Sybaris

[500ml]

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

This one didn't appeal to me much. Couldn't smell the violets very well (just a slight floral hint) or clove (unless that was actually the bitter almond I was getting when it was wet), this smelled overly creamy to me, like a regular face cream. Dry it turned a bit sweet and definitely started getting the tonka bean rather strongly, but I still didn't like this blend much. Edited July 30, 2007 by porcelain

[ClareN]

This may be just my weird nose. But when I smell BPAL violet, I get this odd note that reminds me of hay or wheat, even though it doesn't really smell like hay or wheat. The smell is savory and dry, like rice noodles. Maybe this is what other people describe as "powdery" or "soapy", though I wouldn't call it that.

 

Sybaris in the vial and for the first hour or so on my skin was mainly that weird violet note. I didn't hate it, but when I think of a violet scent I want something more like Lush's Gratuitous Violets soap, or violet candy. So at first I thought I'd have to swap this away. But I kept sniffing my wrist anyway to try and figure out what else was in there. I didn't pick up the clove or spices. After a while the "real" violet scent came out more and more, until after 2 or 3 hours I got a lovely violet-marshmallow stage that was just what I wanted. I guess the "marshmallow" note is the tonka bean.

 

I definitely want more of that drydown, so I'll finish up the imp and see whether I want a bottle. This is a long-lasting scent on me.

 

edit (30 August 2012): I'm surprised my original review isn't more enthusiastic. This is undoubtedly one of my favorite BPAL GC scents. I love violet and clove, and Sybaris is as violet and clove as it gets. I bought a bottle from the lab around 2008 and I still wear it fairly often.

Edited August 30, 2012 by ClareN

[Delirium1009]

This is a very creamy, spicy violet scent and it’s rather sweet. The scent stays the same as I wear it. if you’re a fan of Lush, it smells like a mix of Skinny Dip buttercream/shower gel and an Absolution massage bar. The violet is very bright, and the clove and other spices blend with the tonka bean so it’s creamy spice as opposed to a sharp one.

[angelfish323]

I really like this.

 

It's like a sexier, more grown up, less sugary version of the violet in Faith of the Siamese Twins. (Which I adore.) Wet, it's a gorgeous, creamy, spicey, floral. There's a hint of sweet tamarind in the background. It dries to a lovely balance of clove and bright violet. I haven't decided if I need a bottle yet, but definitely going to keep the imp and see how often I reach for it.

 

Oh, Delirium1009's mention of Skinny Dip Buttercream is an apt one. I hadn't thought of that, but it does remind me of the stuff.

[Kimocean]

On my skin this is strong, slightly plastic violets. I don't get any of the spices and it smells very different from Skinny Dip Buttercream to me. As it dries I get a hint of something sharper and almost sour.

 

Overall this one isn't great on my skin.

[CiCi]

I received this as a frimp from a sale on Ebay. I never would have purchased this from the description because of the violets. I am not a fan of violets. When I smell this in the imp-violets and spices. I decided to try it on anyway since I had gone that far. I'm glad I did! It is beautiful! The violets are creamy soft and the spiciness is just gorgeous! Not over powering at all. It is romantic and perfect anytime. I am definitely purchasing a bottle of this on my next order!

[puck_nc]

Origin: Imp picked up at a meet & sniff

 

Initial Thoughts: The BPAL violet doesn't tend to play nicely on me unless it's buried in a lot of other notes.

 

In the Bottle: Sweet, fresh violets at first, then hints of the tonka.

 

Wet: The incense amps up a bit, preventing the violet from doing its usual skanky number on me.

 

Drydown: The violet is really, really trying to do its nasty thing on me, but the incense and tonka keep sitting on it and holding it to a sweetly floral undertone.

 

Verdict: A nice scent, and I think I could use up an imp of it.

[JenM]

In the imp: violet and tonka

 

On the wrist: (left) spices starting to come out. Right is staying the same lovely floral.

 

An hour: wrists have swapped over now. Left wrist just violets, right wrist is spicy.

 

Verdict: lovely little scent. There was a slight incident in that I spilled Gluttony over myself whilst testing the Sybaris. The two scents do not blend at all. A Word to the wise

 

7/10

[aquazoo]

A couple of things are competing to be noticed here. Ah, the violet is making a stand! Now something oddly fruity is coming up. And it's not working. Maybe it's the incense clashing? It's becoming sour wine. trade.

[pzb]

In the Vial - Sweet, light violets.

 

Wet - Violets! Very strong scent of violets. Maybe a little too strong...

 

Dry - Clove is starting to show, but still really strong violets.

 

Later - Violets faded completely after a couple hours; tonka and spices started showing through and the tonka has held onto my skin for about 7 hours at this point. Not sure if I'll keep this one... Not sure how I feel about the violets and the tonka is just....tonka.

[tasty]

Sybaris. How do I love thee, let me count the ways.

 

1. Your soft violet scent.

2. Your underlying sweetness.

3. The hint of clove I get sometimes.

4. The slightly smoky scent that lies beneath everything.

5. The way this scent makes me feel so. damn. SEXY..

[lainevierge]

Mmm, my first thought what I put this on was that it smelled like nag champa. I love violet blends of all kinds, and this is a really sexy one. I wish the cloves would come out on me though. That's part of the reason why I sought this one out.

[megank4]

Ah, Sybaris. I wanted to love you for your clove, mediterranean incense, and tonka. I wanted to overlook your violet upbringing. Alas and alack. Nature will out. You must be all violet on me. You can't help it. I am not blaming you for it. You smell just like Le Serpent qui danse.

 

Strangely enough, this is one that my husband likes and I don't. Usually it is the other way around. Ah well. Perhaps in a lotion form...

[Czarina]

In the imp: violets, sweet violets.

Wet: OMG violets and a tiny hint of...aldehyde? Doesn't smell like clove. Maybe that's the tonka.

Drydown: oh, lovely, creamy violet and clove with a hint of something that I assume is the tonka.

 

I will have to do a wrist-by-wrist comparison of this with I Died For Beauty, which also has violet, which I tried yesterday, and which I think smelled very similar. Between the two I think I have found my Holy Grail of Violet.

 

Good throw, fairly short wearlength (applied @ 8 a.m., gone by noon). It never turned powdery on me, however, before it left.

Edited December 27, 2007 by Czarina

[naeelah]

Wet, this is all violets. I figured this would fade and bloom as it dried, so I've been waiting...and waiting...and still, almost all I can smell is violets. Violets and dry, smoky incense. As of yet, no clove, no tonka.

 

After at least 30 minutes, I can just begin to smell the clove. It hides in the incense smoke. Maybe it's willful thinking, but I think I can begin to pick out the tonka -- a slightly tangy vanilla-like quality in the background.

 

Nearly an hour later, it's definitely a little richer and not so dry. But I can't stand this glacial morphing pace. In the end, it's a dry, smoky violet.

 

Throw is about average. Wear life seems pretty good.

[penemuel]

I really want to love this, because I'm crazy about violet and most of the other violet blends have too many other flowers. It's very nice as long as I don't breathe too deep -- if I do, I get this weird copper penny scent. I have no idea where that's coming from. I think I'll try this again another day and see if it's just my body chemistry right now...

[arcadelane]

i've had this imp for a while but haven't tried it yet.. don't know why. once i smelled it i immediately remembered my love for violet. i haven't smelled it in years! to me violets smell the way red dye #5 tastes... like red and purple jawbreakers, but only those small colored ones.. not the big white ones. love it!

 

i smell mostly violet. it all blends together well. i can smell a little of bit of the clove, tonka and other spices.. but its more of a soft smell, nothing sharp or really spicy.. nothing in particular sticking out besides the violet, just gives it a nice base. its a round almost fluffy smell, slightly sweet, very purple. i love it. definitely need more. and more violet scents of all kinds. i just wish there were a violet and honeysuckle out there!

[Kimbernunk]

This was from an imp passed to me by a friend.

Over the course of 30 minutes:

Starts out very quiet and hard to smell. I’m mostly getting violet and tonka – the clove and spice notes are absent when wet.

After it dries a bit, it starts adding the violet back in.

And then some spice, and the tonka drops out…

 

...and then it turns to powdery muck on me. It was getting so nice, too.

Stupid skin chemistry. Off to swaps.

[suki]

in the imp: a sweet/spicy musk, but with a sharp unidentifiable acrid note underneith.

 

wet on skin: same

 

dry down: the violet is showing itself, but in a more subtle way than in most violet blends i've smelled. i'm also getting little bits of the tonka. the acrid note remains, but has faded quite a bit, thankfully.

 

in all: not bad, but reminding me too much of bus bathroom soap, i'm afraid.

 

ADDED Nov. 28:

 

in the imp: violet and clove, in equal measure.

 

wet on skin: clove is winning by a hair. no tonka or incense in sight.

 

dry down: clove wins, with violet a close second

 

in all: violet and clove happen to be, individually, two of my favorite BPAL notes. but perhaps because they are so very different from each other, i am finding that they simply can't quite co-exist in the same blend. not this particular one, anyway. if you want clove, check out Mort de Caesar. If you want violet, check out Faith, Marie or Ultraviolet. but don't bother with this one.

[LadyLuckDoubt]

In the Bottle

Yummy! Violets! I like violets and they like me! There's also a spicy hint of something going on which is probably the clove blending with something else... my guess is cardamon, but no idea. It's pretty.

 

On Me

Ooooh, sweet. It's like French Love, Alice, and Queen Mab had a threesome, and this was the resulting smell. Basically, I'm getting that soft buttery almond note evident in all three, yet it's not as innocent as Alice, not as red and sexy as French Love, and the florals veer off in a different direction to Queen Mab, but it reminds me of all three scents. Only the violets add something else.

 

Then there's something honey going on. Not sure if I'm tripping, but yep... honey! And it's delicious.

 

I'm SO glad I tried this. I didn't expect that almondy note at all, but given that it's in some of my other BPAL faves, I appreciated it. Am strongly considering getting myself a bottle of this.

[soonyi]

oh no, violet is pretty bad to me...and this one is no exception. sniffing my arms, i get an unflattering diaper ointment stew aroma. scrub it off now!!

[savage_rose]

Violet is sometimes obnoxious and sour on me. I do not have that problem in this blend...but it's a strange combination. It smells like incense with a hint of dusty violet powder...like a lady getting dressed for a night on the town, gently powdering herself with a genteel powder puff of violet dusting powder...while burning incense? It's not bad, it's just not me. Or anyone I know, really.

[but6682]

Edit: (wrong scent review)\

 

This one is very flowery on my skin I like it

It's sweet and reminds me of walking through a medow in the spring slimply amazing on my skin

Edited April 29, 2008 by but6682

[Browneyes]

At first I didn't like this one at all, but I gave it some time. First off it was a creamy, yet plasticky, violet.

Then it seemed to sweeten and become a bit more realistic... I never smelled any clove though.

 

So basically this is almost violet single note on me, quite a simple scent. I might keep it for layering purposes... I especially need more violet in my aged bottle of Saturnalia!

 

ETA: ok after a while, the sweeter edge definately comes out as tonka and incense - it's rather nice.

Edited May 5, 2008 by Browneyes

[Iceblink]

The clove and tonka in Sybaris blend so well--it's spicy and sweet with violet on top, like a clove and violet candy. Not floral at all but richer and creamier. It has good staying power, too.