Shade

The wind ushers the aroma of woodsy, herby floral incense, rousing you out of your sleep underneath a largely comforting tree with ample shady branches. That's what this fragrance is like; unique, ethereal, transcendent. Like many Lush fragrances, it is an experience that transports you somewhere so specific and niche, simply sublime. I have this in the solid tin and the bottled perfume. Sensual sandalwood, frankincense and myrrh, freshly bloomed lavender that's still a tad green and fresh, subtle jasmine, or similar seductive floral to my nose⁠—definitely a fragrance for incense lovers. Very long-lasting yet intimate on the skin, darkly sweet and suggestive. An enigmatic unisex fragrance. This is what a mythical woodland temptress adorns themself with; they offer you a guiding hand through an enchanted forest. They glide effortlessly through the trees, while you stumble and falter, you lose sight of them in the shadowy bush, yet your feet instinctively follow this bewitching scent of theirs. You wound up in a clearing, a cabin illuminated from within by candlelight and outdoor lanterns, something enthralling is in the air. They turn to you, putting your hands in theirs⁠—it is electric, mysterious, yet familiar⁠—a smile on their face. What comes after is a mystery hidden within Shade. Darkly beautiful, very rare.

[Shade] ⚫️⚫️⚫️⚫️⚫️ Colour: Pearl, Ivory Texture: Velour, Silk, Skin For me, Shade is a beautiful wearing experience. It plays with your attention, coming in and out of your consciousness. Soft pulses of powder cast in and out by the most subtle of movements. It is a gorgeous aura. Shade is a nod to the classical fougere without the citric top. Lavender is present but it’s almost like Shade alludes to lavender without speaking it’s name, as the fragile perfume will completely fall apart if it is mentioned. The illusion is broken. It is a travesty that Lush have marketed this beauty with just two notes (Olibanum and Sandalwood) as this perfume has so much more to offer. The sandalwood isn’t stand out to me, it just softens the base and aids the coumarin in the dry down from becoming too sickly sweet. The Olibanum adds to the phenolic nature and pairs with the herbal aspects of lavender. In short, it’s bloody gorgeous and a release that will hopefully stick around for a while. Next on my agenda is ‘Sappho’, however I would only need the 30ml which they for some reason made unavailable soon after it’s initial release.

I love Lush, but I have always overlooked Shade - I tried it for the first time today, and it totally blew my mind. I love sandalwood but often find that where it's included in a perfume, it kind of floats in the background without being front and centre how I want it. This is such a delicious, creamy, slightly sweet sandalwood dream. It has a resin-y and almost incense-like quality to it. On a tester strip, this has survived a good 10 hours so far, and I was catching a whiff of it from my handbag for the following 5-6 hours that I was out. £25 for a bottle is incredibly good value, especially considering how long Lush perfumes typically last. I will absolutely purchase once I've used up some of my existing fragrances and can justify buying something new.

as someone else said, it's quite cozy. warm and slightly sweet but not cloying or too intense. it's extremely pleasant. Update 5/16/25: After having the solid version for a few months, I finally tried the liquid version in-store to see how it would sit on my skin. Very little difference between the two, although I find that the liquid is a bit more nuanced and the notes come through a bit more distinctly. I ended up purchasing the full-size bottle because I adore it so much. It doesn't project much but it lasts a long time on my skin. Can confirm what others are saying about the opening being harsh, but it dries down within a minute or two.

Bare skin & white fur. Bed linens warm from sleep. Delicately balanced between creaminess & cleanness, sweetness & freshness. Not the squeaky clean of soap, but the clean-sweet balminess of skin. The opening can feel astringent at first, but this warms quickly to a creamy, musky, ambery sandalwood. Never a scent I would have picked looking at it on paper, but the experience is addictive once you know what to expect. Memorable but subtle. Everything I wanted perfumes like Glossier You to be & got nothing but oily chemical vagueness. This feels languid & daring at once, purring but not too pretty. Simple & indescribable; cool, intuitive.