I Bought This, Affiliate Links
When I lived in New York, I used to shop at Caswell-Massey fairly frequently. Their shop was located not far from Ally & Gargano, the advertising agency I worked for in the early ’90s. On days when I actually took a lunch hour, Caswell-Massey’s old school store was a fine destination for browsing or making a small purchase.
Earlier this spring, Caswell-Massey came up on my FB feed, and it got my attention. The ad focused on three very springy fragrances that they were promoting before Mother’s Day. One of the scents was Lilac. For years, I’ve been on the hunt for a fragrance that accurately captured the divine scent of the lilacs in my garden.
Even though the Caswell-Massey website said that the scent wouldn’t ship till the end of May, I decided to go for it. I was dismayed to learn how long it would actually take to get to me. I received Lilac on Saturday after my lilacs were long finished.
Because I wasn’t sure that I would like the fragrance, I ordered a spray travel size, 0.25 fl. oz./7.5 ml, and I’m glad I did.
Although I’ve been getting into florals lately, I’m on the fence about this one. C-M described the Lilac eau de toilette as, “An intoxicating scent of fleeting blooms layered over a whisper of suede and amber”. Because I love amber as well as the scent of lilac, I thought it might be a good choice for me. The resulting fragrance was developed in conjunction with the folks at New York Botanical Gardens.
I knew that it would not be a single note of lilac, and in my opinion, it doesn’t really smell like lilac…at all. Frankly, bergamot seems to take over, I think. Nevertheless, it’s a nice spring/summer floral with a big opening characterized by bergamot and greens, IMHO. The main accords are, in order of effect:
- floral
- fresh
- amber
- leather
- green
- soft spicy
- musky
The notes are
- Fragrance Family: Fresh Floral
- Opening Sparkle: Bergamot Zest, Leafy‑Green Accord
- Heart: Lilac, Muguet (Lily of the Valley)
- Base: Soft Suede, Warm Amber
The consumers on Fragrantica.com rated Lilac primarily as “moderate” in terms of longevity as well as “moderate” or “intimate” in terms of village (projection). I would agree with those opinions. It’s a fine everyday fragrance to wear in season during the daytime.
At present, Caswell-Massey is selling the travel spray as part of a 3 scent bundle called the Floral Discovery Set, including Gardenia and Honeysuckle in addition to Lilac. The trio has been marked down by 20% now to $75 from the original $90.
Lilac by Caswell-Massey is a year-round scent, and it also comes in a full size, 2.0 fl. oz. bottle. It too is an eau de toilette, but this time it comes in a classic glass flacon for $125.
