New to me Monday: Ex Nihilo Sweet Morphine

Sweet Morphine
Howdy, Posse folks! Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and/or weekend. Our computer died last week (with all my bookmarks AND Posse post drafts, waah!), so I’m flying by the seat of my pants here today. Anyhoo, I’ve just tried something that many of you have raved about and been enjoying for a while: Ex Nihilo Sweet Morphine.

Yum! This is so nice, a little sweet, very smooth, lovely and airy, without being cloying or too sweet. Someone said it reminded them a little of Puredistance Opardu, so I need to dig out my sample and do a wrist-to-wrist comparison. Not sure how I missed this: I guess it just didn’t click with me that this has lilac in it, as I usually go ga-ga over anything with lilac. But better late than never, right?

Sweet Morphine doesn’t last terribly long on me, but I’m happy to re-dab it as needed. I only have a dab sample but may have to see about a decant (keeping my fingers crossed it doesn’t go way off-track in the spraying as things sometimes do). And you gotta love that blocky pink bottle with textured gold cap. It would be so cool if they made this in a mini.

Sweet Morphine notes per Fragrantica: Top notes are lilac and bergamot; middle notes are iris, mimosa absolute and rose; base notes are vetiver, patchouli, bourbon vanilla, heliotrope and orris.

How many of you like Sweet Morphine too? Have any of you gotten a FB of it? Or what scent have you finally tried that others have been praising?

  • Roseanne says:

    You can get a sample of Sweet Morphine at Lucky Scents, but I can’t find a sample of Ella anywhere. At Beautyhabit you can buy the whole bottle, but I just wanted to try it first. Can anyone help?

    • Ann says:

      Hi, Roseanne! Last time I checked, BH had a sampling program (think it was 3 or 4 samples of any scent for $15 or so), unless certain scents are excluded now; not sure if their policies have changed. Pop over there and see if they can’t help you sniff Ella!

    • Maya says:

      Hi. I got my sample from Twisted Lily online.

  • filomena813 says:

    I wanted a bottle of Sweet Morphine so badly and I finally got one about 2 months ago. I really enjoy this scent and love the bottle. I need to try Ella.

    • Ann says:

      Oooh, yet another lucky Morphine soul! I’m dying to try Ella now too. I think Beautyhabit might carry it and they offer a sampling program.

  • rickyrebarco says:

    Love this and have a full bottle. It does remind me of Opardu but it doesn’t last nearly as long. They are great layered together!

    • Ann says:

      Glad to hear it — and lucky you to have a FB!! That layering trick sounds great; will try it as soon as I can find my Opardu sample, ha!

  • HeidiC says:

    I haven’t tried Sweet Morphine — I also love lilacs, so I really should search out a sniff. But it sounds like something more springtimey, so I’m not in a rush. I keep meaning to try Lampblack too, because some likeminded perfumistas have raved about it to me. I did finally try both Dilettante and Fetes Persanes — both GORGEOUS — but I think a FB of FP is way out of reach for now.

    • Ann says:

      Hi, Heidi! The SW has lilac undertones but to me, it is warm, almost cozy, and sweet enough to wear year-round. Let us know what you think of the Lampblack when you sample it. As for the HG and the FP, all I can say is, thank heaven for decants! P.S. Thought of you the other day when I was wearing the wonderful Ciel de Gum.

  • Maya says:

    I was very excited when I first tried Sweet Morphine. It’s a wonderful lilac on me. The problem is that it becomes a skin scent after about an hour and the price point makes it not worth it for me. I recently tried Arquiste Ella and that may be a winner. I love Hiram Green and had high hopes for Dilettante. Sadly, on me, it was nothing special, so I gave my sample to my daughter. She finally tried it yesterday and it’s absolutely gorgeous on her! She rarely wants bottles of perfume but she does want this one, so I will get her a bottle either for Christmas or her birthday in January.

    • Ann says:

      Sorry, Maya, that the Morphine wound up being so-so on you and the Dilettante was a bust. But at least your daughter smells great in it; lucky her to be getting a bottle! BTW, do tell us more about the Arquiste Ella — have not tried that one yet. Thanks!

      • Maya says:

        Ella is hard for me to describe. I just put some on. The story that goes with it is about Acapulco in the 70’s – couple meet in a disco and go to the beach for some summer lovin’. 😉 I was incredibly curious about the smell of cannonball tree flower (strangest tree I ever saw) which is the first ingredient listed. On me, Ella’s notes blend really well to form a seamless whole. It smells lovely. I don’t know how to describe it. It’s not retro or old fashioned. It’s a modern perfume of things past, if that makes sense. Ella is not in your face but it’s definitely there and a bit different and unique, on me anyway.

  • Sherri M. says:

    I loved this one, and have it on my “to buy” list, probably in Feb.-March. I also finally got to try one of the Louboutins, Bikini Questa Sera, and really like that one as well! Were it not for the high price and the fact we are going into winter with it being so beachy, I would have ordered it immediately. I also finally nabbed a sample of Guerlain Nerolli Outrenoir, which I had been waiting for for months. Wish it weren’t a tea scent, but it is still a beautiful elegant tea scent. Very unisex. Kinda upset Guerlain is not allowing decants of their products to be sold, so I’m holding out on that for now.

    • Ann says:

      Howdy, dear Sherri! Yes, I think you were one of the ones who liked this so much. Interesting that you liked the CL Bikini scent — the name alone kind of put me off, but now I’ll have to give it a go. I think STC has decants of it. And yes, it’s a bummer about Guerlain and Chanel. I had wanted to try the latest CC exclusive, Boy, for awhile now, and luckily my Saks had a Les Exclusives trunk show earlier this month and I finally got to try it. But it is very frustrating for us perfumistas. Anyhoo, hope you and your crew are all doing well.