Crown Alpine Lily by Crown Perfumery

Crown Alpine Lily 1879

Florblanca
10/22/2011 - 07:45 AM
9
Helpful Review
10Scent 9Longevity 6Sillage 7.5Bottle

The Crown Perfumery and its perfumes...

The Crown Perfumery was founded in 1872 in London by William Sparks Thomson, who hailed from Connecticut. The Crown Perfumery was a manufacturer of high-quality fragrances and at the time one of the leading perfume companies in Great Britain. Under the name "Flower Fairies," he also launched a collection of floral scents.
William Sparks Thomson originally offered corsets and crinolines and was very well known in the high society of London and Europe.
Queen Victoria allowed William Sparks Thomson to use the image of her crown as a closure for his bottles.
At times, up to 50 different fragrances were exported worldwide by The Crown Perfumery. The inspiration and client for his fragrance "Crown Bouquet" was none other than Mrs. Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor. The crowned heads of Europe had their very own personal scent made by "The Crown Perfumery."

A few years ago, The Crown Perfumery was bought by Clive Christian, who also took over the design of the bottles. However, shortly after, the entire range of The Crown Perfumery was discontinued. Clive Christian now only produces the 6 fragrances from the Clive Christian collection.
Some of The Crown Perfumery fragrances are still produced and offered on the market by "Anglia Perfumery," including, for example, "Crown Park Royal." The original fragrances from The Crown Perfumery are now very rarely available and can fetch prices up to $2500 (Crown Marechale original Baccarat bottle).

I own three fragrances from The Crown Perfumery: Malabar, Crown Rose, and - my latest acquisition - Crown Alpine Lily.

Alpine Lily is an alpine lily that comes in either fiery red or white and is extremely rare. Its scent is finer and significantly more delicate than that of cultivated lilies.

Crown Alpine Lily attempts to capture this scent, and I believe it has succeeded very well. It is a delicate, fine fragrance, floral and not too sweet - aside from the sweetness of the flower - with a slightly aquatic note. The scent slightly reminds me of lily of the valley, which may have been used in its creation, but only in hints.

Crown Alpine Lily has a pleasant, dry quality, but not powdery, rather a bit green and refined. I suspect sandalwood has been used here, as there is a corresponding softness to be felt.

The projection is good and very beautiful. The fragrance exudes a wonderful light floral feeling. The longevity is remarkably good; on me, the scent lasted about 8 hours.

It was a true coincidence that I stumbled upon this fragrance on the bay and was able to acquire it. The fact that The Crown Perfumery is hardly known today likely plays a role in the low interest in its fragrances.

One last thing: The Crown Perfumery has nothing to do with the current brand "Crown Perfumery," which produces and distributes the budget brand Al Rehab. Therefore, the listing here is misleading, as the company was indeed called "The Crown Perfumery."

PS: I uploaded two pictures of alpine lilies to my album.
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8 Comments
LilienfeldLilienfeld 14 years ago
WOW, so great and so detailed... now I’m smarter :-)
And I got this treasure... I’m so proud!!! Thank you...
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PeanutPeanut 14 years ago
I also find lilies-whether alpine or not-to always have a slightly aquatic feel.
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HibouHibou 14 years ago
Oh yes, there are now 8 Clive Christian fragrances. I tested "C" today, the fourth one in the lineup, which comes in both a women's and a men's version.
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Medusa00Medusa00 14 years ago
Great, informative comment!
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TurandotTurandot 14 years ago
Thank you for the background information!
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HibouHibou 14 years ago
There are still people out there who are proud owners of originals from CP. I'm not one to feel envy, but... ;-)
Pokal, great comment, very interesting!
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ApiciusApicius 14 years ago
...Because there was all sorts in it that just doesn't work anymore today. My test of Crown Fougère and Buckingham landed me a day in the hospital!
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ApiciusApicius 14 years ago
Congratulations on your Crown fragrances and this particularly informative comment! The Crown Perfumery was only bought for the brand and the design, which is quite frustrating. However, all the fragrances should have been reformulated...
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