Imperious Tiger-Lily

[hkhm]

`O Tiger-lily,' said Alice, addressing herself to one that was waving gracefully about in the wind, `I wish you could talk!'

`We can talk,' said the Tiger-lily: `when there's anybody worth talking to."

Alice was so astonished that she could not speak for a minute: it quite seemed to take her breath away. At length, as the Tiger-lily only went on waving about, she spoke again, in a timid voice -- almost in a whisper. `And can all the flowers talk?'

`As well as you can,' said the Tiger-lily. `And a great deal louder.'

Tiger-lily, ginger root, neroli, purple fruits, and frankincense.

imp: this smells like spicy fruit. plus neroli. very pungent.

wet: the lily appears once wet and it is strong. the neroli give it a sharp bite. not getting any fruit anymore.

dry: luckily, the lily fades (i'm not too crazy about lily) and the ginger and neroli become very spicy-sharp. there is a dusty sort of feel in the background that i suspect is the frankincense. alas, no fruits at all on my skin.

[Eutectic]

In the imp--The lily isn't very noticable at first sniff. There is a bite of the other notes holding it back

 

Wet LILY!!!! Smack down lily but a warm rich lily with something hiding out under.

 

Dry--The lily starts to fade and a bit of the usual soapiness of lily starts up but the blend is saved by the neroli coming to play. Lily and I tend not to get along very well and the initial application of this oil is a bit off-putting but it quickly becomes a subtle lily with the neroli and frankincense rounding it out. I get a subtle fruit note but not too heavy, just enough to give a sweetness to the overall scent.

[CynicalPink]

I'm a big fan of the original Tiger Lily. Let's see how this version stacks up

 

Imp: Sharp Lily

 

Wet: Wow. That's pretty nice. Lily's definitely the star, but the fruits complement it really well and the ginger's not taking over. I'm still scared that neroli is going to scrap the whole thing...

 

Drydown: I can't pick out any individual notes, but it's pretty nice in general. Non-soapy lily, and no neroli-o-doom.

 

Overall: It's pleasant enough, but I can't see wearing it on any kind of regular basis. I supposed I'll just have to make do with my bottle of the old version

 

 

[angelicruin]

Inside the imp, it's lilies and ginger root.

 

Wet on the skin, just lilies right after application. Less than a minute later, here comes the frankincense.

 

I'm not really getting any fruit with this blend. Just incense and lily.

 

After dry, I can smell ginger root, lily, and frankincense.

 

Ok, but a little too heavily floral for my tastes.

[Bluestocking]

In the imp: The orangey bite of neroli, blended well with the lilies. It reads as an orange fragrance to me (more the color than the fruit). I do get a tingle of ginger, and just the slightest hint of plum underneath it all. No frankincense yet, but it's early. It's a slightly spicy floral, not overly sweet or heady.

On, wet: Lily! This is not unlike the original Tiger Lily on me, so far--very sweet and warm and true-to-life. But there's a definite plum component that's really warming up, adding some duskiness to this. There's still a touch of zingy ginger, but I think the neroli has blended so well into the lilies that it's difficult to pick it out. Very pretty and elegant. The frankincense is very, very subtle, just adding some warmth and sweetness.

On, dry: Wow, this is really gorgeous, and much more complex than Tiger Lily. I do still get lilies, but they're perfectly balanced with fresh, soft orange from the neroli, juicy purple plum and spicy, warm depth from the frankincense. It's very soft and well-blended, so that no one element dominates; they just all enhance each other and become something more than the sum of their parts. It's ladylike, but with some spirit and spice.

Later: Frankincense and lots of plum, with a soft, wispy overlay of lily.

Overall: I hoped that I might like this one, but this just shot up to the top of my favorite lily scents. If you like Tiger Lily, I think the chances are good that you'll like this, because the golden, sweet lily note is similar, but this is just so much more. More complex, more depth, better wear-length. It's masterfully blended, so that each of the notes speaks distinctly on its own, but yet they work together to make something multilayered and sophisticated. The combination of lily-plum-frankincense is particularly wonderful, because the plum and frankincense add some weight and darkness that keeps this from ever getting too sweet or simple, and the lily and frankincense are enough to keep the plum in check. It's stately, but not stuffy or matronly, and the ginger and neroli add a nice, fresh zing that keeps this feeling appropriately tiger-ish.

 

If this is indicative of the quality of the new MTP scents, then my wallet is in trouble.

 

 

[greenranger]

A spicy and elegant scent...but, not for me I think.

 

The scent changes quite a bit on me over time, but, it's hard to pick out individual notes for a very long time.

 

The scent dries down, eventually, to mostly just frankincense and ginger with a bit of the flowers.

 

Although it has things in it that I thought I might love, this one just isn't me. I don't know how it could possibly be, but, I like Snooty Rose better. The world must be ending soon.

[splendidissima]

This is lovely, perhaps my favorite of the new Mad Tea Party scents (though the boyfriend calls it "too perfume-y").

 

In the imp: purple fruits, most notably plum, I think, and spices, with a touch of florals.

Wet: the florals come out a bit more and mingle really well with the fruit, creating a nicely balanced fruity-floral. Reminds me of Witch Queen or Morgause, actually, with a little less incense and more spicy bite. And this makes me happy, because I like both.

Dry: the lily continues to get stronger, more in the foreground, but it plays nicely with the plum and isn't overpowering. The spices give it a constant complex warmth. This has great throw--the boyfriend noticed it when he walked into the room--and lasts for quite a while on my skin.

 

Verdict: I'd contemplate a bottle of this, though maybe not immediately--I already have Witch Queen, but could use a less expensive version for daily wear.

Edited August 4, 2009 by splendidissima

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

impsniff: not sure what i'm smelling, but my brain says Calgon

skinsniff: still not sure what i'm smelling, but i don't like it at all. like gardenia (yuck) and unpleasant bitter fruit pulp... and the fakey "ginger" scent that was everywhere in the 90's.

 

i didn't much like the original Tiger Lily, either, so don't let my review turn you off of this scent if you loved the original.

 

[Iceblink]

Oh, lily. Maybe someday you won't completely turn to expensive soap on me! Until then...

[TPOD]

sigh. I adored the 'other' Tiger Lily, so I'm sorry but this review is largely a comparison to the other one. I know they're supposed to stand alone and one is not the substitute for the other, but I just can't separate them in my mind.

 

So, plain ol' Tiger Lily was saturated, indolent, thick, warm, peachy honeyed lilies with a lot of throw while Imperious Tiger Lily is cooler, fruitier more delicate and whimsical. Less throw. It just strikes me as a more candied, more youthful treatment of lily. Not really more imperious.

 

So, even if the concept goes a bit awry on my skin, I like them both. I wish Tiger Lily was still around, but this is a very nice lily scent.

[Asafoetida]

Received as a frimp, and I'm glad as I never would have gotten it for myself.

 

In the imp, I smell the ginger and tiger-lily - it comes off very nicely as lily with a bite.

 

On, wet, it's the same as in the imp, but as it dries down the fruits come out more, and the lily takes on a hint of a soapy note (though not bad enough to make me change my mind about liking it). The ginger and neroli sneak around, disappearing and then popping back up when I think they're all gone. This is a very interesting 'girly but sassy' scent, and I predict that I will get some good use out of it.

[veronicafranco]

yum. what this smells very much like to me is Sheol (similar with the lily and frankincense), only unlike that scent, this has no bitter phase while it's drying down on me. (i also get no ginger.) it's bright and rich and sweet. i didn't get to smell the old Tiger Lily, but i'm a fan of this one for sure.

[Little Bird]

I don't remember much about the original Tiger Lily, just that it smelled like honeyed lilies to me and was rather pretty. Imperious Tiger Lily is heavier, sharper, and cheaper smelling on me. In the imp, it smells like a really heavy floral perfume and a hint of sharp spiciness.

 

On my skin, this is sharp sharp sharp and perfumey. It's like a sharp classical perfume that smells aggressive and poisonous. It makes me think of a bad 80s perfume and a woman with her hair teased a mile high, shoulder pads, and way too much hairspray. The scent reminds me more of iris than lily, with its chemical-y sharpness. Nothing about it smells like real flowers to me.

 

After a while, this kinda reminds me of Goneril, if Goneril had sharp white florals added to it...

 

I don't think that this is something I'll ever want to wear. Perfumey, sharp, fake/cheap smelling chemical-floral... my least favorite type of scent.

Edited July 13, 2011 by Little Bird

[zankoku_zen]

This one is got one HUGE throw of lilies. The ginger adds a bit of sharpness and prevents the lilies from being too sweet or cloying.

 

But yes, one swab and I have a huge huge cloud of lilies on my arm.

[isisonearth]

Imp: Sweet spicy orangy scent with pollen heavy lily.

 

Wet: Amazingly very much the same as in the imp. A bit less fruity but still the lily laden with musky pollen.

 

Dry: Finally a talking flower that agrees with me. The dry down is honey sweet lilies and spicy pollen. It is striking but close to the skin. Plus over all it just has a feeling of a rich orange color. Perfection!

[crebbsgirl]

This is pretty much a dusky lily scent on me. It's warm, but a dark gold kind of vibe. The fruits add a touch of sweetness, and I seem to be getting a little bit of powder from the ginger root. It's a little earthy/dusty. The frankincense seems to be behaving here (normally I turn it to playdoh). It's nice, but a little unremarkable on me.

[Venneh]

In the imp, I get all of the notes, and it's very sharp. On my skin, it's looking like the lily and neroli first and foremost, with the rest lurking underneath. And then the ginger comes out, and hoo-ee, that's strong. Ends up fading back to lily and neroli, not that good. Swaps/sales.

Edited December 27, 2009 by Venneh

[impolight]

 

IN THE IMP: This was so much mellower than anticipated from what the name implied.

This is a nice lily... A lily that one might present for teacher as a gift.

 

ON EPIDERMIS: Mad, Mad Mad AMPLIFICATION!

This goes from being a lovely, if proper, flower to a back-breaking boquet.

This is an entire afternoon's worth of lazy, golden sunshine.

A teensy, tiny amount makes for a MIGHTY-BIG impression.

[surf-tormented]

In the bottle: coy lily

 

On the skin: an intense burst of lily for the first hour, then it grows into a very complex blend, with the notes of ginger, frankincense and neroli adding their own charm to the perfume

 

Verdict: thought the initial slathering of this perfume is very strong, it is worth it to wait for the dry down, about an hour, for the other notes to come to the surface, no fruit notes appear on my skin, and my only complaint is that there is an almost sooty cigarette smoke smell on my skin after it is done, that is hard to place, but with the amazing throw and long life, this smoke is hardly a hassle, just more usual than anything else

 

Other than the weird cigarette smell at the end, I would buy a bottle of this once my imp is gone. I have been looking for a lily scent that isn't a single note and the spicy/resin notes of this blend make it charming and even a mood enhancer for me. Highly recommended, though if you like the old Tiger Lily, you may want to get an imp of this first, because the two aren't even remotely alike and I enjoy this one a lot better than the old one.

Edited January 18, 2010 by Madame Nyx

[voorishsign]

What a lovely floral! A frimp from the lab. Very strong lily, but tempered by ginger and frankincense. Not necessarily my thing but perfect for anyone who loves lilies.

[mmcfa2]

Inside the imp, it's lilies and ginger root.

 

Wet on the skin, just lilies right after application. Less than a minute later, here comes the frankincense.

 

I'm not really getting any fruit with this blend. Just incense and lily.

 

After dry, I can smell ginger root, lily, and frankincense.

 

Ok, but a little too heavily floral for my tastes.

 

The old one was perfect and I'm sad it is gone. sigh

[loubric]

At first ...Spicy Lillies .... like they decided to be a little naughty

The spiciness fades and it become Lily body powder.

 

Very light, soft and pretty.

[FathomBelow]

Definitely not my favorite scent of all time, but that's expected as I don't particularly like the smell of lilies.

 

This is very perfume-y and very powdery. I'm sad to say my nose can't distinguish any of the listed components (ginger, neroli, purple fruits, frankincense) except lily.

 

If you're looking for an elegant, expensive, designer perfume-like scent this might be for you. It's sophisticated, urbane, and beautiful (in an Ice Queen kind of way) but definitely not approachable. It strikes me as a good work scent, especially for someone in a managerial position. Unfortunately, it's definitely not for me.

[Caerphilly]

In the imp: Oh oh....soap. Floral soap and honey suntan lotion...um...

 

Wet: Ok, better. Has the warm honey scent of the original Tiger Lily. Still soapy, but it's fading. I was worried that this would have THAT lily.

 

Dry: Not soapy, but still suntan lotion. It's strange. It does dry down to a slightly similar to the original Tiger Lily. At least reminiscent of the original.

 

Overall: One of my favorite scents is the original Tiger Lily, that's why I tried this one, kind of hopping they would be similar. Alas, they are not. But, I think that the honey note is similar enough that I will wear the imp.

[Monster]

In the vial: Herbal plum

 

Wet: BIG sunny (almost soapy) lily with a sharp herbal background and a squish of plum.

 

Dry: This dries very soapy smelling on my skin...granted, a very NICE soap. It's expensive smelling perfumed soap, not the cheap stuff at the supermarket. "Soapy" doesn't sound appealing but I keep finding myself going back to my hand and enjoying a sniff. Hmmm...the frankincense is also coming out a bit more. When I inhale deeply this almost reminds me of Lilith Victoria.

 

Verdict: I'm undecided. It was too strong and sharp at first and even thought it has soapy qualities this might be something I like. I think I need to wear it for a full day.