The Contrast

[annemathematics]

Gleaming white frankincense and vanilla-infused benzoin.

frankincense scent of my dreams, you are here!

the notes read "gleaming" and "white" but there's something about this frank that feels more down and dirty, gritty, rich and raw. it's amazing!
as a lover of this resin, I'm considering breaking my no back-ups rule for this stunner.

[puck_nc]

Origin: Straight from the Lab

 

Initial Thoughts: Benzoin is the one member of the incense/musk/amber/patch conglomerate that doesn't seem to amp hugely on me. White frankincense is less likely to amp hugely than normal or dark. This may be the one opportunity for me to wear a pure incense-y scent without it dialing to 11.

 

Wet: Pure incense and resin, but yes, shining brilliantly somehow instead of being sultry or mysterious.

 

Wet: Very true to the bottle. Incense and resin that I can enjoy, because I'm not worrying about another beloved note being swallowed up.

 

Drydown: I agree with annemathematics - this does develop an earthy aspect. It's still light, but maybe not as gleaming as before. It's staying fairly close to the skin.

 

Verdict: If you love frankincense, but have felt you couldn't wear it much because of its strength, give this a try. This could be work-appropriate.

[sarandipitee]

Jebus, this is awesome. I love frank and this does not disappoint. Sometimes the most simple blends are the most brilliant. If you're a fan of these notes, buy a bottle. I'm so happy with this one.

[Dark Alice]

The frankincense is gorgeous. But the benzoin smells almost like mild menthol with the barest hints of vanilla. This is light and unobtrusive. I will keep it in the dark for a month to see how it ages.

[Little Bird]

The Contrast is a pleasant, light, golden frankincense scent. It only lasts about two hours on my skin, and is just a sheer, golden, pretty resin. Simple and calming. Lightly sweet.

[tziporra]

I bought this because I recently ran out of Hope and Fear Set Free and I was hoping this would be close. It's much better. The vanilla infused benzoin is a stronger balance against the piney frank here, so it doesn't run away with the show like in HAFSF. There are almost floral undertones to the scent here, and it's nice and sweet and golden. Just lovely, so happy with it.

 

Tzi

[Aviatrix]

This is just lovely!

It reminds me of similar scents like Hope and Fear Set Free or Hesiod's Phoenix. If you like those, you will love this too. On the other hand, it is quite similar, so if you already have those, you might not need this one as well.

[LizziesLuck]

I was lucky enough to get to test this at a Meet N' Sniff, and I remember loving it, but it was gone in minutes. I was slathered in other things though that it was a hard to get a good read or know if it would disappear so quickly under normal circumstances.

 

Now I've been luck enough to receive a frimp of this in a swap, so I am testing it again and hoping it lasts a bit longer!

 

 

Wet: The Frank and benzoin blend seamlessly together. This is bright, sweet and rich. Almost sparkling, in that way that Frank has sometimes. I love both of these notes, so it's really no surprise that I love this. But it does seem to get a little fainter every time I sniff my arm.

 

Dry: It doesn't quite disappear. And what is lingering is lovely. But it's just not strong enough for me to justify hunting down a bottle, when I feel like I would have to reapply every hour.

[sunlitgarden]

I really like this one. In the decant, it's a mix of spicy and sweet with the frankincense and vanilla/benzoin.

As it dries, this is reminding me almost of a cookie-type smell with the vanilla and spiciness, but the frankincense keeps it from being *too* foody. It's making me think of a chewy caramel, but more the overall texture of it rather than the actual taste, if that makes any sense at all. Sticky resin pieces!

Of the decants I've skin tested so far this is the first that's been a bottle contender. Unfortunately, this does fade pretty quickly, but it's lovely while it lasts.

[d0gbones]

In the bottle: sweeet sweet benzoin.

 

Wet: Frankincense is coming out along with the the sliiiightest hint of vanilla.

 

Dry: a light, sugary frankincense. I wish it was stronger, but scent wise this is everything I was hoping for. The spiciness from the frankincense is almost cinnamony, but there's not a hint of foodiness from the vanilla - yay! I can barely pick it out at all, it seems to just merge with the benzoi and add sweetness rather than a specific vanilla note.

Edited April 19, 2016 by d0gbones

[zankoku_zen]

The Contrast! Honestly, I shouldn't love this so much. It smells like a cleaner version of Narkissos to me except resinous. Bright, sweet, and it oddly makes me also think of aged Belle Epoque.

 

Will have to try this a little more, but this may be a winner for me.

[theseagrows]

this is definitely gleaming, and i get a bit of pencil shavings like i usually do from bpal's frankincense note, but it's a bit softer this time. i see the similarity with hope and fear set free but this is a bit subtler, i think, and the vanilla is less pronounced in this.

Edited August 7, 2016 by theseagrows

[Mermaid-on-Land]

I got The Contrast as a free tester with a forum purchase. Uh oh, fingers crossed I don't fall in love here and end up getting pulled into the luper blends. I'm already in over my head here just with GC lol. Ok so this is a very thick oil. On first application, it's smoky sharp, thin and dusty, with an underlying sweetness. I like this so far, darn it. Eventually the sweetness morphs into a strongly bubblegum scent. Then it kind of shifts back and forth between the two in a tug of war. The vanilla is mostly for me adding sweetness without being really apparent. It's also the first time I've tried a scent with benzoin so I'm not too familiar with that note. After a couple hours, the bubblegum has faded and it's mostly resinous sweet. Not as fond of the bubblegum as that initial sweet smoky dustiness but I still overall like this. I kinda see why it's 'contrast' lol, they're two pretty different ends of the spectrum. I quite like it but I'm not obsessed with it, won't need to frantically hunt down a bottle. I enjoyed my tester tho. It was pretty strong close to the wrist but I didn't notice much throw from far away. It lasted at least 6 hours. As a side note, I think it might be a chemistry thing for me because no other reviews mention bubblegum.

[Jenjin]

Blind Bottle Purchase from the Lab on a quest for a crystalline frankincense option.

IN THE BOTTLE:

Oh dear-I don't have anything like this! Pure, bright and shining resinous frankincense with a kind of "amber" fog.

WET:

Softly sweet frankincense, along with a spiciness (benzoin) and slight vanilla backnote.

DRY:

Uh....I love this. It's so pretty and spicysoft. I know there's no carnation in it, but I'm getting a similar "spice" note. I'm smashing my face into a bunch of dewy carnations. I can also detect a controlled sweetness that takes the beauty of this into the stratosphere. Gorgeous!

NOTES:

I am awe struck by the Luper update this year. The Contrast has become a treasure for me. The balance between the frank, benzoin and vanilla is perfect and transforms a simple compound into a sparkling diamond. The Contrast is one of my favorites from this year and I'm so glad I have a bottle.

RATING:

9.5

Edited May 22, 2016 by Jenjin

[theredkilt]

the vanilla infused benzoin smells is the star here. it gives off this toasted vibe and i swear i could detect the slightest hint of patchouli. It's light and very suitable for early october days.

[doomsday_disco]

I was interested in this when it was available, but I think I talked myself out of it because I already had Hope and Fear Set Free for a frankincense and vanilla blend.

The white frankincense is the most prominent note on me, but the vanilla-infused benzoin gains strength over time. It's a light, vanilla-infused resin scent that is actually more like the vanilla oleoresin of the Trading Post's Bourbon Vanilla bath oil (which I am now out of) than Hope and Fear Set Free (which has stronger frank and vanilla notes).

I am so glad that I got a chance to try this one after all! I really like it and will definitely be hanging on to my decant.

[supreme_c0rt]

Simple and shining and warm. Fresh out of the bottle, the frank definitely leads the song, but once dry, the notes blend perfectly into a single chorus. 

 

Other reviewers mention fall, but this is a summer scent for me. I get an almost beachy, sun-warmed tanning oil vibe that I really like. Like, just back from the beach with a radiant glow, salt and sun and just the gentlest touch of vanilla to make the whole thing buttery and smooth. Completely gorgeous. My skin loves this and just melts right into it. It does fade rather quickly though. :\

[aquazoo]

Medicinal herb. dry, subtle, masculine.

[Lucchesa]

The Contrast, which was a frimp in a recent swap, starts out almost all frankincense on me, a soft spicy frankincense, lovely.  Gradually the vanilla benzoin comes into play.  This is very pleasant and perfectly unisex.  In the imp it's a very pale oil with globules of darker amber -- I wonder which is which.  It doesn't have great staying power on me but is very nice while it lasts.  So glad I got to try it!