Lemon Sorbet (1989)
by Etro

A great disappointment after all of these positive reviews. True lemon scent, yes! But after ten minutes it was undetectable to my nose and to the noses of several other people - I always want to fairly rate a scent with not just my personal reaction. This disappeared more quickly than any other scent I have ever tried. I love Etro's VETIVER, although it too has no longetivity, but at least that lasts a few hours. The LEMON SORBET simply disappears on my skin. Three different applications at different times of day revealed no variance in its evaporation rate, so for me I cannot rate this as a positive experience. I am glad for others that this scent treats their noses and skins well.

I think of sorbets as intensely fruity and sweet. So I was surprised to find Etro's Lemon Sorbet to lack sweetness. However, I still think it is a good scent. On initial application there is a blast of fresh carrot, which diminishes quickly and the lemon shows through. I like the lemon because it doesn't have that "furniture polish" feel. Rather it is a bold, fresh unsweetened lemon, with a touch of earthiness in the background. With the heart an herbal character emerges, with rosemary dominating. Eventually vetiver comes through. All the while you can get a touch of the lemon. I get 6 decent hours out of this EdC. I like this one, but not enough to buy it.

Notes, per the Etro website are:

Top: Bergamot, Lemon, Orange, Petitgrain (Citrus)
Heart: Lavender, Rosemary (Spicy)
Base: Sandalwood, Vetiver (Woody)

Oooo, lemon. I like lemon. Sorbet suggests a tart and sweet style however it's more spicy due to a rosemary/basil type note. For a better fresh herbal citrus I recommend Eau Sauvage however this isn't totally passable. I recommend this to try at least once.

This is just my kind of citrus fragrance: lemony, zesty, dry, spicy with a hint of rosemary. As Racheal Ray would say on her TV show, “Yum-o!” The only thing that bothers me though about Lemon Sorbet is its woeful lack of sillage and the way it leaves my skin after 30-40 minutes. I just want to yell, “Hey, come back, Lemon Sorbet. I really liked you!”

Here are Lemon Sorbet's notes, as gleaned from various perfume websites: lemon, rosemary, vetiver, bergamot, orange, lavender.

Etro Lemon Sorbet is a *nice* lemony scent, without any sweetness or "tang." The rosemary makes it a nice, dry, aromatic EdC worth its 7 or 8 minute life-span. If it were longer lasting, I'd be looking at my scent for some future summer... but it doesn't stick around long enough to make an impression. Sigh.

I love how fragrances can run the gamut, from bloody melodramatic to stiffly austere. LS surely resides on Bare Bones Boulevard. It's wet note -- available only for one inhalation and even preceding its real top notes--comes close to a scent I've dreamed of finding: fresh carrot. It's cool, wet, slightly sweet and vegetal. With a second breath, the lemon and rosemary are kicking in, but I can't locate these notes more than a few millimeters away from the skin. A bitterness lasts for sheer minutes, and then the real fragrance is locked in, dry, reserved, and perfect for a professional environment--ideal for a modern architect like Frank Gehry. The only similar scent I've tried is Aromafit (d/c by Lancome), which was a dilute carrot and orange juice blend.

Lemon Sorbet, isn't as desserty as its name implies, and its lack of sillage and longevity are the reason most aren't investing in a bottle. I, too, don't find this even quite decant worthy. It's clearly test worthy. Additionally, given a recent queasiness with smells, it's one of the few scents that I can wear with impunity.