Liz

[Melenass]

A light, feminine vanilla floral perfume and a swirl of smoke and leather.

I'm in love with Liz, and had not yet reviewed.
Liz is so well blended that it is wonderful to wear. It detects the leather, vanilla and smoke, but as a unit, that makes you feel sexy, confident and rebellious. Liz reminds me of a quality perfume was used in 70, and as mentioned, clubs and pubs of smokers with costly leather chairs. It is a very sexy perfume.

[mxtine]

I finally received this as a tester from a sale.

 

Soft vanilla, florals, incense smoke and leather. Leather makes my nose itch and gives any blend an almost men's cologne smell to me. Why does leather hate me so?

[birthdaycake]

It's what it says on the tin- smoke, leather, vanilla, floral. Basically it's sex.

[angelamaria]

In tester: the first note to hit me was the vanilla, sweet and foody. I didn't look at the description when I started sniffing, but also right off the bat I could smell something I put down as "masculine", although not entirely. I looked up the description after this, and found what that scent was--leather.

 

Wet on skin: wow, smoky leather! The smoke and the leather does jump out strongly here. There are a few floral notes in the background--what flowers they are, I have no idea. The yummy vanilla is also there somewhere, but the latter two are almost overpowered completely by the smoky leather note, but it peeks through enticingly now and then.

 

Dry: smoky leather dipped in floral vanilla. Dry, the notes are all on the same level of strength, and in pairs--sometimes you get the smoky leather and sometimes you get the floral vanilla. The strength and grittiness of the former is sweetened by the latter, and the foodiness of the latter is strengthened and emboldened by the former--it's a beautiful combination. It's somewhat incense-y (duh, smoke!), but it's so beautiful.

 

Verdict: okay, can you tell I was excited about this?! I got an empty/low tester from a sale and goggled at the pretty label art, and decided I HAD to try it immediately. Now, I'm not an incense person, I dislike smoke in general, I don't wear leather. BUT I LOVE IT. Totally unexpected. This isn't "me" either--I'm about the farthest you can get from "smoky leather", but this was almost immediately a keeper after only a few minutes on my skin. I would like a little more vanilla here--obviously not a huge fan of incense--but even without any other layering, this blend is FABULOUS.

[angelicreprieve]

I'm absolutely in love. Smoke and leather scared me at first, but as a previous reviewer described, this is basically liquid sex,

I could see myself wearing it day after day, night after night ...

 

The vanilla was more noticeable when Liz is freshly applied, it went through a period where it was almost too strong and heady (floral perfume), and the smoke started making an appearance. I've had it on for 30 minutes-1 hour and its dried down to the most heavenly, sexy smokey scent imaginable. Usually I don't associate smokey with sexy - but somehow Liz makes it work! Definitely give it a try! I can't really pick out the leather individually, just hints of it under the smoke when I take a deep, deep breath...

 

Heaven. Love it. Must have more.

Definitely added this to my 5ML want list.

[mistressfizz]

Sniff: Fresh vanilla and cigarettes, surprisingly soft

 

Wet: Oh, this is gorgeous! Soft florals and vanilla that isn't too sweet, wrapped in a haze of smoke and leather. The cigarette smell I first detected has faded into something wispy and dry. This is a dreamy, sexy scent, womanly with just a hint of aggression.

 

Dry: Yum, this dries into smokey vanilla musk and a trace of floral powder. The leather isn't very apparent, but I think it lends a warm undercurrent. It's not too strong, with medium throw, and lasted all night. This is really beautiful and I'm so glad I have a bottle!

[stellamaris]

Softer than I expected, but very nice. It reminds me a great deal of Illustrated Woman.

 

*Edit* A few months in and the tobacco is quite strong here, it reminds me of my dad. Very soft and sweet, but the tobacco gives it more "edge" I guess. I don't love this for most days, sometimes I wear it to sleep in.

Edited August 20, 2011 by stellamaris

[SophieCedar]

I purchased this blindly because the notes looked like a win and the reviews basically said "win". Not disappointed.

 

Wet: There's a big rush of girly musky mall-sweet vanilla floral. Memories.... Honestly, and I hate to admit it, I enjoy those scents to a certain extent. I mean, it makes me want an orange julius and some awkwardly tight jeans I'll never wear. Then the picture starts to break up, thankfully, as the smoke and leather become more prominent. A feeling of bittersweet anguish overwhelms me... ooooh fun! That's a wonderfully romantic feeling! No, it's not because I'm looking at the picture on the bottle. I'm typing.

 

Drydown: musky, sweet florals and sharp alcoholic vanilla. Still some of that mall vanilla feeling but more sweet and woeful than anything. Where was this when I was in my late teens/ early 20's..?? torturing myself over not-so-sweet sweethearts, drama, and easily finding excuses to go out for a drink with friends? I'll wear this when I feel like wallowing in some wonderful, innocent self-pity. Yes!

Edited July 10, 2011 by SophieCedar

[JLH]

I got a sniffie of this from a generous forum member. I tried it, and it was love at first sniff.

 

On me this is a perfect mix of sophisticated florals, strong smoke, and soft leather from start to finish. I don't really get vanilla until it's almost faded away several hours later. It's so unusual, sexy and gorgeous. UNF. Must have a bottle.

[yakiguri]

I'm on the fence about Liz. I REALLY want to like her, and vanilla + leather SHOULD = YES, but whatever florals are in this blend are amped like WHOA on my skin. I barely get any leather, though that may be the spiciness lurking in the background, and no smoke. Liz is STRONG also, and even this tiny dab on the inside of my arm is starting to give me a slight headache. Strangely enough I'm reminded of Inez (which I LOVE) but with a MUCH louder floral base.

 

I was hoping for something girly with a tinge of something dark/tough, but instead of badass in leather and lace I get 12-year-old little sister. >_> Curse you skin chemistry! If I can find a partial bottle that would be perfect: I doubt I'd use up a full bottle of Liz, but I definitely am willing to have more than this little decant since I'd probably cry if she were DC'd. I'll try again in a few months to see if I change my opinion of her.

EDIT 8/9: I left my half decant open on my windowsill for a full hot California day to see if I could quick-age/burn off the florals, and testing Liz again this morning the floral vanilla one-two punch is toned down considerably. Those notes aren't completely gone, but the spicy girly/soft leather is much more at the forefront, which is what I had initially hoped for from this blend. I get whiffs of smoke every now and then, and the blend itself sticks much closer to the skin now that all the screaming florals have been reigned in. While Liz is still a tad sweeter than/not as spicy as I'd like with my leather blends, she's definitely earned a place on my bottle list. I might layer her with Rogue to get a tiny bit more of leathery goodness. If anyone's having trouble with the florals I recommend doing what I did.

Edited August 9, 2011 by thatbrownelf

[distracts]

I don't get any leather or vanilla, just FLOWERS OMG FLOWERS and a hint of smoke. It doesn't smell bad, it smells rather nice, but at the same time, it's not something I'll ever wear, so it'll have to find a new home.

[ami226]

On the skin: Sweet, smokey leather. Very very smokey. Eep! Not for me at all. The smokey part smells like bad cigarettes, and my nose just can't take it.

[Amoraexcena]

I absolutely adore Liz. She's pretty much what I hoped CC:F would be. Don't get me wrong, the latter is lovely too, just a little too heavy on the leather for me.

 

There's a flower in Liz that I'm not very familiar with. It's a little on the sharp, sweet, bright side, which gives this blend a lot of character. I'm going to hazard a guess that it's orange blossom, along with maybe the slightest hint of a soft, pale rose.

 

The sharpness largely fades in drydown into a gently smoked vanilla with a hint of leather. It's a lot more wearable for me than CC:F, which I'd rather use on my leather jacket LOVE this! Tacking it onto my next lab order for sure.

[Eliyetres]

Pure sex.

This is my absolute favorite BPAL scent! The vanilla goes perfect with the leather, I can't stop smelling my wrists!

Wet, it smells like blacksmithy (wearing a leather apron with smoke coming from the forge) but without the sweat

Dry, I get a lot of non-sugary vanilla, though i do not smell any floral notes at all. Need to get another bottle with my next order.

[Dracen]

In the bottle: smokey floral

 

As a room scent: I put some in my oil lamp, turned it up, then went to start some laundry. When I got back it was HOLY CRAP GOTH CLUB. I turned down the oil lamp and the scent toned down quickly. Very incensey and seemed like a mix of eccentric perfume and leather and smoke, so very goth-clubbish. I like it. When Mr. Dragon got home that night he walked into the bedroom and immediately stopped and asked, "What smells like awesome in here?"

 

 

Wet on skin: smokey floral. Mr. Dragon came up behind me as soon as I put it on, put his arms around me and breathed in deeply.

 

Dry: smoke and leather with only a tiny hint of the floral. My mom took a whiff and said it was familiar but different. I told her who it was named after and she said, "I can see that." As the day went on it came down to a light, smokey vanilla, like vanilla incense.

 

I like it but don't think I'll wear it alone. It reminds me of a slightly more feminine Rogue (which also needs to be layered). As a room scent though it's very nice as long as I keep my lamp on low.

[Morsigne925]

Smell from the bottle: I get a smell like *very* burnt sugar, like when a marshmallow has been roasted too long and it starts to get that sharp sour/bitter scent, not an unpleasant smell though.

On skin: The leather comes out, and the smoke - wet it smells like smoky leather with the vanilla taking the way backseat, leaving things just barely sweet underneath. I smell very similar to the way I do after I've been roasting marshmallows around a campfire.

Drydown: The more time passes, the more the vanilla comes out, and some sweet flower, not sure what - I love the way this smells! It becomes a distinct burnt sugar smell with a hint of leather, so badass and sexy. I do keep smelling myself, I never tought I would love a scent that included smoke and leather this much, but something about the three play very well together.

After a while: This one lasts somewhat less long than some of the other BPALs I've tried, but after some time has past it stays at a lovely burnt sugar smell, with the leather fading first for me but leaving behind just a hint of sharpness. The vanilla stays the longest, along with the sharpest part of the smoke and a little bit of floral.

Bottom line: One of my favorites among the more "unique" smelling BPALs I've tried - a winner in my book!

 

Revisit Aug 2014:

 

Bottle/Wet: Fairly smoky, but not an acrid smoke - sort of the way the burnt part of a marshmallow tastes when you've lit it on fire.

 

Drying: As it starts to calm down I can smell the leather more - I've also noticed that with this one a little goes a LONG way. I still quite like the smell - it's still sweet, but in a dangerous sort of way. I would wear this when I was feeling powerful, not when I was feeling overly girly. I like this scent for, say, Azula from Avatar TLAB, for example.

Edited August 24, 2014 by Morsigne925

[virusq]

I am really impressed with this one! Kind of shocked, actually. I didn’t expect it to mesh well with my skin chemistry, so I didn’t order it. I received it as a gift from another order and I have finally gotten around to wearing it. I’m really impressed.

 

There is a very light, sweet, delicate smell to it, almost like a honeysuckle or jasmine, and it just kind of sits there. When I get in closer, there’s a vanilla scented incense ashes flavor. I don’t smell leather outright, but it may be part of that overall softness in the mix. Very nice! Very pleasant. Five hours later and it still stays true.

Edited March 17, 2012 by virusq

[curlsandpearls]

Bottle: Light florals.

 

Wet: Spicy floral—I don’t get vanilla or smoke. Some wet leather, maybe, but really just a spicy floral. I like it—kind of.

 

Dry: Once it starts to dry, the vanilla starts coming out, along with some hints of smoke. Ooh, I like. It’s still got that light floral scent in the background, but the vanilla + smoke = lovely warmth.

 

Later: This is a much “lighter” fragrance than I normally go for, but I’m intrigued enough to order a bottle.

[zombiewench]

It's funny seeing how different this is on everyone!

 

I get floral vanilla with this. Sometimes I can get a hint of the leather, and I get NO smoke at all.

 

This isn't light on me by any means - this is heavy and thick and a little goes a loooooong way!

 

I do however think it's fabulous, and I'm so happy a friend gave me a bottle of it!!

[Beckiemort]

In the imp: Sharp leather, tempered by a sweet vanilla like scent with the floral in the background.

 

Wet on skin: My decant starts off as a very strong hit of florals with sharp leather in the background. It smells almost powdery and a little headache-y.

 

Dry down: The vanilla starts to peek out helping the leather to bash the floral notes into submission. Eventually the smoke comes out to play mingling with the vanilla that was becoming borderline too sweet to stay vanilla-ish rather than sugary.

 

My description above may seem like I dislike this blend, which for the first couple of minutes or so I do until my skin does wonderful things with the vanilla, smoke and leather to create a very sexy, sultry, sweet but not foody scent with the hint of white floral in the background to make the perfume have a traditionally feminine feel. It's now definitely in my top 10 and the hint of floral makes it very different from the resinous, leathery, vanilla, patchouli blends that I reach for all the time. I can certainly see this getting as much wear as Snake Oil or Dorian and I'm thrilled that my nose doesn't completely reject the floral notes in this blend as they usually make me sneeze, no sneezing except for my typical allergies here.

[bicyclette]

Liz is all leather and smoke on me initially, with a sweetness in the background keeping it from being too deep and dark. The vanilla comes out on the drydown, but I really never get the florals, other than in the bottle. But that's okay. Liz is definitely sexy, but not overwhelmingly so. I definitely see this getting heavy rotation, and my husband requested I "just keep wearing that one, please," which is always a good sign. So happy this one is GC so I can slather away!

[claudia6913]

Got this as a frimp from a forumite ... and I'm in LOVE. It reminds me a lot of my favorite CC:Female, but it's different enough that I'm going to have to hoard this one as well.

 

Very nice sweet floral with a strong leather and a hint of smoke. It's wonderful, just wonderful!

[opheliatrey]

I love this and see it layering with Snake Oil Bath Oil. It's a very smoky oil, I get a drop of leather but mostly smoke hovering around my wrist. It doesn't have much throw, you have to be close to smell it, I really wouldn't enjoy it did. Overall I am pleased but would like to have the vanilla come out to play more.

[Poenari]

Made a point to sniff this at C2E2. Unfortunately, the leather note from the bottle sniff overpowered everything else, and it's the kind of leather that I know it amps and smells bad on my skin. Pass.

[strahlend]

I'm really enjoying Liz.

 

Starts out with spring like flowers and sweet vanilla.

The flowers fade to the background and the vanilla and leather mix into a sweet feminine leather.

Then the smoke comes forward and mixes with the sweet leather and just hangs on being subtly girly and sexy at the same time.

 

Fantastic scent story and wonderful fragrance. I'm very happy to have this bottle.