English Lavender

This is a composition that brings out the exotic element of lavender. I think when we say it's "unisex", we're picking up on the unexpected scope of the fragrance. It's feminine, yet masculine. It's calming enough to wear to bed, but uplifting enough to wear in daytime. It reminds us of the countryside, but it has an aromatic aspect that feels brewed, concocted by human hands. I love the tonka bean; it may be what some people think is the powdery element, but in my botte, along with the gorgeous real oakmoss, it's creamy. I have a vintage bottle in a vintage box that is still called English Lavender "Water", not "perfume". The bergamot is pleasantly detectable in mine, although I'm inclined to notice because I burn bergamot oil in my home. The rosemary isn't as evident, I don't detect it, unless it's what I thought was clary sage. (Update: just after a shower - it's evident). I don't think the aroma itself is outdated; the only old-fashioned aspect lies in the composition. There is a *way* that it's been done that sets it apart from newer fragrances. Is it that Yardley's English Lavender was based on no existing scent? So many perfumes now are inspired by. . . other perfumes! I suppose we might never know what the perfumeur had in mind. This is a scent that can be worn any time of the year. I enjoy wearing it mid-winter in Canada. English Lavender by Yardley's of London feels healthy. It is a joy to apply it three hours before sleeping, then once again before bed. I expect to wear it in the daytime more this spring. It would be nice to have a lotion to layer. Update: I applied my Aromaforce essential oil of lavender to my hair and the inside of my ebows, then splashed YEL onto my wrist and neck. I was upstairs doing this when my boyfriend called from downstairs, "what smells so good?"

Yardley Lavender I grew up in the 80s and in my town, Yardley products were around but were considered luxurious toiletries. I do not wear the spray or perfume of Yardley lavender but enjoy instead the soap, powder, and deodorant forms and feel those items are truer to how the scent was in the 80s. Yardley Lavender reminds me of a more natural Avon’s original skin so soft lotions and deodorants, which is also nostalgic to me as an 80s child. I really enjoy bathing with the soap applying the powder and deodorant and going out for long walks. It is something I like to wear when I want to be clean and I am at home deep cleaning my house and not going out. Definitely has a retro vibe that I enjoy but I can understand how it wouldn’t fit some tastes as it is a powdery vintage herbal unisex lavender that I feel goes great with Irish spring soap, pert plus shampoo and fresh clean workout or gardening clothes. Yardley Lavender is not beautiful; rather it is a nostalgic comfort that reminds me of my grandfather’s old school shaving cream. Even though I was a girl, he let me put his shaving cream on my face while he shaved and he would chuckle as he gave me an antique razor that had the blade removed and I pretended to shave my face. 80s shaving cream is what Yardley lavender is like and we had Yardley products around as well.

This was the one that started my love affair with nice smelling things in pretty glass bottles. It's also the reason why I never believed the idea that perfume goes "off" within six months of buying it. Why? Well, when I was 12, 21 years ago, my grandmother was given a partial bottle of the old school English Lavender bottle by her friend, who also got it from somewhere. It was a tiny bit at the bottom of the bottle, but I fell in love with the scent the first time I used it. It's just... so... freaking... lavender. So much so, I was surprised to learn there are other notes in this perfume. To me, it smells like what lavender smells like. (It also surprised me to learn that the bottle I had dated back to the 70s!) So if that's not your bag, you wouldn't like it. I loved it and still do. I have like one use left of that bottle, and I've been searching for the other. I've heard things of the new formulation so I'm not sure I trust it. I want the old-fashioned one, but something tells me the "original" new perfumes won't please me either. So I guess that leaves me with finding another vintage bottle. It lasted long enough to please me, but it is something approaching an eau de cologne and just doesn't last like a perfume would.

I love this type of lavender. Bright, aromatic, clean, musky, fresh. I found a vintage of this for a extremely low price and bought it. I remember smelling this at the drugstore with my Grandma back when I was a kid and liking it a lot back then. We were Avon people so I always wore Avon roses roses but I remember my grandma bought me the English Rose once for Christmas. She always associated me with roses when I was a child. But my senior year of highschool she bought me Chantilly and that became my signature. Anyway, vintage Yardley was always good value for money. If you appreciate vintage lavender fragrances like I do you should check this out. It's easy to find and relatively inexpensive. I got a 1.7 oz perfume and dusting powder for 15 bucks on eBay. I should search out the vintage rose. I'm sure the contemporary version of both are probably ruined. This will be extremely refreshing to wear during the high heat of summer.

I love this fragrance and wear it daily. I, too, at first thought it was rather light and didn't last long; I had to keep spritzing. It then occured to me one day it wasn't meant to be a strong fragrance. It was never meant to draw attention when a lady as walked into a room and everyone could smell her or tell she was there. If you think England, place of orgin, 1913 launched. I just don't see that it was meant to be heavy and heady. It was/is a "just enough lady like" fragrance. I think who did go to the length of a perfume that would stand out in a grand way was Chanel. The launching of Chanel No 5 in 1921 came in three concentrations. It was/is so elegant and so different then those little oils ladies dabbed on behind the ears on the wrist that even today women, including myself, make it my "number one go to" fragrance. I am not saying it's loud or strong, but baby you get noticed and in a really nice way!