Lilium Inter Spinas

[aquazoo]

Hibiscus syriacus, white sandalwood, lily of the valley, apple blossom, and green fig.

Mostly good floral, the sandalwood gives it a dryness. Lily of the Valley was one of my favorite childhood scents, and it's definitely present here. A slightly salty note that some florals have, and it comes and goes. Edited May 3, 2010 by Shollin

[PixieSkull]

Lily of the valley doesn't work well on me, soapy and bubbly. The hibiscus and green fig smell so... well, green! A little bit of white sandalwood brings a little dusty wood in, but sadly not enough on me. I can smell these notes a tiny bit separately, despite blending very nicely.

 

A bit too much like Ivory soap, which doesn't suit me, but it would be quite an awesome clean smell for the house. One of those late-winter days (like this last week) when you open the windows to get some melting snow smell in.

[CitizenBree]

Smells heavily lily and apple at first, but then dries down to a general, sweet floral scent. I think the sandalwood cancels out the lily. It's a very fresh scent. Ladylike and feminine. I can see where the soap references come from but it's a really GOOD smelling soap, not just generic soap. I like this for its sweetness. I would probably want to buy a partial of this to have around. I'm going to give it 4/5 stars.

[RhinestoneHousewife]

I got this as a frimp from a sale:

 

In the bottle: A slightly green floral.

 

Wet on skin: Overpowering floral with a cheap incense-y/soap smell.

 

Dry on skin: Straight up soap. And it lasts *forever* and gave me a slight headache.

 

Verdict: Definitely not for me. Off to swaps!

[puellacaerulea]

This starts off as a fresh, slightly green/herbal floral, but quickly goes powdery on me -- possibly my skin amping the sandalwood? In any case, after about an hour, this is all baby powder and little florals. Could be a good candidate for a scent locket. Provided your skin doesn't also make this scent go all baby powder on you, it would make a great, light summer floral.

[ModderRhu]

Lilium Inter Spinas

I smell the sandalwood, apple blossom, and fig. I don't know what hibiscus smells like. There is a slightly green undertone to this scent. Maybe that's the lily of the valley?
I could swear there is vanilla in here, too. I smell something super sweet. Maybe the fig.
This is mostly a sandalwood smell to my nose. I like it.

[sunlitgarden]

Lilium Inter Spinas

 

I got this imp second-hand and I really don't know how old it is, but this scent is extremely light on me. I guess I get some vague flowers but it's faint. I wrote this down as a blend I liked at Sakura-con, so I think I need to acquire a new imp... I'll update this review if/when I do, because as of right now it's disappointing.

[Gold Dust Kitten]

Earthy-figgy green floral with a faint apple note. I can't skin-test this, because fig and I don't get along.

[milo]

Very lily-like, not surprisingly. Quite springlike and fresh, with a touch of green. This goes a touch fungus on me, but it is quite pretty otherwise. I may enjoy the imp more in the spring.

[SophieCedar]

It's unusually warm today so I figured this would be a good day to try it. Strange how different this smells from a couple weeks ago, when 1st tested. The lily of the valley and sandalwood is actually much stronger now and it's overall drier. When I 1st tested in colder weather, I could smell more hibiscus and green fig. Very energizing and a great lily of the valley variation and hits me more as late spring-early summerish. This makes me wish it was May and I was out riding my bicycle only to stop for seashell collecting and crow mocking.

Edited February 14, 2011 by SophieCedar

[laslibres]

Powdery, ladylike florals. On me, some more sandalwood comes out...this is quite powdery though, and I’d imagine if I was standing near someone allergic to perfume they’d start sneezing. It's just that kind of scent. It smells kinda like a fancy soap, almost.

 

I smell lily for sure, a little apple blossom that fades in and out, and ditto with hibiscus (which, incidentally, is a note I love, which I haven’t encountered anywhere else. Reminds me of tea, 'cause I love to drink jamaica tea). These are very light, though. The lily and sandalwood kinda trample them. Very perfumey, and like I said, ladylike...not _old_ ladylike, but just...feminine and tasteful. But springy, too.

 

It’s not too bad! I get into floral moods sometimes, and although I usually go for Evening Cicadas or Lulu when that happens, I could see myself reaching for this scent. Er. As long as I know I won't be near anyone who will sneeze on me.

[ajansuz]

This was a frimp.

 

In the imp: White floral, almost like gardenia or Magnolia with something fairly fresh and green under it, a very cool scent.

 

Wet: Ouch. I amp that white floral to sickening heights, like rotting flowers sitting out in the sun. I was scared this would do what magnolia usually does on me and give me a headache.

 

Dry down: On one hand, the white floral dies back. On the other, it dies back straight to soap. I don't know why so many BPAL florals go straight to soap on me, but they do. This one was no exception. It's a nice smelling soap, like something French milled, but still soap.

[JLH]

Wow. I just received an imp of this in my first order. I think BPAL might turn me into a floral lover.

 

From the imp this is a green floral with an undertone of sweetness (maybe that's the apple blossom?). While wet, the lily of the valley really takes over. I can see why other posters found this blend soapy, because the lily does have that clean smell to it. I personally like some soapy freshness in my scents, so YMMV. I'm not clear on what hibiscus smells like, but I know what it tastes like, and so I'm guessing that the bit of tartness and powdery bitterness on the edges is from the hibiscus as well as the fig. Perhaps that's also the sandalwood? Really, the lily takes the spotlight, and everything else is singing harmonious backup. This does have some throw, but because the notes are clean it's not overwhelming. As it dries the fig and apple blossom are being revealed.

 

This is such a fresh, delicate and clear floral. Elegant, without being cloying. Very classic, without verging on heavy, old-lady-perfume territory. Truly beautiful. This could easily be an every day scent for me.

Edited March 27, 2011 by JLH

[Victory]

Ugh, this really, really doesn't do it for me. Lilium Inter Spinas isn't offensive so much as it's insipid, which I guess is its own crime. It's like going to an art museum to see the masters and instead getting stark white walls everywhere. I guess there's a little floral that's really generic- not apple blossom which I've discovered I don't care for, not lily of the valley. There is something that made me thing vanilla for a short while, but not. It's really faint, too. This is just really, really not me.

[mari4212]

in the imp, and on wet: This is a green scent, with a bit of sweetness wending its way through.

 

Initial drydown: There's a bit of lily of the valley in here, but it's coming across more as a lily of the valley soap, rather than the straight flower. Especially when I have the flowers sitting right next to me for comparison. I'm also getting the apple blossom as an undertone, which might be helping the scent turn to floral soap.

 

Later drydown: within about 15 minutes, the soapiness clears away. Unfortunately, so does the lily of the valley. The strongest note coming off of my skin is an apple blossom. Don't get me wrong, it's lovely, and I'll probably keep and wear this imp a lot in the spring/summer. I was just really hoping for a lily of the valley scent that would actually show up on my skin. This doesn't do that.

[Aleah]

I just wanted to say that I'm not good at identifying individual notes in a fragrance. But whatever I am smelling, I absolutely love it. To me this is a beautiful, ultra feminine fragrance, and it has become one of my favorites from BPAL.. I'm definitely getting a bottle of this with my next order.

[Ella LaRose]

liquid girl soap, at least I can smell the water part! lol! my nose needs a class on sniffing!!

[Incendiare]

This definitely reminds me of a handsoap I used to have a long time ago. Like a gently sweet floral soap. I can smell the lily of the valley and apple blossom but don't get any fig or hibiscus. The sandalwood is far into the background but barely noticeable. It doesn't seem to morph on my skin at all. Lilium makes a pleasantly fresh blend that can be worn during the summer.

[Gateau]

In the imp -- blossoms blossoms blossoms and something nose-tinglingly green.

 

Wet -- fresh green apple, sweet blossoms, something green.

 

Dry -- I get a prominent burst of green apple, which stays green and tangy, plus sweet floral. It smells like an orchard in spring There is something green and wet about it, but sunny and bright, as if after a rain. I'm not geting anything woody, which is odd as I tend to amp woods. If anything it's shampooy in a nice way.

 

Verdict: nice and fresh, not a morpher. Probably not a bottle, but i'll enjoy the imp.

[angelamaria]

In imp: sweet, tangy floral with vague apples in the background. Light.

 

Wet on skin: soapy? Something completely different from the imp comes up--almost dusty, but still crisply fruity along with the florals--a very little bit of lily, but probably more hibiscus now. I don't get sandalwood yet, or much of the other notes. It smells like a light pink color--pleasing, elegant, and gentle.

 

Dry: huh, definitely a morpher for me. It's now an almost fizzy floral--not just crisp but almost fizzy bright apple. The florals are going soapy, and the apple is holding it all up from going completely soapy--this apple note is pretty.

 

Verdict: I did use to have this on my bottle list, but after death matching and a bit of agony, I decided to forego this. I liked this for the lily and apple notes, but I have others, and this has gone quite soapy on me.

[Maleficium]

Very floral. Apples, blossoms, and honey swirl together in a lovely scent. It's very fruity and light and pretty, but it isn't for me. I like my scents dark and foreboding!

[becca_s]

In the imp it smells very floral and sweet - perhaps from the Apple Blossom.

 

When I first put it on the Sandalwood comes out and something quite sharp, the sweetness from the imp seems to have disappeared, I can understand how people could find it soapy. After a few mintues this dries down into something really pretty. A soft floral, that has a hint of something sweet, with the depth of the Sandalwood moving to the background, the green fig adds something extra. It's hard to describe but it ends up being soft, clean and floral ... nice for a hot summer day

 

I find this quite faint, so I need to use quite a bit to get a good throw. Other people have commented on how nice this smells. I just wish that it lasted for longer.

 

Out of the all the imps I got in my last order I have been wearing this one the most and since it is nearly running out I think that I may order a bottle.

[lohengrin]

In the imp: Standard BPAL sweet/light floral.

 

On skin, wet: Same as in the imp.

 

On skin, dry: And the soap rears its head. Freakin' lily.

 

After an hour: Soapity soap.

[Kayah]

Ah white sandalwood you did it again!

 

The sandalwood in here compliments the florals and turns into the most lovely, powdery floral SOAP. I do not enjoy my perfume to smell like soap, much. I enjoy soap to smell like soap and if I want to smell like soap I will go and wash myself in said soap.

 

I wish I smelled the gentle sweetness others get.. the apple blossoms or the fig... I don't even get the lily of the valley from this.. If I hadn't looked at the notes, I could've sworn it smells like rose-scented soap.

 

SIGH.

[hexnut]

This was my first "blind test"; that is, done without knowing the components or even the name of the scent. When I unpacked my first order of imps I was able to segregate the two (Two! Yay Lab!) freebies without seeing their full titles. I'm inordinately proud of myself for pulling this off.

 

 

LILIUM INTER SPINAS

 

 

In Vitro The first sniff was spicy and perfumey. The second sniff was floral.

 

Wet Less spice, more perfume. The floral part became stronger and I instantly thought, "white floral". Smelling this inspired an image of waxy white flowers, akin to jasmine or gardenia although it didn't smell exactly like either.

 

Drying As it dried the dominant note shifted between spicy and an unidentified but distinct floral. I got the feeling it was a single flower. Plumeria? Jasmine? Two and a half hours along the scent was faint but persistent. I couldn't decide whether it was floral with spice added or an inherently spicy flower. At the eight hour mark it was officially gone, but as I'd applied very little of the oil that's not surprising.

 

Finally I read the imp label and looked up the scent description. Hhmm, Lily of the Valley? I want to jump to conclusions and say that was my white flower, but it could have been the Hibiscus syriacus, which I never heard of, or the apple blossom. The "spice" was surely the white sandalwood, but fig is described elsewhere as "earthy" so that probably contributed. However it came together, I liked it a lot. The word I keep seeing in the reviews is "pretty", and this is indeed pretty without being insipid. What a pleasant surprise from the Lab - I wouldn't have picked this out on my own, but I'm very happy to have this imp.

 

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