Tuesday, June 5, 2007

The day I joined a cult!
Now, before you get all nervous about the title of today's post...

The word cult comes from the French culte, and is rooted in the Latin cultus, which means "care" and "adoration." The People of the Labyrinths have certainly taken 'cult following' to a new level. You either love Luctor et Emergo or you don't!


The word 'cult' was used in the sense of "to worship or give reference to a deity."
Considered to have the number #1 cult following of niche fragrances, Luctor et Emergo, the inspired 'one in a million' fragrances by The People of the Labyrinths is noted as a combination of grass and wood smells, overlaid by vanilla, cherries, almonds and incense. The flask-shaped bottle comes wrapped in a hand-dyed silk scarf and tucked in a velveteen box.

Luctor et
Emergo launched in 1998, was finally joined this year by A*maze. This new charmer is described via Lucky Scent as: Henna, Saffron, Taif Rose, Orange Blossom, Ward
ia Rose, Agarwood, Sandalwood, Musk and Civet. I'll share my impressions about A*maze in a couple of weeks. I'm still in the 'review it for myself' stage.

The motto of the Dutch province of Zeeland, which was hit by terrible floods in 1953, is Luctor et emergo from the Latin , 'I struggle and I emerge'. The most horrific flood occurred in 1717 during the night of Christmas. 14,000 casualties were reported with untold destruction of property. Is it any wonder that the coat of arms pictures a lion standing waist deep in waster struggling to hold on to Zeeland and rescue its people.

Comments heard in the Labyrinths: Luctor et Emergo

"The more I wear this the more I fall in love with it!
Beautifully complex and intriguing.
Play-doh in a bottle.
Now I adore it.
Reminds me of babies.
Can't stop smelling myself to see what has changed!
Wow! This smells incredible!
It lacks complexity on my skin.
Truly the most indescribable fragrance I've ever had the pleasure of experiencing.
Luctor et Emergo is a mood ring in a bottle.
What's with all the hype? Phew!
The cherry thing at the beginning was a bit much.
Shockingly beautiful. Possibly the most intoxicating, gorgeous scent I've ever owned.
Is there morphine in this? I hate it and love it at the same time, and THIS MAKES NO SENSE!"

There's no straddling the fence on this one, but personally I couldn't get enough. My small sample will be carefully metered out one drop at a time until my next package from Lucky Scent arrives.

Samples are available at Luscious Cargo, and Lucky Scent