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.

Buxom, thriving, flourishing. Death and Decay is a fully realized, optimistic flower in the height of its beauty; a truly superb operatic aria. This lily is narcotic and mature, heavily laden with dark orange pollen and reeking with an indolic sap. A little spicy, like a hint of metallic clove accents this beauty. Any fuller and her petals would be falling and her pollen littering the stage with rust; right on the verge of decay. I am madly in love with this scent. I had sampled a few lilies recently in my quest for the perfect one. And here she is, thanks to a beautiful Fragrantican who gifted this to me. This is the perfume solid. I see chimidoro's observation below that this is spicier than the liquid perfume, so I'll be sticking to the solid because this scent is perfection. The texture also feels like waxy petals which adds to the experience. I think this lily-bomb will be fantastic for layering too. So pleased, I haven't been so unexpectedly seduced by a fragrance like this for a long time.

I have only used the solid version. Death and Decay is my favorite fragrance of all time - it's strong, floral, slightly powdery and peppery, dark, brooding, gothic. For me it's not quite giving funeral. It's walking past almost nauseatingly strong blooming flowers on a hot, humid late summer night. Flower bouquets on the bedside, quiet, still air, hot feverish skin as the inevitable approaches. There's a sense of doom, like knowing something bad is coming but accepting it and choosing to take it in with all senses since you can't avoid it. D&D is my signature scent and I only apply it on special occasions, as it's no longer available as solid and the liquid is for sale three countries away from me. I keep searching for something, anything that will scratch the same dark, gothic floral itch so I can move on from D&D but I've not smelled anything like it anywhere in any form. It's bewitched me. I'd say it feminine-leaning unisex, I myself am a goth man and it makes me feel powerful and confident.

I just received the liquid version of this beauty. I loved the solid so much that after spending some time with it, thought it worth the expenditure in hopes for extra projection and strength. And it delivers. How do the solid and liquid compare? The liquid is not as waxy/soapy from the container. It also has a bit of a boozy vibe to open, not like an inherent base alcohol blast, but like an intentional note of styrax or extra indole. It does settle down into virtually the same vibrant scent (see my first review a few boxes down), but with with more staying power and sillage. I just wish that the dropper was a spray instead as I like to apply diffusively instead of on a concentrated spot. Easily fixed with a transfer into an empty spray bottle, however this stuff is strong and one drop from the pipette does the trick, so I'll be spraying with caution or diluting with some perfumer's alcohol.

I'm torn about this fragrance. The first hour or so of wear is lovely, overripe lilies with a lot of powder, it smells very vintage without being "old lady"-ish. The overripe lily I feel can be polarizing, the note comes off very sweet and somewhat musky. However, I feel like you need to be careful while applying because this stuff is STRONG. Not only on skin, any fabric this touches will have the smell of Death and Decay for days, and this smell can easily can be overpowering, suffocating, and even nauseating in excess. After a few hours a note begins to appear that, to be blunt, smells like poop. Like, actual poop. When I first smelled this note I had no idea where it was coming from until I realized it was Death and Decay. TL;DR It smells like a powdery floral at first, then morphs into what can only be put as flowers and poop.

I love this scent. I'm talking the liquid version. I wonder why Fragrantica's note list tells that it has lily, powdery notes and spicy notes, and nothing else. You can go Lush's own page and see that it's listed ylang ylang oil, tonka absolute,rose oil, jasmine absolute, and indole. Also there's lily note ( not lily-of-the-valley) but I don't know if it's natural or not (go and look, maybe you understand better). This is really really beautiful floral perfume. Im going to add that in my collection as soon as possible. Edit, February 2018: I never thought that they would discontinue this beauty. Lush changed almost the whole collection, and I never got this. When I went finally to buy this, they said it doesn't exist anymore. I'm so disappointed...

Death and decay is a true winner. I did not realize this was such a polarizing fragrance! Death and Decay (as explained to me by a store rep in Tokyo, Japan) is not being interpreted correctly. It is meant to represent and highlight its main note of Lily of the Valley in all of its stages of life from vegetative, to floral, to full bloom and then into decay. The funeral flower (lily) is alive and well i assure you. This is a lush green floral, a beautiful and new idea that carves its way into my heart through its use of natural oils, its balanced and well blended composition and its polarizing affects on people. Namesake aside, this awesome fragrance is long lasting, stunning stuff. I'm enamored. I call it a winner in my book!

This is one of my favorite fragrances (as previously reviewed below) but it was only available for a limited time! Well, I just found that LUSH have brought it back! However, I'm quite sure that the ingredients are different. I have read previously that they have been adding water to scents which previously contained none, thus making their scents far weaker. It's also pretty pricey, coming in at £95 for 100ml, so if it is weaker that's not so grand. Good to see a bigger size being made available though! Looking forward to trying it and finding out if it's anything like the original version - which I own in the solid variant and the dropper/splash bottle variant. Heads up to fans of DEATH & DECAY - IT'S BAAAAAACK!

This is my funeral scent. I know it sounds a bit morbid, but it has been very therapeutic actually. Now, when I put it on I'm instantly put in a serene and somber mood. It helpes me realise what is going on. I put it on when I moved out of my moms house and when we put the family dog down. It has besome my scent for goodbyes. Its bittersweet and comforting at the same time. The image I get when I put it on is sitting in the pews at church, everyone in their own little world of grief. Notes playing on the organ, the sound of crying. I look up at the casket, flowers laid on top, an the sun falls through tall church windows. I realise this is as much a beginning as an ending. I genuinly love this scent.

I am not sure what indole smells like. This did not smell of death or dying flowers to me though. I guess indole is that strange background smell on the initial blast, that quickly turns into fresh cut spring flowers, very green with a hint of rose and tonka (almost marzipan like)in the background. The dry down smells very similar to the Mary Quant perfume in a tin from the 70's or indeed, Lush's own 1000 kisses. I like it but see it as a summer evening or formal occasion scent. No black goth outfits or sexy siren red, more floral wedding guest attire or slinky pastel number. Different from the norm and quite strong. You will get noticed!!

There is a strong, sharp, powdery pepper note that I don't think enough people are picking up on, and when I spray it on my neck, I sneeze almost every time. It's a very polarizing scent, and the lilies are dominant. My aunt said it felt like a funeral parlor. But to me, it smells like the Church hall on Pascha-- a little incence-ey. I get a lot of compliments on it, though and its projection is just over arms-length and leaves a very faint trail. More compliments on it from men than from women. A lot of men think it smells gourmand, specifically cinnamon, specifically specifically, "like a cookie".

Okay. This is just me being me, BUT, everytime I apply this from this little dropper applicator, and see the red and green label saying "Death and Decay" - I just get the strongest Harry Potter vibes. This is like the perfume I got from a shady perfumery in Knockturn Alley. This is a poison. This smells like strong white lilies and lily of the valley. This will make Severus Snape fall in love with me for sure. This is life. I almost apply this with a screeching laughter.... "Almost"

To me this is very nice and natural; it's fresh, clean/soapy & dirty/musky at the same time, and not really sweet (unlike most other well-known lily fragrances). It feels rather serene as opposed to anything rotten, which is the true message of this fragrance: Acceptance and peace with death. *BTW true lilies and lily of the valleys are actually quite different; they're both monocots but are in different order & family... This is not an interpretation of the latter

I think I might be in love...the first spray is pure, intoxicating lily. It's so floral and yet not feminine at all; it feels subdued, comforting, a little ghostly. This is what the beautiful, mysterious girl standing in the corner at the party is wearing. The scent is fairly linear but does become softer and creamier with time. To my nose there's no pepper at all. I think I'm going to be sneaking into and out of the sample section in Lush for a while.

Lush chose the most perfect name for this fragrance! A captivating lily scent that is so realistic, very much decaying. Seriously, there's a hint of something dying in this, like a corpse holding a fresh bouquet. Just a sprinkle of sweetness of rotting flesh, pardon for gruesome description. A little off-putting, maybe even gross to some people, but I'm intrigued. I think I'd love to get a bottle, but this is not an easy scent to pull off.

High vibrations in this scent, uplifting, crystalline and bright. I only get lilies and ylang, but blended to a singular, sharp, soapy, and medicinal effect. Because of the simplicity it blends well with other scents to brighten them. Particularly true with woodier and muskier things to get a lighter, more joyful and less labored feeling. I like it in the heat, it takes on a hint of fresh plastic pool floaties and copper tone sunscreen.