't breathe it in too closely - this is a room filler. A beautiful, powdery, heady frangipani and burnt woods kind of room filler.
I find this, along with Avon's Far Away, to be a touch too spicy for me. This is where Far Away Gold comes into its own - being far softer. All three scents are incense based, sharp and vanillic - dominating, powdery, sweet, sultry, alluring, smooth.
In the LUSH store, after being nasally bombarded by everything else, I smelled mainly a strong frangipani note in Sikkim Girls, but having brought it home I find the opening initially dominated by an overpowering cinnamon incense, which can be just a little too much. Strong & long lasting, indeed! (When I tried rinsing this off and applying my usual dose of LUST, I discovered that this makes a sensational base! Also works the other way around, of course!)
Sikkim Girls has a wonderfully intense presence. Two sprays turned my living-room into a bazaar.
Apply with a light hand and don't breathe it in too closely - this is a room filler. A beautiful, powdery, heady frangipani and burnt woods kind of room filler.
Straight-Edge Opium-Lite
Intoxicating, resinous, woody, soapy & buttery.
Poppy seeds & incense. Nutmeg, cinnamon, maybe licorice?
Softens my usually erratic mood. I find it incredibly calming and soothing. Stays skin close for up to 4/5 hours.
Reminiscent of my childhood - Fresh from a steaming bath, towel atop my head; rummaging through closets brimming with vintage clothing, laden with the remnants of powders & parfums. Dust hanging rife in the air, sunbeams cutting like daggers through the curtain lace.
Poppy seeds & incense. Nutmeg, cinnamon, maybe licorice?
Softens my usually erratic mood. I find it incredibly calming and soothing. Stays skin close for up to 4/5 hours.
Reminiscent of my childhood - Fresh from a steaming bath, towel atop my head; rummaging through closets brimming with vintage clothing, laden with the remnants of powders & parfums. Dust hanging rife in the air, sunbeams cutting like daggers through the curtain lace.
Sugar Coated Almonds
I find this to be an incredibly delicate (without being too weak) crisp and clean iris scent.
Like the remnants of a fine soap or talc. Heavenly! Soft, smooth, slightly effervescent.
It's a predominantly powdery, subtly fruity, musky skin scent. There's some saltiness/smokiness in the drydown that balances out the tart & sweet raspberry wonderfully. At times it brings to mind little tubs of vanilla ice cream with raspberry sauce swirls that were available during my youth.
The only things I would change about this, if I could, are the following:
First and foremost, I'd make it last longer.
Secondly, I'd make the top notes last for more than the measly five to ten minutes provided.
Thirdly, if I could have my way, there'd be another version with peach in place of the raspberry. But this is simply a personal preference. I love the scent as it is, but would adore a peachy version of the same scent.
And last but not least, I'd make it a little cheaper. Somehow it smells like it ought to be cheaper! (Not intended as an insult, but it's very delicate and not so long lasting as others from the Lempicka range.
Having never tried scents such as "Sweet Honesty" or "Love's Baby Soft", this is exactly how I'd imagine/hope/expect them to be, and they're both far cheaper than this. They have both been described as powdery, soapy, talc-like, powdered makeup, lipstick scents - just like this.
I'm head over heels for the subtlety of this. It sits very well in my collection with Bijan Nude, Prada Candy & Muse de Rochas (the latter being a scent that was, like this, created for a bride to wear), for providing me with the most luxurious "my skin but a million times better" kind of scent, which I've really grown to love lately. And of that selection, this one is definitely my favorite. I'm a fan of simple white soaps that are milky & creamy, scented with iris, rose, almond, violet. I'm also a huge fan of Johnson's baby products, so this is right up my street. This soft, powdery scent is just so fresh and clean smelling, but also having a uniquely subtle smokiness in its depths, probably from a combination of the tonka and licorice, giving this an edge. I can't get enough!
The top notes have a beautiful papery quality with a heavy dose of sweet almond, tonnes of powdery, smooth iris and sweet, waxy violet leaf. (From the bottle itself the smell is more raspberry, whereas the raspberry doesn't come in straight away when wearing the scent on skin.)
The middle is lovely, with some salty musk, soapy violet and smooth heliotrope, leading through to hints of the raspberry and such a soft amount of licorice - it's almost indiscernible! (Though in the air around me the licorice is slightly more prominent, making this distinctly LEMPICKA!)
For me this is the perfect scent to wear to bed or to the Doctor's/Dentist's office where you don't want to overpower anybody with perfume-stink. This might overPOWDER some people, but for me it's utter perfection. I love the slightly waxy, metallic, cool element here, and the fact that it's not so gooey, sweet, green, earthy or fruity as some of the other Lempicka scents (therefore I personally wouldn't recommend this as somebody's first venture into the land of Lempicka; it doesn't really provide an accurate representation of their usually rubbery and herbaceous cherry and licorice heavy scent range).
Overall, I believe that this would be equally perfect come rain or shine. It seems suitable for all times of year as a daily, staple scent. I personally love spraying it on when I'm in my pyjamas, ready for bed, after a nice bath or shower using my favorite white soap (or as a means of giving the impression that I just had a nice bath or shower using my favorite white soap).
And I feel that the concept behind the scent is also quite accurate; with the idea of wedding cakes and lace wedding dresses. The scent's certainly evocative of sweetened, sugar coated almonds & lightly dusted icing. This is a delectably soft vanilla and raspberry ice cream scent in simply the most delightful bottle. The design on the box is like a beautifully intricate adorning of leaves made of marzipan/icing atop a smooth white wedding cake - literally the perfect vessel for the wonderful vapors captured inside.
(April 14th, 2014)
Like the remnants of a fine soap or talc. Heavenly! Soft, smooth, slightly effervescent.
It's a predominantly powdery, subtly fruity, musky skin scent. There's some saltiness/smokiness in the drydown that balances out the tart & sweet raspberry wonderfully. At times it brings to mind little tubs of vanilla ice cream with raspberry sauce swirls that were available during my youth.
The only things I would change about this, if I could, are the following:
First and foremost, I'd make it last longer.
Secondly, I'd make the top notes last for more than the measly five to ten minutes provided.
Thirdly, if I could have my way, there'd be another version with peach in place of the raspberry. But this is simply a personal preference. I love the scent as it is, but would adore a peachy version of the same scent.
And last but not least, I'd make it a little cheaper. Somehow it smells like it ought to be cheaper! (Not intended as an insult, but it's very delicate and not so long lasting as others from the Lempicka range.
Having never tried scents such as "Sweet Honesty" or "Love's Baby Soft", this is exactly how I'd imagine/hope/expect them to be, and they're both far cheaper than this. They have both been described as powdery, soapy, talc-like, powdered makeup, lipstick scents - just like this.
I'm head over heels for the subtlety of this. It sits very well in my collection with Bijan Nude, Prada Candy & Muse de Rochas (the latter being a scent that was, like this, created for a bride to wear), for providing me with the most luxurious "my skin but a million times better" kind of scent, which I've really grown to love lately. And of that selection, this one is definitely my favorite. I'm a fan of simple white soaps that are milky & creamy, scented with iris, rose, almond, violet. I'm also a huge fan of Johnson's baby products, so this is right up my street. This soft, powdery scent is just so fresh and clean smelling, but also having a uniquely subtle smokiness in its depths, probably from a combination of the tonka and licorice, giving this an edge. I can't get enough!
The top notes have a beautiful papery quality with a heavy dose of sweet almond, tonnes of powdery, smooth iris and sweet, waxy violet leaf. (From the bottle itself the smell is more raspberry, whereas the raspberry doesn't come in straight away when wearing the scent on skin.)
The middle is lovely, with some salty musk, soapy violet and smooth heliotrope, leading through to hints of the raspberry and such a soft amount of licorice - it's almost indiscernible! (Though in the air around me the licorice is slightly more prominent, making this distinctly LEMPICKA!)
For me this is the perfect scent to wear to bed or to the Doctor's/Dentist's office where you don't want to overpower anybody with perfume-stink. This might overPOWDER some people, but for me it's utter perfection. I love the slightly waxy, metallic, cool element here, and the fact that it's not so gooey, sweet, green, earthy or fruity as some of the other Lempicka scents (therefore I personally wouldn't recommend this as somebody's first venture into the land of Lempicka; it doesn't really provide an accurate representation of their usually rubbery and herbaceous cherry and licorice heavy scent range).
Overall, I believe that this would be equally perfect come rain or shine. It seems suitable for all times of year as a daily, staple scent. I personally love spraying it on when I'm in my pyjamas, ready for bed, after a nice bath or shower using my favorite white soap (or as a means of giving the impression that I just had a nice bath or shower using my favorite white soap).
And I feel that the concept behind the scent is also quite accurate; with the idea of wedding cakes and lace wedding dresses. The scent's certainly evocative of sweetened, sugar coated almonds & lightly dusted icing. This is a delectably soft vanilla and raspberry ice cream scent in simply the most delightful bottle. The design on the box is like a beautifully intricate adorning of leaves made of marzipan/icing atop a smooth white wedding cake - literally the perfect vessel for the wonderful vapors captured inside.
(April 14th, 2014)
Limoncello Liqueur
For me this is the luscious "lemon curd" LL.
It makes me feel lighthearted and carefree, so it's perfect for a spring day. Heavy on the almond and with a sweet aura of fresh lemons. The licorice/anise here is smooth, but the scent is sharper and greener than any of the other flankers I've tried. If it wasn't for the addition of the gooey lemon curd zestiness, and if two eau de toilette variants of LL didn't already exist, this could have easily covered ground by being the only LL EDT available.
I'm one of the people who much prefers the original woody and floral Lempicka EDT, which is now hard to come by, with the silver top and diamante crystals adorning the body, over the newer lilac version with the bite taken out of it. But I put Fleur Défendue almost on par with that second, current, version. Fleur Défendue, for me, has the slight upper hand because I love the lemon here!
While the current LL EDT contains peachy apricots on a light woody base, Fleur Défendue is thick with syrupy, creamy marzipan, suffused with sugary lemon! Both this and the current EDT are far lighter compositions than the EDP, with far less of the musk and licorice. Both are much more simplified than the EDP, somewhat linear in comparison and less complicated. Dare I say less ethereal?
I find that I genuinely don't really get the chance in one springtime to wear all of the EDT variants. (As yet I do not own Blanc or Jolie due to this quandary). Maybe this is a moot point, but if you're not a collector, you may as well pick just one or two of the available EDT variants for spring wear, or else you mightn't find the time to use them.
I adore Fleur Défendue, but I find that I literally only apply it during the springtime and early summertime - never during any other time of year. I apply it liberally and stink the whole house out good n proper. This is pure sunshine to my nose and feels vibrant and fresh.
It has a gooeyness to it - it's resinous and has a touch of mossy earthiness to balance it out. With lots of sugary, smooth lemon curd, sometimes seeming exactly like freshly sliced lemon to my nose, but with lots of smooth creaminess added by the almond/marzipan/vanilla and the tasty licorice. The iris here seems to be what adds some of that powdery, earthy tone to the composition and the violet simply adds a cool and crisp air to it, without being distinct, just stopping it short of becoming too syrupy sweet. The peony is barely recognizable here beneath the lemony green "cherry" notes, and the same could be said of the mimose, but both help aid the smooth sweetness of the thick, foggy marzipan; working in perfect unison with that luscious signature LL licorice.
I've found that this costs a bit less than some of the other LL scents, so if you're looking for sunshine in a bottle - thick, sugary, syrupy marzipan with lots of lemony zest and earthy, powdery undertones (that make this distinctly Lempicka), look no further! Can be bought for a song! It's the ideal counterpart to the Midnight variants and the EDP for day wear in warmer climates. The moment the sun rears its yellow head from behind those baby blue clouds, I don the Fleur Défendue like my life depended on it.
It easily fills a room, but soon becomes a rather close skin scent, radiating around me like a bubble of sunshine.
Also - if you're a fan of Nina Ricci's "Almond Amour", you're likely to enjoy this. Scrap the kiwi from Almond Amour and replace it with green apples, sweet lemon and a hefty dose of anise. That's Fleur Défendue to a T. It's also less cloying and sweet than Almond Amour. I only wish it lasted longer - three or four hours tops on me! But it's worth reapplying.
Side note: I realized that I'm the only person here who thinks of this as a lemony scent, so I figured I really ought to write a review lest somebody be tempted to buy it for (black, liqueur) cherry only to find themselves ending up with lemon. The cherry here is certainly fresh/sour enough to translate to sugary lemon. Whether the note really is cherry or not, in this composition it's certainly zesty and sweet like a fresh homemade lemon curd. Picture some kind of lemon tart or cheesecake with little marzipan pigs (or a cluster of roses if you're so inclined) sitting on top, surrounded by bright red cherries and doused in powdery icing sugar. Possibly sounds a bit gross, but it smells delectable.
(March 21st, 2014)
It makes me feel lighthearted and carefree, so it's perfect for a spring day. Heavy on the almond and with a sweet aura of fresh lemons. The licorice/anise here is smooth, but the scent is sharper and greener than any of the other flankers I've tried. If it wasn't for the addition of the gooey lemon curd zestiness, and if two eau de toilette variants of LL didn't already exist, this could have easily covered ground by being the only LL EDT available.
I'm one of the people who much prefers the original woody and floral Lempicka EDT, which is now hard to come by, with the silver top and diamante crystals adorning the body, over the newer lilac version with the bite taken out of it. But I put Fleur Défendue almost on par with that second, current, version. Fleur Défendue, for me, has the slight upper hand because I love the lemon here!
While the current LL EDT contains peachy apricots on a light woody base, Fleur Défendue is thick with syrupy, creamy marzipan, suffused with sugary lemon! Both this and the current EDT are far lighter compositions than the EDP, with far less of the musk and licorice. Both are much more simplified than the EDP, somewhat linear in comparison and less complicated. Dare I say less ethereal?
I find that I genuinely don't really get the chance in one springtime to wear all of the EDT variants. (As yet I do not own Blanc or Jolie due to this quandary). Maybe this is a moot point, but if you're not a collector, you may as well pick just one or two of the available EDT variants for spring wear, or else you mightn't find the time to use them.
I adore Fleur Défendue, but I find that I literally only apply it during the springtime and early summertime - never during any other time of year. I apply it liberally and stink the whole house out good n proper. This is pure sunshine to my nose and feels vibrant and fresh.
It has a gooeyness to it - it's resinous and has a touch of mossy earthiness to balance it out. With lots of sugary, smooth lemon curd, sometimes seeming exactly like freshly sliced lemon to my nose, but with lots of smooth creaminess added by the almond/marzipan/vanilla and the tasty licorice. The iris here seems to be what adds some of that powdery, earthy tone to the composition and the violet simply adds a cool and crisp air to it, without being distinct, just stopping it short of becoming too syrupy sweet. The peony is barely recognizable here beneath the lemony green "cherry" notes, and the same could be said of the mimose, but both help aid the smooth sweetness of the thick, foggy marzipan; working in perfect unison with that luscious signature LL licorice.
I've found that this costs a bit less than some of the other LL scents, so if you're looking for sunshine in a bottle - thick, sugary, syrupy marzipan with lots of lemony zest and earthy, powdery undertones (that make this distinctly Lempicka), look no further! Can be bought for a song! It's the ideal counterpart to the Midnight variants and the EDP for day wear in warmer climates. The moment the sun rears its yellow head from behind those baby blue clouds, I don the Fleur Défendue like my life depended on it.
It easily fills a room, but soon becomes a rather close skin scent, radiating around me like a bubble of sunshine.
Also - if you're a fan of Nina Ricci's "Almond Amour", you're likely to enjoy this. Scrap the kiwi from Almond Amour and replace it with green apples, sweet lemon and a hefty dose of anise. That's Fleur Défendue to a T. It's also less cloying and sweet than Almond Amour. I only wish it lasted longer - three or four hours tops on me! But it's worth reapplying.
Side note: I realized that I'm the only person here who thinks of this as a lemony scent, so I figured I really ought to write a review lest somebody be tempted to buy it for (black, liqueur) cherry only to find themselves ending up with lemon. The cherry here is certainly fresh/sour enough to translate to sugary lemon. Whether the note really is cherry or not, in this composition it's certainly zesty and sweet like a fresh homemade lemon curd. Picture some kind of lemon tart or cheesecake with little marzipan pigs (or a cluster of roses if you're so inclined) sitting on top, surrounded by bright red cherries and doused in powdery icing sugar. Possibly sounds a bit gross, but it smells delectable.
(March 21st, 2014)
1 Comment
Perfect on a warm, rainy afternoon.
Dahlia Noir (EDP) opens brightly with juicy orange and fresh mimosa, then swiftly becomes predominantly musky. A subtly sensuous, powdery, salty "clean skin" vanillic musk, with a smooth, buttery iris, providing a delectable backdrop for moist, crisp pink rose petals.
At times I'm reminded of Astral body cream - the one in the big blue tub.
If I had to compare this to another scent, I'd describe Dahlia Noir (EDP) as a modernized, fresher, zesty, creamier, far less suffocatingly sweet take on/version of Ombre Rose. (I personally find Ombre Rose to be somewhat smothering, too strong, too sweet, too linear, and a little bit (DARE I SAY?) dated. At times I can appreciate it, sometimes love it, but overall I'm far fonder of the fresher, zestier Dahlia Noir!)
It's like taking a snooze after indulging in a whole tub of vanilla ice cream with honey drizzled all over it.
Dahlia Noir (EDP) puts me in mind of clean, moist skin with a delicate layer of oil/sweat. I find this scent comforting and refreshing. A nice "pick-me-up" for days/evenings when you're in the mood for something a little more natural smelling.
My best friend says it smells like dill. Strange but true, and I'm inclined to agree!
Easy to over-spray, so beware; it's really not required. Better to top up in a few hours than to over-apply. Keep it low-key.
It has relatively good lasting power (up to 8 hours on my skin), projects to arm length (with only a couple of sprays), and becomes skin-close after around 3-4 hours.
(February 22nd, 2015)
At times I'm reminded of Astral body cream - the one in the big blue tub.
If I had to compare this to another scent, I'd describe Dahlia Noir (EDP) as a modernized, fresher, zesty, creamier, far less suffocatingly sweet take on/version of Ombre Rose. (I personally find Ombre Rose to be somewhat smothering, too strong, too sweet, too linear, and a little bit (DARE I SAY?) dated. At times I can appreciate it, sometimes love it, but overall I'm far fonder of the fresher, zestier Dahlia Noir!)
It's like taking a snooze after indulging in a whole tub of vanilla ice cream with honey drizzled all over it.
Dahlia Noir (EDP) puts me in mind of clean, moist skin with a delicate layer of oil/sweat. I find this scent comforting and refreshing. A nice "pick-me-up" for days/evenings when you're in the mood for something a little more natural smelling.
My best friend says it smells like dill. Strange but true, and I'm inclined to agree!
Easy to over-spray, so beware; it's really not required. Better to top up in a few hours than to over-apply. Keep it low-key.
It has relatively good lasting power (up to 8 hours on my skin), projects to arm length (with only a couple of sprays), and becomes skin-close after around 3-4 hours.
(February 22nd, 2015)
