Lyonesse

[sunstone]

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

A lovely vanilla & amber scent. After a few minutes, I can detect something faintly salty. I assume it's the sea moss. Combined with the snippet of poetic description, brings to mind a golden sea-strand with an island in the distance. (This may be due to my past obsession with Tolkien's writings, and his Elves.) Lyonesse is a good "starter" scent, in my opinion (it was one of mine): good for when you just want to smell nice, and don't have a theme going. You may need to apply it more than once a day for it to last, though.

[Gateau]

You can count me among the hordes who love Lyonesse. On me it's a real morpher. When it's wet it reminds me of Chex Mix, in an odd way. Something sort of cereal (probably the vanilla) and the sea moss saltiness combined. Then that impression fades away and I get that golden beach impression so many people describe, and then I end up with something that smells like a very expensive perfumed powder, which is probably the sandalwood. But it's not an offputting powderiness, so I really like it.

 

There is also something to it that makes me think of Black Lace Lite. It's not that they have so many overlapping notes, but there is a character to it that feels similar, with the vanilla present in both. Both have a sophisticated, smoky, perfumey feel. Lyonesse is a good GC choice to get that feeling, and for when you don't want to go full seductress mode.

[melrose]

In the imp: Caramel corn.

 

First on, wet: Caramel corn next to a river.

 

Drydown: soft skin scent.

 

Nope, not for me.

[stellamaris]

This is nice, but really reminds me of a weaker, wimpier Heroine.

[neuilly]

I don't know why but this always makes me think it's a foodie scent. Perhaps it's the golden vanilla? It warm and edible! There's a bit that reminds me of coffee cake but without the coffee - I'm sure that makes not sense to anyone, lol.

[SkySamuelle]

This is truly wonderful and feminine both in the imp and on the skin... a ery golden yellow scent but I can't describe it better, because my skin has a way of eating it all up and leave me with nothing but a subtle lovliness I can't smell unless I attach my nose to my arm.

 

Shame - maybe it's the curse of amber, o me it either disappears or goes to baby powder, sonetines both.

Still, this was a very light sort of pretty and I am a fan of vanilla in all things.

 

And the vanilla really prevails on the drydown, which I LOVED, even if smelling it takes a certain effort on my side.

Edited August 8, 2012 by SkySamuelle

[VorpalBunny]

I have been searching for a new signature scent, and I think I found it by mistake. Lyonesse has a few of my favourite notes: amber, sandalwood, stargazer. I found this imp on my dresser from my last order and I had never gotten around to trying it. It's absolutely perfect. The amber and musk shine through with just the right amount of floral and sweetness without being overly cloying. It is delicate and feminine and complex, all at the same time. I definitely need to order a bottle of this!

[Saffrin]

Imp: Musk, orris root and amber, with something wetter? in the background that makes it smell like the centre is hollow. Veryyyy strong. It reminds me of something, but can't put my finger on what. Not sure what to think of it, but can't stop smelling it.

 

 

Wet: First on, my skins amps the imp smell, with a bit of vanilla, crazily.

Pretty quickly however, at least to my nose, it just about disappears. When I do get a wiff of it, it's definitely the end-smoky part of sandalwood and musk, with a tiny bit of sweetness at the end.

 

The boyfriend, however, assures me that not only can he smell it easily, but it "smells like that last one you had on," which just happened to be O. We'd both agreed that O smelt like baby powder on me, and when I asked him if that meant Lyonesse smelt like babypowder too, he said "No, I can't smell any powder in this one... but it feels like the same sort of smell as the other one."

 

Props to the man for being able to smell more than rose, patchouli and cookies.

 

 

Dry: Still pretty soft to my nose, but comfortably so. At the front of a sniff is the vanilla, which works through the lily, sandalwood and then whatever is giving it that hollow, aquatic feel, with the musk obviously hovering over the top of it all.

 

Edit: A bit later, and it's morphed a little again. The ambergris is now there, and the smoky end of the sandalwood has mostly dropped away.

 

The amber in this one doesn't seem to be turning and amping to babypowder. Something is keeping it under control. <3

 

The throw isn't overly large, and it certainly isn't invasive. It has an almost "second skin" feel to it. It's so very, very nice and comfortable. Loving this far more than I expected.

 

Edit II: Hour later, and this thing is *still* morphing. Ambergris is at the forefront now, and it's getting a littttttle bit powdery around the edges. Nothing too noticeable.

 

Edit III: You're kidding me. We're up to like 3-4 hours later... and it's finally turned to babypowder. How damn disappointing.

Edited November 6, 2012 by Saffrin

[witchling]

i received this as a frimp and was not expecting to like it. when it was wet i was sure i would hate it. but once dry, and especially as it ages on my skin throughout the day, this is a wonderful lovely vanilla. most of the vanillas i have tried have either gone powdery or plasticy and end up reminding me of babies or small children. this one doesnt, the vanilla is just perfect. at times i catch a little bit of a perfumey floral scent that im not crazy about but its faint enough that i still really like lyonesse. im really surpised by this one!

 

might have to get a bottle eventually, as this is a good scent for work.

[parrot_suspect]

I don't know why it's taken me so long to try this oil, but now that I have, I know I need to get a bottle of it.

 

Lyonesse is a bright, creamy vanilla musk with enough of a floral note to elevate it to a more sophisticated level. It's not a foodie vanilla; the other notes keep it from smelling like cupcakes or cookies. If you like L'Estate, The Girl or other oils with florals and crystallline musk, you may like this. It's not as sharp/floral as L'Estate, though, which is what redeems it for me. I am a hater of florals and lover of musks. Lyonesse, to me, is more about the vanilla and the musk than the floral. And I agree with previous reviewers who have noted the vanilla note in this oil does not turn to a "plastic" scent on my skin as many others do. The ambergris and orris come out more in the drydown and give it a soft, cottony kind of scent after it's been on your skin for a while.

 

Here is the only thing I could see being a potential problem -- when first applied, Lyonesse is just a tad sharp. It's like it approaches that line but doesn't get close enough to touch it. Once it dries down it's all kinds of soft and cuddly and feminine. But it's an oil you might not want to wear if you feel a headache or nausea coming on, or if you're about to get into a car with closed windows for a long ride, and it's one you don't want to overapply and overwhelm your senses. A little bit goes a long way.

 

This a versatile oil that, although elegant and somewhat "perfumey," and perfectly complementary to a feminine dress and high heels, could just as easily be dressed down and worn with jeans and a T-shirt. When you wear this, people will tell you that you smell good. It's clean, vanilla, perfumey, musky. If you liked Antique Lace, you really should try this.

[Balame]

Finally got a chance to test this one!

 

Parrot hit the nail on the head when she said it starts out sharp. I kid you not, it intially reminds me of scents like Jolly Roger (maybe more intense!), Caliban and other snappy aquatics. There's a biting salt note, like you just got hurled into ocean foam. Once you sink into the depths and the water settles, though, it's rather nice. Soft and creamy vanilla with a lightly floral aspect and the decadence of amber and ambergris. It's deepened by the musk and dusty orris, making it a little on the perfume-y side.

 

Not bad, not great. I was hoping for more, but the different aspects of this scent are just confusing for me. It's at once vanillic, floral, aquatic and commercial. Too much going on at once. The vanilla upon drydown is lovely, but I have plenty of scents that can fulfill that role better. Banshee Beat, White Peacock, Atlas (technically mallow but it smells similar), even the recent French Tobacco SN... all lovely vanillas that don't feel like they could've come from Nordstrom.

[claudia6913]

In the bottle: Woody floral

 

Wet on skin: This is soft, slightly floral, slightly sweet.

 

Dry: Vanilla, musky amber, with a bit of floral. Light, sweet, and very nice. It keeps trying to go soapy, but it like toeing the line with it.

 

Edit to add: With just a little rest this has really come out of it's shell. It only keeps the soap interpretation for 5 minutes or so before going to a beautiful, soft, sweet scent. But the staying power isn't there. I'm on my 3rd application in 4 hours. But it's so nice!

Edited March 28, 2013 by claudia6913

[ajansuz]

This was both a distant and a recent frimp. The first time I opened it to sniff it months ago, there must have been something seriously off with my nose. I was repelled and set it aside, thinking this was one I'd try when I knew I could wash it off if I had to. Then another frimp of it came with a different order. I hesitantly opened the wand cap and just about died. It was golden sweet vanilla and one of the most true to ocean aquatics I've ever experienced. I have NO idea what was wrong with me that first sniff, but I couldn't wait to try this on.

 

Wet it's the aquatic I've been dying for, everything I love about some of the Picnic in Arkham aquatics without going to the laundry soap or Irish Spring phase. This is an extremely clean scent, and the vanilla is hands down one of BPALs best I've experienced. This reminds me a lot of Black Opal, which I'm still kicking myself for not ordering before it was canceled. It's not a listed note, but there's a subtle mineral quality to this, almost like soft clay.

 

When it dries it's gorgeous. A sweet, clean vanilla blended with an exotic salty aquatic. I completely get the golden afternoon on the water association. This is pure magic and has bumped itself up to the top of my bottles to order list.

[tziporra]

So six years after my bpal obsession starts I finally try Lyonesse.

 

Huh?

 

I can't explain it either. I guess since the other wildly popular bpals failed so miserably on me (O, Dorian, Snake Oil, Morocco) I just started trying the less loved sections of the catalog and the LEs and gave up, especially on things with vanilla.

 

But looking at the notes list of this past vanilla.......? Reads like a list of Tzi's Favorite things! And the vanilla here is so well behaved! It does not turn into cheap drugstore candle like so many other, Dorian, cough, scents do! Hooray!

 

The throw is incredible. I can't smell most bpals unless I am right on top of them, but this one I get wafts of golden vanilla lily musk all the way from the crook of my elbow where I applied. Delicious!

 

Not foody at all on me - very perfumey. Ambergris does that on me, makes things all expensive scented in the most amazing way. Sigh. Off to edit the wishlist!

 

Tzi

[ih8perfume]

This was a frimp from the lab in the infinite wisdom.

 

I never would have chosen this on my own because of the stargazer lily. I sometimes find the scent of the actual flowers overwhelming, so the thought of a clingy oil is kinda

 

I find it very interesting that other reviewers get aquatics from this scent, because I get none of that. I cannot do aquatics, even Beth's, so for me that's a good thing.

 

This scent for me is moss and amber. The moss gives it a masculine quality to me, which I'm usually not crazy about, but I like it in this blend. I can detect a hint of vanilla, but it mostly just softens it up a little and blends with the amber to make it feel warm and fuzzy.

 

I'd love for Hubs to wear this, so I could snuggle up with it!

 

I'm not familiar with Elemi, but maybe it adds to the resinous quality of he amber. The stargazer lily is way way way back in the background. I think it just sweetens things up and keeps the moss from being as musty and dirt-ish as usual. It's more like someone walked through the room with a bouquet of lilies, rather than the bouquet sitting under your nose.

 

The other thing about this blend is that it is STRONG. I used just a tiny tiny dab and it was enough. If I slathered this, it would be WAY to much and would probably give me a headache.

 

I will def keep the imp. It will be one I reach for when I want to feel powerful and a little intimidating. It makes me think of kings and queens who actually ruled their kingdoms. The kind who were fair, but firm. The iron fist in the velvet glove.

[Electric Maenad]

In light of my discovery that Beth's ambergris (and by extension, grey amber) smelled way better on me than the "artificial whale barf" article on Wikipedia would suggest, I figured this would be a total win for me, what with the sandalwood and vanilla and musk and whatnot. Several of the Calgary BPAL crew expressed surprise that I'd never tried it, and one of them graciously provided me with a frimp at a MnS.

 

Nope. It smelled like hairspray - gods' own truth. I'm blaming the lily.

[holborne]

Sigh. The Wanderlust scents just don't agree with me, it seems. This is just pure laundry detergent on me when it first goes on; in ten minutes, it disappears completely -- no in between stage whatsoever. Oh well -- they can't all be winners, I guess.

[tealight]

This smells almost exactly like Vera Wang's Princess on me. I couldn't place it at first, but I wore Princess today out of laziness and a ha there it was! I amp the lily and aquatic notes in Lyonesse, which makes it very similar to the water lily in Princess. I've had three stressful weeks of deadlines, lack of sleep and all that good stuff, so I'll give it another again once that's all settled down. I'm sure I can borrow it back from a friend I've been enabling into BPAL for just a little while at least.

[BoneBone24]

Wet: Buttery vanilla.

 

Drydown: Softer now. Rich, golden vanilla over smooth sandalwood. It becomes muskier and lighter as the ambergris starts to creep in.

 

Dry: Softer still. It smells a lot like Perversion minus the smoky notes. Fluffy, creamy, golden, and smooth.

[Luthien]

I bought this for my Mom, and she LOVES it! It is a very unique and beautiful scent on her. On her, it is warm, a teeny bit salty with a beautiful vanilla/amber/sandalwood.

 

On me is smells like dryer sheets!! No!!!!!!!!!! I was actually bummed out for a solid 10 minutes after trying it because it smelled divine on her... I am planning to try it again, and I'm willing it to change its mind! (drat!)

[Sidhechaos]

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

 

In the imp this is sort of a musky smoky salty amber.

 

Initially on skin, wow, everything pops out at wants with that salt aquatic note. It's not as overwhelming as caliban was (I dearly loved caliban because it reminded me of a beloved uncle who first introduced me to the ocean but it was a bit too strong for me) this is like caliban was female cousin, softer and a little lighter but still very much an ocean presence with a very faint semi green note hovering far in the background.

 

On dry down, this finally rounded down to a very warm comfortable soft fragrance a kind of makes me think of sitting in a hammock by the shore and sipping some vanilla iced tea in the hot sun.

 

The vanilla is not actually the Food type of vanilla I think it's a little bit closer to the floral but then occasionally there is a sweet tinge there that borders on the sweeter vanilla note.

 

This one danced around on me quite a bit fewer to compare tracking the fragrance notes with my nose to playing music on a violin this perfume had me playing some very interesting scales, it morphed a lot.

 

I like it and I think I would like to have a bottle of it but it would be more what I would wear for myself just hanging around the house than something I would wear out to a fancy dinner, just feels very comforting and comfortable.

 

 

 

It does not have a very far throw and my skin seem to have soak soaked it up quickly however I had read earlier warnings that it can be powerful so I had applied might lead will retry with a heavier hand and see what results I'd get later.

[vanillabean]

I could have sworn this had peach in it??

 

 

In the imp: Sweet and sand-like, and floral and yum.

 

On skin: This is the perfume I would wear if I wanted a traditional perfume. It blends everything perfectly and just sings "sophistication" at me. The floral aspect to it is not overpowering in the least, and it is awesome. I still swear there is peach in there.

 

This is going in the love pile.

[lucycat]

I'm so glad a few reviews mention not getting vanilla from this, because right now I'm getting vanilla only after twelve hours of wear, on only one arm, and I suspect that's because I got some on my shirt.

 

On me Lyonesse is musky aquatic. I smell the sandalwood and amber very strongly. These notes do make Lyonesse smell "cologne-y," though in a way I find pleasant and classic.

 

This is an intriguing blend. I'm curious to see how it ages.

[Beckiemort]

I LOVE THIS!!! Seriously. I hate lilies - they often give me headaches and make me sneeze, but the lily is no where to be found past the first minute or so and was never strong enough to agravate me so YAY!!!!

 

In the bottle: Almost a plastic-y type vanilla, some floral - it doesn't smell very promising, but I knew I needed to test it.

 

Wet: It instantly starts to warm up on the skin and lose the plastic feeling. It starts to remind me of the vanilla in Morocco - that warm almost spicy vanilla. I could swear that I'm getting some spice out of this even though it's not listed.

 

Dry Down: The vanilla and amber continue to warm up and border on foody. However, this isn't cloying like true gourmand scents can read to my nose. It's a cozy and warm scent that reminds me of the feeling of sun on your skin in the late spring, where it's not hot all the time yet but the sun warms you up nicely. I don't identify anything as aquatic or floral, but based on my experiences with ambergris in the past I think it is providing that nice back note that is preventing the vanilla and amber from becoming out of control on my skin. *note my skin likes sweet notes and has a tendency to make purely gourmand scents become out of control so I usually like my sweet notes mixed with other things to calm them down.

 

This could easily become a daily scent. It's very inoffensive and I think very pleasant. It's much lighter, in feel, to my other favourites and provides a little reprieve from some of my overly sexual scents. This feels like my personality is naturally - it's a little flirty, comes across as innocent but isn't completely there, as there's a knowledge of something a little more that what is shown. Many of my other scents like Snake Oil, Perversion and Red Lantern scream sexy and sensual to me, which I love especially considering how they add to my confidence, but this just fits me, as I am.

 

I'm so pleasantly surprised by this scent. It may have just rocketed up the list and may easily become one of my most worn scents.

[Lucide]

This reminds me of a perfume my mother had when I was younger. I like it but an imp will probably be enough.

 

In the imp: Hmm, smells nice. Very soft and lovely.

 

Wet: A floral, soft and sweet smell. Golden. The lilly is prominent.

 

Dry: I amp the lily like crazy! it is almost the only thing that I smell, with a little bit of amber.