Zephyr

[Gold Dust Kitten]

A gentle white scent, breezes laced with the scent of springtime blooms and citrus. Lemon, lemon verbena, neroli, white musk, white florals, white sandalwood, China musk, bergamot and a drop of vanilla.

Zephyr is a lovely clean creamy white floral with vanilla, a bit of lemon, and light musk that surprisingly doesn't go sharp on my skin. To my nose, it's in the same family as Giant Vulva, Dorian, and Velvet Nudie, but a lot more airy and demure. It's perfect for the hot days ahead, and I'm considering a bottle.

[asciident]

Wet: Musky. Smells like clove?

 

First on: Lemon and clove; kind of a strange combo. Vaguely musky.

 

Dry: Fading out. Lemon musk.

 

 

[saralaughs]

Quite a pretty musky floral.

 

The citrus as well as the citrus blossoms in here make this pop. It reminds me very much of Parker Lily, only like Parker Lily Lite. A pretty white floral that is a bit heady and sweet with a bit of light musk, all grounded by a base of creamy sandalwood. As mxtine above me said, demure but also a bit ethereal. Possibly bottle material.

[invisible iris]

In vial: Musky citrus.

 

On skin: Airy, misty citrus.

 

Dry: This is pretty, but I wouldn’t call it girly or even demure. It's what I would wear if I wanted a minimalist scent, modern and fresh but still natural. Citrus notes and musks make it light, airy, misty, translucent. Florals and vanilla keep it from smelling like household cleaner, but other than that they are muted. Sandalwood contributes a natural & understated warmth, clutter-free simplicity. This is the smell of a person with a clean and simple home. Almost zen. I’m a bit surprised at how much I like this. Lasted 4 hours, applied sparingly.

[Gateau]

In the imp -- Mostly warm and musky

 

Wet -- Not very lemony, getting mostly the muskiness from notes like the sandalwood, vanilla, musk. Not much floral either.

 

Drydown -- Not getting any of the citrus notes or individual flowers, just a general sense of whiteness and the vanilla warmth.

 

Dry -- Ultimately turned into generic vanilla candle.

 

One for the swap pile.

[angelamaria]

In imp: definitely citrusy: this is airy and bright, perfect for hot summer-y days. Slightly cologne-y, lightly floral, as well as lightly vanilla-ey. Promising scent.

 

Wet on skin: sweet and citrusy, although a bit more on the fruity side than just plain citrus. There is a somewhat vague round, sweet note, which I assume to be the vanilla--just a drop, as the description says; not enough to make the blend actually creamy. Really nice, clean, and bright.

 

Dry: "round" neroli/lemon, vague florals, and light musk. The vanilla continue to grow in strength, albeit slowly, but never in leaps--this is primarily a bright, fruity, non-creamy scent. Throw is rather faint, but very pretty--I'm certain a couple applications will likely be the norm over the course of a day.

 

Verdict: this is a bottle scent for me. I've worn it a few times already since first testing and I love it, but I really need to bring some with me out--it's gone in about two hours.

[jizatt]

I've never realyl given this one a shot because of my fear of lemon (which seems to have abated, as lemon no longer smells like chemical cleaner to me, but like a sweeter citrus -- I prefer it over grapefruit by far!)

 

anywho

 

zephyr has always been give to me as a rec for white musk which I love. So today, I wore it -- and it's a white musk stunner. Im sure the white and Chinese musks combine for the effect, and I get a hint of sweet lemony floral and maybe even the slight vanilla base. Its really hot out here right now, so this may have done better on my skin with the heat. This is now on my bottle-hunt list, and I love it!

[calivianya]

Zephyr is extremely faint on my skin, even immediately after applying. I agree that this is a very light and airy scent. I don't get the vanilla, but a light, floral, almost herbaceous scent. It smells very fresh and clean, but is a little too short lived for my liking.

[milo]

White, creamy floral, very nice and unoffensive. After a bit, something bitter comes out. I like this blend, but have sad memories associated with it, as it was what I was wearing when my doggie died.

[KittyHawk]

This is the west wind, alright! It's very light and breezy, and similar to Dorian, but MUCH lighter. The vanilla, musks, and lemon give it a really similar feel. I actually wore Dorian yesterday so when I went to sniff my test patch, I almost thought it was leftover Dorian; nope, it's Zephyr. It's nice but it doesn't last long, so it won't be a bottle purchase for me.

[Gargoyle]

This smells almost the same on me as it does in the imp - vanilla & herbs. The lemon and bergamot come out more as it dries. I love bergamot & have some growing in my garden

[sabrebabe]

In the bottle: white musk, white sandalwood, neroli, light bergamot and just a hint of vanilla. Light and airy.

On me: light and sweet and airy. Some flowery scent I can’t pinpoint. All the musks have melded together and count as one rich, sweet note. Lemon verbena and neroli must be the floral notes, although it smells vaguely rose-y and lilac-y.

Dry: There’s a creamy lemon coming in now and un-sweetening the flowers. The musks are still holding strong and balancing with the new citrus and bergamot. Still very airy and gentle.

Later: Light, airy, spring flowers (not too strong, and lightly rose-y, lilac, and maybe even lilies), hint of lemon, lemon verbena and a slight, very slight herbal. A green pasture in sunny late spring. Clean laundry on the line, sunny white sheets blowing in a gentle breeze. Small children rolling around in the tall grass and kids picking wildflowers for mum (or gramma!).

I want to cry, this smells sooo much like my grandmother that it makes me think she’s right here in the room with me! I’ve been holding on to this imp because it smells exactly like a perfume my grandmother wore. Not sure that *I* will wear it, but it’s a blissfully happy memory for me. My cousins also agree and we all hold an imp when we need Gramma. It’s not a scent I can wear, it’s too emotional for me, and far too girly, but I’m keeping the imp for a casual sniff once in a while, when I want to remember and feel safe and secure again.

[WidgetAlley]

I'm having a tremendously stressed out day, and am hoping Zephyr will be just what I need.

 

Imp: A Dorian-ish combo of light white musk, sugary lemon and vanilla, but with the added girliness of sheer florals and a hint of dusty sandalwood. There's also kind of a green, herbal note in there from the lemon verbena, and a slightly bitter bergamot. Very nice-- smells laid-back and smooth and gorgeous without being generic or uninteresting.

 

Wet: Super-Dorian sugared musk with lemon, but tempered by some cool aquatic notes: bergamot, herby verbena, China musk, sweetly dry sandalwood. This is just lovely, complex but calming, warm and cool at the same time. Unfortunately the bergamot is lending a slightly smoked note. Not enough to ruin it but it doesn't smell quite like it should. Or maybe-- look, I know I'm crazy, maybe it's the association with Hurricane because that's the only other scent with China musk listed-- but is there just the tiniest drop of vetiver in here? Or maybe it's a smokey tea?

 

Dry: This turns into a light, citrus-laced, flowered musk with just a hint of something darker underneath. It's very nice but in the late drydown I would be hard pressed to distinguish it from Dorian. I may keep my imp and dump it in some shampoo or something, but there's really no serious reason to choose this over Dorian. If, however, Dorian was a little too masculine for your tastes, definitely try Zephyr.

[punkinpie]

I really enjoyed this in the bottle - tart and sweet, but not too much like candy. On my skin it smelled sour, like an unripe orange peel. About ten minutes later it turned into baby powder. I was prepared to love this one but it wasn't meant to be!

[rhubarb3point14]

Zephyr is very, very pretty. It starts out tart and sunshiny, all lemon and vanilla and fresh outdoor air. The vanilla grounds it and keeps it from being too astringent.

 

Over time, on my skin, it morphs into a nice mixture of lemon, musk, and sandalwood. It becomes slightly sweeter but is never cloying. It's actually kind of amazing that I get such a nice waft of musk out of it, because usually my body minimizes musk. A lot of fragrances that are musky/sexy on other people are crisp on me. It might be that the China musk has special rhubarb3point14-combating powers.

 

Overall, I think this is a gorgeous, well-executed scent. The only reason I wouldn't buy a bottle is that it's just not "me." This is a very feminine, girl-next-door fragrance, whereas I'm a little bit more tomboyish and nerdy.

[becca_s]

Zephyr is all lemon, musk and sandalwood on my skin. The sandalwood comes through the strongest. At first this smells a little harsh and dry ... and it does soften over time but it stays pretty sharp and white. I don't get any vanilla in this. I love musks, but the sandalwood and lemon dominate it in this scent. Overall, I can't imagine myself wearing Zephyr - it's a bit too sharp for my taste. It might be refreshing on a hot summers day though. I'll keep the imp in case I feel like wearing it, but I wont be getting a big bottle.

[Vega]

Sniffed: The first thing that comes to mind is: Black Lace! Zephyr must have the same sugary vanilla note. Beyond the fluffy sugar are smooth florals and fruit. Gentle, sweet and clean.

 

On skin: Soft, sugared vanilla and downy white musk, contrasting with smooth, gentle, white florals and a sparkle of zest from the lemony notes. This is a light, clean blend, airy and maidenly; it definitely embodies a zephyr, and also puts me in mind of a little girl. Colour impression is pure white blushed with the lightest of pastel yellow and pink. Fades over time, and the lemon notes now threaten to get sour, although they never fully do.

Zephyr really reminded me of Black Lace off the bat, but a skin comparison revealed that it is substantially lighter, brighter and more floral. Quite a different scent, actually. I suspect that they share the same vanilla note.

 

Verdict: While Zephyr has its own character and does evoke a gentle breeze, I simply can't wear it without thinking of Black Lace, which always turns out to be far superior. So it isn't staying.

Edited March 17, 2012 by Vega

[AmethystDahlia]

In Bottle: Kind of hard to smell this one. The imp ear I got from my friend captnklaus doesn't have much left in it though, so that could be a factor.

 

On Skin: Smells a bit soapy. I can't make out the citrus notes at all, or any of the other notes for that matter.

 

Dry-Down: Like Lady of Shallott, this one faded pretty fast on me.

 

This was also a sample from my friend captnklaus, and unfortunately I don't think I'll be keeping this one. It's too bad, because from the description it sounded lovely, but it's just too soapy on me.

 

Edit: I decided to give it another try, and it actually smells much better today! I definitely get the lemon notes along with some spiciness (or maybe that's the sandalwood). I also used a bit more today, because I think part of why I had difficulty smelling it properly before is that I only used a very small amount for the sampling. I may keep it around after all.

Edited May 30, 2012 by AmethystDahlia

[jkfagtongpun]

I ordered this in October 2010 and put it in my 'try again later' box because the vanilla overpowered everything. I don't mind vanilla as long as there is something else to keep it from going overly sweet.

 

I've recently retested this and wow, the combination of notes is amazing.

 

On wet I get lemon and neroli as the dominant notes backed by musk, vanilla, sandalwood and bergamot.

 

Dry the musk dominates with a backing of vanilla and sandalwood.

 

It is very light and doesn't last long but I think I'll keep it for now.

[child of drought]

In the bottle: Oh Zephyr is like walking through a spring meadow, all freshly cut grass and wildflowers.

 

On wet: More freshly cut grass smell with a hint of something sharper.

 

On dry: Its now developed into just a warm vanilla/musk mix. 

[bellumed]

The label on my imp is very worn and tattered and has an old design. I would love to test a fresh one and compare, but here's my feedback for a probably quite aged version:

 

It's a much more light and clean scent, but it reminds me a little of Dorian when wet-- I suppose that's the lemon-vanilla-musk combination. God this would be a lovely laundry spray! It already smells a little bit like soft, fresh sheets. Unsurprisingly, this fades very quickly (maybe a blessing, as either the sandalwood or the florals are threatening to butt in less pleasantly). I think I'll smear some on my pillow and see how that comes out...

Edited April 24, 2013 by bellumed

[mermaidsdream]

Musks? Neroli? Vanilla? Sandalwood? Yes, please! This should be a great scent on me, right?

 

In the imp: it's a very light, fresh, clean scent. It's very promising!

 

Applied: Hrm ... I'm getting a scent that's wet, aquatic. It's hovering right between being something that's going to work wonderfully, or shift into the "oh no, baby powder" scent. I don't get any sandalwood or musk. I think I'm amping the florals in this.

 

Drydown: Within 10 minutes, it's pure baby powder. No musk, no sandalwood, no vanilla. I'm not even getting the lemon. If the description didn't say "white florals," I'd suspect violet being in this (since I amp violet like no one's business). I'm having to wash off as much as I can, because it's starting to induce a migraine.

 

Swap/Sale pile for this one

[brilliantcat]

Imp: Creamy white, slightly musky. I am shocked that I don't get even a whiff of citrus!

 

Wet: Barely musky, clean and a bit green in a fresh-cut-flower-stem kind of way. Creamy. I keep using that but it's the perfect descriptor.

 

Dry: Whoa, I like this! Even though it's totally girly and floral, it does so in a wonderful way. Creamy (again!) vanilla-musk-floral. I don't get any citrus at any point but I don't miss it tbh. I love the counterplay of the musk with the fresh flowers with the vanilla. I picture a lovely woman in a white dress twirling in a field of fresh flowers.

[MiasmaResonance]

What a lovely, elegant scent. Light sheer musk and a slight, slight hint of lemon, with deep green undertones. The china musk is distinctly detectable, but not overpowering. It's floral, but doesn't offend the sensibilities of this foodie lover.

[radiantfracture]

Man, this is so pretty.

 

In the bottle, this seemed like a heavier floral than the description suggested, and I didn't think I'd enjoy it.

 

Wet, there's a strong green grassy smell -- it has that in common with Dirty. Drydown moves through several phases -- a delightful alchemy of shifting florals -- it is like a gentle current of air that way, weaving from one note to another. Following other reviewers, I think what really makes this work is the vanilla / lemon / bergamot combination. These sweet, slightly edible notes transmute the florals, which by themselves would not interest me, into something magical.