Lieu De Rêves by Sonoma Scent Studio, 2009

On me, Lieu de Reves kicks off with bright, sparkly red cherry juice mixed with cinnamon candy and cloves, soon to be joined by a jammy rose/patchouli mixture, all over a rich base of buttery amber mixed with that suede note from Mitsouko or Royal English Leather. The interplay of the rich "oriental" heart and basenotes with the sparkling fruits calls to mind Arabie, but Lieu is content to be a clever fruity floral, so it lacks some of Arabie's depth (Arabie is a lot of things, but I don't think anyone would dare call it a fruity floral). Lieu is a nice one and I've enjoyed wearing it, but I can't help but be a little let down by the fruit-candy-meets-Christmas-candle vibe that runs throughout. But it earns a thumbs up by virtue of simply making me smile when I smell it.

Sonoma Scent Studio LIEU DE REVES opens beautifully with bright purple violet petals. Shortly thereafter, however, the burnt cedar note from WOOD VIOLET takes over this composition as well, making it much less floral than woody. The offending note is definitely less marked in this perfume, but I still don't find it appealingsomehow it reminds me of body odor or beef stew. This is therefore also a no-go for me. Could be a skin chemistry issueon ne sait jamais. In the end, it doesn't really matter: this one's not for me. Désolée.

I have four parrots, and each day they get two almonds as a treat. After they've eaten it I give them little beak kisses and we 'talk' for a bit.

Their sweet birdie breath smells just like almonds when they 'talk'. While i don't mind my parrots smelling like a sweet nut, i mind it very much when I do.

I don't like this note at all. I was getting downright impatient waiting for hte initial blast to move along, but it never does, and the scent just amplifies on me. I waited and waited to see if i could have something nice to say, but I just don't with this one. This is straight up pasty, powdery almond.

Sometimes when I ask my parrot to do something he doesn't want to do he says 'Nyuh! Nyuh!'

Well said, Bacio.

LIEU DE REVES or place of dreams.

Sparkling heliotrope, powdery violet and subtle rose define the floral character of this blend. Softly powdery and woodsy, the drydown has a certain wistful quality about it, evoking a leisurely morning stroll through the woods on a path strewn with leaves, discovering flowers in various stages of bloom along the way, breathing in the earthy dampness of iris and vetiver while basking in the warmth of cedars. Smells pretty much like Nature in all its splendour.

Moderate projection but very long lasting. Easily 10 hours on my skin.

Notes:
Heliotrope, violet, rose, jasmine, cedar, amber, vetiver, tonka, orris, vanilla, amber, musk, very soft aldehydes.