English Lavender

English Lavender Water

Atkinsons 1837

For a long time, as a confessed Anglophile, I searched for a typical scent for English country life. Several Penhaligon's, Floris, Taylor of Old Bond Street, et al. passed through my hands, or rather, my nose. None really convinced me. And when there was a nice one, its longevity and projection were rather British "understated."

But it had to be out there somewhere, the scent that Siegfried Farnon, the gruff, cunning, and therefore terribly lovable veterinarian, passionately embodied by the late Robert Hardy, might have worn in my imagination. Because with the series premiere of "All Creatures Great and Small" (or "The Doctor and the Lovely Animals"), my heart began to beat faster for everything British. I was 13 back then, and now I am 40 years older - exactly the age at which Robert Hardy filmed the first seasons. If that isn't a good omen for a test of "English Lavender"!

So, enough nostalgia, what is there to smell? Well, lavender. Certainly. The opening is spiced and refreshed by bergamot and sage, becoming softer over time. Warm rosewood, musk, and tonka bean are not explicitly detectable but contribute to a lasting soft lavender freshness. The scent never loses its distinctiveness. A fresh, damp meadow in the Yorkshire Dales on a sunny day. Perfect for lying down in. And that even lasts for a persistent six to eight hours! It works even on a snowy January day. I am curious to see how it will showcase its qualities in spring!