Creation

I received several new fragrances for Christmas this year. This, Creation by Ted Lapidus, was one of them. This came in a gift set with body lotion and the EDP. I have had and worn a LOT of fragrances over the years and Ted Lapidus is not a new fragrance house for me (I love Silk Way and Fou d'Elle). I love Creation, too...and then realized the WHY behind that. This is a vintage-feeling sort of fragrance, with that ever-present carnation note that just sings on my skin. I like it very much, but this is Creation in its earliest stages. There is this touch of smokiness that I attribute to the combination of the moss and musk notes (though these are much more evident in the drydown), and this combination is further layered thanks to the peppery orris note. It's a warm and inviting combination. The carnation and tuberose (very creamy and indolent in this frag) blend with the cassis and jasmine to make a slightly 'animalic' vibe. It's not dirty, by any means, but it's a slightly head-turning sort of combination that perhaps isn't expected in a fragrance this sweet. And this is a sweet fragrance. Not gourmand in any way, no, this is like a sweet floral scent most likely from the combo of the honey note and the patchouli (and this patch is just LOVELY). I adore the way that sweet blend so lifts the white flowers in this. This is a creamy, floral-sweet, slightly musky (plays like smoke on my skin) fragrance. It's lovely and for whatever reason puts me in the mind of frilly white lace collars and cuffs and all things Rococo-fashion. This could be a heady, all-consuming fragrance if applied too liberally. And, I'd suggest NOT wearing it in warmer weather. The animalic/smoky notes would completely overwhelm those delicate white flowers which would be....unpleasant. Now, back to my first paragraph. I do love Creation. Ted Lapidus fragrances are very good quality, they tend to project well and are very well-blended. I've had wonderful success with his line. They are also fairly priced, usually a very good value for what you spend. These reasons are all good reasons to purchase, no doubt. But, what I'm tremendously happy about with this frag is that it's an almost exact dupe for Elizabeth Taylor's "Black Pearls". And that makes me soooooo very happy. Although Black Pearls is much more gardenia-forward (and there is no gardenia note in this Creation) the echo of those white flowers really is reflected in each fragrance. Black Pearls is sweeter and much more 'Lush/Lusty' than Creation-she is a bit more demure, a bit more settled into who she is. We could say that Creation is the introverted twin and Black Pearls is the undisputed extroverted twin. They are so similar (even the bottles could sub for one another!) yet the subtle differences are there. I absolutely LOVE Black Pearls but it is difficult to find any more. I occasionally stumble across the odd bottle on eBay. But I am quite happy with the more subtle and less forward sister that is Creation. I will continue to wear it as the cool/cold weather allows, then she can hibernate until the next chill comes into the air. This is lovely and I highly recommend if this suits your tastes.

I selected this as a blind buy, during a fragrance haul. I heard that it was similar in genre to pheromone by my, and so I had to try it. I'm glad I did! Pheromone is far more complex than this fragrance, but there are some style commonalities. It starts out with green, perky aldehydes and florals. Everything is vibrant and light and happy. It's sporty and nearly unisex, leaning towards androgyny rather than masculinity. It's mildly linear with a few notes adding themselves in as the fragrance matures, over half an hour. A new accord pops in, that is a tactile sensation of bubble bath foam. It's reminiscent of vitabath original green...but only the bubbles. Then, green notes slightly bitter are the result of said bubbles. Very interesting!! Finally, the whole fragrance becomes an amalgam of a green, leafy, flowery, snappy, bubbly summer day! I love it!!!

At first Creation seemed like just a typical example of its sort. I have several chypre florals first released in the 70s/80s and a few vintage bottles of them. Being typical is not a bad thing because I love these old beauties, but I was hoping for something with a different twist. After several wearings, I have really fallen for the drydown of Creation. It becomes quite sweet with the honey demonstrating its staying power, and there is an overall lovely freshness that emerges. It’s surprisingly different in these respects and I really look forward to this transformation. It actually is very longlasting, close to the skin, but quite discernable. I enjoy applying it at bedtime and waking up to that fresh sweetness.

Surprisingly soapy at first. Very bright and sunny with typical chypré structure. It makes me think of simplified, clean version of Diva. Diva, especially in edp is one dirty and exuberant lady that at times shares a little too much information. Or is just too decadent and complicated. Impossible to wear at higher temperatures. Creation has the same brightness and joy, delightful woodiness and posture and can be one outstanding everyday perfume. Great mood lifter. Very chic. Affordable and very very well done.

It was a blind buy, love at first site. I like the power, and spirit of this amazing perfume. Neroli, honey, carnation, tuberose, amber, patchouli and musk are the notes I am able to detect. I don't detect any jasmin, mostly honey-amber- neroli. Just a divine combo.I like the slight hint of carnation. This perfume does not give me a headache as some perfume with osmantus do. I like jasmine note, and it is typically one of the notes, I like and able to easily detect, it is just very sublime here.

Just bought the current version, which is an excellent reformulation, even compared with the vintage. I did not care for some previous incarnations that I have tried but this one is gentle, tastefully done, very wearable. The rich symphonic structure of the original is conspicuously absent (I imagine quite a few components have been replaced or else omitted entirely) ~ however, the honey-woods-neroli accord is still here, sunny and warm; thankfully not overstated. Absolutely lovely.

Really mossy, fresh, and earthy. The Lapidus fragrances I own have great staying power on my skin (which is definitely and sadly not the case with so much else that I wear), and this is no exception. Does have a drydown very similar to Diva's, albeit without that noseful of rose. Just a lovely sort of soft herbal honey. This will smell particularly wonderful at the end of the winter, when I'm desperate for any and all reminders that spring green is indeed coming back again.

Oh I love this! Yes, this reminds me of one of my absolute favourites for men YSL Kouros, just sweeter; Kouros for women! The drydown is just beautiful, LOVE IT!

Love it loads! I am just puzzled that not a lot of people talk about it. One of the best honey perfumes ever!

Wow! Such a pleasant surprise! It`s a gentle, green daytime scent, but not the usual type. Perhaps it`s the vintage feel about it - it`s so 80s in my book, the oakmossy soury-bitterness and the white flowers make it so. My mum had a perfume oil back in the 80s called Moschus `Green Love` - it really of reminds me of that! First of all I love the bottle! The cap is quite difficult to take off though, even after a couple of times - this could be a good thing even, as the juice might not evaporate as much? The initial spray is citrus/oakmoss and honey, later the honey gradually gets toned down and you get neroli and orris instead and the flowers start to show up. I get only a tiny hint of cassis and rose around midway, mainly white flowers dominate along with the oakmoss and as the scent dries down the amber and musk to show themselves slightly. Patchouli is also present, but not strong, it gives a gentle, barely noticable base for the composition. At some point I get an interesting `cling-film` note mixed in with everything, which doesn`t spoil the experience at all - this phase is soon taken over by `the slightest bit of camomile-tea experience` which has been mentioned before by others too. I`d rather get more cypress - I know it`s not listed though - than camomile. Generally: it smells oldschool elegant greenish-chypre floral, as it`s described. Sillage and longevity are quite good, I think this perfume truly smells like quality and it`s easy to see that there was thought put into composing it; it has character in other words. Not a mass-produce. Also, it`s not watered up one bit, it could even make an eau de parfum, even though it says edt on the packaging. Makes a perfect scent for spring or summertime even more, or else for a day in winter when you`re longing for those warm days to come already. It kind of `smells like sun` to me - it`s a warm, but dry scent. Although normally I wouldn`t go for anything oakmossy or dry, I`m really intrigued and I`ll surely keep this in my perfume wardrobe from now on. Big like!

12. november 2014 This is the copy of review for the modern version of Creature (round bottle) i have posted previously under the vintage version. "02. october 2012 THE REVIEW FOR NEW MODERN VERSION (round bottle) I am not familiar with the vintage version, but it has appeared in stores here (along with some other Lapidus fragrances finally) in a new packaging. I was eager to try it but i have made a paper bloter test only by far. Well, not sure if i will talk myself into spraying it onto my skin. This is ne of the most harsh and sharpest perfumes EVER! Very strict and i can ́t smell no fruit notes here at all. Only vetyver and oakmoss with a bit of rose. Maybe if i would have been waiting longer for it to develope i would detect some, but i just couldn ́t stand it. Really. The sillage is really great, but this one associates more with brunettes in my mind. This is really 80 ́s style powerhouse perfume. True to it ́s roots. If you take top green notes of MODERN Chanel "nr19" an double them, then you get the picture. No big time sweetness, no florals, very strict and confident. Oh, wait.... i think if you take "Fendi" the original and take all the honey and sweet notes away then you get the modern "Creation". I will definitly make a skin test next time and i still would like to try vitage one nonetheless. But by far it is completly not my type at all. I have to wait another 20 years to probably begin to like it. Update: now i have purchased the vintage version and will soon compare them both and see if they are very different." P.S. I still haven ́t made the side by side test, but i think the vintage EDT is more softer and smoother than the modern harsh one.

I agree with others here, this is quite masculine and would smell amazing on a guy. Whilst it is quite overbearing and pungent even with the slightest small spritz at first it does mellow down and gel with my skin eventually. It just takes a loooooong time to get to that point, that I fear wearing this out in public until say it had warmed up for 6 hours before exiting my house. I have learned that I am not a Chypre girl I was built for floral orientals. I can appreciate them on others but on my chemistry they project and become somewhat obnoxious. This is a love child of Animale, Diva, Azuree, arrowmint and juicy fruit gum (I'm obviously not imagining this note as many others before me have commented on it's prevalence). It is loaded with oakmoss and orris and dried rose petals. Fruits do not appear for at least 45 minutes after spritzing for me, and they are not sweet fruits they are robust and naturally sweet, perhaps not quite ripe and have bite. I also get an overwhelming minty mentholated spearmint vibe. Amazing lasting power and sillage for an EDT. I would love to smell the original formulation to compare. I can appreciate that this is a wonderous 'Creation' but it won't be worn by me and will be going to a new loving home.

A fragrant cheapie that is so satisfying to wear. When I first sprayed this one it felt familiar like we had met before. If I didn't know the notes listed I would swear that this fragrance had a tobacco note. It very much reminds me of Cabochard EDT, perhaps a little Tabu thrown in for good measure as well. There is a definite sweetness there which keeps it from veering into total masculine territory. I really like fragrances such as this. I have had some disappointing perfume performances lately, fragrances where I love the scent but the lasting power is very weak. I am happy to have a few fragrances that I can actually strongly smell for several hours! I have not purchased Ted Lapidus fragrances before but I will be sure to do so in the future.

This must have been a moss monster in the old days. The moss note is the first one I notice but it fades fast leaving a somewhat old fashioned ambery floral vibe. Not too sweet despite the honey note. It is quite soft and subtle in its old age, well it's reformulation. I can see why it might remind you of Diva but only like a glass of water might remind you of Niagara...

The drydown is very soapy, green and fresh on me. I really love it. If you like Aliage or Varensia, you'll also like Creation. But if you're not used to chypres, watch out. Creation is not for everyone. It's actually quite silly to read some vanilla-cherry-cupcake-lovers' reviews on Creation, because they don't know what the hell is going on here.

Quite sharp in the opening. But later more like soapy fresh laundry. Very lasting but sillage is ok. I feel easy with this perfume, wear it anytime anywhere, any season you like. Nobody will get intimidated. Men can wear it too. Unisex drydown.

Rats. I thought the neroli would be buried enough not to haunt me. That's not the case. I tested this today and kept thinking....I know a note in here doesn't like me but couldn't tell 100% which one it was until I looked. *sniff*

Chamomile tea is what I am getting after this one settles. It's not something I like to drink, but as a fragrance, I am loving it!

A very good blend of oakmoss, carnation and honey

I spent a long time on the fence with this fragrance. It's certainly fun to smell if you're just looking for a budget friendly, sensory stimulating experience. It has some some redeeming qualities but ultimately, I think it wears a bit cheap and incohesive. The opening is mildly aldehydic in a fruity way. There's a bright, unsweetened stone-fruit note, like the skin of an unripe peach or mango with a bit of the flesh still attached. I also get a sort of yellow, glowing, bubble bath, cosmetic quality that brings to mind Avon products from the 90s. I've heard this compared to detergent and I concur that it does bear some similarity to classic "Tide". This fruity detergent accord quickly morphs into a bitter chamomile tea note, inky oakmoss and patchouli. I really don't smell anything floral about Creation. Maybe there's a green, unsweetened tuberose in there somewhere but it's missing all of it's heady, narcotic nuances. If carnation is here, it's so muddled by the earthy base that it's unrecognizable. The patchouli is so dirty. It smells like the wet mud that the T-Rex stepped in on Jurassic Park. The honey is balmy and sticky. This is not a fragrance for humid weather, unless you want to smell like you actually live in the jungle. There's also an undertone of cigarette smoke. All this being said, at the heart of Creation is an unmistakable similarity to many other great chypres. It reminds me most of a weak, low quality version of Azuree. I had a few successful wears during the colder months, but I wouldn't call this an easy reach. It's challenging. It's biggest flaw is perhaps trying to do too many things at once and not executing any of them very well. Edit: The opening also smells a bit like white wine. It's cool, bright and mildly fruity with bitter minerals and tannins. It's interesting.