Perfectly Normal Childhood

[zankoku_zen]

Sugar and spice and… an aluminum baseball bat. There was no context for her outfit, so there’s no context for this scent: spun sugar, vanilla marshmallows, cardamom, and cake batter.
 

[ellocentipede]

Ooh lots of sugar-sweetened fragrant, spicy cardamom! I get a hint of floofy cake in the background, but this is definitely a cardamom-forward blend. The cardamom tames a bit with wear and allows more of the marshmallow floof and cake to come through. It’s a warm and comforting gourmand blend that hugs the skin. 

[Casablanca]

Sugar-cardamom fairy!

 

Oodles of sugary, cake battery cardamom. And then, after a moment, floofs of vanilla marshmallows.

 

Very foodie. The cardamom takes this down one notch from Xtreme Gourmand.

 

Also, this is cozy. A dream scent for soft, enfolding winter blankets.

[Seajewel]

This is delicious. There's a slightly tangy aspect to this, maybe like a lemon meringue, but not a biting or sharp citrus note. It's just a tangy, yummy vanilla cake batter scent. 

Edited October 23, 2020 by Seajewel

[frizzlechicken]

Do you like Cardamom? Like...do you really, really like it? Then you simply must pick this up. I am a lover of the Card, so this was an insta-blind-buy for me. As expected, I love it. It is full of delicious Cardamom blasting you right up front. As it settles the cream and cake batter appear, blending beautifully. I absolutely love this. 

[zankoku_zen]

Cardamom scented cake batter with marshmallows. Did I mention the cardamom? And the cake batter? Yeah. Foodie, sweet, and full of cardamom. Great throw and wear length.

[doomsday_disco]

Perfectly Normal Childhood starts off heavy on the cardamom (the best kind of cardamom!) backed by some vanilla before becoming a predominantly marshmallow scent. The marshmallow smells realistic, like it is powdery on the outside. Behind that, I can smell some cake batter -- but I'm not getting any cotton candy.

 

I haven't deathmatched this with Pink Lovebird yet, but I will say these two are different enough to warrant having both if you already have Pink Lovebird, although I think I prefer this one! The decant is a keeper for sure, and this may be bottle-worthy (I've got to deathmatch it with some other cardamom scents in my collection before deciding as I think I have too many cardamom scents, though!).

 

ETA: I have now deathmatched this against Pink Lovebird, and I have to say that they are two very different scents. This one is far stronger on the cardamom, and Pink Lovebird smells very pink, with a much more subdued cardamom note. If I had to choose between the two, I'd choose this over Pink Lovebird for sure.

Edited November 30, 2020 by doomsday_disco

[melandie]

I'll go with others here that initially, cardamom is the star of the show. First whiff in the bottle, and on the skin, cardamom is right up front. It doesn't take long though, for a sweet vanilla cake batter to show up, with some marshmallow-y aspect in the background. A sweet, innocent, gorgeous foodie scent that ends up with the notes super well blended on the skin. It doesn't seem to have a lot of lasting power at the the moment, but I notice with a lot of my BPAL that gets stronger with age. 

[feyofthefellwood]

This is sugared cardamom and vanilla marshmallows; would definitely recommend to anyone who likes these notes! I love this combination, but it might be too close to Pink Lovebird, which I have a bottle of, to upgrade my decant. I'll have to compare them directly at some point. The floofy marshmallow is a really nice addition to this type of scent composition, though.

Edited November 10, 2020 by feyofthefellwood

[starryeyes]

Super sweet but a little more grown up.  The sugar is tempered by a more mature vanilla, and the spicy herbal cardamom skews a tad lavender (which might be my mind playing tricks on me since it IS  a Lilith, lol). Overall very lovely and warm.

[patina]

That is a lot of cake batter, though tempered by marshmallows (somehow I can tell the difference) and lots of dry cardamom. The cardamom does a good job of giving the scent weight but it also makes me sneeze.

[donkehpoo]

Wet: Cake batter, marshmallows, and cardamom. The marshmallows smell powdery!

 

Dry: This is a bit richer than the wet stage, but all notes are still there. The marshmallows are a little less potent (and a little less powdery) now, while the cake batter and cardamom are taking center stage. 

 

(Not identical notes, but IMO, this works out much better on me than Pink Lovebird did!)

[lookingglass]

Sniffing this I immediately smiled; my inner child absolutely loves it, and the sentiment is darling. I imagine this is what a spice cake scented My Little Pony might smell like. It reminds me of a more playful version of the beloved (Not So) Penitent (Mini) Mag; there's a crystaline sugary opening with a sepia tinged, slightly waxy drydown. It's a delicious gourmond, wearing close to the skin and sure to be a crowd pleaser. 

[fairybites]

Wet, it's pure cake batter and marshmallows. The cardamom doesn't appear for me until it's dry, but it's faint unlike the rest of the notes.

 

I didn't think I'd be a big fan of the cardamom with these notes, but I think it actually works out pretty well. It's foodie, but not as much as the rest of the Lilith's I have tried. I got this decanted into a rollerball, which I'm glad because I think this scent needs a little bit more oil than usual. I think this is a good balance between foodie and floral, so if you're a fan of both you'll probably enjoy this one.

[astarinel]

On wet, this is a vanilla marshmallow cupcake. Unlike the slightly richer "yellow cake" note in some of the cake scents, this is definitely a white cake, light and fluffy.

 

I'm surprised to see so many reviews noting the cardamom is strong! I found it very light on the spice, and I like cardamom so that was a little disappointing. This reminds me of both Pink Lovebird and My Little Grotesque, but I liked both of those scents better! The cardamom was more present and the scents felt a bit richer and more complex.

 

This is a nice foodie scent, and if you want fluffy vanilla marshmallow cupcakes it definitely delivers, but it's a little paler than I would like.

[roseus]

In the bottle this is all fluffy buttercream and white cake, sweet sweet sweet! On my skin the cardamom really comes out, I consider the smell sweet in itself but it also cuts the sugar sweetness. In the end it's like cardamom cake with vanilla buttercream frosting, with that wonderful fluffy marshmallow note like a halo around it. But, somehow not cloying. I think this is what heaven would smell like. 

[Kanra]

I always enjoy cardamom as a note, but the way the lab does cardamom is some of my favorites. I especially love cardamom in sweet blends (like in Pink Lovebird, one of my all time favorites!!) so when I saw this I knew I had to grab a bottle.

 

This is definitely a sweet, cakey, cardamom blend ala Pink Lovebird, but less pink and more fluffy white marshmallow. I love it. I love it so much!!! It's different enough than Pink Lovebird for me to justify both, but fans of it who are looking for a White (Extra Fluffy) Lovebird version should try this out. This is one of my favorite, favorite marshmallows I've tried from the lab, and in general --- and this is coming from a self proclaimed marshmallow enthusiast who has marshmallow in her top three notes. This is right up there in my marshmallow hall of fame with Stekkjarstaur. It's a very different take on marshmallow than Stekk, but it's up there in quality!

 

This is super floofy and fluffy, like sinking in a huge marshmallow cake. I adore it. I love it so much I'm wearing it twice in a row and it's going straight to my all time favorites list. This is my favorite of the 2020 Liliths I've tried.

Edited January 28, 2021 by Kanra

[Madame Mew]

This was my first Lilith launch. I’ve purchased bottles and decants, and oh man... I’m turning into a gourmand lover. This decant was so good that I sprung for another and I’m still contemplating a bottle. It’s fluffy, white, and oh so comforting. The cardamom is nice and grounding. I definitely prefer this over pink lovebird. Cake batter and cardamom lead the way, and as it dries you can smell marshmallows, right out of the bag. Yum. 
 

ETA: I finally pulled the trigger on a bottle. The staying power on this is insane and I love it. 

Edited March 13, 2021 by Madame Mew

[Jenjin]

Yuuuuuuuuum, smooshy, smashed up squishy marshmallows and warm, sugary cardamom cake, this gives me the coziness I crave. Just lovely, addictive even, like being in a warm, cakey sugar shack. Wonderfully delicious subtle cardamom spice, it smells edible, covering me with its wild floofy magic. It's perfect and comforting for lounging around the house, undercovers marshmallow cakesmashing noms. More than the sum of its parts, I can't stop thinking "My Little Grotesque", mixed with "Stekkjarstaur", two of my all time faves. 

[aoiphe]

I'm a spice fiend, but not a lover of the gourmands.  This is a big slap of cardamom, blindingly bright, toothsome and chewy (not dry or dusty). The foody notes are only playing a supporting role.  Ordering a backup bottle.

[tinyvulture]

Sweet clouds of vanilla and marshmallows. Just a pinch of cardamom, really nicely offsetting the sugar overload.  Reminds me of Peeps or Rice Krispie Treats. I probably need a bottle!

[LadyLuckless]

Ooooh yummy! A gorgeous, sweetly spiced vanilla cream. Light and fluffy, like whipped cream, with a citrus undertone like ginger sometimes has. Dreamy, delicious, relaxing and comforting. I’m so glad I swapped for this, I’ll be wearing this beauty a lot! 

[stwbrymlk]

Perfectly Normal Childhood is heavy on the cardamom and cake batter. The sugar is wispy and sweetens the fluffy, vanilla marshmallow scent. It smells a bit funny on me but it might be because I hate cardamom. As it's drying, it feels like the spice note is getting fainter and is more well blended into the scent of cake batter. This is a great gourmand for cardamom lovers but I was hoping it would be more sugar and cake!

[artisjok]

I’m getting a dry marshmallow cake scent slightly touched by cardamom. Cardamom fades quickly on me, much to my disappointment, and that’s definitely happening here.
I’m thinking it would be a good layering scent for when I want to make another more gourmand (patchouli sounds so good with marshmallow cake!), and doing so might extend the life of cardamom, too. 
 

I have a partial bottle of My Little Grotesque that I often open & sniff to improve my mood  (aromatherapy can be delicious!), so I’ll have to see if the marshmallow addition makes this worth keeping, as well. To wear, instead of just huff lol

[MamaMoth]

opens as gooey sticky vanilla cake batter with a potent cardamom that almost has a citrus twang. 

 

dries down to lightly cardamom-spiced dry white cake.

that almost-but-not-quite citrus something-or-other is still present, actually more noticeable as the cardamom spice burns off. (i think it's just the nature of cardamom, i've just never smelled it so clearly before.)  i really like this stage, and i've been craving a WHITE (not yellow) cake blend, which this definitely is.  but this stage doesn't last long on me.  after an hour or so i'm left with a faint spiced vanilla, and that's where it firmly stays.