Reviews of Let Me Play The Lion (2006)
by LesNez

A (severely) watered down Gucci PH. Is this house some sort of in-joke or what?

[Original submission date: 04 January 2007]

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. Essentially woody and dry, 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 but never develops that. If you are looking for a very subtle and restrained sandalwood, this would suit you. I was a bit disappointed, expecting something more dynamic and distinctive.

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.

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.

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.

There are a few ambivalent reviews here, however this ranks as the closest I have come to finding anything that might be deemed to be a 'holy grail'. Bone dry, this smells to me of dust, hot coals, incense and seared wood. Whilst sheer, this is one of the few fragrances that lasts a full day on my skin - very tenacious, just as you think you've lost it, you catch the trail again.

What I love about this one is its subtle, shifting quality. Not many fragrances are able to sustain that quality for the life of the scent like LMPTL does. It appeals to my Piscean water nature very much. It is like watching incense smoke curl lazily through a sunbeam as it wafts, disappears, and returns, the same notes in a new layering. It is haunting in its mysterious wooded incense quality. It touches your nose, tantalizes, then backs off. Yes, I wish it were stronger, but that might ruin the very character I love, so I'm content for it to be the way it is. I find it Zen-like, grounding yet rejuvinating. This is how one should construct a subtle incense, wood and spice fragrance - make it just like the nature you're trying to express.

lovely woody scent. dark, but not evil. almost, leathery. i enjoy this scent very much. :-)

Let me Play The Lion (LPTL - theres no way I am going to type that entire name again in this review) smells a lot like L'Artisan Fou D'Absinthe (FDA). I am guessing that the middle and basenotes are similar, with cedar replacing the absinthe heavy top of Fou D'Absinthe in LPTL.

Cedar is the first observable note, and is immediately followed by a not-so-roaring spicy sweet accord of spices and anise. Pine/Fir provide a tranquil frosty base to the spicy composition. Its not too hot, and its not too cold. It almost smells like a Moroccan spice market in winter (add some flacon loads of candied honey and sugar, and it would qualify as a Serge Lutens fragrance)

I think I prefer LPTL to FDA - while equally watery, it lacks the blackcurrant note which nearly ruined FDA for me. Its not intriguing enough for me to wear on a regular basis, and the name is too wordy and stupid for me to say it out loud in case I am complimented on it - for that reason alone, I might opt for FDA most of the times. Let This Be a Lesson for LesNez to Choose Less Doltish Names for its Fragrances (LTBLLCLDNF).

I can't imagine this on a woman- to my nose it's definitely masculine, but to each their own. The first thing I notice is the smell of freshly cut cedar. There's something slightly sweet in there...possibly anise? incense? The overall effect is dry, woody, and spicy. The composition is light, yet tenacious (long lasting), and even sensual. Let Me Play The Lion embodies everything I look for in a fragrance- masculine, elegant, sexy, versatile, natural, different...with good sillage and longevity.

Warm, woodsy, soft, and lightly spicy, this is the most traditionally masculine of the LesNez scents. It also has that same white musk / cashmere musk note that never fails to annoy the crap out of me. All-in-all it's just too indistinct for me to give it a thumbs-up. It's not so bad to deserve a thumbs-down, but it's not something I would ever buy. Again, like L'Antimatière, this reminds me of Krizia's Time Uomo, not so much in notes as in overall effect. In some way, all of these smell like they could have been one of Ellena's earlier attempts at "watery." I just don't like the style.

I'm going with those who think this is the best of the three. I love the dry, woody scent. Every now and then I get a whiff of balsa or wood under the woodburning tip. Spices, not too sweet. Lasts all day. But as much as I like it, I'm not sure it is full bottle worthy.

This is my favorite of the three...
The dusty/dry/sweet combo of this scent reminds me of Dzing! I just wish this one had more strength and longevity..

Very pleasant. Powdery, dusty. Is there orris here? Some spices, maybe cardamom or anise. Incense resin and vanilla. Resembles a mixture of hardwoods, dry like sawed lumber. Smells like a stroll through a furniture store. Needs to be much stronger.

Let Me Play the Lion is the warmest and spiciest of the LesNez trio. It opens with a burst of cayenne pepper – dry and warm, notes of burning cedar and dusty frankincense. It can be compared to other perfumes that contain cayenne pepper – Piment Brulant, Poivre Samarkand, etc. – only softer. My associations run between a dusty, temperamental desert lion, yet with a mane so soft you want to sniff it, to a secluded cabin in the forest where the fireplace is burning with fragrant cedar and I am meditating with frankincense incense…

An excellent richy, woody, spicy scent with no off notes - reminds me of Passage L'Enfer. My favorite of the three...I will enjoy wearing this in the Fall and Winter.