Si Lolita by Lolita Lempicka

Fall arrived with a vengeance the other day; windswept rain, almost bone-chilling temperatures, and a late afternoon sky so black and ominous it looked for all the world like dead-of-winter in early February. October has only just begun.

Fortunately, I found something whimsical and fun to take my mind off the impending gloom of winter. Si Lolita is the scent I tried to get near a couple of weeks ago, but could not. I finally managed to sniff it Wednesday, unperturbed by a pushy sales associate. To say I was blown away by it is a bit much, but actually, I am thoroughly impressed. Si Lolita turned out to be just what I was looking for to take the bite out of the chilly air and warm me up without the bulk of a winter coat, scarf, gloves and a toque. I was wearing short sleeves and sandals a few short days ago for goodness sake.

Si Lolita´s notes are bergamot, mandarin, wild sweet pea, pink peppercorn, wallflower, amber, tonka bean, Elemi gum and patchouli. It starts out crisp and juicy, but the spices take over pretty quickly and warm things up significantly. The pink peppercorn doesn´t have much of a presence, but the amber and tonka bean add that vanilla creaminess-spiciness that I am such a sucker for. It´s not a gourmand scent the way that L de Lolita is with its cinnamon and immortelle flower, but the spices blend with the floral notes in  such a marvelous way that it makes you feel so warm and cozy without that cupcake/ funeral arrangement vibe. I think I´m drawn to Si Lolita for the same reasons I like Eau d´Italie´s Paestum Rose, Costes, and Jozef Statkus. When the flowers fade into the background and the spices, incense and warmth take center stage, it´s like wrapping a big cozy blanket around yourself and curling up in front of the fire with a cup of spiked hot cocoa and a big fat book. OK, who has a working fireplace I can sit by?

And how about that bottle? At first I thought it was a butterfly, but upon closer inspection, it´s a four-leafed clover with an adorable little scarf around its neck and a crown for a cap. From all the copy I´ve read, Si Lolita is a “grown up” spicy floral fragrance housed in a flacon that´s supposed to be the epitome of “bohemian Parisian chic”.  What is “bohemian Parisian chic” exactly? To me, this bottle sits in the same kitschy-cheesy category as Marc Jacobs´ Lola and Daisy, but it has a certain boudoir appeal à  la Fifi Chachnil. Granted, all the Lolita Lempicka fragrance bottles have a wacky charm, but this one actually made me smile. The picture barely does it justice. And the scent is definitely worth a sniff.

Si Lolita isn´t available in the US (not until 2010 according to Now Smell This), but I have one adorable 5 ml mini up for grabs. My cat Lily will once again do the honors. No bribes of cream cheese and smoked salmon, please. She now prefers bits of Tim Hortons apple fritter or poutine with extra gravy.