Sybaris

[Jia]

The pinnacle of wealth, luxury, self-indulgent pleasure, voluptuousness and sensuality. Bright violet with sweet clove, Mediterranean incense notes and tonka bean.

I thought I'd love Sybaris, reading the reviews. But when I tried it I got this odd, plasticky/rubbery/medicinal/ICK! scent. Maybe all those lovely notes just didn't work together in a way my skin would appreciate.

[tinyvulture]

I’ve never smelled such a strong tonka note. It’s almost cloyingly sweet on my skin. I’m not smelling anything that makes me think ‘Mediterranean incense’, and the clove is very faint. Mostly, it’s tonka combined with violet to make a very sweet, foody floral. I do like the violet, very pretty. After a few minutes it smells less foody, more creamy. Still extremely sweet. A nice, girly perfume, but not quite right for me.

[harmonyfb]

Violet usually produces a powdery tone on me, and this one was no exception. But the spices kept it from taking over, and this is quite a gentle, feminine scent. It's not for me, but it's quite pleasant.

[Shannihilation]

I wasn't too sure about this at first. In the imp it was so sweet. It immediately brought the word "sticky" to mind. Now that I've had it on for awhile though it's very smooth. The violet has faded deep into the background except for an occasional waft, and the clove and spices have taken over with the tonka making it all creamy and soft. This is fabulous. I didn't think it had much throw, but Bobby just walked into my room and while he was still across the room from me he said "Oh you smell GOOD!" so I guess it does have some throw after all.

 

I like this alot.

[talula_fairie]

It smelled fresh and clean in the imp "Oh how nice! A floral I might be able to wear" I thought. Oh how wrong I was.

 

It goes on like violet soap. Strong, piercing, violet soap. I smell like a Crabtree and Evelyn store -soapy, cloying, and pungent. My head is pounding and I'm going to have to wash this off without waiting for the drydown. Pity.

[Emma2403]

In the bottle: violet and clove. Or tonka. Or both.

 

On my skin: violet and lots of clove. Very, very sweet, close to becoming sickening.

 

After a couple of hours: it stays very, very heady and goes more perfumey by the minute (there's no musk though).

 

Verdict: I usually love violets, especially Bpal violet, but this one is certainly not for me… It's just too strong and too sweet, and makes me feel sick. And I think it's official now: tonka is not my friend.

[tempestteapot]

This one turns to violet/babypower the minute it dried down. This was quite dissapointing.

 

I'm thinking violets and tonka don't like me much.

[supremegoddessofall]

Soft and sensual violet with a touch of spiciness. The clove is a really nice compliment. A beautiful floral that's very womanly.

[eanewsom]

I get violets with a hint of general spiciness - no particular cloveyness - but it faded quickly, and in about an hour it was all gone. It's awfully pretty though, so I may hang onto the imp and just remember to keep slathering all day.

[outofrhyme]

In the bottle:

Wow... warm and exotic. Mostly clove and violet.

 

Wet:

This is really, really yummy. I LOVE this clove. The longer I smell, the more the tonka bean comes out, plus a little bit of violet.

 

Dry down:

Clove has backed away somewhat, but it's definitely still there. It's a very heavy scent. Almost smells a little bit nutty. Clove and tonka, other spices, maybe a little bit of violet.

 

Final thoughts:

Again, smelling weird on my chemistry. Maybe it's just me today. This is definitely one I'll try again, because it still smells pretty good. I did like the wet better than the dry down, though.

[kwsix]

in the imp: tonka and flowers

 

wet on my skin: This one is absolutely true to the description on me. It's a creamy, incensey violet with a hint of cloves. I hope the violet doesn't turn into Palmolive.

 

drydown: Yay, no dishsoap! No change from the wet stage. The violet is soft and sweet, the tonka is rich and creamy, the clove is spicing it up just a little, and the incense is staying soft and rounding everything out.

 

overall: This is the first BPAL violet blend that has not turned into dishsoap on my skin. It does fade quickly, but the clove seems to stick around longer than the other notes, so it still smells wonderful. This is another floral blend (violets, even!) that this former floral-hating girl actually likes.

[femmefatale]

Wet it's violets violets violets. Youch.

As it dries it begins to sweeten without being too sweet. Also a hint of spice and incense.

My nose must be off, because I swear I'm getting a very slight aquatic scent.

I like it, but will have to try it a couple more times. I just hope it doesn't turn all powdery on me. I'm also looking forward to trying the second imp I have of this, as it's a slightly different color so I'm wondering if the scent will be as well.

[filigree_shadow]

Just one little note: My imp is called "Old Sybaris" -- note sure how aged it is, but it's not spankin' new.

 

Sybaris is a pretty blend of creamy violets and incense. The clove kicks in when it's drying and adds to the incense to make it smell mainly like a spicy incense scent with a little bit of floral underneath. Violets are usually pretty loud on me, but they're quite soft in this blend. I like it a lot. Lots of clove when it's totally dry.

 

I happened to have a newer imp of Sybaris so I tried that one to compare, and the violets are a lot stronger in the newer imp.

 

ETA: I forgot to mention this part: From a distance the creamy violet scent seems to be the strongest. The clove/incense part of the scent stick pretty close to the skin.

Edited January 27, 2007 by filigree_shadow

[maribouquet]

This is a pretty, somehow juicy violet with the barest hint of spiced incense wafting beneath it.

 

Not my thing though - violet reminds me too much of so many childhood bubble baths with Mr. Bubble! Not that I don't love bubble baths, just that it's not a scent I can bring myself to wear as an adult. Oh well!

[roxyhead]

Got this one as a frimp, and I don't even know where this city is! Didn't even know it was a city until I found what category it was under on the lab site!

 

I tried it on before finding the description, and it reminded me somewhat of Tintagel, which I love...surprised to find violets in it, as I'm not a fan of florals. Still not sure what tonka smells like, but I seem to be rapidly developing a love of spices! It started out nice and I just kept waiting and waiting for it to turn soapy or icky and it still hasn't seemed to! It's different from Tintagel, but I can't say exactly how. I like this one.

[mspixieears]

I just got this in a big bunch of imps today and because I was after a nice gourmand fragrance decided to test this imp first.

 

It is truly delicious - spicy and alluring because of the vanilla-esque tonka bean. Think of it as a gourmand fragrance with a lot of depth. I'm not sure what the spices are (they aren't specified) but they aren't too overpowering, and upon drydown the violet present starts to peek through but does not dominate. I also feel that the clove is used very sparingly and thankfully as this is a note that can overpower very easily.

 

The official description - bright violet with sweet clove, Mediterranean spice notes and tonka bean. This will work equally well in hotter and colder weather but I bet it's a real stunner in wintertime! A scent made for seduction!

[Sistinas]

a review of Sybaris

 

Vial ~ Self-indulgent indeed! Oh the violet is strong and bright and the

clove adds to the blend beautifully. The scent is sweet and aromatic.

 

Wet ~ the clove is more prominent and I am picking up some of the incense,

the violet has tempered down unfortunately, but I can still smell slight

wafts of it occaisionally.

 

Drying ~ As I smell my wrists, the violet, clove and incense blend so well

together into this fragrance that I just want to inhale the scent and not

bother with trying to disect it's components.

 

Dry ~ Now that the oil has dried on my skin, the scent has remained true

to what I was smelling during the drydown. The fragrance is still an

incredible blend that smells divine.

 

Fade ~ An hour and half later Sybaris is still going strong, with little

fading. Two hours later and there is a small lingering of the scent. The

violet certainly has staying power.

 

Final thoughts ~ Sybaris is very lovely and I am going to have to add this

scent to my wishlist also. This blend is perfect to me, the components

really seem to complement each other. I don't think I could rave enough

about how I really love this blend. On a scale of 1 to 5 -> 5.

[Victoria]

just adore this one. my favorite so far. the tonka, clove, and incense complement the violet in the nicest way. if you like violet, you'll love this. and if you're not sure you like violet, this fragrance will convert you.

[vylit]

I can smell the violet, but the strongest scent is definitely the cloves and another spice -- not sure what. It's not particularly sweet on me. It's spicy, strongly spicy, and somewhat floral. It has excellent throw, but since it's not a scent I like...

[bookofblues]

This is not your grandma's violet!

This is the perfect violet scent, and I'm so glad to finally have discovered it!

In the bottle: Mostly violet, deep and not the least bit powdery.

On the skin: Violet spiced by clove. Indulgent, rich, and sexy as hell.

Dry down: Fades in about 2 to 3 hours to a faint clove sweetened by violet. Almost perfect, if only it lasted longer!

[euterpe414]

I tend to associate violet wiht old ladies or those silly little violet candies, so I am very hesitant of most violet scents. However, Sybaris is a really amazing violet scent! I get a very creamy violet on my skin with a background of incense- not too much clove, although I am sure it's contributing to the spicy background. Overall this is a very seamless, blended feminine scent. Though it's feminine not in a dainty and sweet way but a more rich and voluptuous way. This scent lasts and lasts and has a fair amount of throw for me. I am glad I got this one as a frimp or else I never would have thought to try it. I agree with the previous poster that this scent will convert you to liking violets if you weren't sure you did (or like me, thought you didn't). Lovely.

[zankoku_zen]

In the imp: Violet and clove

 

On Skin: CLOVE!boom and violets

 

On Drydown: Clove and something that smells sharp like... pee...

 

After an hour: Clove!boom

 

Verdict: Clove, clove and more clove! This kinda reminds me to the clove cigarettes I used to smoke. On the other hand, the sharp 'pee-like' note, which coincidentally does remind me to the sharp note in Oneiroi is very prominent. I wonder what it is. Bah, this so doesn't work for me.

[Hayet]

Got this as a frimp at will call.

My husband opened it in the car on the way home.

We were only a few miles away.

We turned right around and bought it! OMG so beautiful. Violets and clove. Violets can smell soapy, but the cloves kept them exotic and the vanilla made the scent so heady that we couldn't stop sniffing it all the way home. Mmmm.

[Miseraya]

In the imp: Violets! I love violet! Oh and something... incense. Bugger, here's hoping.

 

On the wrist: Very little violet, something incense-ish. But wait! Violet is trying to make a comeback! Fight violets, fight! The violets are currently putting up a pretty good fight against this... I don't know what this is, but I can tell it's an incense note, so at the moment this smells like violets having an argument with something bitter and yicky.

 

Drydown: Still violets fighting with something bitter and yicky. I wonder if it will ever settle? Ah well, we shall have to see. At this point it is more bitter and yicky than violets, but the violets are definitely still there.

[brit_brat100]

Imp: First sniff is dial soap. Right off. Not a good sign.

 

Wet: I think I'm getting the powdery violet here, but I think the heavy note might tonka bean. My first experience with it. This is strong and I'm not liking it all that much.

 

Dry: The same as when it was wet. This one is not for me.

 

ADDED Sept. 2:

 

Imp: Cleaning solution! Oh man, do I not want to put this on...it made me cough with the first whiff.

 

Wet: A very woodsy, masculine scent, but it also reminds me of cleaning solution.

 

Dry: Sweeter, but still the same base scent. Not for me.