Summer Hill

It is always amazing how a concoction of aroma chemicals can turn into a tropical beach, a flower paradise or, in this case, a Summer Hill. Summer Hill has been around for quite some time (1988 to be precise) and seen, like most fragrances have, its share of reformulations. Still, it holds up. As many mentioned here, it is an amazing transport to summer hills populated with wildflowers, summer grasses, lilies and white flowers - even if there is not one essential oil in it. It is mostly a bed of Iso-E-Super and Hedione creating a smooth, ambery, floral - particularly Jasmine and Ylang - heaven. Yet, it is careful to not be overly sweet, creating that nice balance of flowery, summery and slightly fruity without adding a cloying sweetness that could have been easily the road taken when creating it. Make no mistake, this is a complex perfume. Like many Crabtree & Evelyn fragrances, it is a love it or hate it scent. I choose to love it. It has that extra 'something' (in the form of a nice dose of Indole, among other chems) that makes it stand out and make you go: "What is that?" I think that just may be the magic Summer Hill contains that has made it survive while many wonderful and well loved Crabtree & Evelyn fragrances have been discontinued. Enjoy it while you can and stock up before it, too, is gone!

I have the hand soap and while it’s not a fragrance I would want to wear and call “signature” I absolutely adore this. It smells like a warm sunny day in a meadow, laying under a blossoming tree as the breeze carries the fragrance of sweet flowers throughout the air. It smells like a spring Monet painting. It’s just absolutely gorgeous. Smelling it gives me nostalgia to summers in my grandmothers hyacinth-laced lake-shore cottage home that doesn’t even exist!! So so beautiful. Instant dopamine boost. I get a lot of honeysuckle to be honest. I can totally get white floral in general, but it’s not too musky or pollen-y or green. It is exactly the scent of warm summer air in a blossoming meadow, so there is a warmth and sweetness to balance out the pure floral and grass notes. Again I don’t think I’d wear it often as a perfume because I prefer powdery gourmands as my signature scent, but this is the sort of thing I’d use as a lotion in the evening when I want to feel beautiful and unimaginably feminine.

Whilst I would never ever class this - as a reviewer on another site did - as a "toilet freshener spray", I admit I initially fell in love with this scent when I bought it as a room fragrance burning oil. The sheer floral intensity, far stronger than most other of C&T's fragrances, has surprisingly long staying power for such an inexpensive EDT. Saying that however, the first hit almost knocks the nose off with strong green aldehydes that make my nose tingle and eyes water - its almost (but not quite) medicinal. However bear with it, because when that dies down (and it does so quite quickly), those intensely floral notes come singing through and just last forever on my skin. Heavy, warm white florals that waft with movement, evocative of a hot afternoon in an English country garden. Very feminine, the epitome of summer.

This is as delicious to me as it was when I first discovered it well over 20 years ago. Extremely evocative of its namesake and I only wear it spring and summer. My only problem is after 30 seconds I can't smell it on myself, but that's a good thing. The many fragrances I continue to smell on myself disagree with me and definitely clash with my chemistry. If you love this, you will likely love E. Arden's Pretty, American Beauty's Wonderful (no longer made), Lancome's Miracle, and Faith Hill's True, among others. This is the antithesis of exotics and the animalistic perfumes (which also make me ill). I'm an air sign and this is light and airy, like the most fragrant summer breeze. Love it!

Oh. My. God. This is gorgeous! I tested it at the airport and when I went back to my colleague who was waiting at the gate for bording to start I wondered where this wonderful creamy smell comes from. I tested a lot so I had to seriously start thinking what the heck this is! Summer Hill is the perfect description for this scent. It embodies a relaxed summer day in the English countryside (or any countryside for that matter). Flowers, grass and sunshine - in a bottle. While I won't use it on a 40° day I definitely recommend this for spring and moderate summer days or evenings.