Breath of God Lush 2007 Perfume

The ideal of beauty is chewed over by society, predetermined, and brought to a collective judgment. It should be flawless and must not offend. Skin should be unblemished, textiles not faded, jeans without holes, and fragrances must harmoniously serenade the passing masses.

Yet it is precisely these flaws that celebrate finitude and tell stories, which are the colors of an otherwise blank canvas. Breath of God unites life and death and tells a wonderful story. For the composition consists of two fragrance oils that were sold exclusively online. The oil "Inhale" is fruity and floral, like freshly blooming roses and ripe fruit, reflecting birth and life. "Exhale," on the other hand, is woody and smoky, like the ash that is the unrecognizable remnant and dust of death. The oxygen we need for our vitality turns into carbon dioxide, which kills us in excessive amounts. Thus, God inhales life and exhales death.

Breath of God is therefore not a beautiful fragrance, as it carries within it all that reminds us of our transience, and this dark shadow almost completely devours what has been breathed into the composition as life. The perfume is everything at once and yet none of it. It is the fire that draws us in with curiosity, and yet we burn ourselves on its flame, but it is also these scars that tell of a rich existence. No stone left unturned, no chance wasted. For without flaws, only what has been untouched remains preserved.

The perfume suddenly opens with a biting cold tar before soapy notes reveal themselves, clean and unblemished. In the midst blooms a rose, which later burns and leaves behind cold smoke. The poetic development can be answered with the riddle of the Sphinx: What being goes on four legs in the morning, on two at noon, and on three in the evening? Man from cradle to grave.

Breath of God is a blooming meadow and a burnt fruit tree, the freshly asphalted road next to the sun-scorched grass, yet what remains after the fire is ash and smoke. This smoke lingers for a few hours before it dissipates, and as dark as it ends, it must be said: There would be no shadow if there were no light.

From the time I briefly worked at Lush, I must warn that longevity and sillage will vary for everyone. Since synthetics are avoided, it is left to the skin how the fragrance is perceived. Which notes ultimately stand out and how it develops cannot unfortunately be generalized. What can be said, however, is that it will offend, and people will either hate it or love it. It is indeed not flawless and not beautiful.