Sybaris

[septima_pica]

The pinnacle of wealth, luxury, self-indulgent pleasure, voluptuousness and sensuality. Bright violet with sweet clove, Mediterranean incense notes and tonka bean.

Alright, that's it, I officially LOVE tonka. In fact, that's definitely (now I know!) the note I love so much in Dee. And with clove, it's super awesome...but the violet, not so much. It's meek and old-ladyish and just doesn't do the scent justice. The incense, though, tips the balance in favour of this one.

The scent is heady, sweet without being foody, and just a touch spicy. I'm going to try and find something with which to layer it to muffle the violets a bit.

Edit: Nope, this is not working. The violets are just too much. Bah. Also the cloves vanish after a half-hour or so -- off to swaps, hopefully in exchange for other tonka blends. Edited May 11, 2006 by septima_pica

[kourika]

Sybaris is one of those scents that is just sweet enough to smell feminine on me without screaming "I will rot your teeth out!". It feels sophisticated and deeply purple, and the hint of spice balances the sweetness perfectly.

 

I really didn't smell any violets in this, which is a pity because I love violet scent.

 

Overall, I suspect I shall have to get a large bottle of this.

[opaleyes]

Violet violet violet. This smells exactly the same on me as it does in the vial, which is quite rare. I want to like this one, especially since my boyfriend does, but I'm just not sure about it. I'm reminded strongly of Children's Grape Chewable Tylenol, which I had to take all of the time as a kid. The mental association is so strong that I just can't get around it.

 

This one may be off to the swap pile. I'm trying it out again today, as I want to give it a second chance, but I just don't know...

[angharad]

Hmm, now that I'm rereading the notes in this, I'm wondering how Sybaris wound up on my wishlist...but I'm glad it did! I really can't pick out any individual note. It's vaguely floral but with some foody-sweetness that I guess is the clove. A few hours after application, it's softened and turned a bit more floral, but it's still so pretty because something else has come out to keep it dry and sweet (the Mediterranean incense?). I really like Sybaris and am very glad I got this imp. Still debating on whether to order a bottle of it, though.

[The_Merf]

In the imp: This smells much softer than I'd imagined it would (given the tonka and the clove, but it smells very pretty. I guess I really do like violets.

 

Wet: When it comes on, it is "violets" all the way, with a bit of clove spice in the background.

 

Drydown and wear: This is absolutely gorgeous! While I wish it was stronger and longer-lasting, it is so soft without being really powdery (violets don't go powdery on me like carnations and roses often do). I never smell the tonka specifically, but I know it is in the background providing support and dignity to this scent. I know I'll be getting more of this in the future.

[nerdcraft]

in the vial:

Oh, interesting. A complex and beautiful scent, but I can't put my finger on any notes. There's a sweetness there, as well as a lovely floral that reminds me of a fancy soap. This is a weird thought, but I keep thinking that it smells like a very, very nice hotel. Perhaps in Europe somewhere. Not that I have ever stayed in a very, very nice hotel, or even been to Europe, but if I had, I imagine it would smell like this.

 

wet:

Wow, I like this one. It's a warm, clean, slightly-spicy floral. I'm still not able to identify any specific notes, but the best I can do to describe it is to say that it smells like a beautiful, perfectly decorated, perfectly clean room.

 

dry:

This is so, so lovely. It fades a bit into a light floral incense that is actually just as pleasant because it reminds me of my favorite vintage store in my hometown that burns incense all day.

 

season: winter.

office-friendly? Yes indeed.

 

overall:

Good lord, I love this. Such a beautiful blend of violets and spices, to create a rich, complex scent that makes me feel very sophisticated but also pretty and clean. It wasn't on my wishlist, and I'd probably not have sought it out, but I'm so glad it was included in my order. It's funny that I kept feeling "fancy hotel" with this one before I read the description, since it embodies "wealth and luxury". That really makes me admire the skill and creativity put into these oils. Lovely!

[lookingglass]

Upon application the violet is both freshly green and sweet...very true violet. Drying out it becomes increasingly creamy and spicy, but not too, as Morocco is creamy and spicy. It is reminicent of dragon's blood in it's sweetness and depth, slightly fruity. DH says it smells like "nice candies and sex". Violets and tonka...a magical combination. It fits in nicely to my collection of resins and musks, as it is not too floral, but undeniably violet. A pleasent, powdery skin scent.

Edited August 29, 2008 by lookingglass

[Spastik_Kitty]

In the bottle: Very foody with a splash of violet.

 

First on: Wet, earthy, spicy. I smell incense and sweet spices, with something faintly woody and green (which I'd say is the violet in conjunction with everything else).

 

After a bit: Incense and cloves.

 

After a bit more: The violet is now coming through as violet, surrounded by heady patchouli incense and drizzled in sticky cloves.

 

 

I was very worried about this initially, because anything with cloves/cinnamon/nutmeg/all spice reminds me of Sugar Cookie (which I love, I just can't bring myself to wear it anymore, negative memory association), but this changes a bit.. still not 100% sure if I'll keep it though.

[karengypsy]

In the vial: Soft clove, violets, tonka.

 

On me: This blend smells amazing on me! The clove comes out first, mixes with the violets and is warmed by the tonka. This reminds me of sweet, clovey, vanilla-y, tea. I adore this!

 

Verdict: I need a 5ml. No, 10ml. I love this!

 

Rating: 5/5

[midnight_aeval]

I'm unsure about this one.. Not that I'm torn between if I like it or not, but why is it so different from the description??

 

In the vial it's violet. Strong, bright violet. When I applied it on my skin it turns into a soapy scent, like the fancy ones in some bed & breakfast. What? I know... I don't know what happened, but that's what I smell. It was sweet in the vial, but this soapy scent on me. *sigh*

[rosetta]

This kind of grew on me; at first I didn't like it that much, it seemed a bit too spicy for my liking, even in the vial, but on me, after a while, it just develops into a warm, nice scent, spicy but not too much. I didn't really get much violet in it, like many others, for me this is mainly spice... But I must say this is one of the first spicy bpal scents I've tried, so maybe that's why it seemed a bit overpowering to me at first.

[Neely]

In the bottle: slightly aquatic. I almost smelled nothing in the bottle, so light is this scent.

 

Wet: salty, watery, creamy. I don't read the notes before the review, so I am dying of curiosity about what is in this one. Especially since on my skin, this is almost so faint as to be not there. I really have to put my nose right to my wrist to smell it.

 

Dry down: creamy and aquatic vanilla. still soft, and close to the skin.

 

30 minutes: I thought that this would just disappear, but it doesn't. Instead this gets stronger, and surprisingly so. Vanilla amps up with just a hint of spice. It is still a "skin" scent in that it won't make people stop and ask you what you are wearing. But I don't have to put my nose right on my wrist to smell it anymore.

 

Conclusion: This is lovely but I don't think this will be a big bottle purchase. I like it, but don't love it. Too faint for me, I like my perfumes to have a little more ummph.

 

Rating 1-5, on my skin this is a 3.5.

[Caltha]

Sybaris

Definitely violets, but I'd say candied violets rather than fresh flowers. It's a rather cool scent, a cool, sweet fruity/floral with a hint of bitterness. When drying on skin it gets a more woody and skinlike quality and a hint of soap, but in my hair it stays like sweet violets. I prefer the skin-version.

[edenssixthday]

Sybaris is a deep and dark scent. The violet is present, but faint, as it’s completely encased by tons of spices and tonka, which makes it smell sweet (along with the clove) and herbal. At times, the spices jump out and are sharp and biting, but then they recede to swirl around the violet making it deep and dark and pretty. This blend has an immense level of throw and the tiniest drop seems to do the job. It has moderate lasting power – the blend lasts only about 90 minutes on me, although I can still detect the clove for another 30-45 minutes after that.

[juniperus]

Bottle: tonka and clove, mainly, and most of that is the tonka.

Wet: same, no hint of spice or floral yet.

Dry: some spice along with the clove, heavy tonka, still. no violet, sadly enough. not unpleasant, just no violet.

Later: all tonka, at this point. Not as bad an amping as vanilla, but not dissimilar either. crikies.

 

ADDED Feb. 16:

 

Bottle: spicy violets, really pretty

Wet: the same..the violet is delicate, lovely.

Dry: slightly sweet, but not as sweet as another violet I recall trying that was exactly violet candy, no this is all grown up..even the tonka is playing nice.

Later: oooh, getting sweeter. I might have to try this again - I'm uncertain, now. Darn it all. I can't do sweet well...

[merivelle]

I have a real thing for violets and vanilla. Tonka is very much like vanilla, so I decided to try Sybaris. I think it's beautiful. It's a nice mix of violet, tonka and spicey notes. It also lasts a long time. It's a plus to me.

[BronteJD]

Bottle: Never having smelled Tonka, or at least, been aware that I was smelling Tonka, I'm thinking that's the first thing that's hitting me right after the violet. Mmmmm....

 

Wet: Little more violet coming out on the skin, definitely clove and incense in there, but not so much that I smell like I'm standing next to an incense burner.

 

Drydown: Violet fading out, but still there. A great blend of the violet, clove, and incense. Light in terms of potency, but definitely deep, complex, and distinctive, but not overpowering. Love this, will definitely be buying at least a 5 ml.

 

BronteJD

[Meg]

In the bottle: Soft violet.

 

Wet: Tonka, eugh! It's drowning out the violet, that battles to come through. And it's getting clovey, now.

 

Drydown: Oversweet, rather sickly tonka/violet. It starts smelling like ointment with hints of violet, extremely discret and close to the skin. The spices do come out a bit, cool clove mostly. Everything blends very well together, after a while.

 

Overall: It's rather perfumy, rich and I'd say rather traditional. Yes, it has a voluptuous side to it, it smells sort of smooth and lazy. It's absolutely not my kind of scent, tonka makes me ill, but I can see how it represents Sybaris.

[flyingpizza]

Um, no. All day long I kept thinking "what is that horrid smell of burning rubber?" Then behold, I realized it was me. Ick.

[furygrrl]

In the imp: Sugared violets.

 

On wet: Violets gone wild - candy sweet and incredibly bright. There's the faintest hint of earthiness peeping out from beneath that swirly floral haze, but it's too soft to tell if it's the incense or the cloves.

 

Drydown: Mmm...something smooth and warm has risen up and bitch-slapped those wee purple flowers into submission - I'm guessing the tonka. This new, lightly spiced, almost creamy undertone is what transforms this blend into something totally wearable.

 

Overall: Not a huge fan of violets - or florals in general, but the spicy edge that eventually emerges takes this fragrance to a whole other level. Don't know if I'll be wearing it very often, but I'll definitely be hanging on to my imp.

 

A comfortable 3/5.

[PurringPulsar]

Sybaris

 

In the imp: ohh, this is stunning. Sweet clove and violet and tonka, in fact, this reminds me of the White Cat by H&E, or even Anthelion!

Wet on skin: soft powdery violets dusted on top of spiced sweet tonka. Beautiful.

Dry on skin: this is such a wonderful scent. In here, the violets are anything but dowdy and old fashioned, they are decadent and gorgeous. Their powdery, soft, gentle scent contrasts nicely with the bold, deep, warm clove and the delicious and rich and creamy sweet tonka, with hints of other spices enhancing it all. This is superb!

After a while: all the notes merge as one, yet still remaining individual and distinguishable. Soft powdery cool violet with the wonderful clove-tonka make for a beautifully harmonious group of notes. There's a gorgeous spiced warmth to the scent, and it's also a lot drier now, not as creamy. And the throw is impressive. There are times when it really does smell floral, like a fresh violet, yet sweeter. It is a little bit soapy at times though, though not in a bad way…I think it's the violet, since I got a similar reaction from Ultraviolet.

Verdict: this is so gorgeous! This, like Perversion, has the delicious tonka note that guarantees a 'love at first sniff' reaction. The exact same tonka, I'm sure, but dusted with violet and enhanced by clove. The scent is almost foody-decadent but not quite, it's also got a gentle outdoors/floral feel to it but with that indulgent undercurrent. There are times when it reminds me of Anthelion-yeah, I know it may not be appropriate to make comparisons to a ritual oil, but it's got the same creamy clove, and I now think there's tonka in that as well. But that could be my odd skin. And it really does remind me of a violet-tinted, less foody version of White Cat by Heaven and Earth, which I love. I'm not sure if I'll get a bottle just yet since the violet does become slightly soapy at times, but it's a definite keeper and a potential for a bottle.

Emoticon rating:

If you like this, try: Perversion, Le Serpent Qui Danse

Edited September 28, 2006 by yeahbutnobut

[margravine]

This scent had a rich, almost choclatey quality to it. I think that must have been the tonka. The clove definitely lent its spiciness to the mix. I don't think I liked the way the violet mixed in though. I kept almost liking the scent, but something was holding it back for me. Overall it was actually very nice though. Just not quite right for me.

[strangemusic]

When I smelled this for the first time, I really, really wasn't sure if Sybaris and I were going to get along. I was worried about the tonka bean, as it's often used as a stand-in/helper for vanilla... and I'm beginning to think that Lab vanilla and I don't get along too well. Sweet clove? Eh... Hetairae had clove, and the result wasn't so great. Mediterranean incense? What goes into that? Argh. Then, there was the violet.

 

Isn't violet for, um, well... old ladies?.

 

So, this is what I got a whiff of: thick, furry, powdery incense, with something indefinable, straining to break free... a lithe, slipping breath of one pure note; creaminess of tonka, the faint, moderate spice of clove in flecks.

 

On me the furriness is like a writhing pile of kittens-- here and there, a paw of clove, a wildly waving tail of tonka, the raspy cries and squeaks of incense, the fluff of powdery fur, tiny, needle-sharp claws... and then, that indefinable, slippery note becomes a pure line that BURSTS out... wow. Violet.

 

Violet is not an old-lady scent on me. Oh no. Violet gathers up the kittens, smoothes their ruffles, calms their indignant little yowls, and cuddles them all in her lap, stroking them to peaceful, purring happiness. She wears a satin dressing gown of deepest, truest name-sake color that matches her eyes; her skin is flawless, pampered, silken soft.

 

As this dries, I find I can't really describe how all of these elements morph into a harmonious whole, but they do... and at one point, all I'm left with is a bright cable of delicious, pure violet. Or so I think-- after a while, the spices come back, just as a complementary thread in the ply. A quite decadent sort of oil, clear in the imp; moderate throw.

 

CP from my LJ, dated 17 July 2006

[Trish]

In the imp:Violet

 

Wet: Violet

 

Drydown: Violet. And after about 20 minutes a little tonka. Has a reasonable amount of throw.

 

Dry: Violet and a little tonka, and the tiniest hint of spices. But no cloves which makes me sad.

 

Later: Violet

 

Later still: Now the tonka is starting to really make it's presence felt! It's still mainly violet, but a lighter creamier one. I wish it was like this from the beginning, not some 3-4 hours later!

 

I like violet, and this a particularly lovely, if strong, violet scent. However as with most other florals I need something else in the blend to make me want to wear it. This just doesn't have enough of that "something else" for me. But it might layer well with something else that's woody or spicy. Not sure if the imp is a keeper or not yet.

Edited September 9, 2006 by Trishek

[sookster]

straight sniff from imp is clove and violet

yum,yum, YUM...once it is on the violet amps up hayoogely....and how

i adore beth's violet blends...with a touch of clove....

 

this is so amazing and i just love it...after 15 minutes to 1/2 hour the violet and clove combine into the most phenomenal blend to date...this is so great!!

with incense to boot

another big bottle purchase for me.....gah