Death and Decay

i just went through the list of cons on this scent and i'm going to have to hard disagree with some of them. i think the strong indolic nature of this scent and the overpowering lily note is what truly makes the name of this fragrance so apt. some may liken it to Funeral Home by Demeter, and while i've not smelt it i'm ready to disagree. i first smelt this on a mid-afternoon in autumn, and i immediately saw an image in my mind's eye. (**let me preface this by saying that i'm not much of a daydreamer or an imaginer, so when i do receive some kind of imagery from a fragrance, i'll usually purchase it. that to me is a sign that the scent speaks to me.**) this smells exactly like a British park after autumn rain in the late afternoon or early evening, when it's starting to get dark. this is when the trees are starting to shed their leaves and become bare, and the litter is slowly beginning to break down and decompose. i get the scent of wet leaf litter, the slightest hint of that raw/ animalic(??) vibe from rotting plants, but also the sweet smell of decay that is often associated with decomposition. i'd say it's fairly melancholy because it clearly smells like something to do with death, yet it is beautiful to me in the way it is serene and comforting. it's definitely more outdoorsy than a funeral home. another possible comparison if we're going along the lines of funerals is a columbarium by the mountains. i think this is a palatable and wearable gothic scent for the lovers of all things dark and mellow. while Death and Decay itself isn't the darkest, heaviest scent out there, it's a fragrance that evoked a strange sort of peace and bittersweetness in me when i first smelt it. i've rarely liked a fragrance so much on the first sniff and i'm not even exaggerating LOL. i don't find it overpowering despite my usual aversion to many white flower forward fragrances (i have a vendetta against jasmine LOL), and i'd argue that the lilies in this perfume are quite delicate and almost intoxicating. on that note, i will say i don't get much powderiness from this fragrance. one last note: i have an old leather handbag that i thrifted and didn't bother deodourising because i'm a sucker for strange smells and quite like the animalic, smoky and slightly sweet notes i get from the smell of the old leather. i often wear that bag when i wear this fragrance to add more of an animalic feel to my overall scent profile for the day, and really play into the mournful, funereal feel of Death and Decay.

My dearest Death and Decay, what can I say! Another heavy-hitter from Lush. Purposefully lethargic, numb, indifferent. Complex and subjective. Hypnotically off-putting. Vampiress whispering to her soon-to-be victim, "come into my boudoir." Bountiful white lilies compete with other white florals: roses, ylang-ylang, jasmine, some of them fresh, but many withered with age, giving us a foreign sense of floral musk, the Decay. Mortician's cosmetic powder dusted liberally onto the corpse, illusions of cleanliness trying to mask the heart beneath: the Death, something damp, indole (the semi-sweet, dirty, rot kind), cream with no sweetness, wax, and cloves. The girlies who've roamed cemeteries during significant downpours or happened upon a shallow, poorly concealed grave would get it—the girls that don't get it, simply don't! If you don't care for the morbid or occult themes, if the name on the bottle unsettles you, if you only like your florals smelling fresh and vibrant, if you mainly enjoy upbeat and peppy, if you hate cloudy days, if you enjoy basic, this is not the fragrance for you. Smells like Bauhaus - Bela Lugosi's Dead: "The virginal brides file past his tomb Strewn with time's dead flowers Bereft in deathly bloom Alone in a darkened room The Count Bela Lugosi's dead..." Same potent and long-lasting Lush formula. Good for intimate settings (used in moderation, of course)—funerals or office settings alike. I have this in both the spray and solid, I find the solid has more of the creamy and spicy notes shining through. A gentle scent that does not command head-turns like most other perfumes, but instead suggests you to sniff till you are content. This got me the compliment "you smell very comforting, cozy," if only I could describe how their face twisted with confusion when I replied "Thank you! I'm wearing Death and Decay by Lush." This fragrance has had a haunting influence over me. Shivers up my spine after application, I am commanded to do my eyeshadow and eyeliner heavier, darker, my lips done with burgundy, deep browns, and black; I trail to my wardrobe and dawn only black or muted deep colors for the day, silver accessories. I am imbued with something gothic, something Victorian—I become a muse of Dark Romanticism. Entranced and soothed with Death and Decay's namesake reminder of the inevitable fate we face as mortal beings. And this fragrance has allowed me to make peace with it.

The name is meant to mislead you. The nose behind this fragrance wanted to create something "surprisingly pleasant when you're expecting something awful". If you smelled this I think you'll agree that's exactly what he managed to do. This is honestly not only one of Lush's best but one of the best perfumes I've ever smelled, hands down. I think this perfume is a work of genius. The way that it evolves is so interesting to me. It's one of those rare ones where I love it for every single second of its life. It's a floral through and through but changes so much more than you would expect. The opening is like a fizzy, bubbling, fermenting floral bouquet from which the jasmine distinguishes itself more and more as it progresses into the core. During that time when the jasmine is at the forefront, it's really similar to Lush's Lust (basically pure jasmine). If you aren't familiar with the way Lush does jasmine, it's like chemical and plastic yet addictive and intoxicating. As the jasmine dies down, it turns into such a beautiful, delicate white floral. That's what you're left with except as it dries down, it turns creamier and creamier and the end result is so comforting. The drydown is really similar to Lush's Ghost (or Lush's Sultana of Soap in terms of creaminess). I only picked up a bottle this summer so I didn't get a chance to smell it in cold weather yet but so far, I've found that I like it much more on humid days. It projects well, it has decent staying power, it was recently made more expensive but it's worth the price. (This review is for the version they came out with for the black label perfumes they only sell in big bottles, I've heard that this is slightly different from older versions in that it's more soapy but it's the only version I've ever tried so I wouldn't know.)

Very indolic white lilies and jazmine. Reminds me of my beloved Jazmín en Crema by Vizcántar, with its oily, very indolic bottom. Also reminds me of some vintage floral scents by Myrurgia. It's powdery, comforting, soooo vintage and intoxicating. Only for people who appreciate some dirt and indole in their fumes, not a clean, innocent or youthful floral. It goes rather strong at first but does not last long in my skin,only about two or three hours and it becomes a skin scent, like an expensive floral soap. I find this elegant and propper for a spring day, does not smell of funerals to me perhaps for the different cultural background (in my country the funeral flowers are chrysanthemums and carnations while lilies are more liturgical). It has a certain melancholic quality anyway. Love the packaging, sooooo much reminds me of a potion out of Harry Potter books, more so as it's mainly a lily powerhouse. This could have easily been one of Severus Snape's concoctions dedicated to the memory of his beloved Lily Evans. I'm not ashamed to admit I bought it for the Harry Potter connection and the lovely packaging. A bit too expensive, won't repurchase as Jazmín en Crema de Vizcántar and Nebras by Al Rehab satisfy my taste for white florals at a much lower price and last much longer on my skin.

A gorgeous, delectably soapy, spiced & silken, moist & musky lily. This scent is in the same vein as The Body Shop's original White Musk oil (which I love), only cooler/crisper/more biting in character, with less notes & boasting a dominant, all-encompassing focus on the lily. Striking shades of Donna Karan's Gold are also apparent here, but I find that rather sickly sweet, too strong and too dry for my taste. I smell no lily of the valley here. (Appreciate & agree with Calvini's review.) Powdery, but not overly "tonka bean style" dry. Soapy, though not overtly aldehydic. Creamy, yet not overly vanillic. The solid is a touch spicier than the liquid version. I was actually put in mind of a good korma the first time I smelled the solid. (Please don't let that put you off!) This is one of those scents that I've often applied before bed. A classic, ladylike scent, I assume is intended for evening wear. I often find myself opening the bottle to take a sly sniff of the dropper rather than to apply to my skin. I adore LUSH's Death & Decay & hope it remains available indefinitely. (Though I'm upset by the price hike....) Skin close, initially with soft to arm's length projection. Subtle but lasting.