The Lion

[meaganola]

The dry, glorious warmth of the Savannah. A golden, spiced amber, proud, regal and ferocious.

I don't know how long I've had this one in my collection (probably a couple of years. I think this was a Lab frimp, so I'm not sure when I got it since it's not in my order history file), but I finally got around to trying it today as part of my Mad Tea Party month.

Wet, I get a spicy woody thing. Nice, but not really my speed. After about an hour or so, it goes all powdery, as amber pretty much always does on me. *Really* not my speed. I'm really glad I put this on in the evening so I'm not being forced to live with it all day.

[MCS4096]

Oh.... yummy... My main experience with amber from the lab, where it is super obvious in the blend, is Khyrsee.. and that is totally good but totally different from this. I know it's supposed to be dry grasses in here, but to me this amber smells really moist for some reason, just really succulent! Bottle worthy for sure

[Geminirubyshoes]

Probably one of the most beautiful ambers' I have ever come across. This is one of my bottles that I use alot. Its a subtle amber but has a good amount of throw. I consider the Lion to be a staple in my collection and would recommend this to anyone who wants a simple yet elegant scent.

[krissstephens]

I was told to get this by several board members. I got a big bottle and it's my favorite amber. I wear it all the time. It doesn't go powdery on me, the warm amber scent stays on my skin for hours and hours. tiny bit of spice.

[donnatron]

Imp: A spicy, warm amber.

 

Wet: I get really excited at first because this seems like almost a dead ringer for Mr. Jacquel but a little spicier. Starts out as a warm amber with a hint of saltiness and some warm, exotic spices. The wet phase is absolutely glorious.

 

Dry: And then amber does as it will. Or at least this variant of amber does as it will. Dries down to an identifiable amber scent but there is also a hint of playdough to this. Overwhelms the spices. Amber playdough. Not my bag.

 

Throw: Moderate.

 

Overall: I've always been nervous about trying the Lion because I just don't know how it will react with my skin. Turns out my apprehension was well founded.

[Beckiemort]

Starts and ends up a lovely warm amber with a little bit of dry grasses and spices. Sweet and Spicy - I think it is one of my favourite scent categories. It matches the scent description perfectly. It reminds me a little of a more tame, less sweet chimera. Great for layering with things that I want a little extra amber in.

 

[reena1]

A very yummy spiced amber!! A royal and strong lion. Although i think this blend is a bit Man-ish for me. Thankfully the bf likes it and i think id really like him wearing it Also when the mood hits i can sneak some when i need the extra warm fuzzy feeling.

[mari4212]

The Lion is the scent that made me realize I loved amber.

 

This is a beautiful warm scent, sweet and spicy without ever becoming pungent on me. Definitely one of my favorite scents to wear throughout the cold season, because it makes me feel warm and cozy whenever I wear it.

 

Sadly, I hadn't realized how often I was wearing it, because I'm almost out of my imp! I've still got Haunted, though, which is, on me, a virtual twin of the Lion, so I don't need to immediately rush out and get another imp.

[RhinestoneHousewife]

I got a frimp from the Lab.

 

In the bottle: Spicy amber and slightly masculine.

 

Wet on skin: Softer amber, sandalwood, and something warm.

 

Dry on skin: It all blends into a gorgeous warm and sensual smell. Still slightly masculine but in a good way.

 

Verdict: Bottle worthy.

Edited March 7, 2010 by RhinestoneHousewife

[superpopkid]

This is not at all fair, but I couldn't help comparing the Lion against a couple of straight-up amber essential oils that I've used. I have to keep reminding myself that perfume will necessarily be different!

 

In the vial, and on my skin, warm, sweet golden amber is the dominant note. The Lion's amber is less heavy and opaque than what I get from an EO. Wet, I also got something almost citrus-y, fruity-tea-ish that was lovely, but odd considering the description. That aspect disappeared as it dried. This stayed a pleasant but slightly thin amber through drydown. I didn't get much spice, if any. Throw was great and this one is another energizer bunny in terms of longevity...still going strong many, many hours after a light application. Overall, I think this would be a great blend for those who usually find undiluted amber too heavy or cloying.

[voorishsign]

I have the weirdest reason for trying this - one of Zachariah's lines in Supernatural ("In Heaven, I have six wings and four faces, one of which is a lion."). Yeah, I'm probably insane. But I do love my amber, and have always wondered about this blend anyway, Kurt Fuller just gave me a good excuse

 

In the imp - faint spices.

 

On wet - oomph. Gorgeous amber. Royal. Golden. Warm. Glowing. Slightly spicy.

 

Drydown - very close to the skin, but the amber blossoms more. It's really hard to smell - maybe there's something wrong my nose today because I find it really hard to detect after a half hour. I'll see where it goes from here, and I'll try it a few more times the next few days in case my nose just isn't playing along for whatever reason. I hope that's what it is, because on wet this is the most beautiful amber I've ever smelled and I want it to stick around.

 

ETA: a very faint spiced note, mostly clove, remains after a while, but no amber - what a shame

Edited May 30, 2010 by Shollin
Removed Lab description --Shollin

[MissVulpecula]

In the imp: Strong amber

 

Drying on my skin: Spicy amber. Warm and quite sweet. Kind of oriental. A "thick" scent.

 

Throw and staying power: Strong throw

 

Colour impression: Coppergold

 

Verdict: A lovely, deep scent - unfortunately not for me. To strong, to "grown-up", to ...uhm... "amberish"...

Edited April 17, 2010 by MissVulpecula

[angelicruin]

Amber! Reminds me a lot of Haunted.

[sparkleyturtle]

This is such a beautiful warm smell. Loving the amber smell. I think this is better for the evening than during the day, but I tried it out before going to yoga and I just kept smelling the amber as I was relaxing and stretching out. So nice.

[Brianne]

Does what it says on the tin! Seriously The Lion is THE poster child of spiced amber. And it is EXACTLY what it says it is - softly spiced amber. Perfectly unisex, perfectly lovely.

[melrose]

I apply and start to grin - spot-on amber, woods, and sunshine. Next thing I know, it has sunk into my skin, and no amount of slathering can make it more than so faint it's just barely there. My skin just drinks it up. Sigh.

[SophieCedar]

Mmm... sweet spicy amber. Perfectly comforting and soft. I feel like I just wrapped myself in a blanket. Same from imp to drydown. The spice element smells like nutmeg or allspice.

 

Edited because it copied my text twice... again? strangeness...

Edited May 11, 2010 by SophieCedar

[Dharklady]

In Bottle: Cinnamon and amber.

Wet: Stays pretty true to the ‘in bottle’ smell. The cinnamon is fairly dominant but it works well with the amber.

Dry: The cinnamon calms down and plays nicely with the amber. A gorgeous simple scent with a good amount of lasting power and throw.

Notes: I like this one a lot, and it will definitely go on the bottles needed list.

 

[heatherovka]

I smell amber... and a lot of clove. The clove surprises me for some reason, just not what I was expecting. As it dries down the clove doesn't dominate quite as much, which is wonderful because now I can appreciate the amber - nice, warm, and spicy.

 

I like this, but I think I like Bastet more for an amber scent.

 

 

edited to add: I wore this one again today, and the clove isn't quite as loud this time. Now I'm getting general spice - clove, cinnamon, some others? - plus amber. It is very lovely. It is not cinnamon that is the dominant spice for me like it seems to be with so many other reviewers. Anyway, I'm really liking it. Yum...

 

 

Sept. 2010 Update:

I just wanted to update my previous post to say that I reach for this imp all.the.time! I think I may need to find a bottle. It is a very cozy and comforting scent for me. Spicy, amber-y goodness! It has definitely become one of my favorites. Love it.

Edited September 24, 2010 by heatherovka

[reconditarmonia]

In imp: I can't smell much, but I have a fairly weak sense of smell, so that doesn't mean much.

 

Wet on skin: Amber!

 

Dry on skin: More amber!

 

(I'm actually wondering if there's amber in Hod now, because they're kind of warm and creamy in the same way. This seems less white, though.)

 

I like it. Mmm. *purrs*

 

Edit: Tried it again, and still don't get the spice. In fact, not only do I not get the spice, I layered it with Plunder to try and approximate what everyone else is getting, and minutes later all I could smell was amber. It's pretty, and I think I prefer it to Hod - it's just not what I thought it would be.

 

Edit: I just spilled half my imp over my hand. *screams* And I was thinking of trading Hod because I had an amber scent that was better.

 

...I can smell the spice on my hand, though! Maybe I should try what little remains on non-wrist parts of my body and see what happens.

 

Son of Edit: Came back to this (on wrist) almost six months after I first tried it so I could compare it with another amber blend, and O HAI SPICES. That took a while. Lovely combination. If only I hadn't spilled it.

Edited November 18, 2010 by reconditarmonia

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

i thought for sure i'd reviewed this one, but i guess not.

it isn't the sort of amber i generally like, oddly, but a warmer sort of amber.

 

reminds me of The Fool, kindof?

[ModderRhu]

The Lion

It just smells like watered-down cinnamon and stale graham crackers. I'm really biased, though, because anything with cinnamon tends to be "meh" in my opinion. Smells like Life cereal or something.

Edited June 13, 2010 by ModderRhu

[ami226]

Why oh why has this not been on my love it list??

 

This one is soooo nice! A powdery, musky, warm spice. This scent embodies all that is comforting. This is a scent that I have been searching for. So warm and it wafts so perfectly. I just want to bathe in it!

 

-ETA- This one kinda reminds me of Shub, only it is a lot smoother and less....harsh on the spice.

Edited June 18, 2010 by Catseyes

[meredevachon]

In the imp: spiced honey.

 

Wet: Cinnamon. Lots of cinnamon. But with a sweetness. Almost as though someone made homemade red hots or some other homemade cinnamon candy? Cinnamon oil or extract, not ground cinnamon or cinnamon sticks.

 

Dry: Red hots. Never really liked them, and don't particularly like smelling of them either. Finally getting some of my beloved amber, but underneath, almost like a separate scent. Like wearing a faint amber while eating lots and lots of red hots.

[liat]

This is definitely a scent that benefits from a bit of aging.

 

New: I remember opening the imp and swooning. It smelled like spicy, musky, warm divinity. Unfortunately, on my skin it captured the inspiration for the blend far too literally. The spices were still present, but they were overwhelmed by the smell of dusty, musky fur. My brother summed it up perfectly: "You smell like the dog. Good, but...literally...like the dog. I'm confused."

 

Aged 1 year: This is much better. There hasn't been any magical morphing; it smells the same as it ever did in the vial, but the combination of scents are far better balanced when they hit my skin. It's still a musky blend, but now it's sweeter and richer and smells more like my beloved amber than dog fur. The spices are very well blended. They're incredibly rich and yummy without being overly foody. Wearing this, I feel warm and sensual and comforted. It makes me want to stretch and curl up in the sun. Beth's really captured a lion in a bottle, here.

 

I think I'm going to need a 5ml of this, though I'll stash it in a dark drawer for a year or so before using it.