Patchouli
Vanilla
Ylang-ylang
Trillium
6 Reviews
Trillium
1
“Evocative Nostalgia of Christmas”
Laura Ashley’s “more sophisticated/traditional/wintery/evening” scent offering (as opposed to No. 1’s camphorous blast of hyacinth, basil and moss for the summer).
The company circa its release documented notes of rose, ylang-ylang, iris, bergamot, vetiver, patchouli, musk, and vanilla. This is an ambery oriental typical of the 1970s. I’ve seen it compared to the original Opium, but my personal comparison was to Bal a Versailles: minus the smoky incense and animalistic notes. I also sense a sweeter citrus and clove notes at the top - no doubt representing a traditional “Christmas orange” (or a crafty homemade orange pomander ornament) perfectly in step with Laura Ashley’s vintage aesthetic.
When I was around 9 or 10 years old, I received the sampler set of No. 1, No. 2 and Emma in miniature bottles in my Christmas stocking (it had been a free-with-purchase item for my mom). Immediately on trying No.2, I recognized that it was for an adult woman (it smelled similar to my mom’s Bal a V), though that didn’t deter me from dutifully rotating between all 3 scents prior to Sunday mass for the next year. I would primly dot two dabs behind my earlobes and likely nobody else could smell it unless they hugged me, but I felt very sophisticated indeed.
The company circa its release documented notes of rose, ylang-ylang, iris, bergamot, vetiver, patchouli, musk, and vanilla. This is an ambery oriental typical of the 1970s. I’ve seen it compared to the original Opium, but my personal comparison was to Bal a Versailles: minus the smoky incense and animalistic notes. I also sense a sweeter citrus and clove notes at the top - no doubt representing a traditional “Christmas orange” (or a crafty homemade orange pomander ornament) perfectly in step with Laura Ashley’s vintage aesthetic.
When I was around 9 or 10 years old, I received the sampler set of No. 1, No. 2 and Emma in miniature bottles in my Christmas stocking (it had been a free-with-purchase item for my mom). Immediately on trying No.2, I recognized that it was for an adult woman (it smelled similar to my mom’s Bal a V), though that didn’t deter me from dutifully rotating between all 3 scents prior to Sunday mass for the next year. I would primly dot two dabs behind my earlobes and likely nobody else could smell it unless they hugged me, but I felt very sophisticated indeed.
