Ostara

This is really a discountinued gem; in production at Penhaligon's for just one year, and I ranked it as one of Duchafour's best creation. Ostara as a name derives from the Anglo-Saxon word Eostre who is a deity that represents ribirth, new beginning and spring and it was celebrated the day of spring equinox. The name of the perfume then agrees with its date of release, Easter 2015 and it is inteded by Duchafour to be a narcissus (daffodil) soliflore: that delicate flower tha blooms just at the very end of winter. I believe Duchafour is right as I consider Ostara the most vivid and photorealistic interpretation of that fragile flower that is the narcissus; beware: do not get fool by the abudance of notes in the pyramid (as typical of Duchafour) as all elements are there to highlight some of the characterist of this flower. The fresh flower smells different from the absolute with its crisp cleaness if you smell it from afar, but as you get close to the yolk centre you will smell something a little bit stinky, more indolic even slightly animalic. the closest thing to the real narcissus in term of raw material is para cresyl acetate, which smells significantly different fromm the absolute. And it is the latter that I believe was used here in abundance. It opens quite greenish, possesses creamy floralcy reminiscent of tuberose absolute, but layered with far more greenery reminiscent of mint, hay and tomato leaf absolute. There's something dirty and slightly repulsive about it - almost like a heap of rotting garden weeds. The dryout is reminiscent of hay, and is a tad powdery. Another absolute that was used in Ostar is jonquil absolute: its scent is sweeter and more floral (tuberose-like) and honeyed with hay and green undertones very similar to that of the narcissus absolute, . It is heavy, honeylike, it possesses a deep-sweet floral odor with a strong green undertone and a somewhat bitter, very tenacious dryout note. The odor bears great similarity to the fragrance of longoza and tuberose, and a remote resemblance to hyacinth. If we take all this into account, you can see that the pyramid moves around the narcissus and it was designed to hghligh its characteristics. But how does Ostara really smell and which images does it conjur up? It opens up like a luminous day in early spring: narcissus is prominent since the beginning with its waxy petals, the pollen in its yolk centre (beeswax) and the green of the stems (violet leaf, cassis, and green notes). the cumulative effect is very nectared. to join the narciss there is a sort of pastel purple liquidity that comes from the hyacinths, A trace of earthiness lingers at the base below, the dark earth of sweet, slightly damp loamy soil through which green shoots of grass, mint, and violet leaf as they are poking out their heads in response to Spring's call. Now, fro what I have heard and read around, the degree of greeness depends on your skin chemistry; in my case the green notes are not very prominent while in others they verge on tomato leaves. I am less enthused by the drydown with the white very clean musk that penhaligon's likes to use with the aldheydic soapiness and crispiness. Sillage is intimate starting from 2 inches above skin then at the two hour marks it hovers just 0.5 inches above skin; longevity roughtly eight hours: performance are then consistent with Penhaligon's standard (and Duchafour). I do not think as Persolaise claims that this may be discontinued because of a bad name choice; I tend to think that the high cost of narcissus absolute (which is not used it sparingly here) may be the culprit: Ostara may had been not so rewarding in terms of financial return. Overall, Ostara is a very transporting experience when we are ready to accept the cycle of decline and ri-birth that is our all too human life. Follow me on IG @alexolympia6 Thx.

One of the best soliflores of late. If course this concoction, being a masterpiece of the Great Master Msr Duchauffour himself, is an intricate and skillfully interwoven fabric of everything floral and spring: you have the "broken tulip stems" moment, the woodsy-ylang-ylang one, the sharp and bitter green one, the aldehydic-hyacinth, the fresh and paper mache vanillic wafer moment, and everything else that conjures up the olfactory picture and expectation of an egg-yolk yellow burst of sunshine that we are currently experiencing here in London. I remember when it was released last year, I was so desperate and yearning for its launch, but it came too late in the year, meaning all daffs had already gone by the time it was ready for the market. This year I can fully indulge in being on time and in season and it is so wonderful! There is also a slightly medicinal note in there that reminds me of my early childhood visits to the "Reformhaus" in Germany (a mixture of Holland & Barret meets pharmacy), where my mother would reward me for good behaviour with some honey-herbal lozenges or some wafer fingers full of organic berry paste. Concluding, this is a very poetic release, meaning you feel as if you are in an old exhibition place of the RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) on a cold and stormy, typical unpredictable London weather day with recitals and book signings as it is that sophisticated. It is somewhat sharp but not unpleasantly so, as there is enough vanilla-papery-waffle-esque sweetness without any cloying. It is just an ode to the humble daffodil that is such a hero in bringing this charming dash of lovely yellow onto the lawns, the meadows, the forrest peripheries, the flowerbeds, the gardens all over the country. OSTARA I love you forever and unconditionally! A 'solifleur' masterpiece and a text book example of what abstract perfumery with lyrical content really is meant to be 10/10. Leaning towards the XX but can be easily worn by a charming (if slightly dandy inspired) XY.

This really is just beautiful - I can't think of another word to describe it. Bertrand Duchaufour's work can be challenging, but Ostara is not one of his more avant-garde creations. His hyper-realistic treatment of flowers here is very similar to his work on Flora Bella for Lalique Narcissus has been voted the dominant note, but - to me - Ostara smells more like fresh hyacinths, with other flowers shyly peeking out from behind their more forward sister. As it dries down, Ostara starts to smell exactly like a florists, with stems, leaves... the whole caboodle. I got the same sort of florist shop vibe from Roja Dove Lilac, which I also love (but am disappointed by its sillage and longevity). There are no such issues with Ostara, which bounds out of the bottle and rams your nose squarely into a fresh, lush bouquet of flowers. Reviewer SuzanneS has remarked below that Ostara's aldehydes are not of the vintage variety and I can testify this to be true - if they were, I would be running to the bathroom in terror to scrub before the headache and nausea set in. Aldehydes are the reason I cannot deal with many vintage perfumes and why No.5 leaves me cold; I don't pick up on them at all in Ostara, but they are probably responsible for its fresh, bright qualities. Although discontinued, Ostara is still available on eBay UK for a reasonable price at the time of writing (August 2018). I think I need to purchase a backup bottle as I never want to be without it; to put this in context, I have over 700 bottles of individual perfumes and backups of very few. Ostara really is THAT good. Despite Ostara's exuberant opening, sillage and longevity are both moderate. If you love floral perfumes (without a rose in sniffing distance) you really should try Ostara.

Ostara is more than a fragrance. Ostara is an experience. Ostara is a time capsule, a witch's spell that transforms a bland and dusty winter room to a bright green and dew kissed, loamy, early spring garden. Truly a magic carpet ride to springtime, no matter the time of year. Hundreds of daffodils bloom in my garden every spring and many mornings find me sweater-clad, kneeling on damp grass to push my nose against blossom after blossom, inhaling deeply as every breath erases the memory of another gray winter day and clears space for spring in my lungs and soul. While my mom is the soliflore fan in the family and I nearly always prefer the scent of a mixed bouquet, Ostara delights both of us. Curiously, to me Ostara is 100% cool daffodils sniffed outdoors so the overall floral scent includes a sharp, cold green and a damp, loamy aspect yet, improbably, warmed by beeswax and honey. My mom, the soliflore fan remember, smells a warm indoor bouquet of daffodil, hyacinth, lily, orange blossom and honey. I find it beautifully linear - all honey-sweetened daffodil from start to finish while she smiles through the blossoming of one floral after another. Mom and I both get about 5 hours from 3-5 sprays and find the sillage moderate, that is, safe to wear just about anywhere at anytime of day or night, whether you'll be in close quarters or not. It's beyond my comprehension why Penhaligon's decided to discontinue this bit of God's breath descending to bless the early days of spring. I'm grateful for my bottle and will add another before Ostara disappears.

An absolutely stunning creation. Very sorry it has been discontinued, but I bought a 3.3oz bottle so hopefully I'm set for a long while. If you grew up in the North where winters are brutal and spring is quite a celebration this fragrance is likely to be nostalgic. It smells like a Northern spring, the flowers are all there, mixed up together with dew and cool breezes. The scent is heavy with pollen, very rich. It's undeniably floral, but the drydown is more than floral, though I can't really identify exactly what is mixed in there. Daffodil really is the star here, but there's hints of all sorts of other flowers, the whole garden gets in on the fun. The bottle is very simple and retro, the box is gorgeous. And I love that the name harkens back to ancient celtic rites of spring. It's the perfect name for a fragrance that absolutely smells like spring. What better to name something like this? Update after a couple weeks of wear. This is still lovely as ever but I think the drydown has become my favorite part. The opening is like sticking your face right into a patch of blooming narcissus it is so realistic. But the drydown is far more evocative. You know those wet spring days where you go for a walk, and the air is cool and breezy. And on that breeze there is this lovely sweet fresh floral scent? You can't quite tell where it's coming from but you find yourself breathing deeply, totally enchanted? That's Ostara's drydown. :)

In the midst of the winter blues, I reached for Ostara. A discontinued Narcissus fragrance that kept creeping up in my searches. I love narcissus fragrances, and can wear them well. It opens with a mandarin juniper freshness supported by aldehydes to give it an airy lift, but make no mistake these arent your vintage aldehydes. Soon the green current bud and violet leaf take over with the narcissus beginning to bloom, then hyacinth, and wisteria. The ylang and beeswax adds a thick honeyed creamyness to everything so in essence it boarders on a very exquisite soft floral gourmand from its mid to end. The honeyed beeswax, amber, vanilla and benzoin keep this plush and sweet. The white musk could have been toned down and echoes much like it does for Carnal Flower and Stephane Humbert 777 Generation Femme. I wish perfumers would scale back on this with the cashmeran wood accord as its so dominating to a fragrance. On me, its mostly linear with a good majority coming up at me at once. Ostara manages to bottle the warmth and optimism of spring when the air is more crisp and the daffodils (id say paperwhites) herald the beginning of spring. A definite mood lifter, and optimistic perfume. A great fantasy narcissus. Perfect to chase away the blues. Especially for: Narcissus fans Experiences in a bottle Sweet, creamy floral fans Remember in dealing with Narcissus, less is more. Over spray can lead to headaches and nausea.

I've been wearing mostly Orientals and Spicey scents of late, due to the cold and snow. I recently received a bottle of Ostara, and thought a "change of Season" might do me some good. Well, I was right. This Penhaligon beauty took me today from dirty, icey sidewalks to (in my mind, anyway) sitting in a proper English Conseratory, amidst all the beautiful greenery and Spring flowers. The Hyacinth, Narcissis and Ylang-Ylang are the big players in this beautiful scent. However, Ostara is not only about flowers and greenery. There is a little bit of wiccan conjuring going on here. Did you know that "Ostara" is a name for the Vernal Equinox or Spring? Well I can tell you that Mr. Duchaufour did a wee bit of magic with the ingredients and notes. Just the right sparkling touches of sweet, spice, everything nice. This is a somewhat sweet green-yellow fantasy floral. On my skin projection is moderate. Dry-down is something to snuggle your nose into. Longevity is quite good. Sweeter than say, Chamade, but just as gorgeous!

Penhaligon's make perhaps the best boxes for perfumes, very tactile experiences, which usually match so well the scent inside ( Best boxes, but bad bottles. Disappointing bottles, thick glass, kind of flimsy caps, stickers for labels, would have taken them for fake if I did not know them from the stores). The box for this is incredibly beautiful, pasted with cutouts of daffodils with yellow tones on a white and brown background and as you open it (or turn it around) the box a pop of bright, fresh, green. This scent is precisely like its box. Yellow realistic daffodils, anchored in some earthy brown, with a bright pop of fresh green stems unexpectedly. In the beginning some acrid notes, like raw cocoa, maybe touches of nutmeg (?), milky green sap and then sweet sweet yellow flowers. Incredibly realistic, smells natural even in my current phase where some synthetic ingredients bother me a lot. In the beginning you have that very clearly green-stems sappy note, drying down to sweet yellow daffodils. Very lovely.

This is one of a few perfumes I bought a full bottle after wearing for a day. When I first sprayed it on and smelled it, I couldn't place what it was. Wood? Grass? Some flower I didn't recognize? But it was different in the best of ways, and completely unlike anything I have or have smelled before. Different is good when it's amazing too! Then, of course, I went and read about it and was equally drawn in by the name (which takes me to a favorite instrumental musician Oystein Sevag) and the lovely bottle and color. And lastly, throw in the aura of Penhaligon, a brand I haven't tried yet, that seems classy. Whatever that is. As a gardener, I do have many daffodils and other narcissus and while this is to me, not the exact same smell, it does recall the daffodil or maybe I'm susceptible to all the reviews that say it does. Either way, it's a blend, a lovely, unusual composition of aromas from the garden. Listening to Oystein's white wings while I type this :-)

This perfume artiste has captured my two favorite seasons in two of his creations, and although I think we might quibble on which season black currants should be with on an aesthetic level for the first, the name Ostara says it all here. Indeed, this is snapshot of the air at the equinox: earth damp from snow melt, the air thick with the scent newly-green things. Indeed, just like the season, this opens with green and daffodils, then works it's way into Easter lilies and finally vanilla-honey as the scent evolves. It finishes a close, sunny skin scent, just as I like. I cannot believe this only had a single year run. It is an absolute gem, and a truly gorgeous green floral wearable by those for whom those notes are wont to turn bitter, screechy or 'old lady slip-drawer pomander' It had already lived and died by the time it landed on my radar, and I am a bit a of a scent junkie with a backlog of things to try, so this house never even gave it chance.

I have owned Ostara since it came out but couldn’t write a review about it, could never quite sum it up, until I moved to the South from my hometown of San Francisco. Daffodils are far more common here. Yesterday the daffodils had begun to bloom. They were such perfection that I couldn’t help but bury my nose in one, thinking I would smell nothing. What I smelled was like no other flower. It was floral but had this wonderful sweetness about it, much like benzoin. But immediately I noticed it smelled EXACTLY like Ostara. This is a glorious, mind blowing masterpiece! The only thing about Ostara that is not so daffodil-like is the bit of hyacinth, my favorite spring flower. But the whole perfume smells like an early spring bouquet. Absolute shame they discontinued it so quickly! The box is more stunning than any other from this house. They really made it so that owning this one is a special experience in every way.

My fair Ostara finally arrived this morning after months of waiting. It was a crisp winter morning, the sun was bright and in our garden there stood one lonesome Jonquil among the all but empty garden beds. A fortuitous and very fitting day for the arrival of this gilded masterpiece. Ostara was everything I expected she would be, and yet somehow, she is much more. Photo realism of not merely a particular flower, but of a particular human emotion; that of the passion of early spring. Ostara represents in her notes a symphony of spring, if she were a son, she would be 'Morning' from Peer Gynt, though as she develops, she surely matures into the 'Maid With The Flaxen Hair'. I will not do her injustice by re hashing her elements nor her notes, for she is exactly what she says she is. Ostara is a shameless garden nymph and she must be given her dues. Ostara, like her name infers, is a Goddess of Spring.

Wanted this for years but never got around to picking it up. It was available online. I never bit. I promised myself next time it was available, I would buy it. Recently, it was available online at a reasonable price ($150 Cdn) so I went for it at last. Why now? My beloved aunt was slipping away and she was always one to say "Buy something beautiful for yourself." It arrived after she had passed away, and Ostara, or Easter, is all about resurrection. I like to imagine her young, whole, and beautiful again, in another world. When I opened the gorgeous box, and sprayed that first spray, I exclaimed, "Oh my GOD, this is SPRING!" I can see this becoming a unicorn for many - it is spicy, green, and feels like crushed daffodils in my hands and then smelling my hands afterward, eyes lifted to the sun. Yes, it is costlier than my usual purchases, but none has brought more joy and remembrance.

This is my favorite soliflore. A true daffodil (narcissus, jonquil...whatever you prefer to call it!). Yes, I consider this to be daffodil with a big dollop of daffodil and very little else to muddle the scent. It's green and clean with no sharp edges. The leafy note is most prominent at the beginning, and then a very subtle vanilla peeks through to add some warmth. When used in perfume, daffodils can be somewhat bitter and cloying (to me). This is as far from cloying as one can get. It's like putting your nose in a freshly-picked bouquet of daffodils and deeply inhaling, and then repeating that experience continuously for hours. For such a sunny and gentle fragrance, the longevity is excellent. It's not overwhelming, so I'm going to spray to my heart's content. And my heart is definitely content when I wear this. :)

Ostara may well be the best indication yet of Penhaligon's recent upturn in fortunes. Bertrand Duchaufour's aesthetic is all over this, an almost exhaustive number of notes that belie a fragrance of simplicity at its heart. In that spirit, there's only one thing you really need to know about Ostara: the humble daffodil makes for a splendid floral. It's bright and vivacious, pleasantly tart yet sensibly moderated with the introduction of some honeyed undertones mid-way through (in the form of vanilla, benzoin and beeswax). Some will perhaps find it a little too 'on the nose' during its peak, but we're only talking about a minor misstep here. Ample projection and good longevity. Ostara skews feminine. No problem - I love smelling it on my leading lady as much as she loves wearing it. Sunshine in a bottle.

I could get a used bottle of Ostara even if it is discontinued. It's at alternatively green, floral, slightly smoky and creamy and woody. It has a lot of evolution. It's much much deeper than other more simple spring flowers perfumes. I enjoy it very much and I even find some stages of it really fascinating (the first hour is absolutely gorgeous). It is not a beast of a perfume but it is not weak either. You will smell it on your skin at the end of the day if you applied in the morning. On me, the woody creamy base even resisted a shower. It projects just as it should, creating a small cloud for just you to enjoy without disturbing people. Beautiful perfume

I could cry that I've only just discovered this fragrance and it's so hard to get hold of. This is beautiful. Utterly photorealistic daffodils, even down to the bitterness of the thick gloopy sap that comes out when you cut the stems, and that weird spicy edge the pollen has when they are fully in bloom. Projects enough that people notice it, and lasts 8h+ on my skin. I absolutely adore it, and now have to try and work out how to make my 2ml sample last FOREVER. If anyone is selling a bottle, or would sell me a decant PLEASE private message me! (update! I lucked into a 50ml bottle, barely used, on eBay for a crazy good price. Happiest lady ever right here!)

I adore this perfume! It is an exact replica of a fresh spring morning. I smell like I’m carrying an armful of daffodils in from the garden. It’s November and I’m excited for the holiday season but something compelled me to make this my SOTD and I am in heaven. It opens very green and powdery, reminiscent of vintage fragrances, but I don’t find it overwhelming or too mature. It warms up and becomes sweeter as the beeswax and vanilla start to shine, but it doesn’t loose that crisp green floral aspect either. A 10/10 for me. I think it obviously suits spring but works great in fall weather as well.

I started the spring by wearing this beauty during Ostara, the spring equinox, and today I wanted to mark the last day of spring by wearing it again. This is a discontinued gem with a beautiful presentation and exceptional quality, reminiscent of the great days of perfumery. It's mainly a green narcissus scent - stem, flower, pollen, all perfectly reproduced. It's also quite similar to another of Bertrand Douchaufour's masterpieces, Seville a l'Aube, with its realistic honey and beeswax notes. I absolutely adore it and count myself fortunate to have a bottle of it in my collection.

This perfume is a masterpiece. Full stop. This creation somehow has manifested the exact sensation of putting your nose into a flower and huffing the pollen. I understand this is not everyone's idea of a good time, or a good perfume, but man, if it's your jam, then it doesn't really get better than this. It is a light, joyous photo-surrealistic flower. Stunning experience and one I keep going back for. So glad I snagged a bottle for my collection, it's just a stunner and compliment getter. It makes me feel like a bee just living its' best life. Amazing.