Lush Sikkim Girls 10ml £16
After posting about my perfume collection here and feeling rather smug that I'd Kondo'd the hell out of my collection, I had no intention of buying any more fragrances for a while. I was really happy with the small selection I had and I probably wouldn't have even bought this perfume from Lush had I not been looking to buy a replacement for my most worn daily scent, Karma, also by the brand's Gorilla Perfume range.
I visited my local Lush branch as my 10ml bottle of Karma had run out, and I find this is the ideal size to keep in my handbag. I do have the solid perfume as well, which I use in conjunction with the spray version, but the spray is essential oil based and packs a punch. The 'throw' and longevity of the spray version is much better than the solid, in my opinion. As it turned out, I couldn't see the bottle size I was after in the Karma scent, so I thought it would be nice to try a few different ones and see if any piqued my interest in the way that Karma had.
I tried four different scents; Kerbside Violet, Imogen Rose, Smuggler's Soul, and Sikkim Girls. I had thought I would have to pick between Imogen Rose (rose is one of my all time favourite scents) or Kerbside Violet, but I tried all 4 on paper spills and applied Kerbside Violet to one wrist and Sikkim Girls to the other. I then left the store and allowed the scents to dry down over the course of a few hours.
Imogen Rose, whilst pleasant on first application, just didn't captivate me like Karma had. Similarly to Smuggler's Soul, I didn't like this enough to try on my skin; I was much more drawn to the Kerbside Violet scent and the Sikkim Girls fragrance. After smelling both scents through the day, the one that I couldn't stop thinking about was Sikkim Girls. It dried down to the most incredible scent on the skin, and though Kerbside Violet was also really interesting, starting off smelling like damp earth and mellowing out to the scent of Parma Violets, it was the complex aromas of Sikkim Girls that intrigued me, enough so that I returned the following day to buy the scent.
This is not a subtle fragrance, although it does mellow after application. The scent from the bottle is almost like a really old fragrance that has gone over; a slightly musty, old-lady fragrance. Don't let that put you off, though! On application to the skin it takes on an almost smoky tone; on me this dissipates to leave a multifaceted, florally-incense type smell that is just divine. I did a bit of further reading on the blend and this fragrance is a floral, but not in the way you would expect. It's certainly not light or fresh, but features frangipani and tuberose on a vanilla base, which sounds sickly but again, really isn't. It has been cited as a great choice for those who wear Karma, so perhaps this is why I was drawn to it, as it compliments similar ingredients in the former but in a completely different way. It's heady and complex, in fact, it has been described as a 'hippy Chanel No.5' and I can completely get that!
I always find the Gorilla Perfumes that Lush do are so interesting and seem to offer a much more intricate olfactory experience than anything I could buy from any of the established houses. I like the fact that they are so different and almost bespoke in the way that they smell on the skin. There are so many different blends but I would definitely encourage anyone to go and test out a few if you're new to the brand, they are completely mesmerising and you're sure to find something you like!
XO Amie
Post a Comment