L’Idole

[absinthetics]

Golden amber, juniper berry, white sage, leather, cardamom, and black pepper.

I'm still waiting for this scent to dry down and hoping the golden amber is a bit more prominent however for the most part this is a heavy juniper berry blend. The leather and black pepper make it an equally dark scent. I can't really discern white sage at this point but I think it blends in with the juniper berry in a fascinating way.

[gloame]

All juniper all day. Since I'm on a juniper blend streak, I'll compare it:

 

Theoi Nomioi: is softer, more cedar, more amber

Thanatopsis: is greener, chewier, more juniper

Arkham: is sweeter and greener

 

This reminds me of a log cabin in the springtime. It's sharp and brighter than I expected for a juniper scent. I know there's supposed to be amber in here, and usually I can pick out amber a mile away, but I'm not getting any on my skin. I also can usually pick out leather a mile away, and none of that either. I'm honestly kind of disappointed. :/ I was hoping for something that would remind me of my first Lab favorite, Arkham, but newp.

 

Low throw, medium wear.

 

Not a favorite, but it's nice in its own way.

[Lunasariel]

In the imp: Straight from the mail, a big, sharp, astringent blast of juniper. Now that it's had some time to settle, it's still juniper, but a mellower, softer juniper - it feels "blunted" by an omnidirectional mixture of herbs, and maybe a touch of leather.

 

Wet: After a big ZING! of almost-entirely-juniper greenness, my old friend sage and something spicy and almost resinous that's probably the cardamom come out - certainly not overpowering the juniper (at least not at first), but at least as definite accents. I also want to say there's amber and/or leather at the base, providing a warm sweetness to contrast with the sharp, cool greenness of the herbs. It's not terribly obtrusive, but this is a much deeper and more well-rounded scent than it would be without them. I'm getting the feeling of a long, warm leather jacket worn on a trek through a green and living forest.

 

Dry: Surprisingly enough, the juniper burns off entirely, leaving a very amber-forward scent, although an herbal-leather blend is also notable. Right now it's warm and cuddly, perfect for a cold rainy day like today, but from sniffing it ITI, I would have no idea it would wind up like this! I love amber, leather, and this particular stripe of herbal-ness (the sage is green and wonderful, while the cardamom is aromatic, resinous, and slightly spicy), so I'm 100% pleased with how this turned out, but I imagine I would be a bit disappointed if I was looking for all juniper, all the time.

[LizziesLuck]

I feel like there's a lot of juniper in this update. I feel like I mostly ignored it's presence, and got stuff that contains it anyway, knowing that it'll likely smell like someone spilled gin on me.....*sigh*. This other notes are great though.

 

 

 

Wet: Yep, all juniper/gin, all day. Where's the amber, leather and cardamom that I bought this for??? This is not pleasant on me. It now smells like peppery gin and thanksgiving stuffing (the sage, I guess). WHY??

 

 

Dry: Thankfully the juniper fades almost totally away, making room for the cardamom to shine. Nose to skin, I get a mostly non-descript, sweet amberish scent. But the throw is almost all cardamom, and it's really nice. I think this will require a second test. Currently, I like it but it's not wowing me, or compelling me to put a bottle in my cart.

[sqwook]

This is so pretty, and also so changing!!!

When it is more wet, it is so outdoorsy and great, with the brisk juniper-berry and maybe the sage note making it natural, like being in brisk air in a pinyon - juniper biozone, underlaid by a beautiful tinge of sweetness from probably the amber (which could remind you of the vanilla-caramel scent of ponderosa bark if you try hard enough.) I can't really pick out leather, cardamom, or black pepper -- not that they are not there, just that they do not overpower and it is all expertly blended together in a beautfiul way.

 

When it is more dry, it loses its brightness, and all the juniper and sage notes fade to the very background. It is now very soft, not zingy, no juniper. And it's such a complex blend that not one particular thing overpowers. It dries down to almost smell like outdoorsy sweetgrass lingering in the air. !!!

It reminds me of something, but, what? Maybe Coyote with amber instead of musk? Or Antony or Titus Andronicus? or Miss Lupescu? Gosh, I think it reminds me of Miss Lupescu, and what a beauty that is.

 

ETA three hours later: And now it's a gorgeous amber spice!

Edited March 30, 2017 by sqwook

[VetchVesper]

Juniper is a death note of mine, and hence, I never would have picked this one up, even though the other notes look promising. Luckily, perks of decanting, I got to try it out. I'm surprised to find, the juniper behaves itself!

 

L'Idole is intriguing in the bottle, an unusual blend of notes that's some how spicy, metallic, earthy, and foresty all at once. I think the black pepper is keeping the juniper's pine soliness in check.

 

On my skin, the sage (love) and juniper (hate) blend to create a soft, cool foresty smell. The amber is also very prominent, putting one toe into baby powder territory, but then stepping back firmly onto the side of rich, ambery goodness. I don't get any leather on the skin, nor obvious cardamom, though it might be adding to the coolness. Eventually, L'Idole pretty much becomes amber on my skin. It's a nice journey though.

 

I think this could be really fabulous and unusual on the right chemistry. On me it's pleasant, but not bottle worthy. I might have to experiment on the hubs though.

[zankoku_zen]

Overlay of juniper over leather, sage, and black pepper. In some ways, this should have played out like Le Vice Supreme, but instead its a much more potent leather/sage blend. The sage softens up the chemicalness of the leather, and I get a softer herby leather, with black pepper offering some spicy overthrow. Medium throw, good wear length.

[Lucchesa]

If you're looking for a unisex amber blend, L'Idole might fit the bill nicely. On me L'Idole is primarily an amber and juniper scent, with a little sage thrown in. I don't get much leather, just a whisper of cardamom, and I nearly never perceive the Lab's pepper note. This is more forest than gin joint, and it dries down into a very soft, cuddly scent, warm amber balancing cool juniper . Very nice!