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Saturday, June 25, 2011

Underneath The Ashes – Review: Idole de Lubin


May I just say, to get the pesky things out of the way, how much I do not like that bottle. I refrained from saying “hate with a passion” since that would be putting entirely too much emotion into that essentially irrelevant issue, but just to be clear, I do not enjoy the visual input of that bottle, Serge Mansau creation or not. So, that is that.
Idole was released in 2005, the name is borrowed from another Lubin fragrance from the 1960ies, but the juice is not the same. Idole was created by Olivia Giacobetti.

The notes include rum absolute, saffron, bitter orange peel, black cumin, Doum palm, smoked ebony, sugar cane, leather and red sandalwood.

How does it smell? It sure sounds like a heavyweight from that list of notes. But remember – we are dealing with the Queen of Translucency here. I have yet to encounter a dense and heavy Giacobetti scent. ( I am willing to be corrected of course!)

The first thing that comes to mind is some kind of cocktail. Spices swirling in a heady cloud of alcohol, but as soon as the rum note wears off, the orange and spices shine nicely on a backdrop of leathery wood. It is not at all strong, it does not project very far, but stays rather close and is gone after three hours. There is fruity-ness to the top that I do not entirely enjoy.

I start to appreciate Idole about an hour into wear-time. It is then that the spices take on a dark, subdued glow, like the remains of a fire, the coals still glowing under a heap of ashes. The drydown is sweeter, making it cozier, something to sink into after the stormier, more exiting ride that it was before.

Idole is probably ideal on a man, I would love to smell it on a man, unfortunately my own is of the opinion that he has found his scent of the year, and I am welcome to approach him with perfume wearing requests again in 2012.

I’ll update then.

Image Credit: flickr

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28 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hmmmm, saffron, cumin, smoke, leather, sandalwood? How have I not tried this one yet. I have Hiris, which I believe she also composed. I absolutely love it and although it is sheer, it makes its presence known and on clothes lasts until they are washed. Is Idole overtly masculine or more unisex? Guilty confession, I love the bottle, don't hate me. . . lol!

5:11 AM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

OK the bottle looks like something you would buy for 8$ from this angle, I admit. But I was surprised at how different it looks from the side. And there is this cool coloured bead necklace around the neck of the bottle that makes all the difference.

The juice itself is a modern interpretation of something very old. Sweet, masculine notes turned into vapours.

5:56 AM EDT  
Blogger Tara said...

Idole is not for me either because it is a tad too dry for my tastes and I also get liquorice (though that's not listed). I really admire it though and I'd also love to smell it on a guy! I would say to people wary of cumin that black cumin is not the same as the usual "sweaty" cumin so don't be put off. True, it's not heavy at all and to someone who hasn't tried it I'd say think of L'Artisan's Vanille Absolument/Havana Vanille without the vanilla - if that's possible! I think it's a must-try.

I guess that bottle is love or hate. It's very 80s to me - reminiscent of Passion by Elizabeth Taylor, though I haven't seen it "in person".

6:13 AM EDT  
Blogger Onyxode said...

The bottle is sort of the anti Harajuku-Super G, no?

10:08 AM EDT  
Anonymous Caro said...

Much as I admire the design of the bottle it is so not my cup of tea.
I think -shallow me- I would feel weird applying scent from a bottle like that.

I enjoyed wearing the sample I got, but I was testing Ambre Sultan at the same time and it was AS who won my heart.

10:22 AM EDT  
Blogger Angela Cox said...

The bottle is truly horrible . It all sounds good except Rum . I hate, can't abide the sickly smell or taste of it at all.

12:03 PM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

So what is your man's scent of the year?? Im so curious. :)

12:48 PM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anonymous,
I think Idole is quite unisex. Regarding the bottle, I don't hate you, but I wonder... ;)

2:11 PM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

memoryofscent,
what a beautiful description!
I saw the bottle at Roja Dove's and Immust say I was pleasantly surprised. This is definitely one that looks way better in reality than photographed.

2:13 PM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Tara,
I absolutley agree with you. Although it is ultimately not for me, it is a must-try.

2:14 PM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Onyxode,
lol, exactly. If those two are the ends of the spectrum, I guess mx aesthetic lies firmly in the middle. ;)

2:16 PM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Caro,
Idole has to lose against the hefty and solid Ambre Sultan, which I prefer as well, but they are very different species. :)

2:19 PM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Angie,
I love a good rum note, in perfume and in food! :)

2:20 PM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Anonymous,
he fell for L'Eau de Serge Lutens, of all things *cringes*
But he can be convinced to use his sample of Amouage Epic Man for special occasions! :)

2:24 PM EDT  
Anonymous PhinClio said...

I've always wanted to try this one, but I've never had the opportunity. Sounds like something I'd really like.

(And I'm almost embarrassed to admit that I kinda like the bottle...even in photographs!)

3:38 PM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

PhinClio,
no need to be embarrassed, it is just my personal opinion, which does count for not much in the grand scheme of things. ;)
Idole is definitely worth a try.

3:43 PM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I haven't made my mind up yet about this fragrance; I'm at least two samples deep in it, and it has all the right notes for me, and a perfumer who's work I love...

Idole is one of those fragrances that I think might have been part of my semi-signature scent series before I became a full-blown perfume addict: I like it a lot, but it' just doesn't sing for me.

Thank you for the lovely review! I hate the bottle too ;)

3:47 PM EDT  
Blogger Flora said...

Never tried this but I want to very much. There was a time when I would not have even thought of wearing a perfume with literally no floral notes listed for it, but my tastes have changed quite a lot! I find the bottle to be rather interesting - at least they tried to be original.

9:25 PM EDT  
Blogger ~elise said...

I really like Lubin but wish it had a bit more 'oomph!'

11:35 PM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Dee,
it is similar for me, somehow Idole is great in theory, just fine in reality. Bottle-haters unite! ;)

12:31 AM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Donna,
with a screen name like Flora it must be hard forgoing the flowers entirely! ;)
You are right, that bottle is interesting and sparks a lit of conversation. ;)

12:33 AM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

elise,
Idole can feel a little hollow, a bit more substance wouldn't hurt in my opinion too.

12:35 AM EDT  
Blogger basia77 said...

I love Idole but really hate the bottle!! I threw the cap away and keep the bottle in a drawer so it's much better now!!

1:41 PM EDT  
Blogger basia77 said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

1:42 PM EDT  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Basia,
haha, I totally understand, sometimes the visual input is as important as the olfactory. :)

3:47 AM EDT  
Blogger Saif said...

Its a lovely bottle and an even lovelier perfume.

See here for better pictures:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_rzDCTjjVFcU/S82E4aWEGoI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/bzWh9NqnThE/s1600/Idole_flacon.jpg

http://www.noventa-grados.com/e-shop/uploads/productos/2010-11-9-124906.jpg

2:01 AM EDT  
Blogger EauMG said...

I've always wanted to like this one just for the bottle alone.

1:45 AM EDT  
Blogger EauMG said...

I've always wanted to like this one just for the bottle alone.

1:45 AM EDT  

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