Lion Hugs. A Lion's Embrace
Updated: Oct 16
archive fragrance
Story
Leonid was born in August, under the sign of Leo. He was big, loud and warm, and at weekends he taught boys from the whole neighbourhood to play football.
That Saturday his team played the next district for the first time. In the morning Leonid put Lion Hugs on his wrists. Pepper, lemon, blood orange, wormwood, basil, rosemary and caraway opened bright and lively.
The game was hard. Fig, coriander, cardamom, ginger, clove, paprika and rose unfolded on his skin, and praline added a warm sweetness.
The boys lost at the very end and stood with their heads down. Leonid came over and hugged them all at once, as many as his arms could hold.
"Today you played like a real team. We'll fix the score next time," he said.
Snezhana, the goalkeeper's mother, came up to him.
"Leonid, you smell of spice and warmth, and next to you even losing isn't frightening. My son didn't cry once," Snezhana said.
"There's nothing to cry about. We've only just begun," Leonid smiled.
In the evening the whole team drank tea in his yard and laughed.
By night fig wood, iris, vetiver, tonka, vanilla, styrax, benzoin, patchouli, musk, oakmoss and a warm golden accord stayed on his skin, soft and cosy. Leonid gathered the scattered football boots and switched off the light in the yard.
How it smells
The start is bright and lively: pepper, lemon and blood orange sound fresh, while elemi, wormwood, basil, rosemary and caraway add herbal bitterness.
In the heart fig, coriander, cardamom, ginger, clove and paprika create a warm spicy accord, softened by praline and rose.
In the base fig wood, iris, vetiver, tonka, vanilla, styrax, benzoin, patchouli, a warm golden accord, musk and oakmoss leave a cosy, warm and very noticeable trail.
What makes it special
Lion Hugs is now discontinued. It was created as a personal fragrance to order for a man born under the sign of Leo, hence the name. The composition is warm, cosy, bright and charismatic: people notice it, ask about it and pay compliments. It is a woody spicy fougère fragrance.
Elena Chuykova writes: "A desert, sand warmed by the sun, spicy herbs and a hot peppery wind."
It is worn for generous warmth: on a Saturday with friends, on a cool evening and beside those you care for.
Notes
Top: pepper, lemon, elemi, blood orange, wormwood, Tuscan basil, rosemary, caraway
Heart: fig, coriander, cardamom, ginger, clove, praline, paprika, rose
Base: fig wood, orris root, vetiver, tonka bean, vanilla, styrax, Siam benzoin, patchouli, amber, musk, oakmoss
Comments