Lights, Camera, Something

[Seajewel]

A cloud of lavender, bourbon vanilla, and toasted cardamom.

[MuskWitch]

I haven't written a review in years.  Just received my bottle of this lovely scent.  

 

In the bottle, lavender, sweet vanilla, not much cardamom.

 

On my skin wet, mostly sweet vanilla, hoping the lavender will make itself known to tone down the sweetness.   Still a beautiful warm vanilla scent.  Will see how this dries down.  I like it, I am also hopeful it will be more.  

[doomsday_disco]

In the bottle, I get the cardamom, backed by the light bourbon vanilla and a bit of lavender.

 

On me, the cardamom is the first note I get as well, backed by the lavender (which is a little more noticeable on me than it was in the bottle) and some light vanilla. But then it quickly becomes mostly cardamom with the sheer bourbon vanilla note for the longest time. For those that have tried Perfectly Normal Childhood, this is the cardamom from that scent, but it is accompanied by less sweetness as there is no cake batter or marshmallow in this scent and the bourbon vanilla isn't a foodie one. Later in the day, this becomes more bourbon vanilla tinged with cardamom. There's a bit of lavender in the background, but it is very subtle on me.

 

I like cardamom, and I like the Lab's bourbon vanilla (and am glad it was present here as sometimes it doesn't show up on me!), so I think this is nice, but I was really hoping for more lavender from this one. It's still a keeper, but I hope the lavender will come out more after this has had more time to settle (I tested this after a day of rest).

[Seajewel]

It's an almost lemon-y vanilla with lavender and cardamom. It almost goes marshmallow on me, I think it will be a crowd pleaser! 

[wolf_truffles]

Pretty! All the notes twirling together in the spring sunshine. Cardamom is first; then the lavender and vanilla blend together and dance with the cardamom. Sweet but not gourmand. This is the first time trying the lavender note and I am surprised at its softness. Soft, but definitely present. I think this would be an easy choice for daily wear. Really beautiful! 
 

edit: after wearing it a full day I have to say it reminds me a lot of Dorian! A bit of a strong throw and the vanilla/lavender/lemon scent is very similar. Just a feminine version with cardamom thrown in! Think I need another bottle..

Edited October 29, 2021 by wolf_truffles

[Casablanca]

I get mostly toasted cardamom, dry and almost peppery at first; then it settles into something like Perfectly Normal Childhood's spice. 

 

I'm not getting much lavender, but the bourbon vanilla is a soft, mildly sweet presence. 

 

So this is mostly a dry PNC cardamom speckled over mellow bourbon vanilla. Pleasant... I would turn to my PNC bottle before this, but if you'd like that cardamom with less foodiness and sweetness, this could be an easy choice.

[Rayleigh]

Vividly realistic toasted cardamom sprinkled over a soft base of bourbon vanilla with just a breath of lavender. I also get something lemony here that reminds me of Dorian, though this is less sweet than Dorian on me thanks to the cardamom. Gentle, but long-lasting.

[dancingchair]

When I first got this, it smelled mostly like lemon and I was a bit worried because that wasn't what I was expecting at all. Now that it's rested a bit, it's a much more balanced scent. When you first apply Lights, Camera, Something, it opens with an energizing waft of lemon over a pillowy vanilla base. As it dries down, I do get a lovely fluffy cloud of lavender. The cardamom adds a nice toasty, spicy note that grounds the scent. It has great longevity, but by the end of the day I mostly only smell a hint of vanilla and the cardamom.

 

Even though I get quite a bit of lavender and the vanilla is so marshmallowy, I don't think it's a great sleep smell because the lemony note is so peppy. It's very well-suited for busy days, though!

[Lucchesa]

Lights, Camera, Something is lovely on me -- a lemony lavender with lots of cardamom and soft vanilla, which is not as foodie as it sounds like, even though, as usual, the lavender is fugitive on my skin.  It's comforting and uplifting and lasts a good long time. 

[rivetted]

oh my god it's amazing

 

lavender cardamom cookies. i swear i made lavender cookies that smelled just like this once. i adore it so much!!

[fairybites]

The lavender is pretty much in the background for me, but it smells kind of like candied lavender if that a thing? Or just a really sugary lavender. Mostly the bourbon vanilla and cardamom. 

 

It started off faint initially, but as it dried down it got stronger. It's pretty and soft, very comforting and would make a nice sleep scent.

[zankoku_zen]

Sweet vanilla lavender cardamom. Medium throw and wear length.

[Teamama]

This is my standout blend for this year's Liliths. It's the very best cardamom ever, and it's also somehow related to Paper Phoenix. How that works, I don't know. I definitely need a bottle.

[feyofthefellwood]

When I first got this, the lavender and cardamom combo was a bit astringent to me, but after aging a month, the vanilla has come out and softened all the edges. So lovely and comforting! I'm glad I gave this time to rest instead of writing it off. It's like the scent equivalent of a soft blanket. There's also a similarity to You Are Not Alone (but maybe that's just the wonderful Lilith lavender).

[starbrow]

Lemony lavender is very accurate, and the cardamom is poppin'. The vanilla is nice, but cardamom is not kind to me. I'm not sad to pass this little tester bottle along. 

[LavenderCoffee]

Not much new to contribute here, but it really is like a cloud - very soft and floofy. I thought the bourbon vanilla would be a bit more imposing, and although the cardamom is initially quite pronounced for me, it becomes a light, dreamy scent.  

[LdyKnight]

I really love this! It's all cardamom on me--I don't really get any vanilla, and I can't smell the lavender as its own thing at all, but I think it's there contributing to what I can only describe as the feel of really nice clean laundry. It somehow has the feel--not the smell at all, but the feel--of going to bed in sheets that just came off the clothesline--there's a sort of sunny smell to this scent that is really soothing and warm. The only downside for me is that it fades really fast. It's delightful.

[simpletwice]

This one has really grown on me. Initially I went "okay, lavender vanilla cardamom. Does what is says on the tin." Medium throw, average wear length. Pleasant, but predictable.

But ooh it's one of those ones that sneaks up on you, and a couple days later you're absolutely craving it. The vanilla keeps the lavender-cardamom from being too sharp and herbal, the cardamom keeps lavender-vanilla from being too childish, the lavender keeps the cardamom-vanilla from being too foodie. Sweet but haughty. I can easily see this becoming a signature scent.

[alyelle]

Not purchasing an entire bottle after sniffing my decant was the greatest self-control I've displayed all year.

 

In the imp: Cardamom and vanilla-infused lavender.

 

Wet: The cardamom turns vaguely lemony, which is odd, but thankfully never unpleasant as it's tempered by the mildest lavender and a sheer, glimmering vanilla.

 

Dry: Vanilla-smothered cardamom fading to a sweet, indefinable background spice. I'm so glad I took a chance on this one; I was worried the cardamom might be too foody or overpowering. On the contrary, it is wonderful in this blend; warm and homely. It makes me want to stuff myself with kanelbullar and curl up in a patch of sunlight somewhere. Medium tending mild throw, and the only downside I could find is its relatively short lifespan (4-6 hours on me).

 

Stars: ★★★★

[becca_s]

On first application this is all lavender on me, it's a very ethereal and realistic lavender. After a couple of minutes the vanilla blends with the lavender and reminds me a bit of TKO, then I can smell a hint of cardamom. After it settles the lavender, vanilla and cardamon blend together harmoniously to create a soft, dreamy blend. On me it is a subtle scent that hugs your skin. I like this one alot.

[MamaMoth]

lavender can be a problematic note for me, as oftentimes i find it too herbal, astringent, and domineering.  but i love this, and it works perfectly in this blend.  

the lavender is herbal, yes.  but lacking the astringent bite.  it's fluffed out by the vanilla, and warmed up by the cardamom.  both the lavender and the cardamom have a citrusy undertone where they mesh so gracefully.  the cardamom spice gives it a pleasantly warm, dry throw.  and YES, this IS related to paper phoenix!  especially when first applied, there's a sweet vanillic lavender/lemon/tea vibe to it, with cardamom standing in for pp's pepper. but as it settles in further, it morphs into something related to the vanilla husk, nutmeg, and hay trio, which i also love.  how it can be related to all those things is clearly some kind of sorcery.  but since i do indeed adore those things, this is a huge win for me, and i'm forced now to go on the hunt for this.

Edited June 2, 2022 by MamaMoth

[Incognito]

I think initially when I got this, I presumed it would be a bedtime scent, as most of what I call the "Lilith Lavenders" are for me. But the addition of the cardamom is so stunning in this, that I'm now not sure. It's gorgeous, I didn't know how the lavender and cardamom would work together, but they're stunning. So glad I got a bottle, even if I did wait over a year to remember to try it!