Liquid Dreams
April Aromatics (2012)

Elixir of Life! Makes me happy and energetic! Love It! :)

The opening of Liquid Dreams is peculiar to say the least: boldly spicy yet sweetish with also citrus notes, something floral-balsamic, on a woody-vanillic base. Basically a “clash” between sweet-lactonic notes, sharp-zesty notes and something balmy, warm, a bit “leafy” and woody, which I guess may be the narcissus-osmanthus accord. I thought I knew both notes fairly well, but here I had quite a hard time in detecting them – which may be considered as a good thing, as it means they're really well conceived (or that this doesn't contain any, but I'll keep my good faith). Undoubtedly a nice opening phase, intriguing and positively “messy”, albeit a bit heavy and with some loud (perhaps too loud) contrasts; then it progressively becomes warmer and finds its “balance” once it, say, “tunes in” with your skin. The blend becomes then more refined, more harmonic, more focused on a quite pleasant and fairly realistic earthy floral accord with “dirty” and almost indolic nuances on one end, and citrusy-lactonic on the other. Basically it loses a bit of the initial sweetishness and overall power. Now, what I don't like personally is a persistent, and increasingly dominant harsh spicy note or accord, halfway nutmeg and cloves, which is really haunting and kind of cloying, messing with what I consider really nice here instead – all the floral-earthy side. That, and some metallic whiffs and hints which come and go. Overall it's not a bad scent, a bit 1980's inspired (that sort of tacky loudness), but surely uncommon, far from trends and fashion and creative, with an enjoyable realistic natural feel. It would just need a couple of fixes in my opinion.

6,5-7/10

Liquid Dreams strikes me as a peculiar title for this scent as the phrase implies something amorphous and theoretical when, in fact, this scent evokes very precise images, environments, and seasons.

At the start, you're hit with the lemon rind that's sweetened to the point of smelling a bit like a bag of sherbet lemon drops. However, it's neither excessively sugary, nor is it bitter and tart. Instead, it's more of an intense, yellow, candied lemon chord that's lavish and full, yet doesn't exhaust you with its presence. There's also an ambiguous apricot facet that smells brighter than that fruit's typical dusty lactonic silhouette, harmonizing well with the lemon to produce a distinctive twist on standard-issue citric notes. Combined, the opening reads like a bag of gummy candies but with a greater fidelity the natural source–a sort of epicurean dessert that wavers between edible and inedible. I'm enjoying more than I feel like I probably should.

Thirty minutes in and the whole thing starts to morph. By this point, the energetic opening has worn itself out and is now taking a nap while the most noteworthy phase fires up. Leafy florals bloom, and colors shift from yellows to greens with an unusually translucent chord that smells both watery and cucumber-esque, but also fleshy and grassy at the same time. And as it heads toward the final stage, the profile settles into something that could only be described as an expanse of verdant hay. It's entirely evocative of a field of wild grasses–slightly buttery, soft, with a touch of powder. At this point, it reminds me quite a bit of Eau de Polder's oily meadow effect. Here, it's neither sharp nor sweet, sitting elusively close to the skin. At the one-hour mark, it really is just a trace–but it's a really good trace that goes on for some time. Green, fresh, faintly soapy and faintly powdery–whatever the material is that's rounding out the base of this scent, it's fascinating and intricate. It smells like it could contain benzoin, labdanum, or orris, but it exists in whispered suggestions.

Despite the high decibels of the opening twenty minutes or so, this is ultimately a light scent. And due to its structure, it's probably not the kind of thing you could count on keeping you company for more than a few hours. Spraying on clothes will likely make it last a little longer, but overall, the scent appears to be an exercise in skinniness. Picture a figless-Philosykos and an incense-free Passage d'Enfer, and you'll get the sense of the way this scent wears. Airy and spacious, but with a confident presence, I find it surprisingly fulfilling.

Liquid Dreams is an ephemeral yet pretty enjoyable concoction of zesty and fizzy assorted citrus peels enriched by smooth florals. Simple, invigorating, pretty natural smelling, nice. If you're fine with the challenging price tag, this could make a good option for very hot summer days...I stick to Guerlain's Eaus.