Le Bain de Lulu

I will admit that I wrote this brand off when I received a sampling of their collection. That is my fault and I wish I would not do that because I often am wrong. This is not for everybody. The entire collection is not for everybody. However! Around this time of year in Northern California up until after Halloween, this fragrance and everything else in their Collection is masterful. This is not for Christmas and this is not for Easter. It's not for spring time and it's not for church. But this fragrance simply cannot get any better if you are looking for something spooky or something eerie for the early fall season. Where the air is soft and cool. Perhaps a chill. This entire collection are for moments like that. This fragrance in particular is the softest of the set. Little bit sweet. Perhaps you are having a good day while walking the cemetery at night. Something very mysterious is going on. Perhaps the connection comes from the violet. Violet was typically used in the Victorian era during times of mourning. Your entire garment is black, but there is still a gentleness in the air. Every fragrance from this brand is pure emotion rather than picking out specific notes. I'm so happy I gave this brand a second chance. For those of you out there who are like me and have a hard time finding fragrances for the holiday season that are truly spooky, this and the others are for you. I'm actually starting a collection of spooky fragrances that are authentically spooky and not Bath and Body works spooky. If you're interested in that list please let me know and I will share it!

This scent may be the solution to a problem I've been having. I live somewhere that temperatures are close to or above 100 degrees for around half the year. Not wildly enjoyable to begin with, but my taste in perfume runs heavy, spicy, and incense-forward. Not scents that are generally considered appropriate for hot summer days. But I'm not enthused about most freshies, blues, or citrus. Enter Le Bain de Lulu. It smells clean and fresh, but there's still something anachronistic and sultry about it. This is like a luxurious bubble bath you can take with you. It works really well in the heat. I get the violet, orange, and cardamom the strongest. I would say the vibe is... can-can girl in fin de siècle Paris taking her weekly bath.

I too was ready to write off the house until I tried Lulu, the last one of the samples. But how lovely and enjoyable this one is. Powdery violet and cardamom.

This opens up all clean and soapy, which makes perfect sense, as the name translates to "Lulu's Bath." Sprayed on a tester strip, Le Bain de Lulu opens with a tiny bit of cardamom, but sadly it's nowhere to be found on my skin. Instead, the orange is more prominent (and long-lasting). It's a bit like drinking a glass of freshly squeezed juice while lounging in a tub filled with rosewater-tinged bubble bath. There's a mild sweetness in the background, but not what I typically think of as caramel, and a fluff of powder. Much later in the drydown the scent becomes more woody. Overall, it's lovely stuff.