Once Upon A Garden

It's a shame this scent isn't getting much love as I think it's one of the best ones from the Haute Perfumerie collection. I think it appeals to me as a lover of Cactus Garden for all it's herbal, vegetal, green-ness. Completely different scent but a similar vibe. With Cactus Garden discontinued, I could easily be satisfied with Once Upon A Garden over CG's replacement Pacific Chill. I get a good fresh dose of mint in the opening and gentle citrus. I thankfully don't get much pink pepper. It usually dominates a fragrance but happily not with this one. As it settles, it's still green from the mint and what I imagine is the raspberry leaf. The rose is there, but as I'm not familiar with sweet pea so much, I can't define it. Overall it's very nice. The patchouli isn't the horrible sharp, soapy experience that I usually get which is great. Usually patchouli ruins a scent for me. In its entirety, it's nicely blended and can't wait to wear it in the warmer months as a freshie. I guess this isn't a safe buy going by the negative reviews and value per ml. However, I've been more underwhelmed by Roja, Amouage etc. at the same price point. I think La Perla is having some financial issues so I've noticed a lot of sellers moving on the range at 50% so that would make it a more attractive prospect. I may consider a small bottle of OUAG as it's really different to what I normally gravitate to, and I do need a summer frag. Performance is moderate though but it suits me as I'm not into 'beast mode' scents that exhaust my nose by the end of the day.

I was very interested to smell Once Upon a Garden after hearing Emma of the Perfume Room podcast mention this little known gem, but I was quite taken aback the first time I tested this scent. There was an initial, strong blast of a potpourri like aroma: a garden full of little dried flowers, with lots of deep purple and dark blue hues. It wasn't terrible, just not what I was expecting! I was compelled to try it again, however, and wow- I’m so happy I did! The second time around I just GOT it. It still had that dried potpourri-like vibe but in a really unusual, charming way: it brought up nostalgic feelings for my 80's childhood when many a household drawer included a potpourri sachet. It was WEIRD, and I loved it! This perfume smells very niche, unlike any other “floral” centered fragrance I’ve tried or own. And don't be scared: after the initial spray the dried flower impression deepens into more of a natural, earthy garden scent. The moist soil is almost present and the rose and raspberry become more prominent as it develops. The mint note keeps things on the fresh side, and combines so beautifully with the mossy, earthy notes here. This is a gardener's perfume: for one who appreciates not just the blooming roses but the damp soil in which they grow. Very unusual and compelling perfume! Update: the La Perla fragrances are being discontinued so if you love this, STOCK UP!!!

I live in Jakarta, Indonesia, and on my skin, this one smells like black tea with a hint of flowers. Although there is no actual tea note in it, that’s what I can smell, and I love it. It’s really hard for me to find a good perfume that resembles the dark, sweet tea scent I want, and so far, this is the best I’ve found. Most other perfumes mix tea with jasmine, which feels cloying to me because I can’t get the depth of the tea that I’m looking for. I was actually confused about why this perfume smells like dark tea with floral notes to me, but when I went to the mall to find a similar fragrance, the beauty advisor also noticed a black tea aroma in it. Yet, I couldn’t find any perfume with even a slight similarity to this one. I love wearing it in the afternoon. And although, for me, the performance isn’t very strong, it doesn’t matter, I just keep respraying it whenever I want.

I really love this. I am not familiar with Sweet Pea as a note, but I am wondering if that's what's perhaps giving the sort of pruney/geranium, maybe marjorum even type of smell? If I were guessing the notes, I'd be way off -- I'd say marjorum, rose, geranium, raspberry, dried apricot, grass (again maybe this is a dead ringer for Sweet Pea, and if I just knew how that smell, I'd recognize it...). It's fuzzy, herby and grassy like marjorum, but distinctly rose, and distinctly fruity. Not at all like anything I've smelled; Very elegant. Smells pruney but also dewy because of the green aspect I get. Great signature scent for someone who wants something pretty and feminine-leaning, but spunky and different. It's safe but it's unique, and I could see it on a teenager as equally as I could see it on a more mature woman.

Very lush and interesting. My first impression was that I appreciated it more than I loved it (more “that’s interesting” than “what smells so incredible?”). It opens soft and soothing, then the peppercorn starts to emerge and adds an intriguing edge. I keep going back to smell my wrist, which may be a sign that I love it more than I initially thought. On me, I get purple flowers, cucumber, and green peppercorn.