I love Pilar & Lucy's glam bottles and cutesy perfume names, but I have to admit to feeling some trepidation about their latest, Tiptoeing Through Chambers of the Moon. The only P & L scent I had tried so far, Exact Friction of the Stars, is billed as a vanilla-coconut gourmand, but on my skin the scent had a rather unpleasant undertone that resembled nothing so much as Tupperware melting on the stove. It's all about chemistry, what can you do?
Tiptoeing worked much better for me. It is mostly tuberose and amber, and while the top notes are very sweet and heady, it dries down to a soft, nicely blended floral. The amber is very subdued, and it has just the teensiest little mentholated edge — nothing like Serge Lutens Tubereuse Criminelle, but it is there. I have never smelled real tuberose, but I am told that this touch of menthol is true to the flower. Please comment if you know!
I like Tiptoeing, but it didn't wow me. After the top notes dissipate, the tuberose is almost too soft and flat for my taste. Several hours later, the tuberose is very subtle, ditto the amber, and there is a very mild base of soft wood, probably sandalwood, and maybe some musk as well.
It is certainly worth a try for tuberose lovers, and for that matter, it might be perfect for someone who finds most tuberose fragrances too much to take. For buying information, see the listing for Pilar & Lucy under Perfume Houses.
The initial amber stage is too strong for me. I'm not a big amber fan. However, the tuberose drydown is fabulous. Rich without being heady. I smelled it on the cuff of my shirt the next day and swooned. However, when I tested it again, I detested the first hour. I will stick with La Chasse aux Papillons for my tuberose fix.
Well I'm glad I won't be rushing to get this one. I love amber, but tuberose does me in.
Exact Friction of the Stars dried down to what I can only call “baby barf” on me. I swapped that bottle away.
I am not an amber fan either. It is odd that the amber seems to be a top note rather than a base note. I have lots of tuberoses to “stick with”, and think I will write about my favorites tomorrow 🙂
Laughing at the baby barf! I wish I could find a P & L to love, I am a complete sucker for cutesy bottles.
It's a pleasant enough fragrance, and the names in this line are irresistable, but I longed for this fragrance to be more complex than it is.
Received a sample of this, tried it a few hours ago — all I got was amber! A very, very tiny smidgen of tuberose, but mostly just amber amber amber. Reminded me of a sweet men's cologne. Not nearly floral enough…
LOL — this was so long ago I can hardly remember the scent and had to re-read my own review! But I passed that sample on fairly quickly so must not have thought it was something that would grow on me…