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Monday, December 17, 2007

Perfume Review: Lostmarch Lann-Ael

Another Nor'easter have been raging over us, and it looks like we will have a very rainy Christmas and a sleety New Year. This is the kind of weather that makes my organism scream for a day off work, a comfy sofa, a warm blankie, a good book and a glass of red wine ...but as none of these is an option this gloomy Monday, a comfort scent will have to suffice. My latest discovery in this category is Lann-Ael by Lostmarch, with notes of "buckwheat, other cereals, whiffs of milk, apple and vanilla."

Lann-Ael, which sounds like an Elvish name, means "angel heath" in Breton. Angelic is quite a fitting word to describe this delicately sweet, velvety soft, "creamy-white" fragrance. So are maternal and child-like, because the gentle milky sweetness of Lann-Ael reminds me of the smell of my mother's skin, of being very small, cuddled in her arms, feeling content and safe...and of the smell of my daughter, of cuddling her, of feeling in possession of absolutely everything I might ever need. (It also smells absolutely adorable on my little one, like her natural smell, enhanced.)

Like many great comfort scents, Lann-Ael is quite simple, without much development, with no twists and turns, with no pretention. It starts with a creamy-vanillic accord in which from time to time the dry bready-ness of buckwheat (the very every-day ordinariness of which is, to this Russian, comforting in itself) might be sensed and it ends in the same candied and cozy and enjoyably down-to-earth manner. Those who, like me, find Matin Calin's condensed-milky-ness to be very attractive but rather tiresome in its relentless sweetness, will be delighted with a much more delicate, skin-scent-like Lann-Ael.

Lann-Ael is available at lostmarch.fr, €45,00 for 100ml.

The painting is Refuge by Laurie Blank, onessimofineart.com.

38 Comments:

Blogger elle said...

Whatever the weather, this is the season when I feel there can't possibly be enough comfort scents to get me through, so am definitely going to have to retry this one. Can't remember what my initial impressions were, but it's been a while.

10:12 PM EST  
Blogger tmp00 said...

This reads so great- it's cold enough here to warrant comfort scents

10:32 PM EST  
Blogger Kelley said...

Your review is so evocative, I can smell this...well, in my imagination. I am a huge fan of Matin Calin and the milky sweet notes mixed with apple and cereal sound very wonderful. Today, the weather here was in the 80s and sunny so there is no need for comfort scents but it also means that it's hard to get in the mood for the holidays. It never feels a lot like Christmas in San Miguel.

10:59 PM EST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Lovely description, though there's something in this I find a little off-putting. must, a la Elle, resniff to test.

11:24 PM EST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

What an unusual fragrance, I have never even heard of it before. It does sound very cozy, and perfect for winter!

2:30 AM EST  
Blogger Gail S said...

Oh no, the secret is out! But it's okay, this is so wonderful that I've been sending samples or decants to everyone who I think might like it. Even got March the vanilla-hater on board! I've never smelled anything quite like it before, not even the Matin Calin (that one made me think of milk and buttered popcorn).

3:56 AM EST  
Blogger Marina said...

L,
I need comfort scents even in summer, and now it's like...an orgy of comfort scented-ness :-)

6:43 AM EST  
Blogger Marina said...

Tom,
Something is wrong with the heating system and it's 50 in our living room! Aieee!

6:43 AM EST  
Blogger Marina said...

Kelley,
I'd give anything at the moment to feel un-christmassy in San Miguel or somewhere else warm :-)

6:44 AM EST  
Blogger Marina said...

Lee,
I wonder what it is

6:45 AM EST  
Blogger Marina said...

Donna,
I highly recommend it :-)

6:46 AM EST  
Blogger Marina said...

gail,
I think the secret has been out for a while. Makeupalley loves this one :-)

6:46 AM EST  
Blogger lilybp said...

Hmm. . .After hearing all the hoo-hah about this for ages, I finally broke down and ordered a sample( with some other stuff); it should be here soon. I'm not sure, though, that it will work for me; milky scents generally don't. I must be the only person in the world who really hated Matin Calin: it made me queasy. "More delicate" here sounds good (though that's not a phrase I would expect to hear from myself:), so we shall see.

7:09 AM EST  
Blogger Marina said...

J,
Somehow I can't imagine you liking it. Just can't. :-)

7:11 AM EST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I wish I got more milk and less fruit. This just did not work for me in August, but perhaps I too will have to retry in this harsher weather....
-Erin, who can't log in this morning, for some reason

8:30 AM EST  
Blogger Unknown said...

I can't believe I haven't tried this yet, but I shall rectify it soon. I love comfort scents, and the world should have plenty of them. :)

10:03 AM EST  
Blogger Ducks said...

This sounds so beautiful. I just ordered a sample the other day (what, I can't stuff my own stocking?) and I hope I find it as cozy as you do.

I am enthralled by the idea of buckwheat in a scent!

10:13 AM EST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

What a beautiful review! I could certainly use another comfort scent, especially these hectic days, getting ready for the holidays.

10:14 AM EST  
Blogger marchlion said...

You like this one! I wouldn't have bet the farm ... someone who knows my tastes kept recommending it to me, and I kept blowing it off, and so finally she gave up and sent me some. :-) Great, great scent. Very comforting, I am coincidentally wearing it right now in our blustery, freezing weather. I get a squidge of something vaguely immortelle-ish, which I also love.

10:43 AM EST  
Blogger marchlion said...

Oh, look, she's up there! Gail sent it. She was right, too.

10:45 AM EST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have a new baby and just like Marina says, when it transfers to her, as all my scents do, I don't mind because it smells alot like her smell. I love this, it is very comforting. My samples ran out last week and I am awaiting my shipment from Lostmarch. Seems to be taking a long time. Has anyone else had this problem? Anyway, I can't wait to spray this with abandon. It's the kind of scent you really can't over do. My hubby loves this! I smell lot's of vanilla. The buckwheat/ hot cereal thing dies off on me in the fist 20 minutes. It strangely reminds me of Aqua di parma's mandorlino di sicily, the almond one, without all the almond :-) Even in Florida a girl needs comfort. Beautiful fragrance and a fitting, tender image to go with it, thanks Marina!
Merry Merry!

11:10 AM EST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Marina, somehow I just can't imagine this scent (with milk & cereals) - is there anything out there you could compare it to ? I desperately need something comforting in this arctic winter here in Vienna... (I'm trying hard with Farnesiana and Cashmere...)

(BTW, I ordered the samples already...)

11:58 AM EST  
Blogger NowSmellThis said...

Cannot decide if this sounds compelling or disgusting...will I like it? I do like some of the cereal-ish things from PG. But cereal + milk, not so sure.

1:12 PM EST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

What a gorgeous illustration, Marina, perfect for your evocative review and for the scent itself.

I got my samp of this some time ago and enjoy it very much. It's perfect for those days when I'm feeling quiet, fragile, and easily overwhelmed or--on the other hand--for when I'm feeling very generous and accessible and want to be more about others than about myself.

I like the cereal notes best, for as long as they last. I had hoped they would remind me of the cereal in Vetiver Tonka. Happily, they do, and then add something of their own. Robin, it's much more transparent than the notes would suggest--like a luminescent watercolor of breakfast rather than the steaming bowl of cereal itself.

5:08 PM EST  
Blogger Kayliana said...

Ironically, I just got my stuff in the mail:-) The lotion is divine, smells just as good as the perfume. And what a difference in the perfume when sprayed vs. the sample I got from the court. MUCH more fruit in the opening, tangy almost and then the steaming cereal wih the faintest drizzle of pure maple syrup...YUM! I.m ready for snuggling!!

5:45 PM EST  
Blogger Marina said...

Erin,
I am so glad I got hardly any fruits.

9:10 PM EST  
Blogger Marina said...

Patty,
I can't believe you haven't tried this yet! :-)

9:10 PM EST  
Blogger Marina said...

Linda,
I hope you like too. I wouldn't say it is reeks of buckwheat :-), but it is...there.

9:11 PM EST  
Blogger Marina said...

Denise,
Hectic is the word.

9:12 PM EST  
Blogger Marina said...

March,
I would have never thought either you or me would love this...go figure :-)

9:13 PM EST  
Blogger Marina said...

C,
I hope your shipment gets to you very soon!
Happy Holidays to you and your lovely family!

9:15 PM EST  
Blogger Marina said...

Melinda,
I would compare it Comptoir Sud Pacific Matin Calin. Only much gentler, less sweet.

9:15 PM EST  
Blogger Marina said...

R,
I promise it won't disgust you. How do you feel about Matin Calin?

9:16 PM EST  
Blogger Marina said...

A,
"like a luminescent watercolor of breakfast rather than the steaming bowl of cereal itself."
EXACTLY!

9:18 PM EST  
Blogger NowSmellThis said...

Matin Calin is ok. I like Demeter Condensed Milk better. Ok, maybe I'll give Lostmarch a shot :-)

10:23 AM EST  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Oh colombina, I truly love your review & description, as that was exactly how & what I feel about Lann-Ael! I have very sensitive nose thus so hard finding fragrance that I can adore. So far my only favorites are Lann-Ael and Lea. Would love to get any recs from you! :D

12:08 AM EST  
Blogger Marina said...

R,
And then tell us what you think!

6:43 AM EST  
Blogger Marina said...

Simplicity,
I would also recommend Matin Calin, Etro Heliotrope, Piver Heliotrope Blanc.

6:44 AM EST  

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