Lamia

[BlondeAcid]

Deadly elegance: pale orchid, vanilla amber, black currant, white peach, champaca, coconut, Arabian myrrh, Burmese vetiver, and oude.

I love the smell of this when I sniff it from the bottle...it smells very fruity with a bite... a very grassy, green bite.

Wet on skin: Smoky incense with just a hint of floral

Dry and around an hour later: vanilla/coconut incense...something in this gives me a headache..it's probably one of the florals.

[Amaranthus]

Yes! I love this!

 

The combination of peach and coconut is jarring at first, but as it combines with orchid, vanilla, and amber, it becomes glorious. These notes might be cloying if it weren't for the dirty, earthiness of vetiver and oude to balance it out.

 

This is such a beautifully complex scent.

 

I love how it makes me think of an evil woman hiding behind a seductive facade, a gorgeous lady in rotting grave rags.

 

I love how the peachy vanilla amber floats in a cloud around me and the coconut and woods cling to the skin.

 

This perfume lasts forever on my skin too. Long after the peach, coconut, and orchid fade away there is a lovely vanilla amber and myrrh afterglow.

 

 

Edited to add: Before the Neverwhere line came out I had an idea of how a perfume for the character Lamia should smell, and this is way better than what I imagined. I appreciate the mind behind the creation of this scent.

Edited April 17, 2011 by Amaranthus

[calivianya]

I received Lamia as a frimp from a wonderful forumite.

 

Wet on my skin, I get smacked in the face with sweet peach and coconut. If I sniff close to the skin, I can smell something earthy rounding it out - the vetiver. Initially, it is way too sweet for me.

 

It begins to get a plastic note after the first few minutes. I'm not sure what's causing the plastic, maybe the coconut? On the full drydown, what I get most from this blend is peach-scented suntan lotion. It's interesting, but I can't see myself reaching for it too often.

[mxtine]

I skin tested this when I received a carded imp from a sale or swap awhile back. I probably didn't review it at the time because I was overwhelmed by the amount of stuff I had to go through.

 

I recognize the sweet vanilla orchid from Celeste, but it's not beating me over the head. This is a softer, smokier orchid with coconut, hints of young peach, and a beautiful smooth Arabian myrrh. Like the reviewer above, I get a plasticky note here and there, and I know it's the peach. Peach always does that to me. I don't believe it's the coconut, because the Lab's coconut and I get along very well together. The dry down is a yummy black currant amber with some sweetness from the orchid and champaca. I'm not getting any vetiver, but maybe it's such a small amount that it pulls everything together. Either way, this dark tropical floral makes me happy.

Edited July 20, 2011 by mxtine

[aleciarivas]

Vetiver strikes again. This was just GORGEOUS and to die for before it really settled down and the vetiver decided to take over the show. I REALLY dislike vetimer and how it reacts to my skin chemistry so… another no-go scent for me…

[CreamyJade]

In the decant: Black currant (almost sour), vetiver, a bit of coconut, all rounded up by the peach.

Wet on skin: No more black currant! Excellent, because I hate that note. I get peach, a bit of florals (not overwhelming) and something hiding... fragrant woods.

Dry on skin: Underneath all that fruit is a mean, woody and smoky heart. It's beautiful and a very well-balanced scent.

Final thoughts: This is unlike anything I've ever tried. I don't usually go for fruity scents, but the apparent smokiness of this one seduced me enough to get a decant when it first came out, which, after a long reflection, will be upgraded to a bottle before the end of the year. It's pretty and smoky, überfeminine and sexy - I feel as if the scent just developed completely the way it was supposed to on my skin. Ahhh..

Try if you like: Boadicea

[Balame]

In the Imp: Not what I was expecting. A little musty, dirty (sexily so), and earthy, yet in a delicate way. A nice, very realistic coconut in the background. I was a little worried the orchid and oudh would go crazy on me, but if it turns out to be more of the vanilla amber, coconut, vetiver, and currant combo I'll be extremely happy.

 

Wet: This really does have a bit of a bite. Another surprise. It's not jarring, but... you know what this smells like? Almost exactly like the skin of a pomegranite. And yes, the skin. It's much drier and more grounded than a regular fruit scent, but I guess the combo of peach and slightly bitter currant is just reading as pom to me. The coconut is very gentle in the background, but is more of the husk or flesh than the milk. Nice.

 

Dry: The coconut decided to push forward much more than before. It's one of my favorite notes, so I'm not hating this at all, and is now fairly sweeter due to the orchid. Not overwhelming. It reminds me very closely of coconut rind. Practically a single note, actually.

 

Overall: Pretty great. This is spot on what I wanted Obatala to be - a tropical, rich, slightly sweet coconut. I do prefer most of my oils with a bit more complexity (holy heck, if the vanilla had popped out in this as well I'd be in heaven), but this is going to be awesome if I decide to layer. And when I'm on a coconut fix, I now know where to turn. I'm really tempted to slather my hair in this because hey, coconut oil! Yum.

Edited September 9, 2011 by Balame

[angelamaria]

In imp: coconut, with vague florals, almost fruity. There's a nutty note somewhere.

 

Wet on skin: huhhh--I'm getting almost overwhelming nutty note from here. I'm not really too sure where that is coming from, sadly. The amber, sadly, is turning powdery already. Aside from the nuttiness, there is that high floral that's almost overwhelmed by the deep, earthy, and musky vetiver.

 

Dry: alas, my skin's turned amber into a veritable villain, and I smell nothing but vetiver powder. Everything else has faded.

 

Verdict: sadly not friends with my skin. This was one of my first run-ins with vetiver, and I've since realized it just don't work on me.

[Mechanical Death]

in the bottle:

 

Dark, woody, slightly smoky and dusty-- lots of vetiver, oudh and a touch of black current. A delicious smoky dark blend accented by coconut and hint of sweetness from the peach.

 

 

Wet on skin: Almost identical as in the bottle-- the dark characteristics are overpowering in wet form and can't amplify any more. If you are a fan of smoky and dark scents, you'll like this one. I'm enjoying it so far.

 

The vetiver lends a mossy feel to the blend. It reminds me a little of the stone and moss note from the drydown phase in '13 hours' from the Labyrinth series. While they have nothing in common, I get a similar feel from the woody earthy notes that stay close to the skin, while the juicier or fresher notes hover. If I outright sniff my hand I lose the peach and black current, but while I'm typing I can smell it hovering around me. It smells almost tropical from here, but up close it's much darker and sexier where the coconut and vanilla mingles with the woody earth notes. I'll be interested to see what the final dry down does.

 

Drying: Very dark vanilla, toasted coconut and smoky dark woods. The peach mingles in with the mix a tiny bit more and finally the orchid shows up. I can't find the black current anymore though, which is odd. Black current is usually such a dominant note.

 

Oh-- wait-- there it is. It's still there hovering above the skin but not directly included in the mixture.

I still don't smell the Myrrh outright, but it I concentrate I do detect it. Each note is accounted for here.

 

This is a really unique blend. I haven't tried anything else from BPAL or else where that remotely mimics this.

 

Slightly tropical, very dark and smoky, very sexy. Deadly? yes.

 

This is definitely meant to be a subtle perfume. Not meant for slathering, but well placed application so that it hovers and clings in all the right places, like a slinky dress.

 

I need a skin tight glittering slinky black tie cocktail dress to go with this, some blood red lipstick, and heads will turn. You feel deadly elegant wearing this.

[yakiguri]

Interesting and complex. Luckily the note I worried about the most, peach, only flits in just enough to keep things interesting as it's kept grounded by the vetiver and myrrh. Oudh can also be worrisome but luckily there's not enough of it in here to turn the whole blend to band-aids. The coconut reminds me of the raw coconut oil I put in my hair--juicy and meaty without going suntan lotion-coconut. The florals are so well woven with the rest of the notes I can't pick them apart.

 

Coconut can give me a headache so while I won't buy a bottle I'll definitely keep my decant, maybe pick up a partial if I see one.

[mymymai]

ITB: It's sweetly dark and complex, but not threateningly so - coconut, vanilla amber, champaca, and a touch of vetiver.

 

Wet: It's sweet, resinous (slightly), and a bit floral. I'm getting coconut, champaca, orchid, vetiver, a dash of peach, some currant, and something else that is a little green.

 

Dry: It's more floral once dried from the orchid, but it's tempered by the champaca,coconut, peach, and now oude. Very nice!

[eating monsters]

oh my gosh, this is gorgeous. when i open the bottle i strongly smell vanilla and coconut, wearing in my scent locket this smells like peach, with wafts of coconut and something that is like rum, i think that might be the oude as it has the same dry down as delight and consternation. smokey and sexy.

[elka_knits]

vetiver strikes its evil funk when wet. White scent in bottle and when wet during dry down unless the vetiver peeks through. Turns into a lovely skin scent that is slightly fruity due to peach and currant. There is coconut husk and a tinge of plum to it during dry down. No plum listed so probably the fruitiness mixed with resins gives it that depth. No throw at all for me and disappears within 4 hrs.

[Serena Reverberi]

I'm testing this for the first time and damn, I didn't expect to like it so much. Surprisingly, I can smell the black currant (I can't smell blueberries/currants in any other BPAL) and a dizzying mix of incense and florals...this is evocative, surprisingly light and very, very mysterious.

Love!!

 

*I also received a sniffe of Lamia v3, and it's much more sour and sharp... I definitely prefer the released version*

Edited October 1, 2014 by SereRev

[tinyvulture]

Coconut and peach! With hints of champaca, amber, and vanilla. No vetiver. Wow, I love it! Warm and sweet, sexy, earth goddess. Not how I envision the Lamia, but as a perfume it's right up my alley! Although the notes are different, it reminds me quite a bit of Urd. Strong champaca = hippie head shop!

[vox pop]

Lab purchase

 

Lamia, i freaking love you!

just a little bit of coconut, but yes i can smell you!

it's sort of like this: was on the beach all day having the best day evaaa, headed in for a shower and then getting ready for

dinner with some friends, enjoying a summer evening, walking barefoot on the beach later... and i am pretty sure there is a little bonfire going on way down at the end of the beach. This is Lamia in her 5ml bottle and on my skin.

my skin doesn't pick up nag champa ( thank you skin! )

simply summer bliss that lasts until dawn

 

ps. this is what i wanted or thought Marae and/or Coconut Vanilla Bean Tiare HG might be for me, but neither one

had the unf as Lamia does on my skin+hair. I am so glad that i kept on the search and discovered Lamia, as she is amazing <3

Edited May 12, 2015 by vox pop

[DiesMali]

In the bottle: Juicy peach and coconut.

 

Wet on my skin: While wet, something in this is very nutty, and with the peach and currant almost goes into PBJ sandwich territory. Very odd.

 

Dry: Thankfully, the PBJ sandwich doesn't last. This is a lovely musky peach and coconut, with the musky feel likely coming from the amber and vetiver. There's definitely vanilla in it, and I can pick out some light florals and a touch of incense, but it's all very well blended and hard to pick out individual notes beyond the peach, coconut, and vanilla. Not a bad thing, because it's quite pretty. Soft, feminine, and a little mysterious.

[LizziesLuck]

Wet: Something really green that immediately reminds me of Lush's Jungle solid conditioner.

 

 

Dry: Still smells a bit like Lush's Jungle, which I LOVE but with Coconut. Which I also love. There's a lot of love over here right now, yes sirree bob. This needs a whole test day, full slather test, but I do think I shall be buying a bottle!!

[Jenjin]

Well, I'm so in love with Lamia it's ridiculous. She's a very wearable goth tropical that takes me to the islands on a black, coconut beach. I've had my bottle for some time now and I reach for it often. She's the perfect combination of tropical and musks. I'm booting this one into my top ten for now. Pure dark bloody hearted vampire passion with a hula skirt spin.

Edited March 9, 2017 by Jenjin

[Micaela Gullick]

In Bottle: Sweet, earthy coconut. I also think I'm getting hint of the vetiver. Not sure what black currant smells like, but I hear it's a tangy berry scent and I think I smell some of it in the background.

Wet: A bit sweeter and warmer on the skin. The vanilla amber becomes more prominent.

Dry: Coconut mainly, but the vanilla amber, oud, and vetiver are also prominent. The peach, orchid, and currant stay pretty subtle.

Overall, it's quite a sexy scent. Somebody told me while I was wearing it that it had a bit of a sunscreen quality. I think that comes form the coconut. It's tropical and earthy. Has a mysterious quality to it. One of my favourtie going out perfumes, especially during summer.

 

[Bassmastadroog]

The notes, initially, are really exciting and beautiful! The coconut and peach are evident from the bottle sniff. On skin, it's an incredible dark coconut, vetiver, myrrh, and the vanilla orchid mixing with amber. On skin, it instantly dries down to a weak coconut/vetiver with vanilla amber. It's still quite gorgeous...BUT it's so weak, and only after five minutes! I only have a partial, which I'm glad of at this point, so I'll definitely use it up, and maybe the more I wear it the more I'll notice it, but for now I wouldn't repurchase based on sillage and longevity at all

[joopjoop]

I am a little obsessed with Lamia at the moment - I've been wearing it several times a week for the last few weeks - but it is another one (like Mme. Moriarty!) that I'm not sure how to review because I don't even know how to describe what it smells like!

 

It starts off as a rich coconut with peach, orchid and vetiver, and it really does smell very similar to Lush's Jungle conditioner - almost startlingly so. But after about 30 minutes it develops into this intense, sexy, earthy coconut/vetiver scent with orchid and something else that is just so so good. What is this mysterious magical 'other' ingredient taking things to the next level? The champaca? The vanilla amber? The oude? The myrrh? All of them combined? I DON'T KNOW! And it's driving me crazy.

 

Lamia is like a mysterious slightly gothy lady away on an upscale beach vacation. Which I guess is appropriate considering its inspiration? It's sort of confounding. But I'm seriously pondering a back up bottle.

[Casablanca]

In the bottle, black currant, white peach, and a whiff of vanilla.

 

On my skin, at first, this is a blast of white peach and black currant (which smelled to me more like plum when I first tested this without reading the notes). Mostly it’s white peach, and reminds me of Humanite. I think that while I love other peach notes, I just don’t like white peach. It comes across as overripe and mushy to me. Thankfully, that note starts to settle quickly, and the blend turns more pleasantly tropical. Now it’s dry coconut flakes, black currant, a little milder peach, and a ghostly-faint orchid. I like this phase best.

 

Lamia dries on me into a soft, vaguely floral black currant dirtied with a little vetiver. The black currant still smells plummy to me. The coconut is barely there.

[rachelos]

Lamia is a tropical, summer perfume. It has a buttery quality from the coconut that I really enjoy, and great throw. In fact, I didn't really think much of it until I noticed it wafting around me at work, and felt comfortable and confident - often times I'm self-conscious about wearing bpal around others, but this is perfectly inoffensive and cool.

[dementia_divine]

In the imp: I'm getting a lot of white peach, followed by smoky vetiver, orchid, champaca, and oudh. It's like a peachy incense.

 

Wet: Sickly sweet peach and orchid backed by the smoky vetiver and resins. I'm not sure if it's the peach in combination with the orchid that's doing it or another note, but it's got a medicinal vibe on my skin, unfortunately.

 

Dry: The sweet peach note is still the dominant note, followed by the orchid, but it's not as intense as it was before. The champaca, resins (I'm getting lots of the amber now!), black currant, coconut, and vetiver have all swirled together in the background, creating a wonderful incense-y smell. I prefer this phase of the scent.

 

Verdict: Alas, peach (possibly combined with the orchid or coconut) is just not compatible with my skin chemistry during the wet phase, and it's not something I'd want to endure to get to the dry phase of the scent. I'm really glad I got to try this, though!