Lilacs Along the Winding Drive

Does an amazing job at capturing that wet stone smell. The lilac/violet is strong and powdery, but I like it. A unique floral scent.

The lilac here isn’t airy, but dense and vivid. I feel it as a heavy bouquet thrown over my shoulder, the lilac clusters brushing my cheek. There is also a lot of violet-tinged cosmetic powder, faintly retro, as if lifted from an old-fashioned powder compact. This is a fantasy of lilac. The bottle shows a painting by Serov, and the image feels exactly right: a wooden country house, hot air, and a lilac bush before an open window, so lavish its branches almost rest on the sill. The whole room seems steeped in its scent. Despite the aquatic notes listed, I don’t get the watercolor transparency of En Passant. On my skin, Lilacs Along the Winding Drive feels very powdery and dense. It smells more like Lilac Love by Amouage with all the gourmand facets stripped away, while the lilac and powder take over completely

This is a really interesting scent. I was looking for a lilac scent and while the lilac is there, the violet is a bit stronger which is fine, I like violet too. This smells like wet lilacs and violets after the rain. It reminds me of growing up in Washington state where we always had lilac bushes and lots of rain This isn't mass appealing. It's powdery and a bit mature. It also doesn't last on my skin for more than two hours which is disappointing but I still enjoy the fragrance.

A soft, powdery white-purple floral smell. It successfully evokes the image of a freshly rained upon violet & lilac meadow, though without the power of suggestion might trend more toward gently scented baby powder. Strong scent bubble draws in closer over 3-4hr, longevity 8-10hr. Certainly an imaginative note breakdown. I'm not really smelling any gravel or pavement, rust or wood. Maybe some sort of woods in the base.

at first i get a lot of lilac with a hint of the water notes, kind of like a clear musk. it softens the lilac a bit. later on i get the pebble aspect and violets and the scent changes a bit. i swear i get some other florals later and it smells like an 80s powerhouse scent. maybe lily or narcissus with ambery notes? it changes a lot over time.

Alkemia scents seem to always have a very powdery first note that I'm not a fan of. The powder eventually fades and leaves a very nice soft, almost wet floral that lingers. It sticks very close to the skin but lasts for a good amount of time.

first scent kinda reminds me of a dentist office for some reason, like some sort of air spray they would spritz in order for it not to feel as sterile and cold. its not dusty or grandma esque like i was initially expecting. im also gonna state that i dont know what lilacs actually smell like, so i dont know how accurate this rendition of lilac is. its been sitting for like 10 minutes now and the flowery scent has kinda settled into something powdery? its not overwhelming or anything, and im not getting any scent of rain or petrichor either. not a kind of scent i can see myself reaching for, but its still pleasant nonetheless. personally if i wanted a floral perfume i would reach for come to me by alkemia

EXTREMELY strange scent. I don't hate it, but it smells... Odd. My partner and I can't seem to get the scent of (very clean, granted) fairground port-a-potties out of our noses when we smell this one. It reminds one of the disinfectant they use to keep them from stinking. On the drydown it starts to err more towards a baby wipe on me, and if I leave it long enough it starts to get a very strange cumin sort of note which HAS to be the metallic notes of the swing or something related to the dusty pebbles (listed on the website) coming through in an odd way... It fascinates me, but not necessarily in a good way.

It has that weird sweet minty undertone that a lot of the non-gourmand Alkemia scents have. It's not bad at all, but not great. dark_knightaura nailed it with "dentist office," reminds me of a floral room spray, toothpaste, latex gloves over your nose, and floss. Again not bad, but not what I was looking for. I think this is great floral for winter and early spring; I'm surprised so many people picked spring and summer...maybe just because it's a floral? It smells cold and rainy, for sure.

I thought I liked powder but this is so powdery that I am almost suffocated. Smells old, and expensive, but still old. And dusty. A bit 80's power house as well. Om me this is to cloying.

I have to say Alkemia is a delightful house. I enjoy numerous creations from them, just not this particular one. Nicely blended, and nothing to be ashamed of, but not a LILAC scent to my nose. No criticism of the talented perfumer, as I know individual perceptions vary. I'm just so pleased I was generously gifted a wee decant! The scent itself reminds me of a 'wisteria lilac' soap - with more wisteria than lilac. The aquatic wisteria (on me, sour) note might be meant to symbolize those wet stones along the winding lilac drive? But it's not a rain scent particularly. To be fair, my skin creates the ugly tone. Straight from the decant it smells pretty and floral. Perhaps expectations from the name are to blame! :) To sum up: a pleasing aquatic floral. Alkemia is - as always - a wonderful house, with wonderful oils.

If anyone is looking for a realistic lilac: French Lilac by Pacifica. $10 per 30 ml in USA as of March 2019 (check USA department store Target). I would pay hundreds for it. I know how real lilac smell. It is the most realistic lilac on the market. Took me 10 years to find it.

Super powdery old lady vibes. Not into it.