Gothic Lolita

LOLITA LEMPICKA

Notes: anise seed, licorice, violet, ivy, cherries, iris, tonka bean, almod, vanilla, heliotrope, musk, vetiver

Today I tried out the much talked about Lolita Lempicka perfume, the original in her line. This is a love it or hate it scent, and on the first spray I thought "Holy licorice! Nasty." I cannot stand licorice, the smell makes me feel nauseous. Thankfully, the anise / licorice note began to dry down and fade a bit, and the most lovely notes of violet, ivy and almond emerged as the winners for most of the wear. At the end of the day I smelled faintly of vanilla tobacco.

Something about the smell of this perfume kept making me think of the movie Moulin Rouge, of the bohemians like Toulouse Lautrec with their dusty props and bottle of absinthe. Other times however, I would get a whiff and be reminded of the movie Interview With a Vampire, with the Old South cemeteries and ancient rituals cloaked in mystery. Another metaphor? If the gothic illustrator Edward Gorey were to have a scent, this would be it. There is something so dark and sad about Lolita Lempicka. Feminine, but not in a friendly girl next door or even a come hither seductress way. Last metaphor I promise, but I want to make sure you really get the idea. The "lost Lenore" that Edgar Alan Poe grieves in his poem "The Raven" probably wore this stuff.

My parting thought on LL is that I may one day purchase a bottle. It is fantastically evocative and I may need a good goth scent one day...you never know. The bottle itself is breathtakingly gorgeous. Right now however, I am going to focus on other fragrances and perhaps I will return to this when it isn't quite so popular and recognizable.