Lavender Water

I'm not usually a lavender fan, but this stuff isn't bad. It starts out with the usual sharp, bracing, metallic lavender topnotes, which then go through a typically acrid phase. (I know a lot of people find the topnotes of lavender to be relaxing, but to me they're anything but!) Eventually, though, this turns into a more subdued grassy herbal scent, the type that I always like when I come across it...somewhat like spearmint, the type of mint that I tolerate best. I suspect that my lavender problems are exacerbated when I spray or dab on cloth rather than skin. The first time I tried this stuff was on skin and hair, and it was a little smoother. Now, on cloth, it's not that much better than any other lavenders until some time has passed, because it's slower to evolve past the top notes on cloth. The one lavender scent that I now want to revisit is Oxford and Cambridge, which isn't quite the same story because has a number of other herbs mixed in. I might give it a thumbs up if it weren't so weak.

Simple lavender waters such as this were commonplace in Victorian England, and most distinguished perfumeries had their own interpretation on the idea. This one in particular is pleasant, well-made and effective in what it sets out to do. The lavender itself smells beautiful, it is delightfully dry and fuzzy as it is in real life, with its sharp fresh-spiciness accented by mint. It thrives in its simplicity and does not try to shy away from it, you expect straightforward lavender and are met with it. Lavender is a beautiful and highly multi-faceted note if simply given the chance to prove itself, to breathe without being doused an a hundred different smells. This is one of the best.

The name says it all. It's mainly lavender. The other listed notes are there too. I like it. But I don't think this is worth buying in 2024. Personal score: 7/10. Absolutly worth smelling and experiencing if you, like me, love lavender.

Pleasant, natural, fresh lavender straight up. Bit sharp but natural and pleasant. Not sure what else to say, it's straight pleasant lavender. Scent: 7.5 / Sillage: 7 / Longevity: 6.5

Lavender, so I'm going to hate it. But... Lavender, Vapo-Rub, menthol. When dry, it's a powdery floral. Not unpleasant.