Lyonesse

[Alexanne]

Golden vanilla and gilded musk, stargazer lily, white sandalwood, grey amber, elemi, orris root, ambergris and sea moss.

 

This scent took my BPAL virginity, so I owe it my first review.

 

Note: I tested this imp after it was already 10 months old.

 

While wet, I smell something a bit off. Like a sour smelling vanilla. There's just something wrong with it that I can't put my finger on. Once it dries it is absolutely stunning, however. Deep vanilla intertwined with sandalwood, with a touch of amber and what must be the oak moss - something earthy. After about 20 minutes, it morphs into something completely different. A light citrus note first takes over the background, and it becomes more musky and floral - the vanilla and sandalwood take a backseat temporarily. Soon after that it decides to morph AGAIN. It gets very sweet (non-foody), almost like the initial drydown scent, only better because the ambergris is now present. The background is slightly floral - but still earthy. I thought that the amber would have been a problem, because too much of it gives me a headache, but it is a nice touch to this beautiful perfume. People can smell it from about a foot away - which to me, is the perfect amount of throw. Lasts for about 6 hours before it becomes close to skin, but will last close to skin for almost 12 hours.

Verdict: I am looking forward to buying myself a full bottle, and since it is season-neutral, it'll be worn often. This is the perfect scent of innocence, power and femininity to me. It is utterly unique, yet timeless. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous.

 

 

Also: Did you know that Ambergris is whale vomit? Kinda unsettling, but it doesn't take away from my impression of the scent. Now that's telling you something.

 

Edit: Ah, never mind. Per the lab's website:

 

Not a single one of our blends contain ANY animal-based products whatsoever. Our 'civet' and 'ambergris' are bouquets, and thus, are composite scents created from plant-derived perfume oils combined to best approximate the scent. Black Phoenix is entirely cruelty-free, as our four dogs, two fish, and resident cat will attest.

Edited October 29, 2009 by Alexanne

[Argentwolf]

This delicious, albeit powdery, vanilla. I just wish that it was stronger and more durable, because while it's around it smells so very nice.

[milo]

This is a pleasant, somewhat foody vanilla blend. I get some sandalwood here and a bit of musk. The only complain I have, is that it is quite faint and fades rather quickly. It kind of reminds me of a cross between Underpants and Antique Lace. The woodiness and vanilla also has a bit of Haloes/Glowing Vulva comparison. This is a bottle worthy blend to me, and it's going on my next order for sure.

 

eta: After a couple of hours, the sandalwood comes out even more, and there is less of a foody vanilla. I love it even more, and I don't ever want ot be out of this blend. It's jumped straightto my top 5 ever, including LE"s. I'm probably going to put two bottles on my next order just incase it gets dc'd, and I'll have one cellaring.

Edited November 14, 2009 by milo

[kohimame]

Wow.

 

This is just freaking amazing.

 

I've never had really good luck with GC scents. Most go pretty wonky on me, and the ones I do like had to grow on me. Lyonesse was the first scent that I loved at first sniff, though.

 

In the vial, it's a creamy floral, but on the skin, it's .. indescribable. It's amber, but not a powdery, oriental amber. It's vanilla, but not an overly sweet vanilla. There's lilies, but they don't turn to soap on me. It's a golden scent that smells almost edible, but not like any food I've ever tasted.

 

It has good throw, but it's only flaw is that my skin eats this scent up. Apparently my body likes it as much as I do

 

I haven't tried any of the scents it's been compared to, but I'm going to have to track them down now.

 

Overall, an amazing scent that I think everyone should at least try.

[birthdaycake]

I don't understand why I'm so taken by this oil as I was hoping for something very vanilla-centric and instead got something much more aquatic and faintly reminiscent of cologne.

 

But I can't stop huffing my wrist once it's on. I can't really describe it (slightly counterproductive given the context here) but it's salty and yummy and terribly, terribly evocative.

 

One of the most intriguing scents I've come across. I keep reaching for it, and have splurged on a bottle for when I finish off my imp.

[SophieCedar]

This definitely goes in the complex category, I think.

 

It does have that cologne smell that comes out in the drydown, but not offensive. This is a lovely aquatic blend. Quite intoxicating!

[samhainschimera]

I have waited entirely too long for this scent. My only complaint is that is more powdery than I like, BUT, the vanilla and sandalwood are freaking amazing. I really have to slather this one on and I gladly will for the yumminess that Lyonesse turns into. It's very light and appropriate for all seasons, work, late night rendezvous, etc. I think this will be one of my favorite nighttime after shower get into bed and huff myself scents.

[changeling]

In the bottle: A warm, golden scent--mostly vanilla

 

Wet: A creamy vanilla, twining around a delicious amber note

 

Dry: The vanilla is still prominent but the blend is a little more powdery now and the sandalwood has come to add a bit of a kick to the blend. This scent has low throw but good staying power.

[Lorelai1945]

Hmm. I don't mind or love this scent. I get a very expensive shampoo scent. It's almost aquatic in feel, yet it's not watery. I can feel that vanilla is in there, but I don't really smell vanilla outright (but then again, I don't amp vanilla at all). I can definitely draw a comparison to Underpants because of a butteriness that I sense - it's very light (this doesn't smell like butter), but there's a smoothness. Like a greased cookie sheet. It's sweet but not too sweet. It's just...okay. And the idea of ambergris kind of freaks me out, even though I know this is not the real thing.

[DeltaCat]

Creamy sexy musky vanilla. Yum! Must have bottle!

[reynardine]

This starts off as a musk with lily and a touch of ambergris. Very pretty. Not getting the sandalwood at the beginning (a good thing, since I’m allergic). Later on, this scent morphs, and you get amber, vanilla and yes, that pesky sandalwood. As soon as that came out to play, my eyes started watering and I had to wash this off.

[mari4212]

In the imp, and on wet, I'm getting a mix of amber and vanilla, with something wet and vaguely generic perfume underneath. That might be the lily, or the musks like hitting me, as florals tend to go generic perfume on me really easily, and I don't have much experience with musks to be able to pick them out.

 

As it settles, it fades into a nice vanilla overlaying a more conventional perfume scent. It's very soft and gentle, and I think it would work nicely for me as an innocuous perfume, one to wear around a workplace, or when I'm going to be interacting with a lot of people I don't know well/don't know their likes and dislikes about scents.

 

I think I'm sort of damning it with faint praise by calling it nice, but that's basically how it turns out on me. Not overly foody, not really floral or aquatic, just light and pleasant and relatively traditional.

 

I'll have to see how it ages, but for right now, it's a like, not a love.

 

Edit

 

Tried this again today, and it's improved so much. It's very much not the golden vanilla/amber scent I think I was picturing originally, which might be why I now like it better, I don't have the disconnect between what I was imagining and what it actually smelled like distracting me.

 

This is vanilla on a rocky beach early in the morning, wreathed in mist. It's all shades of pearly greys and blues, peaceful and a bit wistful. The generic perfume smell is gone completely.

Edited June 29, 2010 by mari4212

[hmelt004]

This is what I expected Snake Oil to smell like. I do not like SO. Lyonesse, however, is a sexy, musky vanilla that lasts! This is my scent to wear with a black suit. It has a sweet, golden feel that I love.

[sunlitgarden]

Lyonesse

 

I really love this one! All the components blend really well to produce a warm, glowing ambery vanilla. After several hours it does smell a bit powdery but in a good way (to my nose, at least.) After a workday, what remains is a slightly aquatic vanilla.

 

Adding this to my bottle list!

[Myrrha]

Wet: Vanilla, something creamy and sweet. Probably amber.

 

As it dries: There is a hint of sandalwood but blended into the vanilla. A really interesting note appears, it is like if you took beeswax and turned the honey aspect way down and then added salt to that. It sounds weird but smells very good, I’m guessing this is the ambergris accord. For about ten minutes it adds interest to the vanilla notes and this is an amazingly lovely golden vanilla fragrance.

 

Dry: An aquatic note appears and the ambergris accord gets stronger. It becomes sharper, more of a cologne note. The cologne smells a bit strange with the lovely vanilla part of the scent. I do not like it at this stage, it is too cologne-y. After about a half hour it fades and the scent is now a pretty golden vanilla/sandalwood/amber scent but very faint.

 

 

[moon_lemming]

Lyonesse is almost buttery in the imp, it's that creamy and sweet. Vanilla and sandalwood. On my skin the sandalwood amps until it swallows everything else. After about half an hour, though, it backs back down and everything blends together into a warm gold vanilla/sandalwood+ mix.

 

Delightful. The amber doesn't even turn to powder like it usually does, it just enriches the vanilla/sandalwood mix. This would be glorious in fall/winter -- it's a little too perfumey for the warmer months. The only downside I've found is that it fades relatively quickly. I do wish the vanilla was just a tad richer on my skin but it's still great as is.

Edited May 18, 2010 by karen

[batsy]

In the vial: Lilies and musk. It's sweet, perfume-y.

 

On the skin: Okay, near-instantaneous morph into soap. I still get lilies and something that evokes the ocean and salt, maybe that's the musk? Yeah, not going to work on me. Which is actually fine, because usually lilies and I don't mix. Still, a pretty scent.

[ModderRhu]

Lyonesse

This is almost like the lovechild of Black Opal and Szepasszony. I mostly smell vanilla and marine notes. It's nice, but I'm not head-over-heels in love with it like I thought I would be.

[tailoredshirt]

Oh wow, this is such a gorgeous vanilla. Rich, golden vanilla under a layer of salty ambergris. This doesn't morph on me much, except that the vanilla comes out a lot more as it dries. It's so pretty, I know I'll be hoarding it. Definitely recommended for fans of vanilla.

[galahad]

In The Bottle

Not much of anything. Slightly floral

 

On Application

Man. This is one of the most "perfumey" of BPALs I have tried. It's not screeching floral though. It is smooth and creamy and lovely

 

Dry Down

The vanilla note is gorgeous. It is not pervasive but it is just there mellowing everything out. Strangely this is like a floral Black Lace for me (and I love Black Lace) - subtly smokey and decadent. An instant bottle purchase for me.

 

Rating (0-5)

5

 

[childdoll]

Got this as a frimp in my last order (Thank you! BPAL ^.^)

 

IMP: Buttery vanilla and musk... maybe amber?

 

WET: Vanilla, light musk, touch of amber with a hint of florals in the background. I detected an almost dusty, earthy notes.

 

DRY: Soft buttery vanilla with hints of amber and light musk.

 

OVERALL IMPRESSION: I am surprised how tame this scent is considering that I tend to find vanilla scents overpowering. It has a more soft, powdery quality though. It's one of the nicer vanilla scents I've come into contact with, however, I am still not a fan of vanilla. It's a nice scent, but it's not quite right for me. I prefer florals.

[fairestrocza]

In the Imp: Very complex. A hint of floral, a hint of orris, a hint of elemi. Reminds me a bit of some of the floral Yule blends.

 

Wet on Skin: Very musky, initially.

 

While Drying: A vaguely sweet floral, softened by the other notes.

 

After a Little While: Non-amping lily (wow!), non-amping orris (I'd actually like a little more), and the other notes blend together to add some sweetness and softness.

 

Later: There is a lovely guilded sweetness to this scent. The amber is a bit more apparent now than it was in earlier stages (at least on the wrists; the elbows are starting to amp the lily). Something reminds me vaguely of Aunt Caroline's Joy Mojo (the sugary aspect). This is nice, but not entrancing. Much later: This smells like I applied ACJM instead of showering (read: sugary BO). And later still: the lingering lily scent is gone. This is now like a light ACJM layered with vanilla. Fairly low throw throughout.

 

Final Thoughts: This blend is about half and half for notes that are usually great, and notes that can go wrong. My expectations were mixed, because on one hand, this seems to be well loved by others, and on the other hand, lily usually destroys all hope of goodness on my skin. The Boy is fond of this scent.

Lyonesse earns a 3.5/5 on my skin.

[obsidienne]

Have I not reviewed Lyonesse? Well I guess it's understandable, since I was on the fence about it for a long time. The imp I am testing today was acquired in a swap, so I suspect it must be aged. I recently picked up a bottle but haven't tested it yet so I don't know how aged and fresh compare. If there's something worth mentioning, I'll come back and add to my review.

 

First off... I think it may share a musk note with Dorian, as there is a slightly odd, plasticky quality to it at times that doesn't particularly appeal. Or that could be the lily... who knows?! Whatever, I love Lyonesse! It's primarly a musky vanilla lily on me, with sweet amber providing depth. The lightly salty aquatic undertone from the ambergris and moss makes it unusual and special.

 

Lyonesse is filled with some of my worst problem notes: ambergris, grey amber (which is not registering as such, so not so much a problem!), orris, and lily, and yet… it works. It's so creamy, so light, so ethereal, and yet I'm not using the right words here, as it is not a particularly weak blend (depending on where on my body I apply it, anyway). It doesn't last long, but while it's on is has about medium throw.

 

It evokes for me an ocean at sunset, pale & watery golden sunlight washing over the beach and waves. All in tones of pale gold and green with little flashes of white fire from the sun glinting off the waves. Sweet and comforting, yet mysterious.

 

Depending on where I apply this, my skin either eats it, or amps it. My wrists eat it up, whereas in the crook of my elbow, the best that Lyonesse has to offer blooms into a glorious vanilla floral. Someone described it as luminescent; works for me!

 

This is such an unusual blend. It had to grow on me, but now that it has I'm pretty nuts about it. I won't pretend that the slightly plasticky note isn't there… but with Lyonesse, I simply do not care.

Edited August 17, 2010 by obsidienne

[fetish911]

I got a testable sniffie from a generous Absinthetics (thank you luv!) and I have to say, I am in the minority on this one. Its just no good on me. I tried it 2x about week and half apart, and still no good. It smells like floral/pencil shavings on me? I know and love the Labs vanilla, orris notes and some ambers.. perhaps its the Ambergris? Whatever it is, I don't like it. I wanted to like it, I really did!

[Kayah]

I haven't reviewed this one yet? You've gotta be fkidding me! This is definitely, if not THE favorite, then way up there in top 3 scents for me.

 

Lyonesse is.. pure golden shimmery ambery vanilla .

 

I don't get any of the aquatics on me.. it's a very creamy vanilla, but not foody... the amber and vanilla are in perfect balance and are what I smell the most, but they are supported by a warm fuzziness which I can only guess is the musk - I don't pick out the lily or sandalwood by themselves - the rest of the perfume is too blended for me to pick out any individual notes. I just get this gorgeous, glowing warmth from this scent.

If it had a color it would definitely be a shining yellow-gold.

 

I originally got this as a frimp from the lab in my very first order and ordered a bottle in my second order