Published on September 20th, 2013 | by The Perfume Expert
Ineke After My Own Heart Review
After My Own Heart by niche perfumer Ineke is a breathtaking fresh green Lilac scent, sent from Heaven and brought to us on the arrows of cupid! After My Own Heart is like walking past a Lilac bush in the early morning hours of Spring when the dew is still covering the grass and the air is fresh and clean. It is the scent of longing for love, drawing hearts in the sand, and waiting for your dreams to roll in with every turn of the tide. This scent is pure, natural, delicate, and divinely unique. It is a moment in time when the reality of today is blurred with the dreams of tomorrow.
This is no ordinary Lilac, in other words, it’s not the overly heady, powdery, and often artificial floral scent of most Lilac perfumes. Like opening the window on a fresh Spring day, you are instantly hit with fresh cut Grass and greens mixed with bitter Bergamot that awaken the senses and beckon you to a new day. Then as you stick your head out a little further to feel the invigorating air weave through your hair, you are drawn to the fragile and innocent scent of the Lilac bush, it’s earthy branches, crisp green leaves, and dainty purple blossoms glinting with the dew drops of morning.
The fragrance is pure nature, nothing “perfumey” here. It is fresh, green, watery, and organically floral. In fact, some may even be taken aback by its honest representation. On me, for example, the green and watery notes really take center stage, which create a more dew on fresh cut grass smell, than a Lilac floral. Which, in of themselves, create a unique and one-of-a-kind smell that evokes the endless Summer of childhood. Frolicking on cool grass and splashing in the sea.
Unlike the very potent grassy floral notes, I found the base notes to be quite subtle. Faint whispers of warm Sandalwood, creamy Heliotrope, and comforting Musk. Perhaps more emphasis on these base notes may have grounded the perfume a little better, warming the skin to compliment the overt crispness of the other more dominant notes. However, because the Lilac flower is so delicately placed in this scent, it was probably best not to push the deep base notes any further for fear of crushing the dainty petals and breaking hearts.
Another note, Raspberry, is also present, but again just a hint of juicy tartness. The Raspberry in this scent is like a little cheery wave of hello as you pass through the garden. Just like the base notes, I feel that this Raspberry facet is appealing and compliments the fresh greenness and adds to the fresh-air like quality of the scent. I yearn for more of it, but Ineke knows how to balance scents like no other respecting the fragile nature of the Lilac blossom, making the Raspberry more of a nod in the right direction.
Due to this delicate dance of notes, After My Own Heart is truly a beautiful enigma and has the potential to smell very different on everyone; where skin can either highlight the pretty floral notes in the air or emphasize the grassy notes beneath your feet. After My Own Heart is an intriguing and unique Lilac scent that has me falling in love all over again and leaving me awe struck by it’s strange beauty.
The woman who wears this scent is a dreamer. A woman with spirit, hope, and imagination who believes in the magic of all that surrounds her, whether that’s the teeny tiny drop of dew on a blade of grass, the scent of the blooms riding on a Spring breeze, or holding the hand of the one she loves. This woman loves to watch the clouds float by, a boat sail off into the sunset, or to catch a glimpse of a shooting star. Always believing in something more. Always following her heart.
Buy it today on Amazon here
The Perfume Expert Rating
Summary: After My Own Heart is the best Lilac scent ever created! A fresh, watery, green Lilac that smells more like Lilacs in the garden on a warm Spring morning than the strong overpowered flowers found in other Lilac scents. Although this scent is faint in sillage and didn't last long, I fell in love with it's dreamy true Lilac and dewy fresh-cut grass notes that reminded me of endless Summer's of childhood. Though it didn't last long, this scent is so unique and such a beautiful take on Lilacs that I would still recommend it.