Let Me Play The Lion (2006)
by LesNez

Pencil shaving incense! Dry, austere and minimalistic. An harsh woody (cedar) / incensey opening turning into a sandalwood dyrdown. Simple but compelling. Something that you'll love if you're into Comme Des Garcons kind of fragrances. I do.

20th May, 2011.

I must admit I was caught by the name! I imagined a perfume that would have suited someone who sometimes asks their fellows to believe they can be roaring, daring, wild, even cruel like a lion, but everybody knows that they’re much more akin to a big, lazy cat dozing off on the sofa… The actual perfume didn’t disappoint my expectations: it definitely is a funny and playful fragrance, pretending to be serious, and a bit scary at the beginning, only to evolve into a very reassuring and woody warm skin scent.
It starts with pungent seeds and spices- aniseed, a faintly sweaty cumin, black pepper that give vigorous support to a spiky, stern cedar. Then, a deliciously bitter and slightly fizzy, medicinal note that I ascribe to myrrh, and a fleeting but powerful burning encense emerge, giving air and light to the fragrance. In the drydown, the woods placidly hold the scene: a by now tamed, dry cedar and a powdery, sawdusty sandalwood, softened and smoothed by the sweet facets of the spices. The fragrance has quite a good longevity on skin and affinity with fabrics, to make you feel envelopped in a dry, dusty golden cloud, like a plush lion’s mane.

1st December, 2010. (Last Edited: 15th February, 2011.)

Incense, sandalwood
This is a simple, minimalist scent. It has a dusty, dusky sandalwood which gets some notes from its usual neighbor (cedar) and other notes from a slightly sweet, aromatic incense. The incense is restrained and I only noted it upon a second application. Essentially a woody and dry scent, it is also somewhat delicate, sitting close to the skin. The sandalwood hints at creamy vanilla but never goes there. It also whispers a kind of salty tang . If you are looking for a very subtle and restrained sandalwood, this would suit you. (revised)

6th May, 2009. (Last Edited: 30th December, 2010.)

With just a touch of rough, scratchy vetiver this is a very sexy scent. I gave someone special a decant, and it's always a delight to come across. If it gets used up I'll be tempted to buy a bottle.

6th March, 2009.

Another failure from this company. Completely boring blend of watery iris root, light woods and musk. Subtle incense lurks far way in the horizon.

I like the concept and the image (great bottles, stories behind the scents etc.) of this company, but to be honest, all of their fragrances are totally pointless. I cannot understand how anyone would like to spend 75 dollars in any of them. It really goes over my head.

11th November, 2008.

I was reminded of Gucci pour Homme immediately. I love Gucci pour Homme and a kinda like this. 'Kinda' in the reluctant sort of way that it's teetering on the edge of "must buy" or "wait this isn't so good". This stuff is dry like sarcasm and dusty like sawdust, yeah that's a fairly abstract description: sarcastic sawdust. Sensitive noses beware at it might extrapolate your allergies into an expansive sneezing fit. I find this to surprisingly long lasting and the fragrance on the card I put some on and threw in the trash keeps seeping out and I get whiffs of it.

27th July, 2008.