Lambada Harry Lehmann

Surprise: I would have thought that significantly more fragrances would be named after dances.

After dances, especially partner dances, the most sensual of all movements tolerated in public according to general social standards, with the entire spectrum of courtship, controlled closeness, and controlled distance. I often saw heavyset people who knew how to float gracefully while dancing and suddenly appeared irresistibly sensual and joyfully captivating.

I would have therefore expected many more perfumes that take on and utilize the names of dances. Well, the 'Waltz' can be found three times, 'waltz' and 'valse' several more times, and the highly erotic 'Tango,' which translates the dialogue of dominance and submission into strictly structured and formal movements, appears a few times, as does the 'Samba.' The lascivious 'Rumba,' on the other hand, only shows up six times, perhaps because the dance is more sensual than its name suggests, but still.

A "Lambada," however, actually only appears once, namely in the version by Harry Lehmann. That's not entirely true; there is a second, somewhat crude entry about which almost nothing is known, in addition to a mysterious "Paolo Conti" - not "Conte" in the name. We can probably disregard that one.

Maybe that's for the best, as my memory of this dance is not entirely unclouded.

At some point - was it in the 90s? - we all suddenly danced Lambada, this closely held and almost stationary dance that was a completely unabashedly sensual display of sexuality; you had to somehow manage it back then, as a dancer and as the danced-upon. Woe betide you if you danced Lambada with the wrong partner; I remember situations of almost bottomless embarrassment, where I had to be jerked across the floor by (presumably equally desperate) stiff-hipped and helpless dance partners, or dance partners who found me quite obviously super sexy (and made no effort to let me feel otherwise) - but I did not feel the same about them. Ahhh, mental cinema!

The scent is not embarrassing. But it is also not highly erotic; it is much, much more harmless than the name would suggest. It belongs to the slightly sweeter and softer fragrances, and I am absolutely sure - due to its composition and not just because of the name - that it cannot be from the early days of the Lehmann house. The somewhat scruffy individuality and recognizability that characterized earlier fragrances is completely absent. I think "Lambada" is truly a child of its time, the 90s, perhaps even the earlier 00s.

Lehmann's Lambada starts with a soft, fizzy freshness, even a bit herbal. Lemon balm is listed, which fits, perhaps lemon balm, which often evokes a hint of lemon candy for me. Alongside this, almost from the beginning, there is a soft, cozy, and slightly sweet warmth.

This warmth (tonka? vanilla?) carries the scent for the longest time, along with a rather powerful floral note in the heart, which I cannot specify in more detail. The scent becomes more amber-like and also slightly spicier over time; I cannot identify powder as a dominant note, at least it does not dominate for me. The sweetness that becomes quite pronounced over time thankfully remains on the non-sticky side, which is also typical for the orientals of this time. The scent is harmoniously and roundly composed; the lemon balm top note might cause some confusion, but as it develops, it is carried by a certain reliability and friendliness that makes it quite wearable.

In this respect, I recommend this scent to friends of classic and contemporary orientals who are interested in a rather ideal-typical representative of its kind that is not too distinctive. Unisex, even though the scent was certainly composed for women at the time.

Lastly:
I do not know if Lambada had to be reformulated last year. My little bottle was acquired before that, in November 2018. H&S are - as always with Lehmann - very neat.

Erogenic, floral, spicy - so I have to strike out erogenic ;). In my statement, I already described: The scent is fresh-warm-spicy - and as I have now decided, rather tonka bean-like and not vanilla-cocoa-like (word creations :-)).

The freshness, according to the above indication, comes from lemon and lemon balm. And indeed, I clearly perceive lemon balm, supported by the lemon. And I like it more and more with each spray. It is lemony and just a tiny bit herbal-bitter. A scent that I used to have in my garden. The opening is present in the room and refreshes without being sharp in the nose. As it develops, it becomes warm-spicy and very subtly smoky. The rose must be so well hidden behind the spicy and warm elements that I would deny its presence. I can only smell it with my nose on my wrist and with deep breaths. The longer I try to figure out what causes the warmth, spice, and delicate smoke, I am slowly coming to patchouli... This then culminates in a finish where I believe I perceive vanilla and cocoa, and ultimately realize that it is tonka that I smell. Because, as mentioned further down, "Lambada" is probably a scent from the early days of "Harry Lehmann," and I could imagine that cocoa did not play as significant a role in fragrances back then as it does in part today. And now it gets really interesting: The scent seems to repeat itself. In a milder form, I perceive the progression from the top to the heart to the base note once again. Only this delicate smoke is missing, but now I can perceive the rose more clearly.

"Lambada" is not a loud scent, not from the very beginning. Of course, you can perceive lemon balm and lemon well in the room, but that is pleasant and should not disturb anyone. Then it quickly becomes close to the body. This means to me that it is suitable for everyday wear and, in my opinion, a scent for the whole year.

I thank Globomanni for the opportunity to test it.

"Chorando se foi" ... this is how Lambada begins, the song by Kaoma that - in connection with the dance of the same name - conquered Europe in 1989.
It means "He left crying". Well, my reaction to this fragrance wasn't quite that intense, because it's not that bad. But I'm still unsure how much I actually like the scent. So neither tears of sorrow nor a hot joyful dance on the beach.

But maybe someone still remembers the parody by Badesalz "Lambada on a new rhythm device" ... Okay, that has nothing to do with the fragrance and I'm digressing.

Harry Lehmann's description is, as always, sparse: "erotic, floral, spicy" and I confess here and now that it was particularly the first attribute that motivated me to order the fragrance. Yes, it's a buzzword for men that - similar to Pavlov's bell triggering the salivation of dogs - awakens men's hearts and other male organs. :))

Lambada is a true retro scent, as it strongly reminds me of the fragrance creations of the 80s. This is not a negative criterion, as there have always been good and less good scents in every era. Seen this way, the name fits perfectly!
I'm not sure now, but I think the fragrance also originates from that time. Today, such a scent wouldn't be created anymore, nor would it be named like that. Maybe one should make an inquiry at Lehmanns - the business is run by an inheritance community - to find out if it's not a retro scent, but a Lehmann classic.

After some contemplation and repeated sniffing, I've finally realized what Lambada has been reminding me of all along - Zino by Davidoff.
They have many similarities. The light citrus accord at the beginning and the pronounced rosy, spicy, and woody note are clearly perceptible in both fragrances. Anyone who knows Zino will probably first think of that unmistakable top note. Zino's hip swing at the start is akin to that of an elephant, while Lambada is a bit more graceful.

As the scent develops, the resemblance increases, and they become more and more alike, and I'm tempted to speak of a twin. However, Zino boasts longer longevity and sillage. Here, Lambada is only in the midfield, even though it's an EdP. At least that's how it is on my skin. When tested on textiles, Lambada also shows good longevity.

Like Zino, Lambada is definitely not a unisex scent, but clearly masculine.

Plan: Get the shoulder-padded jacket from the basement, Lambada on the left pad, Zino on the right pad, and then head to the retro disco. Let's see how agile I still am in the hips and who wants to dance with me in this outfit :))

I had a personal consultation at the Lehmann perfumery, and I wanted a scent for my cocktail evening. I chose Lambada, and I haven't worn anything else for weeks.

In the top notes and on fabric, I primarily detect lemon balm, lavender, and neroli.
In the drydown, this fragrance transforms into a Tonka-heavy, spicy cocktail from the Tiki bar. Plenty of rum, a lot of presence, but never shrill. It has become my new signature scent because it clings to all my clothes like nothing else.

Longevity on the skin is rather moderate; on clothing, it's better. However, the sillage on clothing is again worse. Solution: just bathe in it.

// Addendum: I like to layer the scent with Harry Lehmann's Oud. This makes Lambada noticeably more mature and longer-lasting.

… I close my eyes and see myself in my early twenties on the beach of Cattolica in tight swim trunks, fit and even with a six-pack. And Lambada is playing up and down, and regardless of age, people are dancing this dance on the beach, some better, some worse. I dance with one lady or another across the beach. I open my eyes and look in the mirror and start laughing out loud. What do I see in the mirror? A bald head and a belly, and I burst out laughing.

When applying this fragrance, the first thing that hits the nose is a fruity, citrusy, fresh, sweet scent. In time with the Lambada, a group of spicy, floral, earthy, and woody notes dances with another group. Following them, there’s a green, powdery twist that limps along.

The longevity is good, and the sillage is average.

Here we have a cheeky, youthful unisex fragrance from the house of Harry Lehmann, which can be worn well from the age of 18 and is open to all ages above that. After a discussion with my nose, I have concluded that this perfume is an all-rounder. It can be worn during the day at university, in the office, at lunch, while shopping, or even during a meeting with friends at a café, as well as in the evening while dancing, at a pop concert, in a bar, at a club, or at a party.

Anyone who enjoys a fruity, citrusy, fresh, sweet, spicy, floral, earthy, woody, green, powdery perfume will feel right at home here and also support a venerable house that has been around for 100 years and produces its fragrance in-house. And all at a very good price. This scent, in particular, but also the entire brand, is worth taking a closer look at.