LVNEA is a perfume company out of Canada, and I have been interested in their scents for quite some time now. So, this week, I ordered a few samples from their eau de parfum line in order to do a little review.

DAGGER MOON

// Full sizes retail at $45 for 10ml and $80 for 20ml

I received Dagger Moon as a complimentary sample with the rest of my order, and I was pleasantly surprised, by both its presence and its scent.

The website describes Dagger Moon as "woody, earthy, and dry", a statement that feels a little bit contradictory to me because I generally don't associate earthy with dry, but, after smelling this scent, it made a lot more sense.

Dagger Moon is as if someone bottled the balance between humid and arid, but in the most wonderful way possible.

It is both a very dry, dusky scent and a damp, rich scent. The mitti attar and wild vetiver really ground the fragrance, and the palo santo, juniper, and moss create a warmth (a damp warmth, if that makes any sense whatsoever) and a brightness that is ultimately balanced by the scent of coffee. And let me just say that the coffee note really is something else. It is such a rich coffee that you pick up hints of cacao.

It is a very unique fragrance—though wearable—but I cannot lie, it makes a statement. It's an intriguing perfume with some uncommon notes, so be prepared for people to take an interest.

BOIS DE L'OBSCURITÉ

//Full size retails at $100 ($115 for puff-style atomizer bottle)

I think I could write a thesis about Bois De L'Obscurité, but I will refrain.

This scent is shocking, and while the balsamic notes are ever present, the spices and musks come out swinging.

As it settles into your skin, it shifts and becomes a warmer, more inviting, but still dark, fragrance, and the black amber and patchouli become the stars of the show.

LA FORÊT DORMANTE

//Full size retails at $100 ($115 for puff-style atomizer bottle)

Hands down my favorite fragrance out of the bunch, La Forêt Dormante is cool, unctuous, and sensual. The violet and rose shine through the opening note of bergamot and are trailed by the cypress and oakmoss. The frankincense stayed close to my skin, and I could still sense traces of it well into the evening.

This fragrance is very different but still wearable, and while it is not abjectly feminine, there is still a certain, feminine mystery to it.

TERRES D'ÉTOILES

//Full size retails at $100 ($115 for puff-style atomizer bottle)

Terres d'Étoiles, while still quite smoky, is uplifting and bright. The mimosa and orange blossom go so well together, and the jasmine transitions into the smoky depths of the base notes beautifully.

Lapsang souchong is the love of my life—a hard fact—and it fits into this fragrance so smoothly that it’s almost shocking as it often tends to outshine—or outright smother—other, more delicate, notes.

Overall Thoughts

A few things:

1. The fragrances have decent staying power, all of the scents lasting at least five hours, which, in terms of natural fragrances, is quite good.

2. The shipping is fast. My order arrived from Canada within five days.

3. LVNEA fragrances are an example of the creativity found in smaller perfume companies.

4. I highly recommend these fragrances to perfume lovers. They are unique but not gimmicky or unwearable.

I am so pleased by these samples, and they are everything that I hoped they would be and more. And, yes, these fragrances are a little costly—quality perfume generally is—but I do believe that, for the right person, they are well worth the price point.

I really enjoyed testing these fragrances, and I am very excited to see what LVNEA does in the future.