Lui by Mazzolari

Lui by Mazzolari is yet another powdery sandalwood/patchouli kitten masquerading as a musky wild cat. The non-blonde insists that Lui is earthy with dark woods and a spicy depth, and a reviewer at Base Notes waxes on about how animalic and potent it is, but Lui could only be considered "earthy" or "animalic" if you're used to wearing perfumes that are predominantly violets or lily of the valley.

Lui opens up with a blast of Johnson & Johnson baby powder, then settles itself into heavily sweetened sandalwood and patchouli territory until it rides off into a light musk sunset crowned with plush, pink clouds. There's nothing particularly singular or interesting in the way it goes about its business, but it's nice enough for social gatherings and will probably get you some notice, provided you're hanging out with a group of ex-hippie mothers at a baby shower.

"Is that baby powder? And patchouli? You wouldn't, by chance, have a joint in your purse? I promise I won't tell!"

Lucky Scent breathlessly describes Lui as "complex and unguarded . . . raw and elegant . . . an uninhibited fragrance . . . and just a little on the edge" which is precisely how you'd need to describe this rather run-of-the-mill concoction in order to fool anybody into purchasing a bottle of it.

Allegedly for men, but the overall composition skews so sweet and powdery (despite its warm golden coloring) that it actually seems geared toward the female consumer, instead -- which is a smart move, if you're in the business of selling a lot of perfume.