Bluebell by Penhaligon's, 1978

I found a used box of Penhaligon's samples on Ebay. I had read so much about this house and was anxious to try the perfumes. It contained a sample of Bluebell which, i understand, was one of Princess Diana's favorite scents. This turned out to be the only one of the lot which I liked. it doesn't turn to talcum powder, as many of the other Penhaligons do, and lasts a long time. You have to be sparing, though. It is rather heady. I like the combination of sweet and spice.

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.

The truest Hyacinth I've ever encountered, beautifully supported by Jasmine, Rose, and Lily of the Valley, resting on clove and cinnamon. This has none of the annoying "green" notes of this flower present in so many commercial products derived from hyacinth oil. It is as fresh as the day the flower opened, sweet and not cloying. A true masterpiece in its simplicity - smells like Easter morning! 9 Notes: Top: Citrus Middle: Hyacinth, Lily of the Valley, Cyclamen, Jasmine, Rose Base: Galbanum, Clove, Cinnamon

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

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.

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.

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

A meek and timid offering, redolent of long forgotten flower pressings. The insipid and unsatifying citric opening is dispensed with quickly, and the fragrance moves with similar haste through a badly assembled collection of poor quality floral ingredients. One is only thankful that this tedious experience is at least a brief one. This is not awful, just pointless

I liked it, but perhaps that's because I have an appreciation of more simple, natural fragrances. It you need a complicated, heavy-breathing scent, this won't be for you. It is crisp, cool. Like someone said before it reminds one of springtime, of fresh little buds poking up through thawing earth. The smell of flower bulbs and damp dirt. My only concern with the three penhaligon's I tried was that they do not have good longevity. They absolutely did not stay on my skin, they were gone in an instant. I have to apply to my clothing and run a little through my hair in order to make it stay with me for a few hours.

It reminds me of that fluorescent light of some public bathrooms (the light that shall make it impossible to find ones blood vessels), and it is the only scent that I have got sprayed on that I felt I had to scrub of as soon as possilble. I have onely one word for this: terrible!