Sybaris

[Deliciousness]

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

 

My initial experience with Sybaris:

Clear blue waves crash lazily on the mediterranean shore of Crete. Lying on the beach relaxing on my lounge chair, shaded by my oversized umbrella from the sweltering rays of sun, my attention is with a wonderfully bad romance novel. I've my tropical drink, which screams "obviously tourist" resting on the side table, complete with colorful paper umbrella. Little beads of condensation ripple down the smooth glass. I take a sip of the sweet liquid, relishing the coolness of the ice on my heated lips. Only now do I realize that a large man is walking toward me. He is about six foot, dark skin, mounds of inky colored, wavy tresses. His shirt is unbuttoned down to mid-chest and strands of gold chains are woven between his dark chest hair. He speaks to me, but I am unable to comprehend what he is saying as his cologne is so distracting. Cloying. Suffocating. Something is sticking to the back of my throat when I try to reach up for air, and I fan myself lightly with my book, trying in vain to bring precious oxygen into my deprived lungs. He smiles and walks back to where he came from. I am left befuddled and curious as to what he wanted and yet relieved that I could now breath, the strangling haze having followed it's master for the moment.

After resisting the urge to toss Sybaris into my frimp pile, I do another test.

This time I find Sybaris intriguing, not at all cloying or strangling, like before. He's a tall glass of violet iced tea, with a hint of warm spices. There is still something a little tropical lurking under the surface, but nothing overpowering, or distracting. Perhaps tropical is more of a feeling than of a specific scent, brought about by the "warm spices" and tonka bean.

I can't believe how much this blend has changed since I last tried it, little less a month or two ago. Sybaris went from being too pungent and suffocating, to being refreshing, yet warm.

Glad I retested this. I think I'll keep my little imp and give him another go sometime.

[Erinofhere]

Bright violet with sweet clove, Mediterranean incense notes and tonka bean.

This was a frimp from the lab.

To me this smells a lot like apothecary. It's nice but generic and doesn't last all that long on my skin with hardly any throw.

I am picking up on the clove and that's awesome because I love clove and hardly ever get a chance to wear it. The violet is very strong at first but settles down and gels well with the incense. Personally I didn't pick up on much tonka.

[Gwydion]

In bottle: Strongly violet dominant. Clove is strong support to the violet. The incense blends well with the violet and clove. The tonka is understated and helps smooth things out. No skin test for violet.

[vthesiren]

Lab-fresh imp.

 

In the imp: Vanilla and clove, with a hint of florals in the background.

 

On my skin: Abandoned musty head shop. :| It's very dry, makes my eyes water, and there's a weird muskiness to it that's just... eurgh.

 

Nope.

[inhumation]

I have tested this twice now with different imps and got the same result - when freshly applied wet, sybaris is bright and sweet and quite pleasant. unfortunately, as soon as it start drying, a mushroom odor creeps out slowly. soon enough, i can smell nothing but mushrooms and it's quite nauseating. violets usually hate me, but the combination of violet and the other notes was just a complete horror on my skin.

[mymymai]

• ITI: This scent is really gorgeous, invoking hints of spring from the nearly candied violet note, but there's also a coquettish tone to it thanks to the tonka bean and the heady, resinous incense.

Wet: Yes, it's very much candied violet notes surrounded by bubblegum powder, sweet frankincense and a hint of sandalwood, followed by honeyed tonka. This smells like it would make an amazing aperitif.

Dry: After 15 hours, it's still clearly discernible and incredibly enjoyable. Now that it's had a good time to settle, it smells like the most divine, fluffy, violet-infused creme brulee tart under thick, decadent whipped cream (that's how the incense and clove are reading to me and it's brilliant). I'm in love and it's worth every rich, fluffy, imaginary calorie.

[Veronica]

In the bottle, this is violet over a sweet, vanilla-y (tonka) spiced base. On drydown, the violet has turned into a green floral with more incense-y spice and a note I can't place...After a few minutes, this is a lovely violet, slightly plummy floral with a soft incense touch with a slightly creamy amber-esque note from the tonka.

[Innocuousmold]

I don't usually like violet, as it can come off very soapy to me, but this is really pretty. The incense, tonka, and especially clove really balance out the clean and candy floral scent of the violet. It's a very good scent for daytime and office I think, as it's not cloying or heavy. Feminine, youthful, and balanced in general, so I am happy with it!

[LizziesLuck]

I adore these notes, except for violet, which never works on me, but here goes anyway!

 

 

Wet: Mmm, the Tonka note in this is lovely, but then the violet stomps all over it. It effectively creates a sugared violet type scent, which is surprisingly not horrid! Closest thing to a violet note I have enjoyed since Faith, which was also surprisingly note horrid, but a bit too sweet for me to manage.

 

 

Dry: I lied, OK? This is terrible. Or at least the throw is. Nose to skin, I get that gorgeous Tonka, and it makes this almost pleasant. The throw is all sour violet on me, and it is not a happy smell. *sigh* one day, violet, one day.

[Lucchesa]

Sybaris in the imp (without checking notes) smelled almost like milk chocolate and clove. On my skin, the clove really took over and paired with the violet in a strange way. I have not tried a lot of violet blends and this is the only one I have where violet is the primary note, so it may not like my skin chemistry. Clove is usually fine if it is in a supporting role; here it hogged the stage, and there was a kind of stale smell to the whole thing. Swaps box.

[roseus]

Wow this is the first time I've really enjoyed violets on my skin that I can recall. They do not go too sweet or powdery on me. Nice mysterious flowers with a good dose of sweet incense and tonka. A swirling, narcotic blend.

[Miss_Unicorn]

At first it is soapy, with a resinous undertone. This can go two ways. Potentially promising.

 

It warms to smelling sweeter and silkier and slightly powdery. Floral with a hint of spice.

 

Unfortunately, it confirms my suspicion violets don't work well for me. I see (or smell) how this can be nice; but not my cup of tea.

[clockworkcrypt]

Oh dear I think I've broken my sniffer.

This imp is aged. For how long? I'm not sure.

But on me I smell the ocean. It's the same smell I smelled the other day while photographing an old house for sale, the salty brine of water and tidepools on the pacific. It's bitter and acrid, sunbaked water, warm driftwood, rotting kelp. And over it all a very faint throw of violet, though that could be the remnants of my roomates floral perfume settling into the carpet. But every sniff is salty and briny. All this time I've been looking for the perfect aquatic, when really it's just hiding here in plain sight. I smell like the fucking ocean, the tides, the crashing surf against the pebbled beach. It's a smell I've been nostalgic for. It's been years since I've seen the ocean, but this snaps me back there. It's perplexing, it's like a tidepool that I've dropped some overly elegant dramatic corsage in late at night after witnessing my boyfriend making out with someone else at prom. It's comforting and powerful. I'm confused and delighted, driven mad by this smell. It's perfect. It's haunting. It's beautiful. It's all wrong.

[Juushika]

Frimp from the Lab.

 

In vial: A dusky, sweet/spicy floral.

 

On me: Goes on as that same floral. Morphs into a pure clove--and I love this stage, it's almost one-note but distinctly sweet, spicy but not sharp, a hint of something almost creamy in the background, with a good throw. But after ~1 hour, this grows much sweeter and settles into a creamy, pale floral which reminds me distinctly of Antique Lace (a soft, wistful blend of dry flowers, aged linens, and the faint breath of long-faded perfumes)--a little grandma's bathroom, very sweet, slightly cloying--but with a gentle and welcome spike of clove. It cuts through some of that sweetness, but perhaps not enough.

 

Verdict: While it can tend cloying, I think I'd like this on someone else--the creamy/sweet/floral/spice has a distinct character; I appreciate the clove. But I find it sort of gross on me.

[doomsday_disco]

Sybaris is the best violet blend that's ever touched my skin.

 

It's violet accompanied by lots of sweet clove, backed by some incense, with a touch of tonka bean.

 

The throw is mostly violet, but up close, the clove is pretty prominent on me.

 

Violet and I do not get along, and this still has too much violet for me and has become somewhat powdery over time, but I do think it is nicer than any other violet scent I've tried. If this featured a different floral, I would probably be all over this!

[Aveya]

Sniff: Juicy? Weirdly almost fruity juicy. I think it's violet but just being weird in the imp.

Skin: Yup weird violet. It IS violet, but it has a strange spunk to it. Juicy violet with a fruit edge. (My only other violet experience is Faith - so "sugar" must tone down this juicy spunk).

 

Dry:  Really, nothing changes. It's exactly like the imp and skin. It's VIOLET with a hint of spices. And i remembered that I dislike violet all of the sudden. I enjoyed it in Faith, but more because I enjoy sugar-scents xD.

 

Verdict: Sweet-spiced raw Violet.

[hhelix]

Violet fragrances are tricky. When I first put them on, I can’t smell them very well, so I slather more. Then as it warms on my skin, the violet amps throughput the day. Sybaris is one of my favorite violets from the Lab. Clove and violet are two of my favorite notes, and together they are stunning. The clove is slightly medicinal at first, but warms and is rounded by the creamy, vanilla-esque  tonka. The violet is more sweet and candy-like than floral. I enjoy this because it’s so unique; I have never smelled anything like it. Would be nice in any season but particularly cozy in fall. I could see this layering well with the recent ménage a trois Cacao, Darjeeling Tea, and Incense, or being pushed into gourmand territory with vanilla, chocolate, or coffee notes. Easy to wear, medium throw, decent wear length. Full bottle worthy for me. 

[VetchVesper]

Sybaris is intriguing.  My initial reaction to the fragrance is - "That's weird," but then I find myself drawn back for second, third, and fourth whiffs, as my brain seeks to make sense of the odd mélange.  Vanilla, violet, and clove are all present and accounted for, all balanced, and blend to create something truly unique.  Sybaris is almost buttery, yet the incense and coppery tang of clove keep it from being gourmand, and the violet on display adds another layer of intrigue.  I've never smelled violet quite. like. this.  Overall, there is something decadent and exotic about the blend, though I don't find it sexy.  More... esoteric and rich.  This smells like the perfume of a wealthy and notorious maven, a decadent influencer, or perhaps a renowned psychic.  

 

My one knock against it, is my skin drinks it up, though it still last several hours on me, and I'm still considering a bottle.  If you enjoy clove or violet, you owe it to yourself to sample this little oddity.  #tournamentofunderdogs

Edited September 14, 2020 by VetchVesper

[hepkitten]

Sinuously exotic and rich, but kept from being too dense and heavy by bright, sweet violet. This was one of the first BPAL scents I really loved, and it's still a standout. Granted, you MUST love violet for it to work...but if you do, it is a stunner. Violet lovers, give yourself over and luxuriate in its sybaritic delights!

[alyelle]

Freebie with my latest order

 

In the imp: Violet and a dash of tonka.

 

Wet: Oops - accidentally slathered this all over myself. Old English violets, dusty tonka, a slightly grainy note - possibly from the incense? I'm not sure what would give this note but I don't hate it - and a slightly spiced whiff of clove.

 

Dry: Not as intense as the violet from Le Serpent Qui Danse, but very similar, with a gentle added warmth that I really like. Le Serpent has been one of my go to's since I first tried BPAL; this is a serious contender as a replacement or alternative. Longish lived (reached 8 hours and had to shower, but I expect it would have gone at least a couple of hours longer), with a medium throw.

 

Stars: ★★★★½

[monocainsheresy]

Sweet violet, warm tonka bean, and a wee bit of clove spice. The incense comes out as it dries, and it's reading as frankincense to my nose, with an almost aquatic tone. 

Very nice - I think I'll like it a lot more after aging.

[Rane.]

Received as an imp. A very light scent. I can't make out individual notes. I think I'll need to buy a full bottle to get the best experience. I get slight clove, one hidden violet flower. As for the incense, I get a little. Tonka bean I'm not familiar with, but have heard it is like vanilla. I don't pick that up when sniffing my arm.

[ittybitty]

Started off as a soapy floral with a bit of spice in the background. It quickly dried down to a very dark, musty incense with a soapy background. It reminds me of cheap men's bar soap that you find in discount stores like TJMaxx and Ross. I've had issues with clove turning soapy on me, and I'm pretty sure that that's what's happening here. The clove just isn't jiving with my skin. 

[illuviel]

First Try, which I mistakenly did on a day when I sampled *all* the new scents from my order:
I really wanted this one to work on me, as I like all of the notes in it. On that basis, it's  been on my wishlist for a while.
In the vial:  I'm not sure what this is. It smells discordant and disappointing. Maybe it will work better on me than in the imp?
Wet: The clove overpowers everything, and clashes with my own chemistry, sadly, and... something that I can't pick out in the rest of it. Other reviewers have said it's the tonka -- could be. I can't pick out any violet here, and only the notes in the incense that don't roll under the clove.
Drydown: I didn't make it to that point. I had to wash it off, and once I did, I could smell the lovely violet, tonka, and incense blend that survived scrubbing my wrist. Good longevity, if I could tolerate it through the drydown. 😕
Conclusion: This has gone to my son to put in his new swap box.

 

Second Try, with a fresh nose. I asked for this back from my son to try again. I really *want* this to work, if I can get the clove to behave with the other ingredients (I generally really like clove as a scent and a flavor, and used to use the clove soap from Kama Sutra, so I know it *can* work on me.)

In the vial: I didn't smell it in the vial, or wet.
Wet: I used a miniscule amount and layered it with Bruised Violet Compound to give it an initial boost to the violet. The clove and incense notes are still strongest, with the violet present as a sweetness that lightens up the other notes. I can't pick out the tonka yet.

Drydown: Half an hour later, the clove has calmed down and I can start to smell the violet, tonka, and incense in harmony with the clove becoming a background warmth and spice. It passes the Mr Spouseman sniff test. (He does say it doesn't smell enough like moss or dirt for him to associate with me, but that it does smell nice.)
Conclusion: I'm glad I gave this another chance. When I can ride out the initial uberclove, this is worth it. Layering it with Bruised Violet Compound was a good choice for me. I also want to try it with Mokey, to see if it rounds out the sweetness of the lilac that comes along with the violet in it that makes me layer it with darker, more grounded scents.

Edited October 28 by illuviel
Gave it another try