Lysander

[annanwater]

Lilac musk, tonka, wood violet, and urbane lime rind, with a Venus-kissed tangle of myrtle, blackberry leaf, and benzoin.

Got this as a frimp, just tried it today...

Went on smelling like antifreeze (or strong, acidic maple syrup, which is the same general scent). On drydown, smells like maple syrup and spearmint. Very odd, not entirely unpleasant, but not something I really want to smell like. Not sure exactly what my body chemistry is having issues with on this one...oh well.

Edit: I tried again today, my body chemistry must have been off. Still slightly maple syrupy, but less antifreeze maple syrup, more floral maple syrup. Will try again in a week or so, and see how it does then. Edited October 27, 2009 by Shollin

[mhickle]

I got ahold of this as a gift for a friend who is playing Lysander to my Hermia in a production that opens this week. But of course I had to try it on myself, too!

 

At first, I really like it. It's sweetly floral on me - smells quite different than it does on him (it smells really great on him). But within about 10 minutes, something had me sniffling and sneezing, and I had to go wash it off!

[rayvn1]

Ha! Another Hermia player here who wanted to try the scent of Hermia's SO Oddly creamy scent. Sweet, with a hint of light floral underneath. Both of those features might be coming from the lilac, I think. Musky, but as it dries it's going from masculine to a more unisex scent. Holy crap, I'm a sucker for musk, tonka, violet and benzoin, so odds were this was going to work. I'm relieved it didn't go the way of that heartbreaker Famine <cry> Keeper! (especially mixed with the Tombstone scent coming off my other arm - ye gods these two smell good together! )

[Suu4LC]

This is an odd blend...like a slightly sour herbal musk with a touch of smoky florals...hard to describe as I sniff it from the imp.

 

Ok, I get a different feel on my skin...much more lilac-y...lilac musk and soft woods, almost none of the sourness or herbal-ness I got before. Quite lovely! A very unisex kind of scent. I get just the teeensiest hint of the lime rind and something resinous to add complexity to the blend. This is a neat mixture of earthy, floral and musky. There's also a creaminess this gets as it dries down...mmm, this blend is really starting to grow on me!

 

Hrmph, this blend faded SUPER fast on me-now it is nothing more than a touch of woody lilac powder. ]: This was pretty while wet, but I'm not sure I would buy it. That said, if a bottle fell into my lap, I do think I would wear it...or force it onto my boyfriend...[:<

Edited August 11, 2009 by Suu4LC

[Argentwolf]

I smell violet, and possibly benzoin and tonka. It actually kind of reminds me of a sweet herbal liqueur...kinda like Galliano, for some really weird reason. It's a pretty durable scent, lasting all day long.

[CelestialNM]

My first thought when this was wet was "berry." It was just tart and very, very sweet. I was rather surprised. As it dried it grew deeper-- greener, if you would. I could smell a hint of lime and more of the musk. It seemed to get more "masculine" as it dried down. At first it reminded me of Yerevan but when dry is rather unique. I was pleasantly surprised by this. I don't think I like it enough to get a bottle, but I'll definitely wear it from time to time. This would definitely be scrumptious on a guy. I would give it a 3.5/5.

[ChaosKitty]

I received an imp of this in a swap today, and already know I need a bottle. Wet, it smelled primarily of tonka and something sort of like maple syrup, the same maple syrup scent I love in Al-Azif, with a bit of floral underneath. It still lingers when it's dry and blends with the scent of sweet florals and woods. I adore this!

 

[loubric]

Imagine having a picnic in the middle of a forest on a gorgeous sunny day.

You're surrounded by blackberry plants and eating warm pancakes drizzled with maple syrup.

 

Yip, thats what this smells like on me pretty and very yummy.

[tajana]

In the Imp: The tonka/benzoin leap out at me, as well as a bit blackberry. I had no idea what notes were in here before I tested it, and I was surprised something so foody had a male name!

 

Wet: Woah, it's nutty. I guessed there was hazelnut in here, it smells like roasted nuts! But I guess that's just the benzoin and tonka conspiring to create a smoked, vanillic tone. After that initial blast dies down, berries, a hint of citrus, and some lilac cologne peeks out. Nary a trace of myrtle to be found, thank goodness, but there's a hint of foliage at the edges here. I'm really dissecting this scent for all its worth, but truth be told if I just stop sniffing and wondering, it smells like some kind of weird cookie. It's complex (huff, huff, sniff!) but for all that complexity, the end result isn't exactly sophisticated!

 

Dry: Lilac cologne and lime are what dominates the throw for a little while, but it smells like nutty caramel is swirled in there, and a smear of blackberry jam over some dark green leaves and a hint of wood. It smells like an friendly, young, but decidedly old fashioned gentleman having a breakfast picnic. I imagine he's wearing a ruffly white shirt and there's a spring breeze. Ahahahaha. This fades down to a sweet, agreeable perfumey scent after some time... the lilac musk is super dreamy. It's curiously androgynous, but rendered a bit girlier by my skin's tendency to turn up the dial on the creamy sweetness.

 

Overall: This was a LOT of fun to test, thank GOODNESS someone took it upon themselves to frimp me with this. Lysander exemplifies what I love about a new package of BPAL: surprises, and involved, fun olfactory adventures. It's not necessarily a perfume I want to wear around because the opening stages are so weird... but I don't want to let go of this imp... it's so FUN, damnit! I will probably be wearing quite a bit of this at home, and maybe I'll work up the courage to wear this any old where. I reaaally want to try this on my boyfriend now... a scent like this will either be a trainwreck or pure magic on him!

[skylarkza]

In the imp: Musky lavender.

 

Wet: Musk and berries and leaves and flowers... hmmm...

 

Dry: The musk has transformed into this wonderful creamy scent. This provides the amazing backdrop to what lying (and snuggling) in a meadow filled with wildflowers and blackberry bushes would smell like.

 

A while later: Gently sweet and creamy floral - with a hint of berries. I had a really stressful day today and this was such a nice and calming scent that it kept me smiling.

[fiddledragon]

In bottle: fruity, cologne-y. Lots of musk.

 

On me: I'd swear there was *vetiver* in this! Is that the blackberry leaf, maybe? It's rather woody and smoky. Plenty of musk, a bit of myrtle, no lime, no lilac at all. In the drydown it sticks with that harsh green/woody note and the musk dries down a bit. There's something almost camphorous as well. It smells like really serious herb tea.

 

Verdict: This one is interesting. Not what I'd expected...it might be nice layered over something sweeter. It has an appealing centered feel to it, though it isn't something I'd wear often. It actually reminds me of the medicinal quality of some of the TALs.

[ami226]

On my skin: Huh, I don't think this one smells so good on me. I would love to attack my SO with it though. At first it was kinda spicy, but on me all I can smell after a bit is a green, lime floral. Quite a change! I wonder which of the notes was making it smell so nice and spicy at the beginning...

[raisin]

I got this one as a freebie with my first order, and it was the first I whipped out to try. My first impression of it was relatively favorable, but it seemed to get more sweet and cloying on me toward the end of the day and I put it aside for a little bit.

 

I whipped it out again today, and have been enjoying it. I don't think I'll ever find a true lilac that I can wear (I do not seem to agree so well with florals) but this lilac musk is very nice. It's purple (which I love) and vaguely floral, but I get enough musk and spice this time. I don't get anything foody (if the blackberry were popping out to me, I'd be getting rid of this one immediately) but I do get a nice hint of something green in the background (not familiar enough with the other notes to pick something out).

It went on very musky and pleasantly strong, which I sort of enjoyed, and while it's faded relatively quickly (it's been less than four hours) I highly enjoy what it's faded into, even if I have to sniff my wrists to get it.

I'm not sure I'd get a bottle of this one, since I prefer my scents slightly more consistent and predictable, but this was nice to try. I'll probably use this one as reference for some similar notes.

[FathomBelow]

On me this is caramel and burnt sugar - thankfully no burning car tires, though! It smells very foody and also a bit like the smell of a Yankee Candle Co. store that wafts over you as you pass it in the mall. There is absolutely no evidence of lilac musk, wood violet, lime rind, myrtle, or blackberry leaf - the scent I'm getting is either from the benzoin, the tonka, or both.

 

I like this quite a lot and I'll keep the imp.

[moon_lemming]

Musssssk. Lysander just smells like generic cologne in the imp to me, thanks to the "musk," I bet. There is something in this blend that I hate on my skin. I think it's a combination of the floral musk plus the myrtle, which I've read is "slightly camphoraceous," which matches what I'm smelling, yes. This blend, combined with my floral-and-musk-hating chemistry, smells like a purple-white floral cough drop. Once it's been dry for a while I can sort of smell the tonka, but it's not enough to save it from the swap pile by any means.

[Venneh]

I'm getting woods and musk and faint florals, not anything too specific in the imp. On my skin, it's pretty floral and musky and just a hint of woods. Hrm. Let's see. Fades quickly, not for me.

Edited May 18, 2010 by Venneh

[ModderRhu]

Lysander

Lysander has a pseudo-mentholated quality that won't clear your sinuses, but smells very volatile. Like a vapor. At the same time, it has a rich, grounding, fleshy vanilla smell. I can see how people smell foodiness in this. I'm guessing that's the musk, tonka, and benzoin. I get a teensy weensy bit of lime zest, too. I haven't the slightest clue what myrtle smells like. There is a pleasant herbalness running through, so maybe that's it?

A thought-provoking scent. Fans of Schrödinger's Cat (like me!) should give this a try. Stays very close to the skin but is long-lasting.

***OK...I don't like this scent as much as I thought I did. It gets really suffocatingly sweet on me after a while. Almost like the smell of laughing gas. Uggghh...
Maybe it will be better in small doses. I will try it again and not slather so much next time!

ETA formatting Edited June 23, 2010 by ModderRhu

[angelicruin]

This is a woodsy violet musk on my skin. Not really for me.

[SophieCedar]

Wow... the unexpected hit of the pack. This is very mellow and smooth. Understated to say the least. The smell creeps out and oozes calm. The lilac musk isn't sharp, but notable. Lime second, crushed and muddled. Tonka 3rd, lifting the blend and rounding it out. Wood Violet 4th..but this is just musky and underlying. This fades fast but nice while around!

[CitizenBree]

Floral. Mostly one-note lilac. very light and feminine. almost baby like. Would be nice for a young girl. A delicate child-like scent.

[dicyfer]

This is definitely one of my favorite scents that I've tried from BPAL. In the bottle it is incredibly complex. Maybe my nose is just weird, but I don't detect any of the sweetness others have mentioned, which is good because I hate sweet scents.

 

When I put it on, it blends and morphs to something approaching mineral oil, but still with deep, dry woody tones. This is personally a really great scent, it matches me very well.

[grrrlennyl]

Lysander

 

On: Lots and lots of benzoin, sticky-sweet, with a bit of lime rind.

1 hour in: A soapy floral with a hint of sweetness.

8.5 hours in: A sweet, slightly woody floral. Pretty.

Overall: This one definitely has staying power, but the drydown isn't spectacular on me.

[Vega]

Sniffed: A lush, green herbal, with hints of berry. Slightly bitter.

 

On skin: Hmm, initial skin impression isn't so good. Lysander starts off quite green and bitter, no sweetness at all, unlike anything else I've smelled. I'm guessing it's the myrtle. But after drydown, the bitterness recedes and some sweetness (probably from the musk and blackberry leaf) emerges. Now it's much better, but I can't tell which notes are contributing. Overall, Lysander is a masculine green-herbal blend; it puts me in mind of green leafy vines, or a grassy clearing in a lush, verdant, green forest. Colour impression is shimmering hunter green.

 

Verdict: Even though Lysander ends up quite pleasant, I really don't like my initial impressions and won't wear it much.

[mari4212]

In the imp: Woody, with benzoin and tonka blending to give it a bit of a sweet vanillaish edge.

 

On wet: I'm really getting a sweet woods and benzoin scent here.

 

Initial drydown: something sweeter and lighter is popping up now, something that lends an almost candied sweetness to the woods and the benzoin.

 

Final drydown: It's official, lilac musk is Sir-Not-Appearing in this perfume. What I get instead is a light but caramelly sweetness over some background woods, like a lighter Agrat-Bat-Mahlat. Not one I'll pull out often, but nice to have around.

[Diva Urd]

In the imp: A bit of floral on top of... vegemite? OH NO. I just tested "Eros" yesterday, which smelled just about like that on me as this smells in the imp... *is scared*

 

On: YIKES. This scent is not good, but familiar. I just read a little in the reviews, and someone mentioned antifreeze. In one of my old cars, antifreeze somehow got evaporated through the ventilation system at one point. It smells EXACTLY like that. As it dries down, the edge starts to wear off, and from a foot away, it smells... not terrible. A bit floral, and a bit like an odd mixture of brown sugar and vetiver. The beginning still made me a bit queasy...

 

Later: The weird brown-sugar-and-vetiver mixture with a little floral. Rather blech on me. Swap.