One of the most popular fragrances from the royal perfume house of Amouage is Lyric Woman (hereinafter just “Lyric”). It is a chypre-oriental eau de parfum that is centered on a dark, dusky rose atop Amouage’s usual base of beautiful, smoky, Omani frankincense. It is a lovely perfume that I enjoyed but, on me, it was actually primarily a ylang-ylang fragrance with rich, custard-y vanilla infused with smoke.
Source: Fragrantica
Lyric was released in 2008, the creation of perfumer, Daniel Maurel. The inspiration was music and, more specifically, the “lyric-spinto voice.” As the Amouage website explains,
Creative Director Christopher Chong has carefully crafted Lyric Woman to continue the music-inspired narrative that started with the launch of Amouage’s Jubilation last year. He explains, “Beyond the transient beauty and purity of Lyric lingers a poignant song without beginning or end.” During the creative process, Chong found inspiration in the beauty and drama of the lyric-spinto voice. From this, the story of Lyric Woman was born: a fragile beauty with a rare, other-worldly talent and her quest for perfection and immortality. Through this story, we are reminded that there is a subliminal beauty in every imperfection.
The fragrance has a complex and sophisticated structure, in which deep, smoky rose takes center-stage in the heart, complimented by dry, floral notes of geranium, jasmine and orris. The spiciness of cinnamon, cardamom and ginger in the top notes lifts the fragrance, while depth is provided by frankincense and wood notes in the base.
In its structure, Lyric is a floral fragrance, but one that introduces a dark intensity and modernity not normally associated with this genre – a perfect illustration of femininity, strength and passion.
Source: “Bonoanimoes” on Basenotes.
The notes as listed on the Amouage‘s website are as follows:
top: Bergamot, Spicy Cardamom, Cinnamon, Ginger
heart: Rose, Angelica, Jasmine, Ylang-Ylang, Geramnium, Orris
base: Oakmoss, Musk, Wood, Patchouli, Vetiver, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Tonka Bean, Frankincense
Lyric opens on my skin with dry citruses infused with oakmoss. There are touches of geranium, spicy cardamom, ginger and the smallest hint of vanilla-infused smoke in the back. The geranium evokes the scent of the fuzzy, furry green leaves, while ginger feels almost pickled, like that in a Japanese sushi restaurant, as opposed to fresh and zesty, or crystallized and candied. The whispers of vanilla smoke are utterly entrancing, especially in their lightness. The note is never sweet or cloying, but airy. It helps counter any dryness from the oakmoss which feels grey like lichen, not brightly green and mossy.
Spirit of a Dying Rose by Vincent Knaus via RealityDefined.com
Throughout it all, swirling like a specter in the background is the gauzy, sheer, airy red rose which initially feels dry, desiccated, dark, sweet and smoked all at once. It’s never the primary focus of the scent in those opening minutes but its form grows more and more substantial with the passing moments. From the merest translucent shadow, it gains body, swirling with the green, almost herbaceous geranium, the dry citruses, the oakmoss, cardamom, and that lovely, delicate vanilla incense. The perfume is beautifully blended, so Lyric Woman feels very much like a harmonious sum total of its individual elements, and the final result is a lovely, floral chypre that is simultaneously dry and a little bit sweet.
Ylang-ylang
My skin generally seems to cycle quickly through notes, always emphasizing those at the heart and base, but, even so, it’s a little bit of a surprise when the ylang-ylang turns up less than five minutes into the perfume’s development and takes over from there. It starts slowly, flickering in the background like a gleam of bright yellow and feeling incredibly buttery, banana-y, custard-y and rich. By the thirty minute mark, the ylang-ylang turns so unctuous that it feels almost a little like coconut at times in its buttered richness. It mixes with the vanilla of the base to create a very rich custard that is almost yolk-like in its richness, but always flecked by the dark, airy smoke of the frankincense.
Source: Soapgoods.com
At first, the ylang-ylang mixes with the subtle rose notes but, soon, it takes the lead completely, becoming the dominant note. Lyric loses its dry citruses. More importantly, the oakmoss recedes to the background where it has an indirect, quiet effect on the fragrance, helping to counter a bit of the richness of the vanilla and ylang-ylang. It is no longer wholly distinctive in its own right and, to be frank, I miss it. Soon, Lyric turns slightly indolic in its rich headiness. Though it’s never sour or plastic-y on me, those who suffer from indoles may want to take heed. (If you’re unfamiliar with Indoles and Indolic fragrances, you can read more about them in the Glossary that is always linked at the top of the page.)
Vanilla Custard.
Source: Sacchef’s Blog.
By the start of the second hour, Lyric is almost entirely ylang-ylang infused with light frankincense smoke atop a base of rich, custardy vanilla. The latter is creamy, luxurious and very comforting. Hints of light roses, creamy woods, oakmoss, and patchouli lurk at the edges. The woody note never feels like the bronzed spiciness of sandalwood, though it does share its creaminess. Instead, it feels more like general, amorphous, almost abstract, beige woods. Yet, none of those supporting players have the slightest chance of countering the ylang-ylang; it just grows deeper as Lyric develops and its indolic nature starts to feel almost vegetal in its richness.
Lyric remains that way on me for most of its development. I even tried Lyric a second time this morning; it’s on me currently as I write this and it is always the same, ylang-ylang dominant story. I would have far preferred the dusky, smoked chypre rose of the opening, but my skin chemistry clearly has other ideas. During that first, full test, Lyric’s drydown began a little after the sixth hour. It turned into a very traditional vanilla accord with some light powder and lingering touches of that airy, light, frankincense smoke. It was a skin scent and seemed, at times, so subtle that I kept thinking it was going to die entirely. But Amouage fragrances are renowned for their longevity and Lyric Woman is no exception. It lasted as a sheer, skin scent for another six hours. All in all, Lyric lasted just over 12.75 hours on my perfume-consuming skin, though only about 4.5 of those hours entailed a strong, noticeable fragrance with projection. On someone with normal skin, I wouldn’t be surprised if Lyric Woman lasted almost a full day.
As with all Amouage fragrances, Lyric is profoundly potent in its opening hours. The perfume wafted around me in a medium-sized cloud at first, projecting a few feet, before softening. By the start of the second hour, the sillage was tamer and Lyric swirled just half a foot beyond my arm. It remained that way for a while, though it weakened with time, especially by the fourth hour. Finally, by the sixth hour, it became the merest gauzy touch right on the skin. As I said earlier, there were moments thereafter where I thought it had died, but its fragrant touch lingered for hours.
My experience with Lyric is absolutely not representative in any way (except perhaps the sillage and longevity). I feel like a completely freakish loon because, almost across the board, everyone has found the perfume to be primarily a rose-centered one with great spiciness. On a rare occasion, someone at Fragrantica will mention ylang-ylang and jasmine, but it is always in the context of the rose.
Only Luca Turin‘s four-star review of Lyric has a brief reference to that vegetal quality that I believe stems from the ylang-ylang. In Perfumes: The A-Z Guide, the perfume critic wrote:
Great fragrances move me (and, I imagine, many others) to a sort of musical resonance. And in perfume as in music, progress largely consists of getting used to one novel dissonance after another. In this context, I can safely say that I have never smelled anything like the chord at Lyric’s chore. It is a rose, to be sure, cleverly extended at one end by a dry, dusty, woody accord in the manner of Lyric’s land of origin, Oman. What happens at the other end if a complete surprise. Where one expects a spicy, earthy uplift in the contemporary manner, there comes instead a plangent, overripe note, the exhalation of forgotten fruit in a sealed room. The effect is initially almost unpleasant but soon becomes celestial. Thelonius Monk would have understood this fragrance instantly.
On me, with my skin that always seems to emphasize the base notes in a perfume, that “plangent, overripe note, the exhalation of forgotten fruit” was clearly from the ylang-ylang. The over-ripeness and vegetal aspects that stem from its heavy indoles took over and dominated over the rose accord, though I never thought it was unpleasant, thanks to the countering effects of the smoky frankincense. And I actually loved that custardy, vanilla base with its flecks of black smoke, even when it turned a little powdery. A few others, however, on Fragrantica and Surrender to Chance seem to find the powdery drydown evocative of an “old lady” scent. I don’t share that impression, but I suppose it depends on your age or on your mental associations.
There is a beautiful review of Lyric Woman from Now Smell This which calls the perfume a “modern classic” and which also helpfully discusses Andy Tauer‘s Incense Rosé as a point of comparison:
[I]f I passed my Lyric-drenched wrist under your nose right now, you would smell the frankincense, spices, and cream, but rose might not be the first note that comes to mind. As for whether or not Lyric is “entirely unprecedented”, I think of Tauer Perfumes Incense Rosé, which is not as creamy and warm as Lyric, but to me is its kissing cousin for sure.
I see Lyric less as music than as the tactile experience of scarlet red silk velvet covered by geranium and cardamom chiffon, dug out of an oak chest long forgotten in the attic. It is the sort of fragrance that would make a good signature scent: it is rich and striking enough to be a brilliant evening scent but, worn judiciously, would work during the day, too. With its bright top, spicy, floral heart, and creamy, woody base it spans the seasons except for the hottest days of summer. It feels lush and original, but not overly edgy. Wearing Lyric, you stand apart, but not too much so. In short, it’s a modern classic.
How I would have loved to experience all that! Despite my very different experience, I thought Lyric Woman was very nice and beautifully crafted. I genuinely enjoyed what I smelled, and I suspect that Lyric could turn quite addictive with repeated wearing because what appeared on my skin was rich, beautifully luxurious, heady, narcotic and very comforting. If Amouage’s prices were less steep, I might almost be tempted, but, at the end of the day, I’m not enough of a ylang-ylang enthusiast for that. However, those who love Amouage and roses may be happy to hear that I found Lyric being sold a great discount this week at one online retailer. (See, Details section, below.)
Have you tried Lyric Woman? If so, how did it manifest itself on your skin? Was it love at first sniff?
This sounds lovely! I feel like I tried Lyric man and quite enjoyed it, but maybe not. Maybe I’ve just heard about it. At any rate, this seems very enjoyable even if you didn’t quite get the spiciness others did (which would have made it even better, I think). Nice to have something that isn’t a dud, even if you didn’t fall head over heels. 🙂
It wasn’t just the spiciness that I didn’t really experience, but the velvety, dry rose that is supposed to be the heart and core of the perfume. 🙁 But, yes, it was a relief not to test out another terrible dud. lol
Lyric wasn’t love at first sniff for me but it keeps growing on me with each next testing. But for me it isn’t a rose scent. When I smell it the first word that comes to mind is “spicy”, not “rose”.
You and Ross both said the same thing about “spicy” being the word you’d really use to describe it. I’m curious about what “spicy” means to you and if it remained for the duration of the perfume’s development on your skin. Was it just the frankincense smoke, or was it the cardamom/cinnamon, ginger, etc.? What was the main flower on you?
I’ll need to wear it again to answer your question more detailed I just remember that I was expecting the ROSE (since everybody said it was there and ads have rose petals) and it didn’t happen.
Well, I feel much better now about how it wasn’t ROSE, ROSE, ROOOOOOOOOOOSE on me either! LOL.
Unlike Lyric man which I didn’t enjoy, Lyric woman is quite lovely. I also get spiciness more than a rose, but nevertheless it’s a beautiful scent. It amazes me how different types of skin can pinpoint some notes more than the other ones. Like in your case Kafka with ylang ylang. Very interesting observation!
You and Undina both said the same thing about “spicy” being the word you’d really use to describe it. It makes me most curious so I’ll ask you what I asked her: what does “spicy” means to you or entail exactly? Did it remain that way for the duration of the perfume’s development on your skin? Was it just the frankincense smoke, or was it the cardamom/cinnamon, ginger, etc.? What was the main flower on you? Sorry for all the questions, but I’m really fascinated by how two people said the same thing, especially as neither of you got a ton of rose, either. (That makes me feel a lot better. LOL.)
As for Lyric Woman vs. Man, I think I told you once that I thought you’d have better luck with the women’s line than the men’s one, but I recall longevity being your main problem with Amouage perfumes. How did Lyric Woman do in terms of length of time on your skin?
I get mostly ginger, cardamom, cinnamon on my skin, mixed with faint rose. I also get ylang ylang but more in further developement of the scent. The longevity with Lyric woman is quite good(8-10 hours), the projection is moderate. So i think it should work as a signature scent for sure.
For me Memoir man is my favorite Amouage(haven`t tried all of them yet), I also enjoy Epic man for its complexsity and Jubilation XXV(I wish it lasted and projected better though). Also check site lilydirect . com they have great prices on some Amouage offerings 🙂
How interesting! It seems to have developed on you in a manner totally different to other people’s accounts as well! If Memoir Man is your favorite Amouage, then I shall definitely put that on my list of things to try. I have a few Amouages to go through but I think only Dia from the Men’s versions. As for Jubilation XXV, I remember that one didn’t project as much as the Women’s 25, so it probably was even less on your (more normal) skin.
Thanks for the tip on Lilydirect. You’re the 2nd person to tell me that. Good to know, because the regular, retail Amouage prices are a little bit of a nose-bleed for my wallet. LOL.
I agree that Amouage prices can be way too expensive sometimes, so lilydirect is a good site to satisfy your Amouage cravings. I used it before and they provide fast shipping and they are comletely legit.
And please do try Memoir man (women`s version is quite bewitching too 🙂 . I`d love to hear you oppinion on it, Kafka!
I have never tried Lyric but from what you described as ” a ylang-ylang fragrance with rich, custard-y vanilla infused with smoke” I think I would very much like it….and anything infused with oakmoss ( I often wear the EO on my arm alone or as a base before applying the perfume) is a good thing as far as I am concerned!
It’s a lovely scent and I think it is one that would grow on one with each use. I hope you get the chance to try some Amouage, Brie, since they’re all very luxurious in the classique, old, French style of perfumery. Their price tag, unfortunately…..
Oh my Gosh! I’m really sorry that Lyric Woman turned out to be more like an egg-like ylang-ylang instead of sultry and dark rose all the way down.
From my own experiences – I didn’t like Lyric Woman. The Man version smelled much better to me. For the time being it was my favourite (and impossible to reach because of the price) rose perfume. Of course it got outclassed by Atelier Cologne Rose Anonyme when it was launched in Fall 2012, since I own it I didn’t reach for Lyric Man again since then, LOL
I like ylang-ylang, though I don’t adore it as my absolute favorite flower, so I wasn’t unhappy at all. But I was surprised that Lyric wasn’t all dusky, dry roses on me the way it seems to be for so many others. Of course, now that both Undina and Ross say that they didn’t get rose as the primary scent, I feel a little less weird. LOL.
I shall have to try the Lyric Man version one day to compare. 🙂 I’m so glad you have found a rose fragrance that you love with a passion and that you have a full bottle of your beloved Atelier Rose Anonyme. 🙂
I think I get a little more rose than you, but not much, it was quite a bit about the Ylang on me as well. It is a very lovely scent and I enjoy it, but I don’t think I’m in love with it. If I’m going to wear a lot of Ylang I prefer it be drenched in spices and sandalwood, as in Nohiba, which smells like the lovechild of Opium and Ylang to me.
By the way, you can frequently find Amouage fragrances on Lilydirect for between $160-200, depending on which one it is, which makes them a much more reasonable/achievable price.
PS – I’m so glad you finally got a break from the bad fragrance torment!
Oh, you got some ylang ylang, too?! Wow. I do feel better now, even if you got a lot more rose as well. I haven’t tried Nohiba and, in fact, had never heard of it prior to your comment, but I looked it up. I shall definitely have to try to get a sample given your comparison to Opium as one of its parents!
As for Lilydirect, it’s a good resource, isn’t it? I know others have used it, for Amouage among other brands, and gotten a big discount but I didn’t realise Amouage could be as low as $160. WOWZER!! Thank you for the tip!
I think Nohiba is something of a sleeper but it has a very old fashioned oriental feel, originally called Tulipe Noire from the 20’s and supposedly was Josephine Baker’s signature scent. It seems like the majority of people just don’t prefer these types of fragrances any more, so I’m extra grateful when I find a current one! Some people seem to think it smells just like Opium, and while that’s certainly not true to my nose, they’re clearly related.
Lilydirect can be great and seem to have an ever expanding selection of discontinued perfumes at crazy discounts, and sometimes you incidentally get older formulations from them, which is almost always a good thing! Jubilation 25 is currently $163 http://www.lilydirect.com/Amouage-Jubilation-25-Perfume-by-Amouage–34-oz-EDP-Spray-New-In-Box_p_5763.html and I think Lyric is about $170.
Hmmm……. I’m so tempted by that Lyric. I shall have to hunt down my vial of the Jubilation 25 to remind myself exactly of all the nuances of that one since it’s been months and months, but that one is at a fantastic price too!! Oh dear. My wallet is not going to be happy. What I really want though is the Absolue Pour Le Soir at a hugely discounted price. LOL.
You know, I love your review because it helped me understand Lyric so much more. I’d worn it twice before but was a little confounded since my experience of it didn’t seem to match up to many of the descriptions I’d read of it. Reading your review and wearing it again has definitely given me much deeper insight and appreciation of it. Thank you!
And yes to discounted Absolue, I would like a six ounce vat of it! Or more, then I could bathe in it too 😀 – Which would undoubtedly scare the hell out of people I interact with on a daily basis lol.
I’m so, so touched by your words, Cacomixtle. Thank you very much indeed, my dear. *big hug*
Dear Kafka, I am breathing a sigh of relief that you tried something that is not nefarious – you absolutely deserved a break! Lovely review, as always.
Amouage Lyric on me smells of spicy rose, with the spice being the cardamom/cinnamon type. I did not get any incense nor the other flowers. The drydown is lovely, with vanilla, tonka bean and an oh so smooth sandalwood. I used just one spray and I was afraid that it was wafting out of me like smoke trailing a car with a broken exhaust! An hour and a half after that one spray, it was still quite noticeable…and I got a compliment (so I am not complaining). The drydown for me began around hour 6…and it is now hour 10 and I can still smell it. Due to its strong opening and sillage, I will NOT be wearing Lyric to work as I do not want to subject my fellow train commuters to this. I of course wonder what THEY think of the various scents that do waft from me from time to time depending upon which perfume I am wearing!
Ha, you’re all so relieved for my sanity. *grin* It was a bad streak, wasn’t it. LOL. As for the Amouage, Lyric sounds *wonderful* on you!! I didn’t get the roses, but I did get quite a similar drydown and that’s the part which I found most addictive. You know, thanks to other readers here telling me about LilyDirect’s huge discounts on Amouage, I saw that Lyric Woman is going for $170 for the large 3.4 oz size. I have to say, I’m quite tempted. Are you….. ? 😉
http://www.lilydirect.com/Amouage-Lyric-Perfume-by-Amouage–34-oz-EDP-Spray-New-In-Box_p_5759.html
Naughty Kafka, tempting me. I will pass on Lyric as I can’t see going through 100 mLs, let alone 10 mLs given that ONE spray projected so loudly on me. I have not experienced a FB worthy Amouage, yet…although Ubar, despite having the dreaded note that must not be named, seems like a possibility…
Kafka dear, Lyric -together with Ubar- is my favorite Amouage. It becomes a bit horizontal, linear on me after the first hour, but the opening is so gorgeous, I will forgive it anything. I don’t get much spice from it; mostly the amazing rose, ylang, vanilla and sandalwood.
The body cream is absolutely to die for.
Caro
It sounds wonderful on you, my dear!! I thought the opening was *so* lovely and I actually enjoyed it’s character on me but I just didn’t expect it to be NON-rosy! I’m finding it incredibly fascinating how very different each person’s experience with it seems to be here, in the comments, as opposed to places like Fragrantica where all they talk about are the roses. As for the body cream, I’ve read a number of people raving about it. Great, that’s all I need. Expensive body cream to tempt me along with the expensive perfume…… 😉 LOL
Amouage body products are a league of their own. I think one could perfectly wear them and skip eau de parfum entirely.
Have you tried the much maligned Interlude Woman?
HA, the much-maligned Interlude Woman is sitting on a library shelf next to Ubar. I was going to try Ubar next out of the line and I will certainly think of you when I do!
Ah, Ubar…Ubar..it is so special! I am eager to hear your opinion on it 🙂
I had been wanting to order a sample of this for a while and finally did yesterday before reading your review, so when I stumbled upon this I thought it was quite a coincidence! I’ve never actually smelled ylang ylang in a fragrance, or at least not that I’m aware of. The thought of a banana-y smell seems interesting though, and I could see myself enjoying it. Still, I hope it comes out more rosy on my skin.
Ylang-ylang isn’t always banana-y so much as like a very big white, sweet, heady flower with some custard-y undertones. On occasion, it can turn banana-y but, generally, it’s much more buttery. I realise that none of this makes much sense until you’ve actually smelled it for yourself. LOL. I’m dying to know what you think of both the flower and of Lyric itself, as well as whether it turns more Rose-based on your skin or something else. Do let me know, if you have the time, once you’ve tried it, Ashley. 😀
I wanted to love Lyric so badly, but it was a scrubber for me. I don’t even remember what the experience was like *exactly* but in my notes, I only have six words: “NO,” “old lady,” and most sadly, “funeral home.”
Isn’t that depressing? I only wish I got ylang-ylang and custard!
Oh dear! That “NO” in capital letters is dire, especially as you rarely find things to rise to the level of being a “scrubber”!! But is it terrible that I’m now intrigued by what note you associate with funeral homes??? LOL 😉
I think it just smelled very old and musty to me. It probably smelled sad too!
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Thank God for your review! I thought it was just me that got a custardy, ylang, smoky vanilla vibe, but you have described my experience with this fragrance perfectly. Rose – what rose? I have lately been searching for the perfect woody/chypre rose and ordered a sample of this one, along with some of the Tauer, Montale and JHaG (Juliet Has a Gun) rose fragrances. I’m a “spray-me-up!” sort of person and really hate sampling from dab vials – it’s hard to gauge just how much has been applied and I always feel that with dabbing (smearing, spilling…) the fragrance never really takes flight, as if there’s no air under the wings to help it unfold. Whether this is affecting my perceptions I can’t be sure. But I digress…I have now, showing ill-advised enthusiasm, applied the entire contents of my sample vial and am contemplating the yawning chasm that separates my experience from the eloquent post-sampling prose of others.This seems to be a recurring theme with me and I’ll admit to a certain lack of olfactory sophistication, but hey, I’m the one buying (or not) and I smell what I smellI. So, it’s ylang, powdery custard, smoky vanilla and, somewhat later into the wearing, frankincense and something suggesting (maybe) a bit of rose surfacing from the mix.To be fair, if there’s any vanilla in a fragrance, I seem to hone in on it like a truffle hound and it becomes the dominant accord to my nose (alas, vanilla is not a favourite note for me) My husband thinks it smells “nice” and I don’t dislike it as such – it’s just not the rose chypre I was looking for. Given the price, and my ambivalence, I won’t be committing to a bottle of Lyric anytime soon!
No, thank God for YOU, Clare! 😀 You’re the first person I’ve come across who had the same sort of Ylang-Ylang focus that I experienced! Everyone finds Lyric to be a rose scent that I’m hugely relieved not to be alone with the ylang, vanilla and smoke. I know just what a surprise you must have had, waiting for a rose chypre but only to find something startlingly unexpected. Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing how Lyric manifested itself on your skin! 🙂
I love this perfume to a point of no return
Opening : creamy smooth rose
Heart Bliss with whiffs of incense and that creamy rose and something else now I know is Ylang Ylang
Base I don’t really know just I find it evocative but don’t understand why its beautiful and truly as mentioned addictive.
This perfume is love beauty elegance and secrets
My favorite. I do enjoy the bath line. The thickest is body cream. body cream and hand lotions are more milky. Nonetheless they all hold about same density of fragrance.
Lyric is the true pleasure of scent.
edit body lotions and hand cream are more milky..
I’m so glad it works well on you and that you’ve found something you love so much. 🙂
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I’m wearing a sample of Lyric and my experience is very similar to yours. I decided to order a sample after reading the reviews on Fragrantica – I adore a spicy rose – and this is not at all what I expected. Basically, I smell vanilla custard and banana pudding (ugh, hate banana scent) with a hint of smoke and baby powderiness. Major disappointment. I was hoping to add another beauty to my rose collection (after Tobacco Rose) but I guess I should be happy to save the money.
Hmm, the fact that our little group of “ylang ylang-centric, almost no rose” people is growing is starting to make me wonder. From emails and a few comments that I’ve had in other threads over the last 6 months, I’m no longer alone in my experiences and there have been a few whispers that Lyric has been reformulated to lessen the rose substantially. Ylang Ylang is a cheaper essence, so increasing its quantities to make up for less rose would make sense. Then again, perhaps our little group simply has very different skin from everyone else.
Either way, I’m sorry you didn’t get the rose that you had wanted. Just out of curiosity, have you tried SHL 777’s Rose de Petra. That is actually the scent that I would recommend for people who want a spicy, smoky, fully oriental rose. I think it’s beautiful, and you know my feelings on rose fragrances! Please try to get a sample from Osswald NY or Luckyscent. I think you would really enjoy it, and it’s also a cheaper scent than Lyric, in addition to being an extrait. Another possibility that might work for you is Amouage’s Epic Woman which is Lyric’s much spicier, dustier, smokier, woodier sister and done by the same nose who did Lyric.
Also out of curiosity, does ylang-ylang always turn into banana pudding on your skin? That sort of banana custard nuance is one of the flower’s facets, but it doesn’t come out often on my skin and rarely to a predominant degree. If it commonly happens to you, I’ll remember not to recommend any fragrances with a ton of ylang-ylang in it. lol
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I am almost positive that what you are describing here is what is available in the shops right now.
I have just managed to get a bottle of Lyric pre-magnetic cap, and it is quite different to what I smelt in the store.
The current version has very little rose, I was really hard pressed to find it. It has a strong spicy start and a strong ylang-ylang component. It also only lasted a couple of hours.
When I saw an older version online I jumped at it, hoping that it would last much longer. I’ve just sprayed it for the first time and it is quite a different perfume. It is strongly rose, it is the whole point of the fragrance. The beginning is no where near like the current version, it also doesn’t have the smoky quality I loved. The rose is so centre place that I’m not entirely sure if I like it as much – oops! It is extremely luxurious in feel. As if one is wearing a red velvet dress. The one in the shops isn’t nearly as opulent. So far I don’t get any of the ylang-ylang, but it may appear in a couple of hours. Finally, it is very strong. A tiny squirt at some distance away from my neck has permeated everything.
It will be very interesting to go back and smell what is in the stores right now. They almost feel like two different perfumes with similar qualities, but I may be exaggerating the difference in the recollection.
This older version is amazing, and well deserves it’s name. Not entirely what I was expecting, but I’m sure once I’ve gotten over how different it is, and allowed time for the base notes to assert themselves a little more, I’ll be very happy.
I m just stopping by to say that my experience with Lyric is similar to that of RM: I ordered a sample from the same shop where I bought a pre-magnetic cup bottle of another fragrance so I assumed the sample was also pre-reformulation; i was right: its focus is ROSE: a beautiful mature spicied and dustied rose; the opening is gorgeus and what I enjoyed most( then again Amouage knows how to create memorable opening in most-MOST- of the cases); it is very citrusy, fresh in a good way;oakmoss is the background over which the geranium is the first to appear with its green unmistakeble note;then the beatiful rose veiled with spices , to me essentialy ginger then cardamon and if I really focus a hint of cinnamon. The frankincense is that of the classical Amouage signature covering the rose at its border but never entirely. Ylang ylang on my skin is never bananish but essentially custard vannilic which I think add creamyness to the tonka bean. The drydown smells very good but for me develops inthe classical tonka-vanilla-sandalwood axis: it is nice, very lovely but my preference goes to other scents with similar drydown.
I would have loved to experience the rotten fruits effects Luca Turin is talking about, but no luck: perhaps if I sample more I ll get it.
As for the current version of Lyric, when I went to an Amouage authorized dealer and sampled it(magnetic cup bottle), the result was hugely different, the rose disappeared.this is for me a reformulation that changes the focus and the very point of the scent. This does not mean I didn t enjoy it, on the contrary… I apologize for the long post: I just wanted to add my take on the possibility of reformulation
This is late in coming, but I’ve been testing a lot of Amouages lately. I ordered two substantial samples (5ml) from Post P as well as direct carded samples. Though they are different with Posh possibly pre-form, what I get is: deep rose, jasmine, and something spicy (geranium), a little tonka. But, this is what confused me the most: I get a lot of menthol–but menthol without tuberose. When I smell SL Tuberose I get the menthol kick really hard, and then the softer floral essence emerges. What I am smelling now is: rose, jasmine, ylang, geranium and some of the other notes noted–and menthol. If SL had come out with a “mentholated Rose” this would be it. It’s a little bit like POAL at times, but I’m just getting crowded out by the BenGay cream smell. The ylang is very faint, a light sweet softness, nowhere near to custard–which I would appreciate a little at this point. I think it’s the geranium that is giving it that weird medicinal kick. When I press my nose against my skin, it’s “almost” like an “oud” but not quite. The disturbing nose-clearing mentholated smell lasts and lasts, even during dry down.