Lilac Love

A powdery floral unlike any other The fragrances in Amouage's Secret Garden collection are generally considered the easiest and most approachable in the house's portfolio. Lilac Love has a simple structure, but as a scent it is extremely unusual and by no means crowd-pleasing. There is nothing inherently challenging about it for other people, but it may very well test its wearer. I didn't like the fragrance at first at all. I bought it primarily because I enjoy powdery scents and, secondly, because I was intrigued by the lilac note. True lilac essence can only be obtained through the extremely expensive and time-consuming enfleurage method, but in modern perfumery lilac is almost always recreated as an accord - a blend of synthetic aroma molecules and extracts from other flowers. Lilac Love is one of the few fragrances that I simply could not imagine in my mind as a whole. I first tried to grow into it during the winter because its texture is incredibly thick and creamy. However, there was always something unpleasant about it, and I eventually put the bottle aside. As with all fragrances, I never give up without wearing them in different weather conditions and finding the moment when they bloom at their best. I reached for the bottle again on a hot summer day and sprayed it on. I immediately experienced a wow moment: could this really be the same fragrance that had previously felt unpleasantly synthetic, dirty, dusty, and even a little cloying? Lilac Love opens as a rather chaotic jumble that settles almost immediately during the first few minutes, as though every ingredient, every molecule, is rushing to find its proper place. The fragrance unfolds as a heady, completely unique combination of notes, where flower petals are dusted with soft, finely ground dark cocoa powder. Little by little, the flowers begin to crumble and become powdery themselves, while a creamy vanilla paste blends into the composition, smoothed by sandalwood. The powdery mixture of cocoa and flowers never completely disappears; instead, the fragrance consistently maintains both its powdery and creamy qualities. It is not particularly sweet to my nose, nor is it distinctly gourmand. Despite the cocoa and vanilla, it does not remind me of anything edible because the flowers remain such a dominant part of the composition. The floral notes blend seamlessly together, but at times I notice more lilac and at other times more heliotrope, while the iris remains quietly in the background throughout, contributing more to the fragrance's texture than asserting itself as a distinct note. The heliotrope develops into a delicate, hazy almond-like nuance, but I detect nothing cherry-like from it at all. The gardenia is never prominent enough for me to stand out clearly, and I cannot distinguish the peony at all. Lilac Love is a fragrance that simply has to be experienced firsthand; its uniqueness is difficult to capture in words. Some may find it old-fashioned, but I personally love that dense blend of cocoa and floral dust, which feels both sophisticated and captivating, elegant yet intriguing. In its own unique way, the fragrance is also deeply comforting. Its creaminess, together with the gentle vanilla and sandalwood, creates the feeling of a warm, embracing hug. Lilac Love taught me once again that some fragrances simply demand patience. It is not a scent that reveals its beauty immediately or in every season, but when the conditions are right, its unusual combination of powdery florals, cocoa, and creamy woods becomes remarkably harmonious and memorable. It remains one of Amouage's most distinctive creations - not because it is technically complex, but because it presents familiar notes in a way that feels unlike anything else. For those willing to give it time, Lilac Love offers a quietly rewarding and deeply individual fragrance experience. Thank you for reading, I hope my review was helpful. I would appreciate if you follow me on my IG and/or YouTube (English subtitles available): @ninamariahperfumes It gives me a lot of motivation to write more.

Lilac Love is gentle, sweet and gorgeous. Not as bombastic as a lot of Amouage’s other fragrances can typically be, but certainly not a wallflower. What surprised me the most is how addictive it is. I usually gravitate towards louder fragrances, yet I keep reaching for Lilac Love again and again. There is something incredibly comforting and elegant about it. On cooler days it truly shines. The composition feels smoother, richer and even more beautiful, making it a fragrance I simply want to wear over and over again. 💜💜💜

OMG When I smelt a sample of this for the first time I was so confused I was like I swear I've smelt this before and then it just clicked for me it smelt just like my grandmother who use to wash her clothes with lenor spring awakening so I looked up the notes in that and like all the notes in that are in this it made me wanna cry with joy I want to own a bottle just for the memories this sent brings me

Only one question to Amouage- WHY you changed it's beautiful bottle????? Because bottle was the best part of this perfume, only the color of this would convince me to purchase it :) The scent... It's hard, it's very hard to like. It's so heavy. Here is very precise picture of this perfume- imagine a huge a shapeless piece of dark chocolate, very old that it got this like-gray-white residue, and somebody placed the lilac around, that was picked in the morning, but it's already 9 PM and there was no vase with water. Voila- lilac love

Love at first sniff. I was originally going to order Amouage Guidance, but I kept hearing from people around me that I smelled too strong and that it could be quite migraine - inducing. That made me sad because I truly love that fragrance. I ordered several samples from Amouage and completely fell in love with this scent. To me, it smells like chocolate and lilac, just as many people describe it. It’s incredibly comforting, but it also reminds me of the nostalgic scent of lipstick and cosmetics that my mother used to wear- scents I remember from my childhood. It’s soft and non-offensive, yet it lasts for a very long time on the skin. My 100 ml bottle is already on its way to me! A truly beautiful fragrance. It’s definitely worth giving it time to develop on your skin. 💜

Perhaps it was the sample I tried but I didn't really get any vanilla from this - more of the dry cocoa powder mixed with the lilac and other florals which I found quite overwhelming. It was very dry and powdery and had none of the creaminess that some others could detect.

this is the first amouage scent i've tried, and i'm vaguely aware of their lore. something something they used to make amazing scents but now they make boring generic scents. i see what the lovers-turned-haters mean now. it's a very nice powdery floral, but there's not much else to say about it. you could buy something similar smelling for like fifty bucks instead of four hundred. crazy price. edit: a week after writing this i find myself continually searching online for a used bottle. yes i have my clown makeup on as well.

Incredible! Seriously. I think I might have commented a few times but that’s just showing me how much I absolutely love this fragrance! It’s an absolute love❤️❤️❤️❤️

Lilac Love - my misunderstood fragrance. I wore this 2 years ago when it still had the old glossy pastel bottle and I 100% disliked it. Maybe I’d been burned and negatively influenced by the recent release of Guidance and the ultra-sweet aroma-chemical change of style from Amouage. But I remember that I found Lilac Love “dry and bitter, minimalist but uninspiring” and I described the dry-down as “hot almond milk heliotrope in a sweet bubble tea with a sprinkling of lilacs.” Fast forward 2 years and I’m now wearing this again with the dark matte purple bottle, it’s instant love. Although I still see where my original comments have come from, this time it’s the best kind of powdery-dry, as it’s savoury from the cacao and dusty from the tonka, orris and heliotrope. There is just enough grown-up florals for it to be feminine but not girly, and mature enough to remind me of rich aspirational women, rather than a grey senior. I now recognise a theme to the fragrances which I love; powdery bone-dry clean florals which are no sweeter than bitter dark chocolate. Wearing it, I feel like my usual self as it doesn’t bother me nor dominate my character but I feel cleaner with my dusting of powdery lilacs. It also lasts much longer than before, I get the first 4 hours where it performs beautifully then it fades down for another few hours more. If I overspray, then it reminds me of a long discontinued beauty; Gucci Accenti, as there’s a vintage honeyed-amber, spicy-soapy, powdery peach syrup quality - but still dry as a powdery bone. So can someone go from ‘dislike’ to ‘love’ or has it been reformulated? I could never tolerate vanilla and I remember that I hated how sweet it was before, but now it’s not sweet just beautifully dry. Maybe I just wasn’t ready for Lilac Love until now, as scent is subjective and your tastes change and evolve through life. But I still can’t stop thinking if it’s been reformulated.

This is predominantly a chocolate scent, indeed an aqua chocolate like Esna said. I must say that up to this point, i feel like the line for heliotrope perfumes to go from thick creamy powdery to plasticky is very thin, and this one is standing right on it, hopping between the line every now and then. Playful. I like it.

"Bewitching cool lilac, chocolate milk , 50 shades of lilacs, shape-shifter..; You're drinking a cup of warm chocolate milk. Lactonic. Creamy. The chocolate aroma has filled the room. Your window is open, and a branch from a lilac tree is resting on it. The cool breeze brings the aroma from the tree in to your room...." These types of reviews are dangerous for people like me 😄 Because: I don't just buy a scent I buy: 🟣an image 🟣a mood 🟣an emotion 🟣an aesthetic And Lilac Love apparently has an infinite supply of poetic imagery 😂💜 After everything I've read: Lilac Love now sounds less like a perfume and more like: 💜 a collective romantic hallucination of people obsessed with lilacs😂 And I'm exactly looking for olfactory art objects 😍💟🔮♀️♾️

The Secret Garden collection holds very few secrets, if any, and Lilac Love does not show lilac any love. Instead it's a... citrusy floral chocolate patchouli perfume...? Utterly bizarre and head-scratching. The star of this perfume to my nose is not the citrusy jasmine or peony, nor the chocolate or patchouli or their ride-or-die vanilla partner, it's heliotrope. The chemical-cyanide-note and unctuous almond nuttiness is released like a nuclear mushroom cloud when the perfume first hits skin and it stays quite powerful and looming large for a long portion of the perfume's life. Lilac Love doesn’t just blatantly flirt with gourmand codes, I have a hard time saying it is anything but gourmand. Once the sharp, sparkling, citrusy floral notes die down, powdery orris comes through giving the chocolate a dusty cocoa type character. Lactonic sandalwood, sweet patchouli and vanilla round it off and carry through to the final skin scent. This is going to be a short review by my standards. I’m not sure what to say. I’m baffled. Lilac Love does not make any sense to me. The notes aside, another reason why it doesn’t make much sense is because it doesn’t smell like Amouage. It smells cheap and pedestrian. The chocolate patchouli is bog standard; the vanilla a squirt of cheap baking extract; the florals a morass of scratchy and vague materials. I can’t go so far as to say it’s bad, but you certainly aren’t going to twist my arm into saying it’s good either.

After a brief lilac opening, it quickly becomes a powdery, creamy, chocolate patchouli. Intriguing evolution on the skin. Quite lovely, though a bit too sweet for my tastes.

The first couple of seconds were very floralesque but it quickly morphed into a blend of aqua chocolate with tiny floral garnishes. I say Acqua chocolate because chocolate smells and tastes different when mixed water as opposed to milk; so it’s less gourmand than I thought. Sophisticated.

I cannot stand it. The bottle from a distance gives me terror, anxiety, and a bad headache. It reminds me of an old lady who has been toiling all day and has a particular musty BO who has attempted to mask her hard day by layering a heavy powdery shalimar-like dupe. She reaches out for a hug and smothers you with her massiveness, which triggers a massive headache for three days straight. I blame the white florals and tacky rose… the cocoa or vanilla are absent and guilty by proxy… No. Just no. I thought of getting rid of this but felt responsible for the harm it might do to someone else if it lands in unassuming hands. So now it sits quarantined in my cupboard for a decade or so away from all the rest to suppress contamination. It is abominable. It reminds me of etat libre d'orange putain de palace… not as a clone but rather a progenitor of sorts.

Quintessential effortless feminine spring fragrance. It feels like the POV of a honeybee flitting from flower to flower, inhaling the sweet nectar with powdery pollen on its furry legs. It is sweet but not too sweet, floral, honeyed, and powdery in a classic sense, very elegant and safe for many occasions. The cacao is subtle and doesn't take away from the classy aspects of this. I would have absolutely needed this if it had any staying power, which sadly it does not. At least my wallet thanks me.

at certain points of the fragrance's development it smells exactly like tom ford velvet orchid. velvet orchid's slightly harsh, rich rum note is replaced in lilac love's cool airy heliotrope. actually i think lilac love specifically smells like certain dupes like perfume parlour's of velvet orchid, because dupes of velvet orchid tend to emphasise the powdery floral aspects that it has in common with lilac love. lilac love opens with a burst of old fashioned powdery florals but velvet orchid opens with rum and honey. both are honeyed vanilla florals ultimately

A very spring suitable powdery floral fragrance that lasts but isn’t overpowering. It’s retro but not too much so if you love these notes this is the fragrance for you. However it is rather spenny and it has competition from other floral smellies on the market. The powdery florals take centre stage here and it’s smoothly done and I don’t find this one screechy. Also would class this as office friendly.

If you like retro glamour scents, you'll probably like this. I do, very much, but I say probably bc Amouage (even the easier ones) aren't what most people think of as easy. It has plenty of honey, which I don't see many ppl mentioning nor do I see it listed in the admittedly pared down notes here on Fragrantica. On the Amouage site, which I checked before I bought, it's listed as a top, mid and base note. To my nose it's a honeyed floral with powdery nuances from not only the orris & heliotrope but also the cocoa and tonka. Creamy from the sandalwood and the vanilla isn't what most vanilla lovers like, it's a creamy take on almondy (heliotrope) vanilla that's blended into the sandalwood. I don't smell the patch at all. So if you like 50's glamour girl perfumes and occasionally want to smell like one, you might test this one out. Also, after a few months it's so much better but only if you liked it in the first place. Like most of this brands offerings, I don't smell aggressive aroma chemicals (except for the Guidance twins, which I can't stand).

I never think of scents as giving grandma or old lady vibes. Once I sprayed this on me, the only thing I keep thinking is, whoa grandma vibes! To like this, you need to be a major fan of florals. I think what mostly makes me not like this fragrance is the orris root combination with cacao. So in the end it's a strong floral-orris-dirty dryness combo. Imho, it's like a floral-powdery softened Opus V. If you like Opus V, you may really like this one as an alternative. I do get lilac but mostly only in the opening, later I get more a suggestion of lilac through the other florals. I like the bottle, the name, the idea, the execution of the scent not so much.

I wanted to like this, but the heavy powdery scent reminds me of my mom in the 90s. Not for me.

When I first tried Lilac Love, I was immediately captivated by its floral elegance. The top notes bloom softly with fresh lilac and a hint of citrus, creating a bright and uplifting introduction. As it settles, the heart reveals a bouquet of iris and jasmine, perfectly balanced without ever feeling overwhelming. The dry-down brings a subtle warmth with soft musks and a touch of woods, giving it a refined, lasting presence. When I wore it, my husband couldn’t stop commenting on the scent trail—it lingered beautifully and left a captivating impression wherever I went. Overall, Lilac Love is a sophisticated, romantic fragrance that turns everyday moments into something memorable.

I don’t usually go for perfumes with prominent floral notes, I mostly end up with them as gift, but this one completely won me over. It opens beautifully with a burst of lilac blended with heliotrope, creating a soft yet radiant introduction. There’s a noticeable almond nuance that adds a delicate sweetness, and as it settles, a subtle heaviness from cocoa begins to emerge. The vanilla in the base is incredibly satisfying, rounding everything out and keeping it from feeling like a typical floral scent. It’s bright, long lasting, and feels uniquely balanced. I didn’t expect it, but I’ve realized that lilac might be my favorite flower note.

Got my hands on a tester and its very different from the one I tested in the store. Very powdery. Wonder if anyone else gets mostly powder?

Category: Floral, powdery, vanilla Notes: Sprays on very alcoholic and powdery with a clear vintage lean. This quickly settles down into a soft, honeyed heliotrope, slightly soapy lilac, powdery cacao and almondy vanilla. There's a touch of gardenia - green and earthy - as well as a fresh, shampooey peony lingering in the background. The eventual dry-down is that of an array of powdery florals with creamy facets and a warm, golden and somewhat almondy vanilla. Vibe: Valentine's Day. Pastel yellow or beige. Clear umbrella. Violets and lilacs. Innocence. Hope. Storybook romance. Weddings. Bridal. Marvelous fountains. White linen. Sheets drying on a clothesline. The Swiss Alps. Paper hearts. Sillage: 8/10. Not as bombastic as a lot of Amouage’s other fragrances can typically be, but certainly not a wallflower. With a modest spritz to the wrist this doesn't encroach the space around me, but I'm certain with a slightly more heavy handed spritz that this would project at least beyond an arm’s length. That said, it is extremely potent up close, to the point where I'll caution those with perfume induced headache, nausea or asthma to blind buy this, or even just to make sure you sample it on a day where you're able to wash it off if needed. Longevity: 8/10. This is EXTREMELY potent for approximately the first 4 hours, only after that does it begin to mellow out a bit. Could easily detect this on my skin for up to 8 hours after spraying on. Not the greatest longevity for the price point but surely not bad. Wear: This is a daytime fragrance for sure, way too bright and youthful for nighttime wear. A quintessential spring fragrance. While there is nothing about this fragrance that is offensive, and it isn't too loud, I am not sure I find it appropriate for the office. This is SO insanely feminine, would not recommend for a man unless purposely trying to toy with expectations. I find it particularly difficult to put an age to this fragrance… While it is sweet and youthful, it also carries a certain undercurrent of maturity to it. I think I actually have to refrain from a recommended age range this time. I just find it impossible. Overall rating: 8/10. Another disappointment in the search for a lilac perfume, yet a pleasant surprise in literally all other respects. Lilac Love is gentle, sweet and gorgeous. Expertly well-blended, to the point where it is difficult to pinpoint any one fragrance note when this reaches its full dry-down. I could honestly never have guessed where this would land based off of the initial sniff after spraying it on. It starts out an alcoholic, and frankly screechy mess, but rather quickly comes into its own. The main accord is an array of soft flower petals – I imagine a bouquet of white, violet and baby pinks. A wedding bouquet to be exact, as something about this feels incredibly bridal. In the background, the smell of freshly cleaned skin, remnants of a scented soap, lotion and the faintest touch of baby powder lingering behind. Unfortunate and fortunate all at once, the lilac doesn't take center stage. In fact, it is not even the main floral in this bouquet. There is something ephemeral and effervescent to this fragrance, something hard to pinpoint. Perhaps an air of innocence? Hope? There are however two things that put me off about this fragrance; the first being that sometimes when I go in to sniff, all I really get is baby powder. But it seems dynamic in the sense that each whiff is different from the next. Secondly, it is very, very perfume-y. While I do love the scent, the strength of the fumes on this one make it just genuinely overwhelming. I think if I sprayed myself more generously with this I’d end up legitimately nauseated after an hour or two, which is such a shame, because I cannot reiterate how much I enjoy this fragrance. Part of me would love to add this to my collection, but realistically speaking I don't know if I would ever be able to properly wear it. Who would wear it?: Amy Adams as Giselle in Enchanted (2007).

So, for me Lilac Love clearly opens as a huge, heady, mixed, floral bouquet with lots of notable lilac, definite dusty orris root (clearly violet) and many other prominent floral notes. FLOWER BOMB!! Within 5 minutes, I detect almond-y and powdery heliotrope, which provides a soft, billowy, dusty, fluffy texture to the fragrance. To my nose...lilac, violet and peony are the most prominent florals in the fragrance's opening phases. Fortunately, the perfume unfurls as an ethereal, diaphanous, powdery fragrance where the almond notes of heliotrope never become too prominent, or overly gourmand. Almond and vanilla notes are held at bay by the mixed floral notes twirling about. I do not consider Lilac Love a "flormand" or floral gourmand fragrance...not even a tiny bit. Soon heliotrope, orris root and all the accompanying florals merge with dry musky tonka, a bit of vanilla and very creamy sandalwood. Any detectable patchouli is the subtle, natural, green type (versus thick, animalic, or untamed). Lilac Love quickly becomes a skin scent. Projection is low; sillage is minimal. An okay fragrance memory for me, at best. Definitely not one of my most favorite Amouage perfumes. And this is coming from an Amouage junkie.

To me, this fragrance is cottage core to the max! In my dreams, I own a French style cottage house in the northern california coast, surrounded by a lush beautiful garden, and this is probably what I would wear around my house, and while I am out tending to my beautiful garden. At first spray, it is a bit offputting to be quite honest (as with most Amouage's lol), but it somehow magically settles on skin into a cacao & lilac infused powdery goodness. Nathalie Lorson is just one of the best!

If I had been around in the ‘50s and had one of those cylindrical canisters of talcum powder on my vanity with a beautifully designed label of artfully drawn lilac flowers, this is what I would’ve expected it to smell like. It hints at lilac, but it’s mostly a soft powder scent, almost makeup-ish. It definitely wasn’t the realistic lilac I was hoping for (I’m still searching for a photo realistic lilac scent). If you want a beautiful, vintage-style powdery floral fragrance, this is nice. If, like me, you were looking for a realistic, lilac style fragrance, this one is going to be a bit disappointing.

Comparison of older bottle version to new bottle version. I have and love the older version of Lilac Love, the one that is in lilac shiny bottle with silver cap. Recently I was able to get my hands on the new bottle, the matte grape colored one with white cap. I know that Amouage has a nasty habit of reformulating and discontinuing scents that is well liked by many ☹️. So I compared the older version and newer version side by side. To my joy and relief, I do find both versions to be very similar. 😄 Forgot to mention that both versions I have are made in Oman. The newer one is tiny bit sharper in the opening, but it may be the result of lack of maceration due to age difference. Otherwise they are pretty much the same: the smell, the longevity, and the sillage. Hope it helps anyone who is worried about reformulation.

I love this! It’s a beautiful floral scent for spring I am so happy I finally have this in my collection Get your hands on it