Having never been much of a lavender fan, it was with some trepidation that I approached Lavandula. Reminding myself that I had been won over time and time again by Penhaligon’s other fragrances (Hammam Bouquet, Endymion, etc) I also faced the first sniff with a modicum of optimism: would this be yet another yawner, or something unique and surprising? The answer: Whoa! With notes of basil, canella, pepper, lavender, lily, clary sage, musk, vanilla, amberwood and tonka bean, Lavandula is like nothing I’ve experienced before.
Lavender. The word conjures images of satin eye pillows, Yardley soap, and bitter, buttery blossoms. Let’s face it, lavender hardly tops anyone’s list as most provocative note, especially as a main note. There are exceptions of course, most notably Caron’s Pour un Homme and Lutens Encens et Lavande, but lavender just seems so…well, dull to me. So you can imagine my shock when I tested Lavandula and found not another boring elixir, but a great, heady brew of herbs and musk that strikingly portrays this most mundane of notes.
Lavandula opens with an almost questionable accord of peppery greens before relaxing into its mid-notes of an almost lemony-lavender. As the fragrance settles, a somewhat animalic tonka and musk accord melt into a hint of vanilla and woods, anchoring the scent firmly on the skin for a good 2-3 hours. Calling to mind Burberry Touch for Men and Azarro’s Pure Lavande, I’m puzzled why Penhaligon’s chose to list this not in the men’s section of their website, nor even in the unisex section, but in the women’s fragrance section. Hmmm. As the scent dries down, the aroma simplifies and develops a transparency on the skin that stands in stark contrast to the richer opening.
With good longevity and sillage, Lavandula is that rare breed of herbal-orientals that offers a multi-faceted character and a new way of viewing classic ingredients. Whether or not you’re a fan of lavender, give this one a spritz the next time you see a tester and enjoy the journey.
Lavandula is an Eau de Parfum, and is available in 50 and 100 ml bottles. For buying information, see the listing for Penhaligon's under Perfume Houses.
Wow, sounds great. I really love their bottles too.
I agree with your 'generic lavender' story, so much of it is boring and done millions of times before. I guess it's too much of a mainstream 'good smelling product' usually. Good to hear this one is different.
The last time I got a whole new insight on lavender was with Parfums Delrae's “Eau Illuminee”, a wonderful and exciting, almost creamy, blend of lavender and vanilla.
Thnaks, M – you make this sound much more fascinating than I would have expected! I'll check it out next time I'm in Harrods.
Up in arms to break a lance in defense of lavender. My dears, can't you see? Lavender has more faces than most other notes – even more than some of them put together! There's old-fashioned, demure lavender: grannies, soaps and fresh linen. There's healing lavender: calms, heals burns and migraines. Fresh, invigorating lavender. Wild, untamed lavender, smelling of dry, cracking earth, rocks and deepest Southern France. Rose garden lavender redolent of hay. Roll-in-the-hay naughty lavender. To name but a few. And so many perfumes based on it: Gris Clair, hot with a cold, stone heart, Pour un Homme de Caron, fresh, classy and vigorous, Goutal Eau de Lavande, quietly elegant. Dangerous, animalic, lovely Jicky and only slightly calmer Mouchoir de Monsieur. And now Lavandula. To name but a few. Lavender boring? You've got to be kidding!!!
Wonder if Penhaligon's juices still remove nail polish these days. LOL!
The association of the words 'lavender' and 'Penhaligon's' means that this is no-no for me. Glad you enjoyed it.
But see that's just it – this one surprised me when I had simply chosen to ignore it because lavender is generally so passable for me. Boring? Well yes, but note that I wrote “there are exceptions”…and Caron Pour un Homme is definitely one of them!
This is a great scent but the price is prohibitive. They were always expensive, about £60 for a 100 ml a couple years ago, but they hiked the prices of the 100 mls almost £20!! So I refuse to pay retail. If I find one on Ebay cheaper, then I'd buy it.
I agree that this should be listed as a male or unisex fragrance. It's an absolutely beautiful fragrance which renders lavender very well indeed. The drydown is superb.
This is on my wish list – particularly as I am a big fan of Penhaligon's fragrances.
I have now bought this and think it far better than my original thoughts. I cannot understand Bella's comment from a couple of years ago about “Penhaligon's and lavender” being in the same sentence being enough to put off.
Actually Lavandula is one of the best lavender based fragrances I have ever encountered. I was put off lavender for a long time by Caron's Pour Un Homme, which has lavender used as a stun grenade in it's opening.
I also like L'Occitane's Eau de L'Occitane, but that turns horribly bitter and cabbage like after a few hours.
Lavandula on the other hand is beautifully crafted, with Eau de Cartier-like greens in the opening which smooth off lavender's often harsher edges.
This is a smooth, refreshing and elegant lavender fragrance, definitely in the unisex category and is an EdP! The result being that its longevity is magnificent.
She worked there, that's all, and I think she got tired of smelling it.
There aren't many lavender scents that I like — it just isn't a favorite note. Do like it in Jicky. Anyway, glad you're liking your new purchase!
OMG I love this. It’s audacious, fresh and mysterious at the same time.
I tired now a lot of classics, I think this suits me really well. An absolute comfort scent, summer and winter.
I have never tried it! Not a huge lavender fan though.