If you had told me when I started this blog that one day in the not-too-distant future, many of my favorite oddball niche brands would be studiously courting mainstream fragrance customers with variations on clean summery colognes and that Lush — Lush! a mall chain store! — would be making some of the most daring and unusual fragrances around, I'm sure I would have scoffed. But that's about how things have turned out. I hope that a) this last crop of Lush fragrances — so far, we've reviewed Furze, Sun, Flower's Barrow and Sikkim Girls — is finding an audience and that b) the success doesn't go to their heads. Please, no Lush Sport L'Eau or Lush Oud Noir Intense, ok?
The Voice of Reason is one of the weirder fragrances from the recent collection, and I would not guess that it's going to be a big seller, but adventurous perfumistas will find it worth their while to give it a shot. Here is Lush's description...
In a basement café on the wrong side of town where the tourists won’t wander, the walls are throbbing. The band plays to back up the bard who’s pontificating, through the air, smoke laden, the hip cats supplicating. Above the squawks and the steam of the coffee machine, over the chatter and patter of the crowd who are gathered is The Voice of Reason. An intense, layered fragrance inspired by the beat poets, with tonka bean and sandalwood combining in swirls reminiscent of espresso, French cigarettes and whiskey.1
...and it does get there, to the espresso and cigarettes and whiskey, but not right away. Take what I said about the opening of Lush Furze...
The start is discordant in a way that few niche or mainstream fragrances are these days, when the first few seconds’ performance on a blotter are sometimes all that matters. Oh, and it’s strong.
...and double all of that for Voice of Reason. You will have the espresso and whiskey, yes, but not until after dinner, and the only thing on the menu is sausages in barbeque sauce, which is exactly what Voice of Reason smells like for, oh, say, the first 15 minutes or so. It's rather alarmingly meaty, but if you can make it past the opening, the dry down is a lovely woods, smooth and warm, with a very faint rose, and vague allusions to hay, peat, tobacco leaf and vanilla.2 On some wearings I thought it did smell like coffee, on other wearings I was sure that was just the power of suggestion. Either way, it's a perfect comfort scent, nicely balanced between sweet and bitter, and while it leans towards masculine, a woman could certainly get away with it — just let those top notes dry down before you leave the house.
Lush The Voice of Reason is available in splash or dropper bottles; sizes include 7, 25, 28, 43, 46 and 92 g, and prices range from £20 to $90 (sorry to mix currencies, but at the moment, the US website is sold out of the smaller sizes).
As of this writing, the following stores in the US have the collection: Portland, OR; New Orleans; Bucktown, Chicago; Glendale, Los Angeles (limited time); Partridge Creek, Detroit (limited time); Union Square, New York City; Walnut Street, Philadelphia and Austin, TX. Look for the set to appear in additional stores for a limited time over the summer.
1. Quote via the US Lush website; the UK site also mentions as inspirations specific personalities including William Burroughs, Neal Cassady, Gil Scott Heron and Leonard Cohen.
2. Anybody still remember Dinner by Bobo? I haven't smelled it, or even thought of it, in ages, but it's the first thing that came to mind, although Voice of Reason lacks that one's overdose of cumin.
I purchased the medium sized bottle. It is really fantastic. I love dark scents so this was right up my alley. Robin, you are right as usual, very strange beginning to end up being a very amazing ending. I’ll take it! Only problem is, for me, I like sprays versus dab ons. But, I will say the longevity is like an Amouage. Without the intercom announcement that you have walked into the room (which I happen to like-shame on me) so I can’t imagine this will be a faint scent for anyone to wear. The salesperson was adorable and walked me through every one of fragrances in this new range. Interesting enough, one of the salegirls was wearing the VoR and it smelled amazing on her too. Added note, the Lush store that carries the entire range is the downtown store on 14th Street between 6th AV an d 5th, or is it 5th Av and Union Square? Can’t recall. But, they had every size avaialble. I was one of the first customers to make a live in store purchase. Big A plus for Lush (again).
So glad it is finding fans, and even among the SAs.
I do prefer sprays too…it’s odd that they did SO many sizes & bottle types, but no sprays. But am guessing that whichever ones do well will end up in the “standard” black bottles? But obviously that’s just my guess, no idea what their plans are.
Dang! The Voice of Reason was the reason why I went into Lush in the first place when these were released since it sounded like it would be right up my alley. I sprayed, it didn’t grab me and then I got distracted by that weird poisonous coconut of Furze. Sounds like I was too hasty so I guess I’ll be going back for a second test.
Do try it again…I can’t believe anybody will love it for the 1st few minutes.
VoR does not come in a spray. Am I missing something here? I would have loved to have had it ina spray. It seems to dense to be in spray. The consistency is more of a natural oil than a perfume.
Some of the fragrances do come in an oil format — I haven’t tried this one in oil though, only Hellstone.
But assume the store testers, which I’ve never seen, are sprays?
Then I must have dabbed this one, and sprayed something else. I tried a bunch of different things that time but I know that I went in because I was curious about VoR and left thinking how much fun Furze was.
Furze really is fun. I may end up buying several of them. Hope the small sizes will come back in stock here.
I’m really intrigued by the review… thank you! How does this compare to Fireside Intense by SSS (that I love)? More or less challenging? I guess the same meaty note could evoke similarities…
I think this one is much more overtly meaty in the opening, but it isn’t nearly as smoky — the dry downs are very different.
But also want to add — it really is meat w/ bbq sauce! The bbq sauce is strong.
most probably I will love it… even if not first sniff…
… I think your review had much more appeal to me than I thought
I have just ordered the 7ml bottle! I really need some grounding with all these earthy notes, and CANNOT WAIT!
Oh dear, you are brave. Hope you like it!
That was my question too, Lexy. But I *didn’t* love Fireside Intense.
I NEED THIS. I love meaty perfumes, woody perfumes, and coffee perfumes! It is SO UNCOOL that Voice of Reason isn’t available in the DC area.
I don’t know how many new stores will get them, but will keep my fingers crossed for you.
Ari my dear, you know I would happily pick you up anything you want. We’ll work it out.
Sounds like a must try!
If you can find it
I can never bring myself to get near a Lush store so I doubt I’ll get to sniff this one.
Not even w/ the Leonard Cohen reference? Thought for sure that would pull you in.
Lush stores kind of make my nose itch when I walk past.
In 3 weeks I’ll be near a lush store. I’m in that city for 3 days and this is what is going to happen:
Day 1. resolve to only try two or three perfumes. Actually try everything – become queasy, anosmic and confused.
Day 2. Have learnt my lesson. Resolve to only try two or three perfumes. Actually try everything, again, and become queasy, anosmic and confused.
Day 3. Become stressed over which to actually purchase because the one(s) I thought I liked isn’t the one I actually like any more, but maybe my previous opinion was better. And, everyone else like the ones on me that I don’t like and are revolted by the ones I do like. Make a haphazard decision, instantly regret it; return immediately for an exchange; immediately regret I made the exchange –
Now that I’m thinking about it – wasn’t all this meant to be fun???
Oh dear. You know, Lush will make samples of almost anything, so wonder if they will make samples of these? Might ease the pressure a bit.
I may ask for samples.
I also need to remember I’m not starring in a Woody Allen film!
Great review, Robin, and you had me until “barbequed sausage”. My stomach turned over! I loved Fireside Intense *except* for the meat note and if this is stronger with added BBQ – no thanks.
Honestly, it is almost more like bbq sauce than meat? But admit that my very first smell was sort of a shock.
Somehow I missed the bbq sauce. I like bbq sauce..no meat:). Not sure if I would like in a scent though.
Off topic: Robin again, swap-o-thon has been awesome! Thanks so much!
True that! I was determined not to do it but ended up doing 2 swaps.
Fun! Thank you so much for hosting it! (Good new rules about making everyone do the discussion in email.)
So glad!
Note to U.S. readers near a Lush store, but not near one of those select few “chosen” Lush stores: I was in Lush a few weeks ago (Trumbull, CT) after reading about some of this new line of scents and the sales assistant told me that while that location was not going to officially carry this line, they will be getting the testers so that customers can try the scents out in person and then order online at home. Kind of a strange marketing technique, but I’m grateful I will *eventually* get to smell these new scents. She said the staff had had a training on the new line, but she wasn’t too sure when they’d be getting the testers. She also told me that Flower’s Barrow has the exact same fragrance as one of the shampoos the store already carries.
My Lush store also told me they might be getting in some testers, not the saleable product – so you would need to order whatever you wound up liking.
Excellent, thanks so much!
I know I’ve remarked elsewhere on my admiration for this line and my felings of “kinship” since I’m a Dorset girl……so I won’t repeat myself hahhaa. Anyway, this was the first one I tried based on the description and I loved it from the start. Must admit I didn’t get the meat and will now return to a shop and have another go. It did remind me of Ayala Moriel’s Espionage if anyone knows that – esp in the dry down. Nice review, thanks Robin. As a side note, I had avoided Lush stores because of the terrible gusts of fumes emanating from its dorways but these perfumes having lured me in I discovered the shower gels – Grass etc. Lovely.
feelings……doorways…….
Doh!
Yes, I fell for Grass too, and Flying Fox, and sadly a few more too, LOL…
Beneath the barbecue rub, Oud 27. Great value, but not worth the wait.