Lost Cause

Lost Cause is one of my favorite Phlur perfumes, and I’m heartbroken it’s being discontinued. From the first spray, it was love at first sniff, bright green, fresh, and citrusy in a way that feels vibrant yet gently damp, like a garden after a soft spring rain. It’s completely unisex, maybe slightly leaning masculine, but truly wearable by anyone. While not overpowering, it has a confident presence that’s noticeable without being offensive. Its real magic, though, is in the dry down: a soft, creamy woodiness that stays green, soothing, and just a little earthy, maybe like milk tea steeped in herbs never sweet but serene. It’s perfect for the office, a quiet spring or summer day, or just feeling at peace in my own skin.

I really like this, mostly because it is a good, solid, easy-to-wear scent. It doesn't have anything about it that's too cloying, and if I'm running late and don't have time to choose something, this is a good default. It's a little green right off the top, but by the time I get to work it dries down to a nice, slightly fruity floral that I would catch little whiffs of over the course of the day. Happy to have it in my collection.

Reminds me of a thrift store where they sell wild-looking outfits. You try one on, and get a whiff of this perfume. For some reason, it says "old clothing" to me. Not necessarily a bad thing. Every week I find different perfumes incredible and wildly disgusting. This week, I'm really feeling Lost Cause. I'm sure in a day or two I'll be repulsed by it.

An amazing aquatic green scent. Not nearly as floral as I would have feared, and super refreshing. It’s like a just-showered scent yet also a just-was-outside-in-the-sun scent.

This is not what I thought it would be. And wow, I like it. Earthy orris is enlivened by bright bergamot, rounded apple and tart rhubarb. Florals dance around juicy citrus notes. Subtly sweet and not at all offensive, vibrant in the most lovely and effortless way. Luminous is the perfect word to describe this happy green fragrance. Without obvious woods, it captures the jive of earthy ground and plants without feeling damp or dirty. And the florals, as obvious as they should be, are supporting players behind the more assertive fruity greens. I barely perceive the florals; either that, or I have no idea what I'm smelling. The grounding orris is assertive. Along with vanilla orchid, it resonates as a warm and cuddly invite. It feels comfortable and relaxing and refreshing. Definitely more intriguing than other PHLUR fragrances I've smelled; though it doesn't strike me as particularly adventurous. Rather, it's safe and reliable. As the brand notes, it does create an airy shimmer. Very tart, sharp and dewy, falling into a whisper of sweet smokiness (hello, orris). Not heavy or cloying. Reminds me vaguely of by/Rosie Jane's Lake; without the spice of lavender or fir needle oil. Instead, woods are traded for orris and sparkling mate. Easily a wear anytime and everywhere fragrance, and less of a cologne or aftershave than I anticipated. It almost perfectly straddles the unisex line.

Personal: 6.5/10 – It’s airy, green, and pleasant, but too sheer and forgettable for me. Mass appeal: 8/10 – Light green musky florals are safe, though a touch bland. Performance: 5.5/10 – Very light. Sits close to the skin and fades faster than I’d like. Value: 5.5/10 – Approachable Phlur pricing, but not enough substance to justify a bottle. Uniqueness: 5.5/10 – Green musky florals aren’t new. This feels very “done before.” SCORE: 63/100 Full bottle buy? NO, too thin and unremarkable. Blind buy? YES, it’s safe and inoffensive, but don’t expect depth. Recommend? YES, if you want a breezy, clean summer skin scent. Date night? NO, it’s too light and lacks allure. Office safe? YES, perfectly professional and unobtrusive. Pros: Breezy, green, sheer. Perfect “background” fragrance for someone who doesn’t want to smell perfumey. Cons: Weak performance, generic DNA, and too bland for enthusiasts. Lost Cause feels like Phlur’s attempt at a green, airy skin scent — almost like “Missing Person Lite” but with a greener, fresher twist. It’s wearable, it’s pleasant, it’s very safe, but it’s also very forgettable. A good starter frag, but not one to keep around if you’ve smelled more complex green florals. A clean, sheer, summer skin scent — pleasant but forgettable. Review #64 in my fragrance journey – this fragrance I own as a decant

This one borders on being a skin scent on me after just 15-30 minutes, but it's actually surprisingly long lasting - nothing to write home about, it lasts in the region of 5-6 hours, but given its subtlety it's easy to be fooled into thinking Lost Cause will disappear after an only hour. It's somewhere between a "shampoo" and "gentlemen's aftershave" scent, unisex but leaning just slightly masculine. It's floral and fresh and a little green (and definitely a 'dew drop' feeling as the notes suggest, rather than an earthy bitter grass note), and in my mind it's like a traditional "blue" fragrance except dialled WAY back - think the likes of YSL Y, Dior Sauvage, Bleu de Chanel, etc but cranked back by about 80%. I adore these scent profiles on others but they almost always have that ubiquitous sharp "masculine musk" note that puts me off wearing them myself, which isn't present here thank goodness! This is the perfect solution for anyone in my position and though I do wish it was a LITTLE bit stronger I'm debating picking up a 10ml. My preferences usually lean very feminine so I'm surprised I want to add this to my collection but it's really nice!

This definitely took me on a journey. Initial drydown: Hmmm... marines and greens. Kind of scratchy. Are there even florals in here? Kind of missing any grounding to this, very light. 30 min later: Wow, this smells like bug spray. Maybe cleaning chemicals, mixed with your average aquatic freshie for men circa 2008-2012. No. 60 min later and onward: after dismissing it, I caught a whiff and came back to the wrist. Is this at all the same juice I had sprayed an hour earlier? The ambergris and vanilla come out and COMPLETELY change this one on my skin. I suddenly can’t pick out a note in the cacophany, besides maybe the base.. but whatever harshness I smelled in the top has completely melded into something very unique, subtle but austere, nostalgic. Not a warm scent, but comfroting nonetheless. Like taking a drive through a forest with your crush. It’s sexy and refined, a bit understated and not at all what my first impressions made it out to be. I haven’t had my nose anything like this before, and have nothing more to compare it to, but enjoy it and want to wear again to see how it performs. Not a lost cause, after all.

This is just SUCH an all around pleasing scent! If you're looking for an office-safe day time fragrance for the spring and summer, this is a great option. It is quite unique yet fresh and a bit warm and sweet on the backend. The bergamot and lily of the valley, supported by the ambergris, are really the star players here, and the vanilla orchid peeks out here and there, rounding out this very green and fresh scent, giving what could be a linear citrus a lot of depth and intrigue. On my skin it stays relatively linear, with the ambergris and vanilla orchid pulling through right in the end and stepping forward in front of the fresh greens and flowers. I would put this in the category of transparent, watery yet green and fresh, "clean girl" scents, easily sitting next to competitors like JHAG Pear Inc., CLEAN Radiant Nectar, and even Replica's Lazy Sunday Morning. These perfumes are not dupes but meant to show you what kind of feeling and category this one belongs in. If I didn't already have a solid collection of daytime perfumes, I'd certainly add this to the collection!

In College, I had a friend who always smelled delicious, but never told us what perfume he was wearing. Not one drunk evening went by without someone sniffing his neck by the end of the night. I've long lost contact with that person, but smelling Lost Cause immediately brought me back. It's incredibly close to whatever that guy was wearing. If falling in love with a friend had a scent, this would be it for me. It smells like adventure, but also like home. It smells like the moment you realize you might fall in love with someone you've known for a long time. You know their potential, but also their flaws. For now, it's heavenly bliss, but you also know that the chances of love becoming hate after one long car ride or hot day in the sun are not zero. Slightly masc leaning on me, sillage is ok, but longevity is really poor. This is delicious ambrosia on a rainy day during spring or fall, but is really cloying and somewhat scratchy on a hot and dry day. I love it though.

A great everyday fragrance that is perfect for spring and summer, and even as a nice pick me up during the winter months. Green, aquatic, and slightly citrusy, it's right in the family of scents that I find myself reaching for again and again. The bright, zingy freshness is what stands out the most at first, settling down into something a bit softer with more florality. There's a very slight saltiness that intrigues me and keeps me smelling my wrist throughout the day. It's sadly not long lasting, so I usually spray myself after I've gotten dressed as it is longer lived on clothing than on skin. It might not be the most exciting or unique fragrance, but it's very easy to wear, and is a good standby whenever I don't know what I want to wear. 8.5/10 Update: Devastated that they discontinued this. RIP Lost Cause

This is my second favorite out of the phlur collection. This by no means is a fragrance you should wear by itself, because as many have said in this forum: It's very light and basic. This scent in my eyes has EXCELLED as a layering scent with my fresh/citrusy/green scents. It adds a subtle amount of sweetness to these scents that really make it super complex. I by no means think you should get this unless you have stuff to layer with it, but as a layering scent: 8/10. As a standalone it's an easy 4/10, nothing to complain about but it's not doing anything Bath and Body works hasn't already done lol. So please. Buy this if you have scents like "The Soft Lawn" by Imaginary Authors, "Salty Stares" by Snif, any fresh Jo Malone scent, or any fresh and clean scent. Trust me.

I picked up the Phlur sample set from Sephora a few weeks ago and just got around to this scent. It reminds me a lot of a cologne my dad would wear that I would sometimes borrow to wear(as a woman), though I can't remember if that was Nautica's Voyage or D&G's Light Blue Pour Homme. I would describe this scent as pretty unisex, not strongly masculine or feminine. It definitely has a marine vibe to my nose with a spicy sweetness, probably from the rhubarb. It's a comforting and nostalgic scent that makes me think of the days I spent on the beach as a child, but it's not something I'm drawn to enough to wear a lot. All in all I'd say I like this scent enough to buy a travel-sized vial (does Phlur have those?) but probably not splurge for the full-sized product.

Ambergris, vanilla, white flowers, green leaves and bergamot. Crisp lemon note, not reminiscent of a cleaning product. Best part here is the opening, unfortunately looses its vivaciousness thereafter as the lemony zest is suppressed by a suffocating aquatic essence. Longevity and projection leave a lot to be desired. Not loud; this is a subtle scent, unfortunately. Still a pleasant, summertime fragrance. Unisex, without nuance.

This doesn’t smell like the other non-toxic fragrances. Lost Cause is mainstreaming. It’s glossy, clean but also lush, sweet, and warm with a little sharpness. It’s well rounded and pretty. On my skin it’s a sweeter cousin of Bright Crystal. Less fruity and more sugary. Both have an unexpected slightly masculine underpinning. Not as radiant. It has a classic approachable feel.

Clean, professional, expensive-smelling (to me). There's something about this that triggers a memory for me of when I used to wear Prada Infusion D'Iris. That's probably why I think it smells "professional"; at that time I was working in a public accounting firm. It's nice. I don't think I would reach for it enough to justify a FB but I'm tempted to pick up a travel spray.

This fragrance starts out rhubarb forward. I think it quickly dries down into green leaves in a fresh and very slighty spicy and aquatic way. I like it but there's something synthetic about it. It almost could be that perfect "outside" scent that you can smell on people who have been outside.

This smells like a very masculine scent due to the green, aquatic, and spicy/zingy impression on my skin. I gave this to my Dad. Masculine/colognes learning smells often can give me a headache or make my eyes water. This is very fresh and reminds me of how a fresh, clean male would smell.

Fem leaning but advantageously masc wearable, if you know what I mean. Does not project too much, but I still smell it on myself in the morning after applying before going out yesterday evening. It's in a strange space where it's definitely fem office appropriate but is sexy on a man.

Sweet and fruity, but surprisingly complex. Because of that fruity sweetness, it kind of reminds me of Clean Radiant Nectar, but I like this one from Phlur MUCH more. Scent Description: Sweet Sillage: Intimate Longevity: ~5 hours Presentation: Blue Bottle