Prince Lir

[absinthetics]

PRINCE LÍR
"Heroes," Prince Lír replied sadly. "Heroes know about order, about happy endings – heroes know that some things are better than others. Carpenters know grains and shingles, and straight lines." He put his hands out to the Lady Amalthea, and took one step toward her. She did not draw back from him, nor turn her face; indeed, she lifted her head higher, and it was the prince who looked away.

"You were the one who taught me," he said. "I never looked at you without seeing the sweetness of the way the world goes together, or without sorrow for its spoiling. I became a hero to serve you, and all that is like you. Also to find some way of starting a conversation."

Chivalry, love, and sacrifice. A noble cologne touched by a sweet sadness: vanilla fougere, bright citrus, juniper berry, ambergris accord, and basil.

What an amazing scent. Mostly I am picking up juniper from this scent, which is made a little harsh by the citrus notes. However, I wouldn't think 'citrus!' when I smelled this bottle. It's almost like a bite at the back of your nose, but not in any way orange or lemon. I'd almost say that this scent smells like leather. I looked for it in the notes but it's not there, and I'm honestly surprised. This smells like a knight going into battle. Like oiled grieves and a hyped up male-ness. There is something soothing and pretty about it, but I mean male-prettiness, grace, glowing.... it's warm in a way that it's well-worn but somehow bright. I think this is the mix of sneaky citrus and the vanilla Fougère. A work of art! I want to cuddle up next to Prince Lir so he can keep me safe at night.

[cfrancesca]

Initially this is herbal-basily on me, similar to the herbs in Antony and I could swear I also get soft, slightly smokey brown leather. A warm and bright citrus note starts to amp but stays well-blended with the other notes on me, I get a little bit of soft vanilla fougere in the background, the ambergis is soft and also stays in the background, the juniper berry is not coming up on my skin. This settles into a soft, warm, slightly smokey, dusty, well-blended leather herbal blend with a slightly bright citrusy vanilla fougere background. ETA: As I'm testing other scents I caught another whiff of it and I'm really amping the smokiness, it's probably coming from the ambergris.

Edited September 1, 2011 by cfrancesca

[Little Bird]

I love masculine scents, vanilla, and ambergris, so I had high hopes for this. And it doesn't live up to those hopes. Prince Lir is a pale, perfumey sort of scent on me. I can't smell much of anything in the bottle, and it's incredibly light on my skin as well. It's like a hint of perfumey, sharp musk and sour, green pine & sour citrus that's left over from a perfume applied several hours ago. Not much throw at all, and only lasts about an hour on my skin. I don't smell any vanilla or sweetness I'm majorly disappointed with this blend...

[edenssixthday]

Prince Lir - This goes on herbal but almost immediately morphs into a cologne-like soapiness. There's a hint of vanilla, ambergris, and juniper. But mostly, it's soap and cologne.

[Balame]

In the Imp: How pretty. I guess I was expecting this to be greener because of the basil, but thankfully it's very citrus sweet with the fougere making it more typically perfume-y. It's actually giving me a strong memory of one of my aunt's favorite perfumes, Obsession by Calvin Klein.

 

Wet: The citrus + bright juniper and powdery ambergris is somehow reminding me of a very sexy orange juice, but the basil immediately pops out a bit more and makes everything more balanced. It still makes me think of Obsession, so if you're looking for a similarity, try this. In Obs you have citrus notes like bergamot and mandarin combined with oakmoss, and here it's a very close citrus and fougere (which often has a base of oakmoss)/basil, for the earthiness.

 

Dry: The basil has amped up a lot at this point. It's a fitting gradient. The prince is very fresh and sweet initially, but during the journey he becomes more mature and a little... sad? I don't mean that this scent makes me feel depressed or anything, but it just ends up having a very adult vibe to it with the herbal note in the forefront (for me) and the citrus a faint reminder of the past. Kind of like the realization that everything isn't always rainbows and sunshine in life. The basil isn't in your face, as it's actually relatively soft, but compared to the sweeter notes it comes across as serious. This is very faint on me within only 20 minutes.

 

Overall: I liked this more during the wet stages, as I'm not a big herbal person and the ambergris and citrus combo was really nice, but I would enjoy it on someone else. It's clean and energizing but still fairly musky.

 

*edit - I do get something that's fairly similar to a light brown leather in this after a while, as others have mentioned. Pretty sure it's the basil + musky fougere. Also lends to the mature nature of the drydown.

Edited September 25, 2011 by Balame

[angelamaria]

In tester: ambergris, and citrus for brightness although it's not too discernible. Definitely cologney, but sexy and not WHOA THERE BOY. Clean-smelling.

 

Wet on skin: mmm, sexy. I'd love this scent on a man. Ambergris...and it's almost smoky and leathery actually! This is delicious, slightly herbal, and clean. Ohhh, sooo~ sexy. <3 Ahem. Noble cologne indeed, but not unapproachable. This is a noble manly scent.

 

Dry: aaaaand~ my skin loves this too, because it's getting eaten all up. Mere minutes after drying, it's gone very faint, with that delicious smokiness and leatheriness. I can't believe there is no leather in the notes list.

 

Verdict: mmmm I would definitely slather this on my man, given a chance

[TrevorSmith]

i had such high hopes for this, and it smelled really good after it tried down

you know the herbaceous nature of the basil and fougere being countered with citrus and juniper

but sadly this just wanes on my skin

though i guess i applied it at five this morning

and do occasionaly get whiffs of it if the wind is just right

so i guess that's not so bad

it just satays REALLY close to the skin

[zankoku_zen]

Juniper, citrus and something that smells like leather. Oh, what dashing tragic men wear. Nice, manly, dashing.

[ajansuz]

In the imp, this was softly herbal and slightly citrusy. A little masculine for what I like to wear, but I was anxious to try it anyway.

 

Wet: What on earth? Straight up doctors office waiting room and latex bandaids. So much so that it literally gave me a visual flash of the doctor's waiting room from my childhood pediatrician.

 

Dry: On my wrists, it stays doctor's office and bandaids. In the crook of my arm, cheap men's cologne. Prince Lir is not for me.

 

EDIT: I'm glad I didn't just wash this off, even though I was tempted. After a couple of hours of the doctor's office/men's cologne phase this blossomed into a gorgeous vanilla with just a touch of bright citrus at the edges and a rich creaminess. I'm not sure the LONG icky phase is worth getting there for me, but it's not a total failure.

Edited April 27, 2012 by DarkSinestra

[brilliantcat]

In the imp, I smelled a citrusy cologne, which didn't bode well. It smelled exactly the same wet and once it warmed, it turned a little sweet, probably from the vanilla. I was hoping for more of the basil and juniper berry. Instead I got a semi-sweet, slightly citrusy men's cologne. Pass. Sorry, Prince Lir, I love you really but your scent doesn't love me

[girbot]

In Imp:

Green citrus slightly sweet astringent

 

Dry:

Surprisingly likable considering I tend not to like cologne. I can kind of sense the mellowing effect of the vanilla and a slightly crisp note of green and citrus in the background, but the juniper berries leave the biggest impression on me. I love the smell of basil leaves, but I couldn't discern a definite basil scent. I also have no clue what ambergris smells like. I wouldn't want a bottle, but could definitely see myself wearing this from time to time, maybe when I want to pretend to be my own boyfriend or something like that.

 

Less than an hour later:

*poof* all gone

[BoneBone24]

Wet: Bright green notes with a creamy undercurrent. Pretty.

 

Drydown: Grassy basil grounded by tonka. Clean yet robust. It gains a slight cologne-ish edge as it dries.

 

Dry: A musky, deep green cologne overtop of soft tonka. Bright and masculine with a touch of creaminess. It fades substantially in this phase leaving the light impression of a creamy cologne that does occasionally remind me of latex.

 

 

 

6.5 out of 10 bones

Edited June 21, 2013 by BoneBone24

[Eemia]

I get leather too, as a few others mentioned. Where is that coming from? I was expecting more of a vanilla version of Dorian with some citrus and herbs but this is so far from what I anticipated. It's a little musty and dry with a strong leather scent throughout. It becomes a fuzzy, worn out vanilla after a few hours. I feel stuffy wearing this, like I'm smelling my wrists while I have a cold.

 

All of the notes should have worked really well on me but for some reason this doesn't. I'm so disappointed but I think I'll keep my bottle simply because it's Prince Lir.

[skyelyric]

I love this. I definitely get the leather vibe that a lot of other poeple have mentioned, with a light clean cologne. To my nose, Prince Lir is the masculine version of Liz.

[DiesMali]

In the imp: Juniper and herbs.

 

Wet on my skin: Juniper bark and basil, with a hint of sweet vanilla and tangy citrus.

 

Dry: Ohhhhh my goodness this is gorgeous. One of my favourites so far! I tried this on my sweetheart the other night and wasn't too fond of it on him, but on me it just blooms. All of the notes blend together, yet I can pick them all out if I try. It's still juniper bark and sweet basil, but now there's a softly musky vanilla and barely any citrus, and it has this vaguely leathery scent, like brown saddle leather. It reminds me of going horseback riding up in the mountains here in Colorado. I think I'm in love with this one, and may order a bigger bottle if the imp keeps working so beautifully on me.

[misspaul]

Initially, this is "Good boy from a good family" soapy cologne. The decoy boy you introduced to your parents while your real boyfriend waited for you in the car outside.

 

I tried this on my chest and on the boy's wrist. On him, it just smelt like really good soap. I think I need to try it on a warmer part of his skin, because on my chest I start to get more of the manly cologne thing going on and the scent gets a little more complex. I'm getting wafts of the basil and a "manly" vanilla while the overall effect continues to be very clean. It's really quite beautiful.

 

It is still the scent of a very good boy. This would be a good everyday scent, especially for guys that work with members of the public. It's the kind of scent that makes you want to trust a guy and have a conversation - rather than rip his clothes off. Very nice. I will definitely try this one on the boy again.

[Winterbelle]

I had such high hopes for this one, as Prince Lir was my favorite Last Unicorn character. Alas, it wasn't to be.

 

I tried this on my guy first, and within a few minutes it turned to latex gloves on him. Very strong, very potent latex gloves. He left it on for two hours before giving up. He said he felt like a nurse was trying tying to suffocate him with a gloved hand. It was so strange!

 

On me it was very citrusy and soapy, smelled very much like my house smells after a deep cleaning. Citrus isn't a favorite of mine so I won't be keeping my imp.

[savage_rose]

This smells woodsy and masculine. Very fresh and balanced, not at all overpowering.

[renfair]

I got this scent as part of the Unicorn Horn III pack about three years ago, as my first purchase from BPAL!, so this more recent review is on a three-year-old imp.

First Sniff Impression: Unfortunately I don't remember my first impression of this well. I think it was just sort of "generic men's cologne" to me.

Wet in Vial: I actually like this one in the bottle more than Schmendrick, though the juniper berry pretty much overpowers everything else. Might be age.

Drying Down on Skin: Drying down I can see why a lot of people don't like this one. The juniper and basil give it a distinct medicinal smell, though it doesn't bother me very much. There's a very faint sweetness, but I can't really pick it out.

Dry on Skin: Sharp and slightly medicinal. I read someone compared it to the smell of latex gloves, which I can understand though don't personally agree with, at least on me. It brings back a really vague memory of childhood, of the cottage on a pond my grandparents used to live in. Like maybe the furniture or something. I wish I could smell the vanilla or citrus. It might've been there when it was new.

Conclusion: Not one I'd want my husband wearing. Maybe my nose was overwhelmed by the three other colognes I had on, but a couple hours later this one seems to be mostly gone. It was a little too sharp and bitter for me.

[theseagrows]

received a frimp from the lab! it does smell like a soft woodsy cologne with some citrus and basil. there's definitely a bit of a herbaceous quality. i also swear i smell something slightly like leather? not sure what combination that could be. it smells like citrussy herbal soap with a hint of leather. kind of nice in a way, and not what i expected. still, probably not a keeper for me, though it is a nice scent.

[Cali]

An aquatic, green crisp cologne. Not getting much vanilla, but there's indeed some berries in there, the rest of the notes adding to the green aquaticness. Very soft on me unfortunately, my skin EATS this.

[VetchVesper]

My friend bought this, so I got to test it out.  It wasn't one that really interested me b/c juniper and citrus just didn't seem like my kind of blend, but it's really nice.  It's more of a gentle, softly masculine chypre, with a very nice amber in the dry down.  Maybe the aging has tamed the sharpness others have mentioned, since I'm sure these Etsy bottles have been waiting a while for loving homes.   

Anywho,  it's got a subdued and melancholy vibe that does Lir justice.  I'd say it's masculine leaning, but a woman could pull it off pretty easily.  Seems like it could fit in with the four horsemen blends in the CG - That kind of vibe.  I would love to smell this on a gentleman.  💗

 

[doomsday_disco]

In the bottle: Citrus, fougere, and ambergris, with touches of juniper and basil.

 

On my skin: Citrusy fougere infused with some juniper and a hint of basil. The ambergris shows up later and gains strength over time so that after a few hours, it is ambergris over citrusy fougere and juniper.

 

Verdict: I was mostly curious about this one because of the vanilla fougere, but I am not getting any vanilla from this, sadly. It's still a really nice fougere, scent, though, and if you're a fan of Vicomte de Valmont, you'll probably like Prince Lir, too. I am going to see if the boy would like to wear this, as I think it would smell wonderful on him.

Edited August 25, 2019 by doomsday_disco

[starbrow]

Prince Lir in the book was ridiculously charming, and so is his namesake blend. Where most princes - I mean colognes - are smugly overbearing, blanketed in headachey oakmoss, Lir isn't like that. His fougere has a cuddly quality, all softness instead of sharp angles, and any oakmoss is just there to give it some clean-cut good looks. I would kind of love the vanilla to pop more, but the sweet fuzziness of the hay-like coumarin and bergamot (no sharp citrus either) permeates and enhances the cuddly effect. 

 

The one note that might remind people of a classic men's scent is the juniper berry, which is not pine-y here but just has something classic and foresty to it in this context. In combination with the basil (and perhaps even a drop of lilac in the fougere?), it pops with fresh greenness, light and springy rather than heavy and thick. This, too, wholly fits Lir's character. He's not that angry, slick-haired, cologne-wearing prince. He's a sensitive soul, and his scent soothes rather than instigates. As a fairly femme woman, I am totally comfortable wearing this cozy charmer.

 

If you love I Too Die of Love or Jareth, consider giving Prince Lir a whirl. To me, it has a lot less vanilla than Dorian but it falls in the same "friendly fougere" category. One of the major winners for me from The Last Unicorn line.