Bluebell (1978)
by Penhaligon's

Ok, let's stop for once playng the good boys and girls game.

Sometimes I forget how much a perfume can be ugly and annoying. Anytime it happens I reach for Bluebell as a reminder. Horrifying synthetic floral at its worst. Simply abominable.

8th August, 2011.

Respectfully begging to differ, the English bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) does have a fragrance, but let's hope this is not it. If it is, nature had perfected the smell of certain bathroom air fresheners long before the aerosol can was even dreamed of.

11th December, 2009.

Ok - bluebells have no smell, so they have represented a chemical dump instead -- really quite nasty. Cheers.

2nd December, 2009.

Flower in a bottle!

To all of you who seem to want to liquify a flower and have the 'most natural smelling floral' in a bottle, this is it.

The top notes and mid notes have the same dense, natural, pungent aroma that you smell when you press your nose inside a flower. Very natural, but I don't think that's what most people are after, when it comes to it.

The drydown is better, with woods, white musk and a floral component.

I would rate it unisex to the feminine side.

30th November, 2009.

Bluebell really captures what this fragrance house is all about. Unashamedly english, in the most charming, individual and nostalgic way, it is an unusual fragrance that certainly merits a try. It is quite extraordinary how it captures not just that hyacinth-like sweetness, but also an earthy and wet sense so reminiscent of woodlands and misty, dew soaked mornings. It is fresh and clean, yet it can go funny on skin and end up smelling like wet earth, but you won't find this kind of scent anywhere else. Its unique charm is undeniable, as is the bottle and packaging; a perfect take on vintage with a contemporary twist, which is what the brand should be aiming for.

18th November, 2009.

When this first opens, the sweetness is almost gourmand ,then it gets greener and greener but the sweetness never really goes away on me. It becomes linear on my skin which I love. Although this is EDT , it does last for quite some time. Wonderful

1st September, 2009. (Last Edited: 16th September, 2009.)