Blue Grass (1934)
by Elizabeth Arden

I've been looking for a new lavender fragrance recently and I realized just the other day that this one has a fairly dominant lavender note so I decided to go to my local drug store today and spray a little of it on myself. I have to say, it's actually pretty nice! It goes on mostly smelling like lavender (on me) and when it dries down it gets a somewhat spicy smell that reminds me of some men's body washes. It also vaguely reminded me of fragrances like Cachet by Prince Matchabelli or Halston by Halston. When I got home I sprayed some Cachet on myself just to check. There is a definite similarity in the way the two fragrances come across, but cachet definitely seems light and subtle by comparison. Blue Grass is stronger for sure. It says here that it's marketed toward women, but I would say that this one is actually unisex, at least, based on the way it smells on me. I mostly like it, but I keep thinking that I'd love to have a bar of soap that smells like this. I'm not sure if I'd actually wear the perfume. Plus, I noticed that the longevity of this fragrance isn't great. I also tested Touch of Pink by Lacoste on my other arm and I noticed that Touch of Pink, even though it's an extremely light, subtle scent, actually has greater staying power. I could still smell that one clearly after washing my arm with soap and water, but Blue Grass mostly washed off! So..it may as well be a scented soap as opposed to a bottled fragrance. That's the only real negative thing I have to say about it though.Aside from that, it's pretty nice.

3rd September, 2011.

Well I must be an odd-ball, because I've always loved this one. It's one that comes and goes, I pick it up, use it, then don't use it for ages, then rekindle it again. I'm currently in a rekindle phase, and I still love it. It is powdery, and powdery fragrances are usually ones I avoid, but this has something unusual and genteel about it, certainly a 'granny' fragrance in some ways, but I find that depends who is wearing it. I wore this when I was in my late teens and early twenties and now I'm in my 50s and still love it. It's comforting (to me) and warm, and safe. Also, it has longevity like you wouldn't believe. I always appreciate a perfume that lasts and lasts...

17th December, 2010.

Smells like smoke and disinfectant. For a similar experience, attend a barbecue in a public toilet. Actually the base notes are okay, but still smell like cheap hand cream. Sorry, but have no idea why anyone would want to smell like this! Big thumbs down.

6th April, 2010.

I really wanted to like this one but I couldnt, I liked the smell from the bottle, very clean and fresh, but it smelt so peculiar on my skin, and I normally like old fashioned scents.

It smells very nice on my friend so I gave it to her. The lavender in the fragrance I think put me off.

27th March, 2010.

This is a very simple and pleasurable creation, only marred by a brief but unpleasant phase in the opening, and an uninspired base. The aldehyde presence is not pronounced, yet it gives the top notes a cleansed, somewhat astringent feel. Some minutes in, an excessively dry and bitter note is discernable, that is slightly jarring and out of place. This strident accord seems to be a combination of rose and carnation, but it is only at the peak of its intensity that it feels excessive. Thereafter, Blue Grass softens considerably, and the emergent tuberose is allowed to provide a slightly sweet,almond hue. I would have preferred a more robust and woody base, but the notes beyond the heart offer very little of interest. For me, this is on the cusp of thumbs up and neutral, but the weak finish ensures that I should probably mark it down.

23rd October, 2009.

Aww, I WANT to love it, the whole package is so charming. It opens with lots of powder and aldehydes and jasmine, and pretty much continues in this vein, minus all the aldehydes, and growing all the more powdery. I get only jasmine, and I suppose tuberose, no other flowery notes. The first 15 minutes are too powerful, then there's a grace period of minutes where it's charming, then it's too powdery all the way. It is in the Je Reviens style, but Je Reviens is WAY more successful and refined. This one seems... hmm... well, 'cheap' in the sense that I'd prefer it diluted as a refreshing spray. But diluted a LOT.

27th August, 2009.