Skip to main content

The People of the Labyrinths: Luctor et Emergo

Image
By
Luctor et Emergo by The People of the Labyrinths (Netherlands) is an odd little creature, and if I were you, I wouldn't let it anywhere near your man. It's suitable for girls, for women, maybe even for babies, but its sweetness and initial burst of cherry almond tempered with "grasses" (which I detect as hay and sweetgrass accords) is very femme indeed. This is the kind of perfume that even fans of a good many gourmand scents will shy away from, as it represents the extreme edge of foodiness. It boasts some pretty amazing packaging and lists precious woods, vanilla, fresh grasses and white florals among the notes, but don't let that fool you. The flowers are eaten by the other top notes, and the only time you will see any woods here is in the drydown far off in the distance, where a light sandalwood that could almost pass for sensual musk and a pervasive powderiness duke it out for control.  There are some days I just want a sweet scent to comfort me, but I want it to be interesting. Luctor et Emergo would fit the bill. It's far beyond vanilla; it is tenacious and has an odd beauty that is slightly disturbing. It inches up on cloying, it even borders on annoying, but it never quite arrives there. Okay, Luctor et Emergo, go get your stuff. You can stay.


Labels:

Comments

  1. AromiEroticiJanuary 17, 2011 at 10:08 PM

    Nice review Carrie. This one sounds like it has "Not for Aromi" written all over it...lol...

    I'm not very familiar with this house. Is there others from them that you find good?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Carrie MeredithJanuary 17, 2011 at 11:10 PM

    Thanks Dave! I've not tried the other scent from POTL, A*MAZE, but it sounds like another ultra-feminine scent (rose-based this time). I would like to see more from them.

    ReplyDelete
  3. tarleisioJanuary 17, 2011 at 11:55 PM

    I seem to recall this being listed under the category "cherry bomb", and I can certainly relate! This is, well, a candied catfight in a bottle, and while it might not be for everyone, it's definitely not boring! I liked it a lot, just not enough to own it. A*MAZE, on the other hand, I would buy! Great review!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Carrie MeredithJanuary 18, 2011 at 10:12 AM

    Thank you tarlesio, I love your description "a candied catfight in a bottle". Whoa, wish I'd thought of that. :) It's perfectly accurate.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Newport by Caswell Massey

By
Bergamot, Mandarin, Lemon, Lavender, Geranium, Muguet, Rose, Ambergris, Cedar, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Musk. After wearing Newport by Caswell Massey a few times and then reading what others had to say about this recent formulation, I found some of the opinions harsh. I have no way to compare it to the heralded vintage formula, nor can I use memory as I've never tried the original. Enter the current version. I do agree with some reviews that this rendition does not bring about the sense of beach and salt, but there's a long line of fragrances that fail to represent their depictions. However, Newport isn't so far off the mark that it's a complete misrepresentation. I can imagine wearing Newport ( or something similar ) in a beach setting. It smells classic due to the way Citrus, Lavender and Geranium are implemented. It's assuredly retro, but it seems to have that intangible I like that keeps me sniffing. Newport, at least on my skin, is top heavy in the sens...
3 comments
Read more

Black Suede by Avon

By
Nutmeg, Clove, Amber, Musk, Moss, Wood Notes. Yes.........I am reviewing one of the Rodney Dangerfield's of fragrance. Black Suede has been gracing medicine cabinets, for better or worse, since 1980 my friends. If you're expecting me to inform you ( like others may have already ) that Black Suede is a nasty scrubber, you will be disappointed. On the other hand, if you're expecting a glowing review claiming it's a diamond in the rough, you won't hear that from me either. I will say though that Black Suede doesn't deserve the hate it's received and most of that is due to snobbery aimed at Avon products in general. I kid you not when I state that a close relative to this fragrance is Cacharel Pour L'Homme. The array of spice in both ensure comparison, but the "smoother" of the two is Black Suede due to its implementation of Amber. While wearing Black Suede, one can detect a hint of "drugstore". That quality doesn't manife...
1 comment
Read more

Lanvin L'Homme

By shamu1
Lord knows the world has enough fresh woody citrus fragrances.  It's a hackneyed genre of masculine perfume, having been done to death by countless designer firms cranking these things out since the 1990s, and there doesn't seem to be an end in sight.  Lanvin L'Homme, released in 1997, is one of the early woody citrus releases, but it (along with Essenza di Zegna) stands out because it's one of the best.  That may sound like it's not saying much, but Lanvin L'Homme really is excellent. I won't get into a long treatise about all of the notes contained in this and how they evolve.  Lanvin L'Homme is sparkling, spicy, woody, transparent and dry.  What I love about this scent is how brilliantly it uses vetiver - the vetiver gives Lanvin L'Homme a woody, dry and somewhat bitter smell, but it also manages to create an effect of sustaining the citrus top notes for several hours.  This results in a fragrance that smells fresh and cheerful from beginning ...
Post a Comment
Read more