Lyonesse

[absinthetics]

LYONESSE

 

Then rose the King and moved his host by night

And ever pushed Sir Mordred, league by league,

Back to the sunset bound of Lyonesse --

A land of old upheaven from the abyss

By fire, to sink into the abyss again;

Where fragments of forgotten peoples dwelt,

And the long mountains ended in a coast

Of ever-shifting sand, and far away

The phantom circle of a moaning sea.

 

Golden vanilla and gilded musk, stargazer lily, white sandalwood, grey amber, elemi, orris root, ambergris and sea moss.

 

This scent has inspired me to be a first review, even though I doubt my ability to pick out notes. So I will review it... a bit more on impression.

 

In the bottle -- If this scent had a colour, it would indeed be golden ambers-- like the faded golds of medieval ikon halos, flaking but vibrant... and haunting. The ambers and musk are beautiful and somehow bright. In the bottle it seems a bit more traditional than I expected, the vanilla is a bit hard to find under the sandalwood and orris root. There is definitely an aquatic-ness to it, but it's almost like an afterglow. Primarily though, i would say it was definitely an amber-musk at this stage.

 

Wet -- Here is where the vanilla leaps out at you, Lyonesse shows its character when wet and on the skin. It's a little more light hearted and feminine here. The gold has softer edges and becomes a bit more 'princessy' when you thought it would be more for a 'queen'. I can smell the lily now, when I didn't think I could before. The vanilla adds a creamyness to the floral.

 

On the skin, and dry down -- On the drydown, the two natures seem to intermingle, and the scent just seems to ... glow. It is feminine and pretty, but regal and elegant. The stargazer lily comes out even more so now and it doesn't seem as creamy as it did before, but you can certainly tell there is vanilla in there. The dryer tones come out here, yet it somehow remains vaguely aquatic. I suppose it smells 'older' when it dries down. And reminds you of the history behind the beauty that are the legends of Lyonesse. In a way it's this 'mature' and musky vanilla scent. The dry down is my favorite part, and really... it simply 'glows'-- a happy, perfect, even a bit yummy 'glow'.

 

All in all, Lyonesse is extremely beautiful and every girl should have a bottle.

Edited September 15, 2007 by Shollin

[Thursdae]

I'm only five minutes into my Lyonesse imp so who knows what the drydown will bring, but right now? A lovely vanilla sandalwood with overtones of amber and musk. Je l'aime!

:D :D

[Ina Garten Davita]

I have tried so many of Beth's amazing scents yet it seems so long since I've done a proper review but Lyonesse really deserves one.

 

This is O without the honey, Florence without the iris but so much more, sexy but not slutty, sweet but not foody, innocent but not girlie, come hither and come closer. The beauty of this scent borders on indescribable. The layers blend seamlessly, there is no powder in the amber, there is no headiness in the stargazer, the creaminess is tempered by the soft wood.

 

Lyonesse is heaven.

[valentina]

Lyonesse is the other new Wanderlust that I ordered almost immediately upon reading the description. And for good reason!

 

In the bottle, Lyonesse is very mellow, very reserved and understated. And upon application, it remains reserved, but on my body, the lily and sea moss scents seem to come to the front at first -- it's a quiet floral with a lot of vanilla and amber underneath them. After a half hour or so, the blend really balances out for me. It's so complex that I can't pull any one scent -- and still, it is very refined and dignified. This is a scent that I will wear on those days when I want my fragrance to be a bit more restrained and not act like a wrecking ball to the nose or to the libido. However, this is a scent that could sneak up on a person, because it's not stodgy or traditional. It's pretty but not girly-girly, nor is it matronly; it's not floral and it's not foody and it's not resiny.

 

I'm saying what everyone else is saying -- it's sort of an ineffable scent that has a very low-key appeal that really grows on you after a while. I love its complexity and its subtlety, and it's a keeper!

[portalkat]

I read the scent description on this and knew that I would love it. The first thing that I smell is the vanilla and then the lily with a hint of the musk. I love resins and woods, but generally I am not a huge fan of white sandalwood. In this blend it is different, somehow complimented by the resins.

 

Lyonesse is lovely and understated. As mild and delicate as this scent is, it has quite a throw and I keep stopping to figure out what smells so pretty. It is another to be hoarded, I'm afraid.

[LiberAmoris]

Lyonesse is one of my favorites from my latest order---smooth, nearly liquid vanilla, unearthly warm ambergris/grey amber, stargazer lily, and the musk and white sandalwood...it's absolutely luscious. The sea moss does give this a marine feeling, although this is no aquatic. It's just a very subtle sea note, like sea minerals.

 

Lyonesse is brilliantly simple without being simplistic and rich without being foody. It's tremendously evocative and even elegant. It's the kind of blend I would include if I was putting together a Just-Try-To-Resist-BPAL-Introductory-Imp-Pack for a friend.

[edenssixthday]

Lyoness - I am absolutely thrilled with this scent. I tend to have pretty good luck with Wanderlust blends, but this one is jumping right to the top of the pack. It has so many notes in it that I adore, and it works fabulously on me. It opens with a blast of vanilla, and I can’t smell much beyond that. Once it begins to dry, the vanilla and ambergris blend together to create a warm, sweet, musky scent that is one of the pretty scents I’ve ever encountered. The stargazer lily lends a hint of a sweet pink-sugar type note to this blend, and the sandalwood grounds it and provides a foundation for the other notes. It’s gorgeous, truly gorgeous. It is a warm and sweet blend, and I have a feeling it is going to become a favorite for the upcoming Autumn months.

[saralaughs]

I think I've found another note that should I need to be aware of when ordering...Amber.

 

This is lovely in the imp. Bright and sharp almost.

 

On, the amber immediately comes to the forefront and takes over which wouldn't be a bad thing for me if it would settle without overshadowing all the other notes. In Lyonesse, it does...it drags everything down in a powdery cloud of dust. It's still lovely. Lovely enough that I'll be keeping the imp but no bottle buying on this one.

 

ADDED 9/15/09:

 

I have to re-review my review.

 

I have to say I'm glad I never got rid of my imp. Sad to say I'm going to have to buy a bottle and let it age.

 

This is the scent that screams "golden, bright, warm, lovely, regal" the most to me. It's probably in my top two amber scents and one I want to be able to turn to on the cold days of winter for comfort and as a reminder that I'll see the sun (and warmth!) again. No more powder, just yum.

 

I LOVE it. LOVE.

[AliBabble]

lyonesse is a luxurious scent - in the imp it is quite light. on my skin it becomes an almost buttery, sugary vanilla, but with a touch of beautiful light flowers (the lily i suppose) and deepened with the amber and sandalwood - it just grows and blossoms on my skin in this lovely way - again, like many of the newer scents, it is so well-blended - for instance, i know there's sea moss in there, but no one note is jumping out, it's just a feeling of "sea". this is an extremely beautiful scent - girly and womanly at the same time, it just kind of wraps around you making you feel pampered and pretty.

[shelldoo]

in the bottle: faint musk, but not alot of scent

 

 

wet: hmm very faint, light, clean slightly mossy smelling

 

as it dries it becomes a faint musky vanilla, w/ a hint of sandalwood. very light clean. and soft.

 

ok this has aged close to 5 months, and it has become alot stronger it is a clean musky scent w/ a hint of vanilla sandalwood. i like it much more aged.

Edited January 24, 2007 by shelldoo

[eleventhousand]

This one is beachy and soapy and upscale.

I don't smell any of the vanilla...

 

I smell mostly the lily and the orris, with a little of the sea-scent.

I wanted to love this one, but I don't.

[zenvodunista]

This is all amber and vanilla on me -- and more to the point -- it's amber and vanilla that doesn't go to babypowder like O does!!! I can't believe it! Perhaps it's the addition of ambergris, or the grey amber. I don't know. I don't care! This is going on the wishlist!

 

n.

[Heavenlyrabbit]

For me this is a floral-resin.

 

This drys down into a floral skin-scent with a touch of sweetness.

 

Lovely.

 

Edit to remove confusion between two perfumes.

Edited September 21, 2006 by Heavenlyrabbit

[filigree_shadow]

Woah, this is good stuff. Lots of vanilla at first, but not overly sweet vanilla, it's smooth vanilla. It smells warm and golden. Then the floral notes come out but they don't overpower that smoothness. This is very pretty. Feminine and light, soft and warm. I like it!

 

I think it has just the right amount of throw, too. You don't have to put your nose right next to it to smell it, but it's not going to knock anyone over from 5 feet away, either.

[tasty]

This is a really strikingly beautiful scent.

 

I find it very appropriate that this scent is listed under the Wanderlust category because when I first opened the bottle, my mind immediately said, "Hawaii. This smells like Hawaii" and I was inundated with memories from my trip there. I'm not sure which note brings this sudden influx of scent-associtiations: perhaps the sea moss? Or could it be the Elemi, which is derived from a tree native to the Philipine islands?

 

After being on my skin, it settles down to a really rich musky vanilla and I'm getting a bit of the Ambergris mixed in there.

 

This one's a keeper, for sure.

[olympia301]

 

I add my voice to the throngs which give Lyonesse a big thumbs up. A gorgeous and sophisticated woody scent. Very much like Morocco but a jot more marine in the best way. It's well mannered in that the throw isn't too intense but it is in evidence on your skin and about your person for a very long time.

 

I don't get much vanilla from it but I do get richly bound leather volumes, a sort of attractive dust, wood, parchment, beautiful flowers faintly in the background. The amber is lovely, subtle but in evidence. Lyonesse is an instant favorite.

 

The icon in the Lynonesse islands, or what is called Lyonesse these days.

[Electra]

My skin is eating this scent for breakfast. I haven't had a scent go this nonexistant since Pele.

 

It's definitely a skin scent - in other words, I can barely smell it even when I slather it on and jam my wrist up under my nose.

 

That's not to say that I don't like it. It's really rather pleasant. On me, it smells like a whisper of completely non-foody golden vanilla mixed with a salty oceany tang. If I could actually smell it, I'd consider buying a bottle. I may let the imp age a bit and see if it gets any stronger.

[em_h]

Wet: Ooh, pretty. I'm getting a lot of amber right now, with a hint of the stargazer lily (which I normally don't like all that much, but it's quite restrained at the moment).

 

Drying: Vanilla emerging now, and another drier note that I'm not too familiar with. It's a very interesting, light, elegant scent, quite sweet and resinous.

 

Dry: This has got pretty good throw and lasting power. On me, the amber is the dominant note, with a bit of vanilla and lily; this verges at times on over-sweet, but there's a hint of the mossy note grounding it.

 

I seem to have two basic categories of successful scents -- the incensey dark red musk ones, and the pretty golden amber ones. This is a very nice entry in the second category.

[aessedai]

On me this was Jacob's Ladder (amber) meets the green of Sri Lanka (aforementioned mossy note?) meets Black Opal.

A wonderful blend, overall.

[Aredhel]

Rating (on skin): 5/5

Summarised in a word or two: Gorgeous.

 

Pre-review thoughts: I'm hoping Lyonesse smells on me the way it apparently does on Andrabell.

 

In the imp: Oh. Vanilla, musk and amber!

 

On skin, wet: Absolutely beautiful vanilla, musk, amber, with a woody, ambergris-thick base.

 

On skin, dry: A very musky, earthy, slightly woody vanilla-amber fragrance. It has just a bit of the soft, fuzzy-ness I got from BPAL's white musk single note, but I don't think the musk in this is white musk. I usually don't care for mosses of any sort, but Lyonesse's sea moss gives a surprisingly wonderful earthiness. The slightly-salty tang of ambergris keeps it from being too soft, or too fuzzy.

 

Conclusion/Notes: This is definitely, absolutely a bottle purchase. I wonder how this would layer with a sugary vanilla oil I have...

Edited October 23, 2006 by Aredhel

[PurringPulsar]

Lyonesse

 

In the imp: mmm, sweet vanilla with a hint of floral. This is promising.

Wet on skin: gorgeous floral-touched vanilla musk with a hint of green.

Dry on skin: this is stunning. Utterly beautiful but also understated. The vanilla and soft musk are the stars of the scent, and they are touched by slight hints of salty ambergris and sea moss, a small amount of floral lily, and even a resinous hint of elemi. This definitely has a feel of the sea, a saltiness, a green 'island' scent, a scent of the beach, but it's contrasted by that wonderful, comforting vanilla-musk.

After a while: this smoothes out even more and improves. It was good before but it's even more wonderful now. The salty scent, which was a little bit strange, has toned down and now it's all about the vanilla, musk, lily, a little bit of powdery orris and sandalwood, and just a touch of amber. It's such a beautiful scent and though it is understated-it does have throw. Surprising wafts of this sweet, gentle scent were smelt far from my wrist.

There are times when the ambergris-moss scent does strengthen a tad when smelt close to the wrist. I sometimes get a scent of 'beach skin' with the scent of sand and sea sticking to it (but without suntan lotion) from this. But then I smell that wonderful ethereal vanilla musk in a cloud above the skin.

Verdict: another magnificent vanilla-musk scent, those two notes really are soul mates, the perfect match. This is the olfactory version of nuzzling your face in a mass of downy feathers or fur…it is so soft, so fluffy, so comforting, a real cloud of delicate fragrance. This is what I hoped Et Lux Fuit would smell like on me…it's a truly luminous, shimmering fragrance. The beautiful vanilla-musk is supported by notes like sandalwood, lily, orris, and the ambergris and sea moss add a salted, 'beachy' feel to the scent which is very nice. It's so unique as well, there's nothing like it in the BPAL catalogue that I know of. I like the way it seems discreet but wafts nicely. This is going to become a BPAL classic, I'm sure of it. I need a bottle now.

Emoticon rating:

If you like this, try: Morocco, Antique Lace, Et Lux Fuit, Regan

Edited September 28, 2006 by yeahbutnobut

[birdiefu]

Lyonesse is beautiful. The first note to hit my nose on applying it is amber, followed by vanilla. As it dries I can smell the lily, but it fits in very well with the other notes and doesn't scream 'floral' at me. The sandalwood rounds the blend out and a light musk intertwines with the amber and vanilla. There is a watery feel to this scent without being 'aquatic' and I envision this is what a mermaid would smell like.

 

This is a light scent, but has a lot of wafting throw. It's just so darn pretty! For a light scent, Lyonesse is like the best of all worlds for me. I don't think I've tried a blend yet that combines sweetness, woods, musk, resins, and florals without something going wonky- but here it is. I don't purchase many GC bottles since it takes me forever to even get through an imp, but this may be going on a bottle list!

 

ADDED 10/8/08:

 

This is quite lovely!

 

On, I get vanilla, but not the super-sweet cupcake vanilla, a richer, more adult vanilla. With the vanilla, I get something powdery that makes me think it is coming from amber. As it dries, that powdery note disappears, and in it's place I get a floral that, without looking at the listed notes, smells like vanilla orchid to me. Must be the lily being very good-natured and mixing well with the vanilla. I also get a light, feminine musk and a touch of sandalwood. At this stage, Lyonesse is a very pretty, feminine scent without being girly like a lot of these lighter one get on me.

 

1 hour+ later, This has faded a lot. However, it is quite good. The baser notes are the most noticeable and I get a bit of the sea moss, which is surprisingly not as scary as I expected. It mixes nicely with the sandalwood and ambergris (I love ambergris!), and there is a light dusting of vanilla orchid muskiness over this. But at this point, I have to huff my hand deeply to smell it.

 

This is very nice, I am just sad that it fades so quickly on me.

Edited October 18, 2008 by Shollin

[Rheliwen]

I managed to squeeze some from my empty imp and rubbed it on.

 

For a lighter scent, this one sure lasts a long time without going generic BPAL base scent on me. I also think it's my favorite vanilla blend.

 

It almost reminds me of Midway a bit, minus the fried funnel cakes and with a pinch of lily. It also resembles Snake Charmer's drydown.

 

I mostly get vanilla, creamy creamy amber and a touch of floral. It's absolutely gorgeous!

[mistri]

On me, this is a strong amber/vanilla scent - almost sickly sweet/foody. It lasted quite a while.

 

It is nice, but I'm trying to cut down on the amount of vanillas I own, so this won't be a bottle purchase for now. But I will keep the frimp I got for random sniffages.

[maijasu]

Lyonesse is gorgeous. In its wet stage, it reminded me a bit of Antique Lace's floral vanilla, but when dry, the amber really comes out. It's like beautiful, liquid sunshine. I haven't met a BPAL amber I didn't like, but this is one of the best. It's really feminine and cheerful, and I just love it! I will be getting a bottle, for sure.