Lysander

[gloame]

Lilac musk, tonka, wood violet, and urbane lime rind, with a Venus-kissed tangle of myrtle, blackberry leaf, and benzoin.

 

I'm not sure what I think of this. I can't pick out any single notes in the blend, but I quite like it. It's unique and peppy and a little bit smirk-y. It's a unisex blend but it gives masculine vibe. It's a unique spice, not like a cooking spice. Just a 'fuck I'm confident' spiciness. It does fade pretty fast though.

 

Where I'd wear it: To drink gin and tonics after work in a trendy oyster house

 

 

ETA to add details upon second sniff, a few months later.

Edited June 30, 2017 by gloame

[slyvanestra]

In the imp- Umm.. I don't know. I get timber and the garden department at Home Depot.

 

On, wet- Oh, there's the lilac or some other sort of floral, but more woodsy smell. This time it's green timber though.

 

Drydown- Powdery florals and sawdust. And something sharp.

 

I have no idea what my skin is amping but it doesn't like something in this mix. But I think if you really like masculine scents with floral scents it could be the one for you.

[ramblingrambler]

For some strange reason, this smells of caramel wet and into first stages of drydown. I wanted to immediately wash it off because caramel and I are not friends, but I decided to stick it out since the listed notes should work for me. Once the caramel fades after a good fifteen or twenty minutes, green notes come forward to temper overwhelmingly sweet, smoky tonka and slightly (sharp? acerbic? I'm not sure if that's the right descriptor, but I'll go with it) lilac musk and lime. As the sweetness recedes, Lysander becomes beautiful: sharp but mellowed, slightly powdery but masculine (I suppose androgyne, the mix), soapy but zingy. It's unlike most blends I own, and I'm sad that I only have an imp. I can see this heavily in rotation during the spring and summer---I think a hint of sweat might make this do even more wonderful things. Truly a find in a handful of imps from the Lab.

Edited May 9, 2017 by ramblingrambler

[LizziesLuck]

Wet: Lilac, wood and..caramel? Then the wood fades, and this is like Red Lantern, but with lilac. So unexpected, and really really good (I LOVE Red Lantern). I don't know why it smells similar, but it's boozy, smoky, and caramelly, in a way that feels like red lantern, with the addition of lilac! There's some sharp green in there too, but it's balanced nicely by the sweet notes. It smells less and less like Red Lantern as it dries, and I think it was just that initial blast of smoky caramel that reminded me of it so much. It's still very nice though, and for one violet isn't ruining things.

 

 

Dry: Whatever was reminding me of caramel has now receded to a general, pleasant sweetness. The lilac is most prominent, making this a nice soft, sweet lilac scent. Lovely! I adore lilac, so this might be bottle worthy for me.

[theredkilt]

Lysander is a smoky woody lilac benzoin. It smells a bit like caramel, but i think it's the tonka that gives off this impression. Over time the sweetness goes away and you;re left with smoky lilac musk.

[dementia_divine]

In the imp: Mostly lilac musk and violet.

 

Wet: The lilac musk reigns, followed by the wood violet. Then, the benzoin note pops up, and I think the tonka is now helping add a bit of sweetness in the background. The lime rind is present, but barely there. Then, the wood violet ends up becoming the dominant note. As the scent begins to dry, the tonka note becomes a lot stronger, so the scent is much sweeter than before. The combination of the lilac musk and tonka remind me a bit of Ashlultum, but with more tonka, and the addition of wood violet. I prefer this phase of the scent.

 

Dry: The wood violet has reasserted itself, so the tonka isn't quite as strong now. The blackberry leaf has also emerged. I'm now getting wood violet, blackberry leaf, lilac musk, and tonka, with some benzoin lurking in the background.

 

Verdict: This one was more pleasant than I thought it would be, thanks to the tonka note playing a big role. There is still too much violet for me, but it's not an overwhelming violet by any means. It's not something I think I'd reach for, but if you like lilac or violet, but don't want a scent that is strictly floral, this might be up your alley.

[Lucchesa]

Re-testing because I realized I'd never reviewed this and because of the above review that likens it to Red Lantern. And I see where LizziesLuck is coming from -- there's something in the opening here, which my notes describe as acrid, that is similar to the opening of Red Lantern, caramel but initially sharp tobacco. They don't share any notes, and I wouldn't have made the connection on my own. The similarity doesn't last; Lysander develops into quite a nice summertime blend, not masculine but androgynous. The lilac and lime are prominent on me, the violet non-existent. If you like Whitechapel, this is likely to be lovely on you, too.