Botanical Essence No.15

Underrated masterpiece I wear this a lot during the colder months, and I mean A LOT, I usually rotate heavily between this, Coco Mademoiselle, TF Black Orchid and Jo Malone Dark Amber and Ginger Lily. Botanical Essence No 15 is warm and opulent but without feeling cloying or nauseating which is one of the main reasons why I love it because I can go from being in the cold walking around the city wrapped in my scarf and my jumper which is 4x too big for me, to sitting in a warm tea rooms without feeling like I'm being smothered with olfactive heat from the spicy woodsy notes. The bottle is perfect; its opaque so light cannot get to the juice and spoil it and the lid fits snugly over the sprayer meaning its easy to travel with, the presentation box this (and others from the Liz Earle line) comes in is also a piece of art with drawings of the fragrance notes on it, its magnetic book-like opening which reveals the perfume and the notes list on the inside of the box. The opening feels so familiar but yet its not at the same time, a blast of pink pepper, bergamot and sandalwood instantly make themselves known before quickly mellowing and revealing a smooth, comforting resinous (benzoin and elemi) cedar and vanilla heart that feels like a hug. Further throughout wear, the cinnamon leaf and patchouli and tonka pop out more and add an extra layer of delight to the base, I'm not too sure weather I smell the cypriol oil, vetiver, guiac wood or the rose unless they are just so well blended that its hard to single them out on their own, but I absolutely love this wonderful "beige" scent. Longevity is brilliant on me with 4 sprays lasting me a good 8hrs and giving an intimate bordering on moderate silage which always gets compliments. This is an autumn winter staple in my wardrobe, it works so well for any occasion and is actually very easy to wear casually too, as someone that likes to match their scents to thier clothes, this one is also amazingly versitile and works with flannel button-downs all the way through to my oversized jumpers and my breton tops. Will repurchase in the future, such a gem!

I smelled this in Lewis's after it came out and immediately made the 'scrunchy face' - it smelled like clove aftershave to me. My sister really likes this so bought herself a bottle (I like No.1, she hates it). Having smelled it again, it's not as bad as I initially thought - maybe the tester was a funny bottle or something but my sister's smells peppery/gourmandy and I don't mind it but am not mad about it. Might be a grower though, I'm minded to give it another try sometime, I think one thing about it is that it has a nice 'trail'. It seems that people EITHER like No.1 OR No.15, so if you didn't like No.1, give this one a go! Well, I wrote the above in February, 2013, it's now November, 2022 and I'm wearing 15 now and I LOVE it! Dare I say my taste has even moved from 1 to this one? I still like 1 but I'm wearing 15 a lot these days, it's warm, cosy and perfect for winter. The clove is artfully done, it doesn't intrude or bother me. There is a trail left at the end of the drydown and on fabric that is a little bit like Escentric Molecule - 'the' one. I love that. I also love the packaging and seeing the illustrations of all the yummy things like sandalwood and patchouli - a very nice touch and I'll be wearing AND gifting this one this Christmas. 🥰

I love this fragrance, a beautiful spicy scent with good strength and longevity. This amazingly lasts all day on me, no need to top up. I would classify this as an oriental spicy fresh fragrance, so if you love orientals then you must give this one a try. Apparently it has been created using 15 quality botanicals, all of which are derived from natural ingredients (which is certainly reflected in the ingredients list). How they have managed to do this at an affordable price is really quite intriguing. I would say this perfume remains quite linear throughout it's development, never really changing much. The spices are warm, sweet and woody, and to my nose I get a massive dose of pink pepper with underlying clove. The drydown on my skin becomes slightly sweeter as the vanilla makes a full appearance, but it never becomes too sweet as many orientals can do. I agree with truffles' comment stating that people either like No. 15 or No. 1; I personally don't like No. 1. No. 15 is very different from it's sister, so if you weren't a fan of No. 1 don't dismiss this. I have become addicted! This perfume smells very much like Dior Ambre Nuit. The resemblance is uncanny.

This is probably the only spicy, sweet gourmand I can wear that doesn't give me a headache, that works well with my chemistry, and that doesn't make me feel sick or like a bimbo. I love it. All notes found in perfumes like Avon Far Way to Mugler's Angel are far better blended in this fragrance that is a joy to wear from start to finish.I occasionally wear men's and unisex fragrances. The comparisons to Paco Rabanne are a little off the mark. They may share a few notes but the ugly blatant jarring undertones of the PR fragrances are nothing like this balanced and ever-evolving fragrance. The initial woody spiciness quickly fades into a sparkling warm feminine fragrance that lasts all day and would not need reapplying until evening. The various phases remind me of a freshly poured sparkling Coca Cola in the early stages, chocolate and vanilla powder down late in the day. Never cloying, never cheap. I hope this is never discontinued. The packaging is lovely and informative. I normally bin it but I kept this box. All the fragrances in the range seems great but this is my current favourite.

I tried this fragrance years ago as I was given samples with a LE purchase. Initially I didn’t think much of it. Then I slowly found myself reaching for it more and more and ended up liking it more and more. I recently remembered about it and have bought myself a 15ml bottle on ebay - wanted to test it again to see if worth investing in a full size. I absolutely love it. It’s very classy and sophisticated, has personality but not in an overpowering way - I think it’s a good scent for the office as well as for a romantic evening date. The type of perfume that could become someone’s signature I find. I have read someone comparing it to the fizzy cola bottles smell and I can see why they said that, however, to me, that’s actually a positive thing as I adore that type of smell. The woods and clove notes are the ones I tend to smell the most. Will purchase a full size bottle soon, I am in love.