Flower's Barrow

At first, I wasn’t a huge fan of Flower’s Barrow by Lush (I had the 30ml Gorilla Perfume version), but it completely grew on me. Before I knew it, it had become one of my most-reached-for scents and I found myself rationing the bottle. On my skin, it opened geranium-forward, with the rose sitting just behind it, giving this airy floral hum that never felt old-fashioned. The blackcurrant was also very noticeable — juicy, slightly tart, almost winey — and surprisingly, it was my first time loving a perfume with a strong geranium note. What struck me most was how familiar and comforting it felt. There’s also that slightly earthy, gothy, mysterious undertone (I agree with @gkdomarkaite on this!) that made it feel more like a nighttime ritual than a daily fragrance. I received a lot of compliments from men while wearing this — two even asked me to write the name down and whether it was unisex. Someone once told me it smelled like Ribena, which honestly tracks, because the blackcurrant comes through beautifully on my skin. Overall, a dark, juicy, floral-earthy blend that feels nostalgic, comforting and quietly dramatic. I miss it already.

I have recently started collecting perfumes in the attempt to find that ellusive "signature scent" that everyone but me seems to have since my allergies are a bitch to work with. The description of this sounded really nice, but honestly I didn't even have any idea in mind what this might actually smell like as I checked out online. After excitedly taking the cap off and spraying, I have to say that this is the closest to tears I've ever been over a smell-memory. This smells exactly like my great grandmother who kept me every Summer as a child. That's not to say this is an unpleasant "old lady" smell, because she wasn't that kind of grandma. It's not at all cloying or choking or living-on-a-set-income type smell. It simply encompasses everything that was her life - lots of garden flowers and sunshine, wooden chests filled with clean folded clothes, warm hugs, and just two bottles of perfume sitting on her vanity. I'm not sure I'll actually wear this, as it's not really "me," but I'm so happy to have this, as it lets me have her just a little bit longer.

I used to have this, but in a splash bottle that spoiled a long time ago. But I do miss it and wish it came in smaller bottles today. I doubt I would ever use use up an entire 100 ml bottle of this. It's strong in the typical Lush way, and shares the roughness of the other perfumes from the brand. It has this un-finished feeling. When I owned it I used to get compliments about this fragrance, some commented it smelled like candy. It's herbal and has some sweetness and I thought it smelled very realistically like the green geranium plant. I think the thyme is quite distinct as well, just from what I remember from it. I think this would suit a bohemian, lonesome gardener somewhere in England quite well. That's at least what comes to mind. It's a bit moody and introspective somehow. There is something dark in here that I can't quite put my finger on. A bit gothic maybe?

I tried this before buying and fell in love. I don't usually like floral scents, but something about this draws me in - probably because it reminds me of something from the 50s or 60s, but not in a total grandma way. It is very geranium heavy on the initial smell but has an edge. On the dry down it's still very sweet, floral, maybe vanilla, with a slight whiff of something herbal. Can't say I get much rose from this, which is fine cause I'm not a huge rose fan anyways. Like most of lush's perfumes its very fresh, like a spring morning when the garden is covered in dew. I would recommend definitely trying it beforehand as can see why it would not be everyone's cup of tea, and for me personally is not for everyday wear as it can be overpowering. One spray is enough and you'll still be smelling it hours later.

Flower's Barrow from Lush holds a special place in my heart. If you loved the original Aveda Chakra Blend II Attraction, you'll also love this. They are both heavy on the geranium, and I would say Flower's Barrow has more sunshine streaming through the whole composition, and Aveda's Attraction is a little darker. But I save the Aveda for special occasions since it's so hard to find now, and love wearing Flower's Barrow more during the day. It has a hazy sultriness to it, and it is geranium centered, but I can still smell the whole blend of notes of rose, thyme, and sage. Very unique and the splash bottle works wonderfully for this scent.