Linden

My review is based off a 5ml spray sample I got from Surrender to Chance. Linden/lime blossom is one of my favorite scents, ever, but it tends to show up more in bath products than in an actual, wearable fragrance, as they disappear from my skin within an hour. They can also smell rather artificial when combined with musks that attempt to enhance their longevity. This is not that, thankfully. This is as pure of a floral fragrance I have smelled in ages. I get the lime blossom, the narcissus, and the clover all swirling together like I've just flopped down in the sun-drenched grass of my childhood neighbor's yard (a retired couple who were prolific gardeners). The honey note I don't recognize, but then I feel like the honey I get is from the clover. When I used to pick clover blossoms, I would chew on the the petals and get a honeyed flavor from them, and I think this is what I am experiencing in this fragrance. The experience is practically photo real! So I was rather alarmed to read "Bounce" dryer sheets in another review. I haven't used dryer sheets or scented laundry detergent in years because of my skin's sensitivity, so I don't really have a current point of reference. I also do not smell any violets. This is a fragrance of sun-loving flowers. Violets I associate with early spring and cool days and shady meadows. I always thought they seemed to shudder and wilt in too much direct sunlight. It's a scent that keeps me burying my nose in the crook of my elbow again and again and smiling kind of blissfully. It is a heady fragrance, but not nearly so much as say, Crabtree & Evelyn's Summer Hill or the original '80s version of Laura Ashley No. 1 (not the current pleasant, but completely neutered version). I love both of those fragrances but always found my eyes watering for the first few hours as I waited for it to calm down on my skin. This is like the dry down first, last and for several hours. Is it linear? Sure, but I'm absolutely fine with linear when it makes me smile and really almost giggle. I fell in love so fast, I instantly ordered a bottle online...ok, you got me. I ordered several bottles - I also purchased Honeycomb, Field of Flowers, and Forget Me Not. Yep, I fell hard. This first beautiful, balmy day of this year's spring gave me a big, encouraging shove, too.

I love linden, and own about 7 others besides this one. I have to say it holds it own, even among the more expensive ones (except for D'Orsay's Tilleul which is in a class by itself). The linden is there from beginning to end, joined by narcissus, clover and honey with a light woody finish. I have the cream version, and longevity and sillage are moderate. I intend to explore other fragrances from this brand too!

I definitely like this....there's just one thing....it needs to be called VIOLET Linden. :) Or just Violet might do. I visited my 95 year old Grandmother last week wearing this, and after her reaction, I felt validated and knew I wanted to review it. I have proudly inherited many qualities from her, one being her keen nose. After I hugged her, she said in her cute Southern accent, "well I'll swanee darlin!! If you dont smell of candies!!" I knew exactly what she was talking about, but she went on to remind me of my late grandfather's favorite treats, C. Howard's Violet mints, with twinkling eyes. :) I happen to love those as well, and from the moment I purchased this, I noticed the similarity. I feel like a life-sized C.Howard violet mint when I wear this. This amuses me, since violet isn't even a note, and linden, which is a fav of mine, is, and it's barely there, if at all. Who knows why this is, but it smells good, regardless, and sticks to your skin and clothes all day long. It's on the strong side, so a light hand is probably wise. Violet mints from beginning to end. Sadly, no linden or honey, which are the reasons I purchased, but for those, I've got my Jo Malone French Lime Blossom. So far, I haven't found a linden perfume I enjoy more than that one. I bought a pack of C.Howard violet mints to take to my sweet Mamaw when I visit her next week. :)

I like it, but I can't say it smells of linden (why I bought it), or really any of the other listed notes. I'm getting a prominent water note, a bit of sweet mint, and somewhere far away a little herbal. It gives the impression of a very pleasant pastoral summer afternoon, resting in the shade by a cool stream in an impossibly clean cotton dress. I'm a big fan of Splash Rain by Marc Jacobs, which has a similarly strong water note (maybe what other people read as Bounce sheets?) but leans cool/clean/urban. So this is a nice contrast. I think it's more an EDT in strength. As the water note wears off, more of the honey becomes prominent but it's not very prominent. This will be an interesting one to explore at length. 2 hours later, the linden is finally coming through, with a little honey to back it up. The water note is still there, just barely. The linden smells more like a dried linden to me, or like linden tea. Linden is hard to capture, it seems, and most formulation tend to have citrus note on top (Demeter, April Aromatics, L'Artisan Parfumeur), so I have to give this one kudos for managing something different. Tested on: wrist, hand, inner elbow Reps: once Test duration: two hours

I get a lot of sweet, sticky honey in this, but also pick up the Bounce note and Violet note that LesleyA and TeaandRoses have mentioned. Now that Violet HAS been mentioned, I can't get that out of my head - so this has become all Violets and Honey to me. Much stronger, headier scent than I anticipated - lots of surprising sillage. I enjoy it quite a bit, but probably won't buy it again when I run out. I enjoy this sort of thing, but tend to gravitate to cleaner, soapier, less heady florals most days.