Run Of The River

I discovered a Parterre outlet/shop in the beautiful city of Bath in England a couple of weeks ago while on holiday and was drawn to the nature-inspired, artistic, intelligent vibe. I tested three perfumes on paper and immediately loved Run of the River. For anyone who likes perfumes such as Au The Vert, or Diptyque's Eau de Lierre or, more obscurely, Pierre de Lune by Armani Prive (now disconinued, sadly) this will appeal. It's less sweet that Au The Vert, less acidic green than Eau de Lierre and less delicate/tender than Pierre de Lune. The thyme gives it a fresh-washed scent, much like a tiny touch of lavender essence does in your clothes washing. The juniper gives it an icy edge, the mate is refreshing, it's saved from being masculine by all the other parts - orange bossom,violet leaf, citrus. It's fresh but gentle,watery as opposed to humid, but not remotely 'aqua-like' in that horrible melon- like way. None of that here. It is indeed as gentle as a riverside meadow. I like the fact it has presence, it's not too subtle either like some Hermes Jardin perfumes can be. It's absolutely perfect for a fresh, yet interesting and more natural summer vibe. Classy but not 'big money' obvious. It's what I've been looking for all summer. I thought I might buy Au The Vert but hoped to find something new (ATV is a bit sweet for me). The only thing is that it's now late summer and this clean, soft green vibe is more early to high summer. They do have other lovely autumnal perfumes too though. Anyway, I bought a sample, and look forward to bringing it out again next year, when I might buy a full bottle, and that means it's a huge like for me! Elfin, yet sophisticated and quintessentially English but not in that tiresomely cliched posh pheasant-shooting way! There is a side of England that is all about the enchantment of bookish, lush green quietness, drifting down canals that inspired Giansborough, Constable and the like. I say this as a Scottish person. England has its quiet charms and Run of the River captures them.

Elegant, fresh, and masterful. Perfect daytime fragrance for work, office, or leisure but not in a boring way, on the contrary, the fragrance is airy, fresh, and gorgeous. It starts with the blast of herbals and lemons with the hint of florals and dries down woody but still uplifting. Very natural components and excellently blended. Great performance and moderate to long longevity.

This is one of the most chameleon-like, shifting scents I’ve ever tried. When it goes on it feels like a masc cologne, which isn’t a bad thing. Without wanting to make it sound gross it almost has a slight smell of peppery sweat to it that feels kind of rugged and natural and a little sexy. Then it moves around as it dries down - from more resinous, to more savoury herbal, a bit of incense, and sometimes something sweet shines through, more so as time goes on. This is one of those scents that I think the person wearing it really WEARS - how it comes across will depend on who you are and how you carry yourself (and it). Still slightly unsure on whether I want to get more of this but it’s such an interesting scent and definitely one for people who like a natural, genderless vibe.

I wanted to like this one so much. A fresh, summery green that opens with homemade lemonade and mint, and crushed violet leaf underfoot before the aromatics emerge with that lovely tea note. A sun-dappled picnic by a stream in the woods. The greenness eventually subsiding to a daydream. Unfortunately the oakmoss note that dominates the drydown really grates with me and I had to scrub it off. A shame as up to that point it is a beautifully-made scent.

A perfect scent for hot summer days and much more complex than I expected. It opened, as promised, with a burst of minty citrus, which then seemed to morph into something like sherbet lemon sweets before the base notes take control and everything changes again. The fresh herby citrus opening giving way to the mossy base notes reminded me of the way Summer gradually fades into to Autumn. I love this.