Bluebell

Penhaligon’s – Bluebell Simple, self-assured, and possessed of a strong character. The fragrance opens with a burst of citrus, followed by a bitter-green aroma and a mysterious sweetness. The dry down carries a subtle spice of clove. Overall, it evokes the image of wild woodland flowers or flowering herbs with dense, green foliage, mingling with the damp, earthy scent of a backyard garden after the rain. Another way I would describe it: it’s the smell of walking into a fresh florist shop—the combined scent of various flowers and cut stems soaking in water, creating a moist, botanical atmosphere of "unidentified greenery." Performance & Versatility Once the opening notes settle, the scent remains quite linear and consistent. It has moderate projection and decent longevity. While it is technically unisex, it leans slightly feminine. This is not a "floral" in the traditional sense of being "pretty" or "perfumey." Instead, it serves as a symbol or a distinct memory. It is a fragrance that sets you apart. I highly recommend trying it in person; this is not a safe blind buy. The Legacy of the Scent Penhaligon's- Bluebell's most famous devotee was Princess Diana, a woman of elegance and a remarkably strong personality—a beauty defined by duty and responsibility. Penhaligon’s reportedly crafted this scent for her, inspired by her childhood memories of gardens filled with bluebells. Two other icons known to wear this as their signature scent are: Margaret Thatcher: The "Iron Lady" of British politics, known for her formidable capability. Kate Moss: The supermodel who stood out for being petite and unconventional yet radiating absolute confidence. Final Thoughts For individuals of this caliber, there is no need to scream for attention. Their mere presence is enough to command a room. Therefore, a natural floral signature scent functions simply as a personal emblem—a memory left in the air—and that is more than enough. I love this character, and I am absolutely in love with Bluebell. ❤️

Oooooooooooo Bluebell O Bluebell How I Absolutely Love You!! This was a blind buy for me & I was very hesitant about purchasing it due to some of the reviews on "Fragrantica" But im actually so glad that I took the chance & bought it!! This is pure springtime in a bottle,& it captures a woodland meadow/forest perfectly indeed after a heavy rainshower & when the sun comes back out!! Imagine gorgeous Bluebell Flowers wet with droplets of rain sitting all over them sparkling like glass beads in the warm sunlight,think of their green wet stems & leaves surrounded with tuffs of grass,fern,moss & the woody floor which their roots are happily growning in ALL perfectly captured in a beautiful Penhalagons Perfume Bottle!! This Fragrance is SOooooooooo different to any I own in my perfume collection,& the perfume smells so real It's absolutely amazing!! It starts of with a sparkling Citrus smell,Which soon fades to the beautiful smell of real Bluebell Flowers,their stems/leaves etc after a shower of rain!! Add to that a fresh green cut Grass aroma followed by Fern,Moss & damp Forest earth,mingled with beautiful Lily Of The Valley & some wild rambling Rose followed by some Clove & Cinnamon to give the base some mystery & depth & basically You've got Penhaligons Bluebell!! This is only the second day that I've wore/tried out my Bluebell edt & I can honestly say six compliments already including my Mother!!This Penhaligons Perfume is wore & loved by Her Majesty The Queen & it actually carries her Royal Crest & Also the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher!! A real beauty perfect for a Misty Rainy Day,The First Sign Of Spring Or Summer,or when you just want that gorgeous shower fresh up-lifting green freshness this perfume brings!! Absolutely gorgeous & well worth a try!! I most certainly will be purchasing this from now on!! Over the moon with it!!

I was so surprised to see how strongly opinion's divided by this scent, it's one of my favourites, so nostalgic and beautiful and perfect at this time of year. The opening is definitely damp, and there is a dirtiness to it, which I could understand being offputting, but it gives me that real "forest floor" scent alongside the heavy wet greenery and spicy woods. There always is the smell of decay along with new life in natural landscapes, and particularly in woodland. The heart is lovely, intoxicating florals - hyacinth, rose, and lily-of-the-valley, and a strong bitterness, which reminds me of almonds, but not sweet gourmand almonds. Of course I've never smelt cyanide but I've heard it smells of almonds and this is the note I'd imagine it being. Florals linger for a long time along with resin and spices on the skin - somewhat counter-intuitively, the spices are light and fresh rather than warm and rich, providing a counterpoint to the very powdery base you'd typically find in a fragrance with a heart like this. The whole thing is by turns bitter, sweet, sour and spicy, which is I think one of the reasons I find it so hypnotic, there's always another layer despite fairly clear constituent notes. I think all the dirty, potentially offputting parts of the scent keep it from being too fussy and sterile - you could cut the filth and you'd have a very boring, clean rosy scent or you can have what it is, which is an adventurous, complex fragrance that captures the romance and also the threat of the forest all in one.

This classic scent has been on my test list for ages, and now that a sample made its way into my hands, I have to say I'm not disappointed. It's a super realistic almost one-note floral scent; it's absolutely true to the fragrance not of bluebell (as far as I know), but of hyacinth: a little spicy, rather cold, earthy-green, with the specific, subtle sweetness of the real flower. This is a scent I know and love; it's early-spring-like but also christmassy to me, as I often have hyacinths around the house at that time of year (and then on the balcony a few months later, among the first blooms of the year). I love the idea of being able to wear that scent as a perfume; at least in this high quality way it's been executed by Penhaligon's: it's elegant and clean but not light or lacking in substance, and it lasts all day. It could be worn almost year-round, except maybe in summer: it works well right now in early autumn, for instance, but I imagine its best time would be the time of the real flower, winter and early spring. So I definitely love it, but as I generally don't reach for floral scents very often a big decant would probably last me a lifetime. It's a pity in a way, because I love the look of that classic bottle as well, and would like to add one to my collection one day. Maybe I'll find another Penhaligon's that's just as good but more my usual style!

My Mum bought this for herself because she is a devout follower of the Royals, Lady Di in particular and she thought it would be nice to own and wear a fragrance the "Peoples Princess" once wore. However, when she opened the box and sprayed it on herself, she took one whiff and was absolutely REVOLTED!! She didn't say why or what it was she did not like but she despised it. So, she gave it to me, thinking I would swap it for something else. I am usually a lover of Orientals and sweet perfumes and the occasional floral so I really was not expecting to like this, nevermind LOVE it. But, to my surprise, after about five minutes on my skin I am just in love with this fragrance. The only other florals I truly adore are the original Yves Rocher "Pivoine" and the original "Chloe"...add this gem and that rounds out my top three favorite florals. Now seeing it is winter, I won't be wearing this out of the house until snow melt come April, but if I know I am not going anywhere and I will be in the house, I will surround myself in the gorgeous blue garden...if I am lucky enough to spend Christmas on my beloved Vancouver Island, this perfume will be attached to my hip. It is utterly moody, beautifully composed and entirely feminine..you can be sure no one else will smell like you whilst adorned in this cloak of beauty...

currently trying every bluebell fragrance i can get my hands on and this one surprised me. it reminds me of one of my favourite fragrances, cb i hate perfume's "black march", but with exactly the right character of floral. this is sort of more what i expected of their "to see a flower" which i found a little sour and incoherent. never tried anything by penhaligon's before and frankly i assumed it would smell more abstractly like "perfume" than this particular wet-earth experience. unfortunately this earthiness seems to fade quite quickly, leaving the clove, which, while warmer than anything i would typically choose, is thankfully sort of decorative and subservient to the green. i have not noticed any citrus whatsoever. i agree with the general distinction that this is not quite a "wet woodland floor" earthy but rather a "florist / garden centre" earthy. i find that this makes it particularly english and austere. i do find that the clove blends with this in a way which abstractly makes sense, but spiritually doesn't. it is richer, yet in a way cleaner and more natural, than JM wild bluebell. i do also like wild bluebell; it is brighter and a little bit more synthetic - special in its own way but doesn't for me evoke an impression of a real memory or experience in quite the same way.

Do not blind buy this one. You need to smell it and wear it to determine whether it will work for you. Also, do not judge on first impressions. The opening is bizarre, like the smell in a tire store, or tyre store since it's an English fragrance. Just a sharp concentration of bitter green floral notes. Give it at least fifteen minutes to warm up on your skin - Bluebell will open up and reveal a lovely wet green spicy crunchy scent like hyacinths. Penhaligon's Ostara is all about daffodils to the extreme. Penhaligon's Bluebell is all about hyacinth to the tenth power. What other nuclear soliflores does Penhaligon's offer? I need to investigate this line a bit more. It's a rainy day here in the extreme heat of Texas dog days, so this wet green scent seemed like a good choice. I always think of the second season of the British crime drama "Broadchurch" when I wear this because of the bluebells. We have a flower called bluebell here in central TX, but it's not even related to English bluebells - which are relatives of hyacinths. You have to be a hardcore old school floral lover to tolerate Bluebell, but I am one and I love it, especially on rainy cool days. Moderate sillage and great longevity.

Wow!! I love love love!! Powder, greens and spice without tons of toothache. I'll admit I was afraid to blind-buy because of all the not so positive reviews, but I have a thing for florals that are close to nature. The scent that transports me outdoors will always win my heart. I like to imagine that this is what a Victorian floral would smell like, if I was so lucky to be transported to my lifelong fantasy to the 1800's in the guise of a young and lovely English noble lady! I had to laugh when I read about the "pickle accord"! It's strongly there for a second or three but dissipates and literally settles into place really quickly. English Bluebell is the blue floral that I have been looking for! It is sweet, tart, green and spicy. I get tired of perfumes that have to present everything through a filter of sweetness. This is the earthier sister of El's Splendor, which I love in all it's purple and blue glory! The wild sister of the same flower with those wonderful cloves, the living greens and cut out the overwhelming sweetness. I discovered that two puffs over L Huere Bleue EDP is just like a Monet garden is to eyes! Glorious!!

I smell hyacinths in all their full, unfettered glory here with Bluebell. Their unapologetic stemmy, sharp greenness that opens the senses, the dewy, floral splendor, and their spicy, cinnamic undertones. I find it to be the ultimate hyacinth soliflore, which may very well be off-putting to those who may want their hyacinth to be tamed and relegated to supporting player, maybe even a walk-on appearance. Here it steals the show, for better or worse, but for that I adore it. I truly believe some folks may not have had the pleasure of experiencing hyacinths and their fragrance up close and personal, or maybe they would be put off by them and therefore be put off by Bluebell, which is all fine and good. Stop sniffing hyacinth-centric scents, then. It may not necessarily be the fragrance, it may just be you—Luca! In all seriousness, if it were just Princess Diana and me who enjoyed Bluebell, then I'd just be fine with that. Happy Spring!

Bluebell has a cult following for a reason. It may not be alluring or sensual, but it is certainly a romantic fragrance. It conjures up "I Capture the Castle," blustery Spring days and the beautiful English landscape. I think one of the reasons why Bluebell gets panned is the vast difference between expectations and reality. Judging from the name and the packaging, you would be more than justified in expecting Bluebell to be a delicate English floral. In actuality, Bluebell is a striking blend of assertive notes: chilly green galbanum, sharp clove and a very vivid hyacinth. Surprise! I'll admit that the gorgeous packaging is part of my attraction to the Penhaligon's line. I'm deeply grateful for perfume that doesn't remind me of a cleaning product or an energy drink by virtue of the plasticky bottle and the lurid coloring. If saying so makes me superficial, I guess I can live with that.

Penhallagon's Bluebell is my spring....the scent that marks the freshness of new growth and a anticipation of the bluebell woods. It is a frequency! A sharp light green and blue that cuts through the harshness of winter and promises that warmer days are coming. You can still feel the cold but there is light. It captures the bluebell woods. I have been wearing in spring for 2 years now and after the first year I got a whiff of something synthetic in the opening. This was invisible to me in the first year. Now I get it. Now I pair with Demeter Lilac to mask the synthetic opening.The lilac dies down quickly and the soft bluebell lingers. Aquamarine and sapphires sparkle in a haze of the aura. It lifts a promise from an unfurling flower and blows a kiss of whispers into the April wind. Blue bell has an angelic quality that is now a ritual for my spring. I cannot live with out it!

I personally love and adore Bluebell by Penhaligons, but it’s not for everyone, and definitely not a safe blind buy. It is sharp, penetrating and loud - the complete opposite of what you would expect from the docile and delicate pale blue bottle with its demure bow. The recently released Daphne by Penhaligons might give you more of an idea of what to expect, or even the polarising Synthetic Jungle by Frederic Malle. Those two are not dupes by any means, but I am trying to set the scene for anyone considering spending a fortune on an-sniffed scent. I can imagine that Princess Diana might have worn Bluebell when she needed to face her then husband’s mistress at a social do, or Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher inhaling the strident scent during the war with Argentina. Bluebell could be the best weapon Britain ever produced for when times call for guile and guts.

Walking through a carpet of bluebells in Spring is truly magical. These ephemeral flowers are incredibly fragrant, delicate and beautiful. This year I came across the most amazing bluebell field ever, I had to lie down to absorb all the goodness, it felt soooo good. Later on I started looking for a fragrance that could replicate the same aroma and discovered Penhaligons...first, I got a sample and my goodness!!! It was like smelling the whole bluebell field again, instant smile on my face. Got the 100ml bottle which I’m sure will last a long while. Sillage and longevity are impressive, if I didn’t know this is an EDT, I would definitely think it’s an EDP. I can easily detect bluebells (or hyacinth), Lilly of the valley, rose and cloves. Spring in a bottle, beautiful.

If you go past the first 15 minutes of this perfume (which are truly like a walk at the flower market, vivid green leaves, freshly-cut stems and all!) this is an eccentric perfume that will appeal to few... It's green, flowery, heady, doesn't even smell like perfume... and yet it's utterly original! After the much awaited 15' it gets very sweet, juicy-syrupy sweet, and has something that reminds me of my beloved Quel Amour by Goutal! At this stage, the stems and leaves calm down and there's more air to breathe! I obviously prefer this stage to the first, realistic flowery one... To me it has not much in common with Lily of the Valley of the same house.. Definitely worth trying, if only to experience the intense greenery; however not a safe blind buy by any means!

after a very long wait I finally got my Bluebell and i'm totally in love with it! it is a very unusual and unique , and a blend of unexpected scents. starts off very strong with citruses and a blast of hyacinth so powerful you feel you have landed in a sea of flowers , the dry down leaves a delicate cloud of flowers floating around and a delicate clove giving a very fresh feeling, and the galbanum that gives out a very earthy watery atmosphere . the scents are very natural and do give a feeling of being out in nature after the rain in the beginning of spring in a very english garden while the hyacinth is blooming. I can say i fell in love with this perfume and find it addictive I will definitely get more of it in the future

Lilly of the valley and Bluebell are sisters. I'm not just saying that because they come from the same company, I'm saying that because they smell like they could be related. They don't smell the same, but that's a lot like how siblings are. They don't always look the same, but deep inside they share something most people do not. A bound indescribable by common words in the English language. When you smell they side by side, you might not see what I'm saying and you might think I am crazy. (Which I am) But in a strange sort of way, these bottles are sisters. And Bluebell and Lilly of the valley have a bound beyond just perfume. In some universe these two are real, and they hang out in a garden and talk like sisters do.

I wasn't sure about this perfume based on reviews from Fragrantica, reading toilet cleaner and saliva, that didn't sound so good, but I was so curious so I bought a bottle. It is unexpectedly good! I thought it would smell sharp, harsh, too green (Like EL Pleasure which I dislike). The opening is very green, similar to the opening of Guerlain Chamade but it turn to a lovely, fresh, beautiful bouquet of flowers quickly. I've never smelled bluebell flower, in my nose this perfume reminds me to a funeral home or flowery garden when there's a lot of fresh flower. It's a strong perfume with moderate sillage and very long lasting. It is unique and beautiful! I will definitely buy this perfume again when this bottle is gone!

Although I had been looking for a hyacinth soliflore for a long time, I had always avoided this one due to the many terrible reviews. As luck would have it, a chance meeting with a new fragrance-loving friend ended up scoring me a sample of this. I love it. This is the hyacinth I have been waiting for. What is perhaps repellant to others is what makes me adore it so much. The sweet, saliva-like quality of the flower is rendered quite well. It is very heady and indolic. The only annoying thing is the cheap muguet in the opening, but it clears up after a short while. It captures the overbearing and almost disconcerting nature of hyacinth brilliantly. I bought a full bottle right away.

I can't identify any specific notes listed; to me, this is England in a bottle. It's 'what if bluebells had a smell.' Absolutely imaginary, and it was a 'yes' from the first spray. It's a long walk in the wet countryside where early spring drops a rug of bluebells in a forest. It's cold as metal, very strict and elegant, without a hint of flirting. I absolutely understand why the Iron Lady loved it. I can't say it's a scent for an old woman; I can picture it on anyone of any age or gender. It's not too simple or basic; it's the next level of perfumery - classic but not retro, suited for any season and occasion. However, it performs best on me when it rains.

I'm surprised that the sillage is not as strong as I expected for such a thick fragrance. I immediately smell the citrus and the green, but not in a leafy sense. This reminds me of fresh flower bouquet made mostly of lilies early in the morning. What comes in mind is the yellow pollen grains that's just always gonna' rub off on your precious items. I don't really sense the rose and the longer you wear it, the green keeps on expanding and getting warmer, which is an interesting turn for me. I think I'll wear this for specific events only, like weddings or baby shower.