FRAGRANCE | Sikkim Girls by Lush: Unapologetically floral

I see that Lush has been steadily repackaging its fragrances of late. Gone are the quirky artworks adorning each bottle and we now have a generic rectangular bottle sporting a generic white label with a uniform hip font in its stead. Fine. But there's still love in Lush as I realized after seeing a bunch of their fragrances (in their new packaging) in a circular display at one of their stores. Despite the move towards uniformity, the attraction is still there. Or I simply love fragrances.

The last Lush fragrance I had was Dear John, which was pretty decent and inexpensive. It was time to get acquainted with other stuff. After sniffing through everything, one of the purchases we ended up with is Sikkim Girls. My wife and I were meant to share them, having all been branded as unisex.

Sikkim Girls is unapologetically floral with a smoky-sweet undertone. It opens strong, with frangipani at the forefront. Commonly referred to as kalachuchi here in the Philippines, this lovely, fragrant flower is often associated--and quite unfairly so--with the dead. I don't know why because all my life I have never seen it used in wakes or burials. I can only wonder why.

Anyway, I loved it at the store and felt like I could wear it. After testing it again, however, I'm now having second thoughts. I find it a little too floral for comfort. Guess I'm not man enough to rock it after all. Maybe I'll try again some other time. It shouldn't be a problem for women, though.

(Update: I guess one's mood plays a big part in how he responds to a scent because I wore this again and loved it.)

Sikkim Girls softens eventually but stays pretty much the same throughout its life. It's a very linear fragrance. Longevity is moderate and you'll probably need an extra spritz or two to last you through the day. Try it on before buying.