Botanical Essence No. 100

I love Liz Earle, not just the fragrance line which they offer but also the cult classic Cleanse & Polish facial cleanser and their gorgeous body balm. Botanical Essence No20 and No15 are two firm favourites within my fragrance wardrobe, they feel "right", never too much or too little and they have this quintessentially "British" "Countryside" feeling to them, simplistic but elegant. No100 was on my list for a while, my first introduction to the Liz Earle fragrance line was, ironically when I was talking to the Liz Earle SA in a department store about my love of gardenia, to which she spritzed me with this, but it was No15 that I left with that day, I was going to purchase it a year ago but it wasn't available so I bought No20 instead and finally, I got a bottle and let me tell you, it was worth the wait! No100 opens up quite sharp and brisk with freesia, citruses and green notes immediately bursting out for attention, thankfully, the sharpness does settle down and soft floral notes start to bloom; gentle orange blossom and a rather subdued jasmine. After about an hour, I start to notice something rather dewy and "humid" and an all too familiar gardenia/jasmine/freesia combination pulls my attention and makes me smile, its a similar combination of jasmine, gardenia and freesia that I came to adore in the now (wrongly) discontinued Marc Jacobs EdP! Unlike MJ EdP, some cypress and smooth woods anchor the base, but the elegant, simple and bright feeling is still there, none the less. Longevity is excellent! 8hrs from 3 spritzes with a moderate silage, it feels effortlessly elegant and elevates me whenever I spray it on. It really does fit in well with the Liz Earle portfolio and truly feels ageless, timeless and could be worn year round with no problems, its not so heavy that its unbearable in summer but at the same time, doesnt feel so thin and airy that it wouldn't work in the cooler months as well. Office safe when applied lightly and for sure signature worthy! Future repurchase and firm love!

So many people are reviewing that the scent is rather cheaply made? On me, I don’t think it smells particularly bad quality, infact; during my years in college, this became my signature scent. It’s very floral and extremely long lasting, so three sprays in the morning will last me till the end of the day! However, the florals aren’t so flowery that it smells like you’re hiding bouquets in your chest - it’s grounded nicely with woody smells. Initially, it’s quite ‘in your face’ and can smells synthetic, but after 30 mins, it becomes warmer and smoother. It’s definitely a more youthful scent than a mature fragrance. I’d recommend trying this on in a shop before blind buying because the body chemistry can really alter the scent of a perfume like this one (smells completely different on my mum).

I have several Liz Earle scents, and this is my least used.. most likely because it really is full-on floral, and that is a devation from type for me. That said, it still is a truly beautiful fragrance! Very uplifting, even if it is a little in-your-face 'FREESIA!!' on first spraying. My personal opinions is that I feel this best as a cold, Spring fragrance.. resonant of freshness and new life. In terms of longevity, for me it lasts well.. as in literally all day on a couple of spritzes. It dries down to a beautiful, sweet, light floral.. although on my skin it is never anything but a predominantly freesia scent. For any freesia fan this is DEFINITELY worth a shot!

This is a full-on floral scent, as you might expect of a fragrance originally developed as a limited edition in partnership with the Royal Horticultural Society, to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Chelsea Flower Show. The limited edition bottle was prettier. I love this most of all of the Liz Earle fragrances. It is like opening the door of a very expensive florist's shop. I keep meaning to check out a sample of Jo Loves 'No 42 The Flower Shop' for comparison purpose.

I can mainly smell jasmine with a hint of citrus /green notes. I don't get much rose. It's inoffensive and very pretty. Something you'd wear as a daily perfume when you go about your work. I wish it was a little stronger though. It blends beautifully with my skin and I really love smelling so good! I just wish it lasted longer..