Lavender, White Clove & Ambrette Seed

[zankoku_zen]

No additional scent description provided.

[Threemoons]

I had some trepidation when I first got this because I'm not a huuuuge lavender fan, but I was intrigued by the sound of the blend.  In the bottle:  True herby, dry, hot lavender--not perfumey lavender but like a dry bunch of flowers and stems from the field.  On, wet:  Still getting that lavender, but there's another dry, hot note tempering everything.  Drydown:  Doesn't take long to settle in on me, interestingly enough the lavender fades into the background and I'm left with a sort of dry, woody scent--neither the clove nor the ambrette really separate out.  Very nice, and maybe a good intro to lavender blends for the wary.  Unfortunately the wear length is very short on me, and the throw is low.  I still like it but needed more re-applications than usual.

 

[Rayleigh]

I'm not familiar with either ambrette seed or white clove, and part of why I tried this was to see if I could isolate ambrette seed as a note -- and no, I still can't, but I think I get how it contributes to a blend, at least. This starts off sharp and medicinal. I can just barely pick up on ambrette seed as a kind of musky note? But it's not at all prominent. The lavender and clove clash for a while, and I was sure this was not only not going to work, but it was about to veer towards headache town. Then the two decide to get along. The clove is toasty and bright, and the lavender is a clean (not soapy) complement. Lavender is generally used as a calming scent, and clove is so energetic, and I am a big fan of dissonance in all art forms. I'm happy to hang onto my decant of this, though the wear time is shorter than I'm used to.

[zankoku_zen]

Clove lavender. My brain wants to both cuddle and smoke at the same time, which are two very conflicting messages. Perhaps you embrace this conflict. Or perhaps you are like me, and are too befuddled by the experience. Medium throw and wear length.

[doomsday_disco]

I thought this might be like Thought Photography but with clove instead of palo santo. Actually, it's a cousin of the discontinued GC Nanshe. The lavender in this is an herbal, dry lavender. It's not like the lavender in the Lilith scents. The white clove is prominent, but it isn't as bold as black clove, it isn't as spicy as Indonesian Clove SN, and of course, it doesn't have the sweetness of Sweet Clove SN. The best way I can think of describing it is to compare it to the difference between white pepper and black pepper. It's dry, spicy, and becomes somewhat woody over time. The ambrette seed, which can be musky, isn't discernable to my nose, unless it's contributing to the sour phase I get from this once it has been on for several hours.

 

I tested this once during the day and have applied it twice before going to bed, and I have to say it's one that I wouldn't recommend for daytime wear because of the type of lavender involved, and also because it did get a little weird later in the wear time. 

 

I grabbed a bottle because this is the closest thing I'll find to Nanshe and plan on wearing it to bed even though it doesn't have Nanshe's dream effect. Since I've been falling asleep before it morphs into the odd phase, I don't have even have to worry about that aspect of the scent.  I love Nanshe more, but if you're missing that one, you should give this one a try!

Edited October 1, 2020 by doomsday_disco

[puellacaerulea]

I wasn't sure what to expect from a lavender/clove combo, but this works! The lavender stands out the most in the decant -- herbaceous with a slightly spicy edge that lends itself really well to the clove. The ambrette seed is a background player, adding a faint muskiness to the scent. Overall, it's a warm, subtly spicy take on lavender. My skin eats it up fast, though -- this one was gone within two hours.

[artisjok]

Glad to get a chance to try this trip, as I really love the lavender/ambrette seed combo in Thought Photography. 
The lavender is real strong and herbal, definitely different from the lavender in Lilith blends (which tends to disappear on me). The muskiness of the ambrette does pair well with the lavender. I agree the clove does create some dissonance, like a sharp buzzing sound amongst more soothing tones. The lavender and clove become more compatible as they dry down, the clove outlasting it’s companion with a wisp of ambrette seed still peacefully holding space. 
 

I can see this being useful when one wants to catch the attention of a scattered brain, both harmonizing with it and soothing it simultaneously, hopefully to be more focused and together.  

[Lucchesa]

I quite like this one, and it lasts a little longer than lavender usually does on me, though that's not saying much.  The clove is gentler than what you'd find in your spice drawer, and the lavender is the more sharp herbal kind than the sweet sleepy kind, sort of the reverse of what you might expect from those two notes.  They play really nicely together once the initial sharpness of the lavender fades down, with the ambrette very quiet, adding perhaps a tinge of nutty musk.  This makes me think of a clean, bright apothecary shop.