Lieu de Reves

From reading Ms. Erikson's description (above) of what this perfume is supposed to smell like, I think it's the perfect description. I don't think I could be more accurate, so I won't attempt to try. The one thing I will say is that by looking at the notes, I wondered if Lieu de Reves could be similar to the other perfume called To Dream. They are indeed very similar, the major difference being the cocoa powder edge I get in To Dream. I would say that To Dream borders on gourmand, but Lieu de Reves does not. Both are musky, powdery, lady-like perfumes. I like Lieu de Reves very much. If I didn't already own To Dream, I would buy it.

This is a beautiful heliotrope, violet, perfume. Very dusty and powdery. In the same vein as The Blue Hour by Guerlain but I find this more wearable because it lacks the anise note and it is a bit more linear. I liked The Blue Hour, but I found it a bit overwhelming, and I gave my bottle away. This also have a very pretty vanilla nuance combined w/ the powdery florals. A dry cedar note is also very present, the cedar in this one reminds me of Violet Eyes by Elizabeth Taylor. Lieu de Reves is very vintage but contemporary at the same time. If you like the idea of vintage perfumes but find many of them overwhelming give Lieu de Reves a try, I think you will be pleased. Edit: I forgot to mention in the beginning of this perfume there is a lot of sharp green violet leaf. Don't let that put you off (I like the smell, but some are turned off by it) After about 5 mins it becomes a powdery violet w/ vanilla and heliotrope and almond nuances)

At first application, I get musk and a soft floral. As it wears, the creaminess comes forward. I don't ever find any one floral note dominating, I think they're nicely balanced so that you get hints of all the flowers. The middle phrase the fragrance has a bit of sweetness like it has a tinge of sugary caramel and trends more powdery. This is where I find the violet more apparent. A soft musky floral that I think is good for work or daily wear.

Pleasant, with a slight bright tang to the powderiness that makes it stand out. It's a very bright, almost candied sweetness upon first application, with the powder mellowing it out, and the woodiness at the base rounding it out in a very beautiful, soft way. Unfortunately, the bright sweetness that makes me like this fades SUPER fast, leaving mostly the heavy woodier notes and some powder. It's still nice, but I need that sweetness that's in the opening for this to really work for me.

Pleasant but flat and otherwise unremarkable "blue floral" scent.

I have four parrots, and each day they get two almonds as a treat. After they've eaten it I give them little beak kisses and we 'talk' for a bit. Their sweet birdie breath smells just like almonds when they 'talk'. While i don't mind my parrots smelling like a sweet nut, i mind it very much when I do. I don't like this note at all. I was getting downright impatient waiting for hte top notes to blow along, but they never do, and the scent just amplifies on me. I waited and waited to see if i could have something nice to say, but I just don't with this one. This is straight up pasty, powdery almond. Sometimes when I ask my parrot to do something he doesn't want to do he says 'Nyuh! Nyuh!' Well said, Bacio.

Sparkling fresh top notes of violet and heliotrope meld slowly into a slightly powdered soft rose. The jasmine is noticeable but not dominant (which I'm glad of, for jasmine isn't one of my favourite notes). This is a wonderful Springtime fragrance, for when the air trembles with a promise of warmer days to come, green buds are peeking from the earth, the skies are blue but still cold, with soft-focus sunshine by day, rosy sunsets as the evening draws near. Romantic but not obviously so - this is a beautifully balanced floral musk which gets fruiter yet more tempered as it warms on your skin.

Sonoma Scent Studio LIEU DE REVES opens beautifully with bright purple violet petals. Shortly thereafter, however, the burnt cedar note from WOOD VIOLET takes over this composition as well, making it much less floral than woody. The offending note is definitely less marked in this perfume, but I still don't find it appealing—somehow it reminds me of body odor or beef stew. This is therefore also a no-go for me. Could be a skin chemistry issue—on ne sait jamais. In the end, it doesn't really matter: this one's not for me. Désolée.