The Lion

[Chrysantza]

The dry, glorious warmth of the Savannah. A golden, spiced amber, proud, regal and ferocious.

 

 

I love amber so I knew I had to try The Lion.

 

I was not disappointed. This is luscious, warm amber mixed with something spicy and something almost like new-mown hay. It is the bottled equivalent of a balmy but not-too-hot summer day where you can feel the sun on your skin as you walk barefoot through the flowers and grass.

 

I definitely want to get a bottle - maybe even a big bottle - of The Lion. It's luscious on its own, and will also make a great base-note scent for layering. The Lion is love!

Edited April 18, 2006 by Chrysantza

[Rhowan]

I am another amber lover and I am wondering how The Lion has escaped my hands until now. Finally here it is!

 

In the imp and wet on my skin the first thing I think of is a bag of dried mulling spices, apple, and then I get a whiff of the amber.

 

Drying down, I start to loose the prominent notes of what smelled like mulling spice and in it''s place is just a general spiciness. I can't help but thinking of a spiced suntea that my son makes. Wonderful!

 

Completely dried down, I am getting an orange brown, amber spice that is absolutely gorgeous! The spices aren't in your face, but a very big support to the amber. The Lion is regal and proud!!

 

In conclusion, I have to just kick myself that I have been depriving myself of this scent for so long now. I believe this to be sexy, mysterious and prideful all at the same time without being overpowering or loud. I would definiely wear this to a power business lunch or in a seduction. So, good throw, long wear, perfect, perfect, perfect! This is a 5ml for me!

[joiedecombat]

The Lion was the first amber scent I ever tried, and it was the one which encouraged me to try more.

 

I didn't get any of the grassy notes that other reviewers have gotten. For me, The Lion is a rich warm golden amber spiced prominently with cinnamon and ginger to the point that my initial impression was of gingerbread warm from the oven. It's a foody scent on me, and while it's a wonderful and very comfortable scent, it's not one I care to wear as a perfume. It's more the kind of scent I'd want in a scented candle, one that would fill my apartment with lovely warm golden fragrance.

Edited April 24, 2006 by Joie de Combat

[Medici]

In the imp: ASLAN! Ok, you Narnia buffs might get the association. This is a strong, golden scent with a touch of saffron cream and cinnamon.

 

Wet: Honeyed amber and dry spices. Sweet and rich and thick and majestic.

 

Drydown: As it warms, it gains throw. The littlest drop will do ya, me thinks.

 

Verdict: I'm not a huge amber fan, but this might just convert me. The Lion really is something else, I've never sniffed anything quite like it before, and I doubt I'll find something similar in the catalogue. It's unbelievablly warm and comforting, while at the same time it inspires some serious confidence.

 

4/5 on Medici's Scale o' Lurrrve

[Eunice]

The description is dead on. This is a very regal scent. The spiced amber is there but not in your face at all. I smell a bit of musk underneach the amber which really warms up the scent for me. This is a much nicer scent than I had anticipated. Very lovely!

[lysithea]

This is very warm and comforing. I can feel the heat of the savannah.

 

It's amber with a spicy undertone. Perhaps, cinnamon although I don't get any of the usual burn that cinnamon often brings. There is a creaminess to the spice. So, I am also leaning towards something more exotic: saffron maybe.

 

I get a warm musk on drydown that sweetens and becomes just a touch foody. Fans of Jacob's Ladder maybe find similarity to this at the basic level.

[girlmadasbirds]

a gorgeous, spicy amber smell with notes that smell like cream and dry grasses. i can see me wearing this one a lot in autumn.

[PirateMaggie]

In the imp: spicy golden amber with a hint of musk.

 

On my skin: This just didn't work for me at all. The amber turned into right into baby powder, the musk must be white musk which turns into armpit smell on me, and there was something throat-catchingly acrid somewhere in this blend, like burnt plastic.

[sissa125]

Hmmm. This round of imps has taught me a lot about how hormone levels affect one's reactions to smell. When I first sniffed The Lion, I had just started a course of BC pills, and I couldn't get amber out of my nostrils fast enough. My stomach has settled down since then, and I am glad that my reaction to The Lion isn't as painful as it was earlier.

 

I'm still not thrilled with it. The Lion smells surprisingly foody to me, like syrup going stale in a west-facing window. As this is the closest thing to a single-note amber that I am likely to smell soon, I think i'll avoid amber in all scents in future.

[BrightRedScream]

In the vial: I don't smell much? It's very light. Hello? Smell? Where are you?

 

Wet on the skin: Mmmm this is so warm, and light and...just beautiful!

 

Dry down: The spice comes out more, and wow...this is a very beautiful scent..It's grassy in a way, but creamy and intoxicating and delicious..

I don't get the foody vibe that some people describe here at all though.

 

I want this in a 5ml.

Edited May 23, 2006 by BrightRedScream

[brownbear]

I really had high hopes for this one. On my skin it is really unimpressive. It's barely there and boring. I guess I just expected something with a little more oomph. I don't get any spices at all, just a bit of stale amber. oh well. It does have layering potential for me though. we'll see.

[kunoichi]

This smells very light and cool, yet spicy in the vial, a scent that seems to rise up out of the vial almost of it's own accord. But when it goes on my skin, the warmth comes out and it turns into a lovely, warmly spiced scent that is just beautiful. Even after a few hours on my skin, it is still warm and spicy. Perhaps a bit more spicy, though it has a sweetness underneath it - it's simply gorgeous!

[HennaFairy]

bottle:

amber - slightly sweet, very golden

 

wet:

not bad, but it's not what I expected - very light amber.

 

dry:

it gets a little soapy on me - wah!! I had such high hopes considering I love amber usually!

 

overall:

not sure. I wanted to like it! But it goes soapy. May work for hair products or room scent….

 

rating: 6/10

[provocateur]

in bottle: spicy, golden amber

 

on skin, wet: amber, amber, amber!

 

on skin, dry: amber powder. why is it that some amber goes powdery and others stay strong and brilliant. Gah.

 

conclusion: this is lovely, but I'm deterrent from powdery drydowns.

 

rating: 3/5

[The_Merf]

In the imp: Beautiful golden amber.

 

Wet: Wow--I'm really surprised at how strong the spices are in this blend. It's almost producing a warm "chai" effect on my skin. Very lovely.

 

Drydown and wear: This stays very true throughout its entire cycle. It fits the description perfectly--golden amber, spiced, with a regal gait and bearing. This is a scent I could see myself wearing while at work. I will certainly keep the imp and think about getting a bottle.

[RavenVelith]

In the bottle: Oooohhh...shiiiinnnyyy.... *o* That's all I think when I smell this. It's so golden and yet a bite of spice. I like this. :3 But I can't describe the scent of amber too well.

 

Wet: EXACTLY like the bottle. I may love this!

 

Dry: A bit soapy but in a good way and still that nice spicey bite. MINE. >: D

[tidesong]

In the Bottle: Spicy amber! Ooooh!

 

On Application: What a warm scent! I smell cinnamon, maybe a little nutmeg, and and undercurrent of amber. This has great potential. After 5 minutes: the amber and cinnamon are battling on my skin trying to decide who gets to dominate. After 10 minutes: hmmm, is that ginger I detect? C'mon amber, come out to play!

 

On Drydown: Cinnamon's winning, and it's a Red Hots type cinnamon. I very faintly get amber out of this, but not enough. It's not bad, but it's not what I was hoping.

 

Comments: It might layer nicely with something like O when I want to add a little spice to it.

 

Verdict: Try layering, and also retest alone.

[Melantha]

What a glorious scent! The amber is beautiful, but the spices make it warm, and fuzzy, and I've found it makes a great "I need to mellow out and relax" scent.

 

It doesn't morph on me at all; it stays true to the wonderful bottle scent. This will become a staple for me.

[SultryWolf]

in imp: Subtle amber and sun.

On: Warm, marvellous layers of woods and spice, with a gentle undercurrent of sweetness and a whiff of amber. Not at all strong. Summery, as it brings to mind something having lain in the sun.

 

Amber is my joy-scent, and the spiciness adds a little kick to it. Love.

[edenssixthday]

The Lion is a pretty scent, but very subtle on me...more like a lamb than a lion. My skin usually amps amber up so that it wafts around me all day, but for some reason, The Lion is very subtle on my skin and doesn't last very long. But while I can still note its presence, it's incredibly warm, golden, slightly resinous, and has a hint of spice. It's pretty, but it has virtually no throw and really doesn’t impress me all that much. I will be adding this to the swap pile.

[neuilly]

In the bottle: At first I got a whiff of grass? But then it quickly dissolved into just spices.

 

Wet: Straight cinnamon. Hoping this will dry down into something a bit more complex.

 

Dry: Some amber in the background but mostly the cinnamon just overwhelms everything. I like cinnamon but right now I smell like a stick of Big Red.

[dreadeddragon]

In the bottle: God, I know this smell! I can't place it though, I hate that. I can definitely pick out the amber and spices, and maybe something a bit tart?

 

First on: What is this scent? It reminds me of being a kid somehow. Some sort of candy. Fun Dip maybe? I like it.

 

After an hour: The candy scent is in the background now, and the spiced amber is up front with some dry grassy scent.

 

Overall: I really like it. It very much described a lion rolling about in the sun.

[AliBabble]

i've been waiting to try the lion for a long time, and wondering if it would live up to the hype. i like it! it's different than i expected...spicier...i'm getting more cinnamon and clove, than amber. as it dries, more amber comes out, very warm and lovely, but it doesn't do the amber-baby-oil-thing, which is nice. it does feel golden, as people have said, and very snugly. seems to blend nicely with my skin, nothing jutting out in an unnatural way. just a warm, spicy, cozy scent.

[yellowrose]

This decanted imp is circulating as part of the General Catalouge Swap.

 

Preconceptions: Amber. Le sigh. Love it. Not great luck with Beth's thus far. They all seem to turn powdery on me. Cross fingers!

 

Wet: Mmmmmmmmmmm! Amber with a hint of dry grass.

 

Drying: Vanishes pretty fast which means slathering is called for.

Becomes golden floral. Not at ALL like the amber blend (roll on) from another company I have and enjoy. Doesn’t stick around. Doesn’t stay truly amber beyond 15 minutes. Gets a bit earthier as it dries. Then fades.

 

In summary: Disappointing.

[akw]

In the bottle -- grass.

 

Wet on skin -- grass.

 

Drydown -- grass fades, leaving faint undertone of spices and amber.

 

Once the grass settles down, this is lovely, but on my skin I almost can't smell it. It's beautiful but faint for 10-15 minutes, then it's gone. Hubby could smell it just fine and got cinnamon on his skin with no grass, so it's some weird skin and nose reaction with me.

 

Had great hopes for this one based on reviews, but this 5 ml bottle is off to swaps.

 

Next day -- I get almost no grass at all, either in the bottle or on myself. I do get very faint spicey, amber notes, but can still barely smell it. Will be swapping it, but it has been a most interesting morphing experience.

Edited July 30, 2006 by KateW