Florabotanica Balenciaga 2012

"In a garden paradise was lost, in a garden we shall find it again"
"Blaise Pascal"

Florabotancia was on my watch list for a long time. The design of the bottle is refreshingly different. The box is so enchantingly designed, it's hard to put down.
The mint, however, kept me away until now. Florabotanica is not available everywhere and a blind purchase I did not want to dare. A dear Parfuma put a small sample with a filling and so it came that I could test Florabotanica yet and what can I say, ordered the next day.

Florabotanica makes me think of my childhood in the Allgäu. To the lush meadows that were full of flowers in the spring. Of the brook near our house at and in which we constantly played to the chagrin of our mother. Of the brook mint that grew there and the little dams we built there. Of the little fish we tried to catch and of how we got filthy and wet in the tub. Also of how we made wreaths out of all the flowers and felt like princesses. All of which Florabotanica suddenly awakens in me. How strange we humans are. Since such a little bottle suddenly puts one 30 years back in time.

Florabotanica begins with a powdery floral rush, which makes you think of finely crushed dried flowers. The mint prevents the powderiness from seeming stale. A tiny bit, the beginning reminds me of the CD deodorant Water Lily, which I used for a long time. The dreaded peppermint is wonderfully interwoven with the florals and woods, and is barely noticeable as a standalone. The scent is like walking through a blooming garden in May.

When this first rush of flowers has calmed down, a beautiful rosy and at the same time creamy fragrance cloud develops, which should captivate all rose lovers. This creamy rose aura surprisingly accompanies me for hours. At some point, the scent becomes milder, but the rose remains.

What I particularly like is that there is no lemon in it. In many rose fragrances, lemon is used, but this tends to overpower the rose. There are also no heavy woods or vanilla in it again but clove and vetiver. The clove supports the rose and gives a little spice and vetiver provides the necessary depth and probably also the durability and coolness of Florabotanica. By this coolness Florabotanica is especially suitable for the warmer months wonderful.

For a rather delicate fragrance, the durability is amazing. Despite the powder at the beginning, Florabotanica is a very young and uncomplicated fragrance. A magical companion for a whole workday and for me one of the most beautiful floral fragrances in my collection.