18
Top Review
A Cottage in a Bottle
No, with its original formula, this - bursting with antiquity - classic is likely to have little in common anymore. Unless the responsible perfumer had casually anticipated the invention of the Fougère accord in 1837 by about fifty years, without any Frenchman (or anyone else outside the Empire!) getting wind of it.
Rather, it seems that during the "relaunch" in 1910, there was a strong glance towards the already emerging Fougère trend, as the namesake proto-fern from Houbigant had only been on the market for a delicate 28 years (trends at that time often lasted a generation and a half). Penhaligon's famously followed suit a few years later with "English Fern".
How "English" has this Lavender remained? Does it have a hint of French influence? Does the lavender even lean towards the floral-soft direction of continental European breeding? Oh, not at all! The softened Monsieur Fougère was ruthlessly naturalized, fed with mint sauce, porridge, and dark beer, and placed in this state into a cozy cottage in the countryside.
Still true to its name, the weighting of the Fougère pyramid has decisively shifted towards a rather austere, less floral lavender. The warm, herbal, hay-like components of a classic Fougère only truly reveal themselves on the skin after a few minutes (by the way, almost not at all on paper); however, the lavender remains dominant for the longest time. And it brings happiness: On the occasion of the first test on a previously overcast day (both literally and metaphorically), the sun broke through the clouds during the first sniff on the back of my hand and painted warm rainbow colors on the white plastered wall, broken by the bathroom window. Wordless cheerfulness, a gentle smile on the lips of the reviewer. I knew immediately: This is good.
Moreover, "English Lavender" is not as British-reserved as one might assume; in the first hour, it even projects quite distinctly. My mother-in-law called out in the hallway over one and a half floors(!) full of delight, "What smells so good here?". Well, given the affordable price, even the 430ml canister should fit within the budget for Mother's Day... I would also like to mention the simple beauty and tactile quality of the bottle design. The concentric circles practically invite joyful splashing!
"English Lavender" paints a modest, English country life in pastel tones while maintaining a noble attitude. Landed gentry in the cottage. Mr. Darcy must be riding by any moment now to deliver the liberating news to young Mrs. Bennett. Meanwhile, I sit happily in the mild spring sun of a rather warm March afternoon, enjoying my first stout.
Rather, it seems that during the "relaunch" in 1910, there was a strong glance towards the already emerging Fougère trend, as the namesake proto-fern from Houbigant had only been on the market for a delicate 28 years (trends at that time often lasted a generation and a half). Penhaligon's famously followed suit a few years later with "English Fern".
How "English" has this Lavender remained? Does it have a hint of French influence? Does the lavender even lean towards the floral-soft direction of continental European breeding? Oh, not at all! The softened Monsieur Fougère was ruthlessly naturalized, fed with mint sauce, porridge, and dark beer, and placed in this state into a cozy cottage in the countryside.
Still true to its name, the weighting of the Fougère pyramid has decisively shifted towards a rather austere, less floral lavender. The warm, herbal, hay-like components of a classic Fougère only truly reveal themselves on the skin after a few minutes (by the way, almost not at all on paper); however, the lavender remains dominant for the longest time. And it brings happiness: On the occasion of the first test on a previously overcast day (both literally and metaphorically), the sun broke through the clouds during the first sniff on the back of my hand and painted warm rainbow colors on the white plastered wall, broken by the bathroom window. Wordless cheerfulness, a gentle smile on the lips of the reviewer. I knew immediately: This is good.
Moreover, "English Lavender" is not as British-reserved as one might assume; in the first hour, it even projects quite distinctly. My mother-in-law called out in the hallway over one and a half floors(!) full of delight, "What smells so good here?". Well, given the affordable price, even the 430ml canister should fit within the budget for Mother's Day... I would also like to mention the simple beauty and tactile quality of the bottle design. The concentric circles practically invite joyful splashing!
"English Lavender" paints a modest, English country life in pastel tones while maintaining a noble attitude. Landed gentry in the cottage. Mr. Darcy must be riding by any moment now to deliver the liberating news to young Mrs. Bennett. Meanwhile, I sit happily in the mild spring sun of a rather warm March afternoon, enjoying my first stout.
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12 Comments
I think I’ll give it a try - if things ever return to normal in this world. I owe that to your weightless and morale-boosting comment.