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Natural Lavender

post #1 of 40
3/18/10 at 8:13pm
Thread Starter 
What is the most natural smelling lavender? The ones I like are:

Creed Royal Scottish Lavender: excellent, woody, smooth lavender with a dash of clove and animalic ambergris and castoreum.

Caldey Island Lavender: Purest lavender with a light musk base. Lasts only a few minutes.

DR Harris Old English Lavender Water: Very good herbal opening with some citrus. The heart is somewhat cloying, but it has a nice light musk base and is quite affordable, too.

I am not fond of Caron's offering as it seems more sweet vanilla than lavender. Any other suggestions or thoughts on the above mentioned fragrances?
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post #2 of 40
3/18/10 at 8:20pm
A very basic, dry, natural-smelling lavender for me is Crabtree & Evelyn's Lavender Water.
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post #3 of 40
3/18/10 at 8:22pm
I love Aigues-Vives by Galimard - a rich lavender.
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post #4 of 40
3/18/10 at 8:39pm
Patou pour Homme Prive
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post #5 of 40
3/18/10 at 9:43pm
**Sorry I initially missed that you aren't interested in the Caron offering!
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post #6 of 40
3/18/10 at 9:43pm
Gris Clair by Serge Lutens.
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post #7 of 40
3/18/10 at 9:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by bossanova_boy View Post

Caron pour un Homme

The lavender in this hits you like a bullet from a Kalashnikov rifle.
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post #8 of 40
3/18/10 at 9:52pm
The only lavenders I liked were:

Creed Royal Scottish Lavender
Czech & Speake Oxford & Cambridge.

They're both masculine lavenders, which is kind of an oxymoron on a hormonal level.
Abd they're both very natural smelling, with oxford & cambridge having just a little more syntheticness from the smooth herbal/musk note featured in Fierce/Curve/Garrigue/XS/etc
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post #9 of 40
3/18/10 at 10:14pm
  • MFJ
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Annick Goutal Eau de Lavande, if you're looking for a raw potent lavender (I feel this one makes Caron's look tame).

+1 Gris Clair, but only because it is my favorite lavender.
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post #10 of 40
3/18/10 at 10:16pm
+1 Oxford and Cambridge.

Most natural lavender I've smelled. Lots of real oakmoss in the base there, too.
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post #11 of 40
3/18/10 at 10:37pm
Gendarme 20 - Lavender, and..... Lavender!
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post #12 of 40
3/18/10 at 11:04pm
By Kilian "A Taste of Heaven" has one of the best lavenders on the market.
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post #13 of 40
3/19/10 at 1:07am
Another strong recommedation for Czech & Speake's Oxford & Cambridge.
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post #14 of 40
3/19/10 at 1:48am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mrclmind View Post

By Kilian "A Taste of Heaven" has one of the best lavenders on the market.

I would second that it is close to the destilled oil, may be of non-French provenience, Himalaya, Spain, Bulgaria, Tasmania? Beyond that something's happening. Couldn't figure out what is was. Some additions? Not sublime but to complex and with low impact to analyze. I wore KILIAN once on the wrist. It was by far more lavender than the CARON applied to the other hand, that compared to the KILIAN smelled of - after 10 minutes - nothing but vanilla. CARONs was a miss especially considered what Papa Luca Turin says about it. But the lavender itself had some nice Linalool freshness! Alas, the KILIAN is by far to expensive to be taken into consideration. Mr. Kilian is as rich as could be already. The price tag is neither justified by precious material, nor by the labor - construction and production, nor by its misleading 'niche' status. It's simply 'exclusive'. I'm excluded, and loving it!

The CALDLEY isn't that close to the raw oil as I know it, but well done. It seems it avoids any 'fresh' from Linalool or to much of terpenes, definitely no campher. It's diffusion and longevity could be emphasized by 2 or 3 reapplications within the first hour or so. It has and as a soliflore could to be used liberally anyway. It's darn cheap and obviously of more than adequate quality. If - if - I was to jumpy to dissolve some crass good lavender in alcohol, add some tiny amount of a citrus (Bergamot, Petit Grain) and experiment with Exaltolide/Cosmone/Musk-Base as a fixative, then I would buy the CLADLEY. This is a taste of heaven which the Kilian lacks. The perverted price tag not even taken into account already.
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post #15 of 40
3/19/10 at 2:23am
Lavender, the bushes, actually have two fragrant parts: the oil from its greens are stronger and have a rather herbal character. The flower extracts are sweeter and quieter. I have not come across a single oil that smells as fresh and invigorating as the fresh flowers or greens, though. Pressing these in your hand will magnify the impression immediately.

I think it's easier to find good lavender products, like soaps, powders and colognes than bad ones. All traditional houses used to have one lavender cologne at least. But there are really not worlds among the different offers on the market. I would therefore not spend a fortune on them. Caldey Lavender is quite special as one representative of the floral kind. However, being sensitive to sugar in perfumes I want to wearI find this just a tad too sweet for myself. That's why I prefer Caron's PUH (lavender plus vanilla) to Caldey. It has five star longevity, too.

Very natural and ot demanding too much attention is Agua Lavanda Puig, just perfect for me. Another, Roger & Gallet's Eau de Lavande, is a drier lavender and I get the impression that they may have used both variants: floral and herbal. Lovely but fleeting.

Lutens Gris Clair is a great perfume, and it also contains lavender, that's true. To my nose they must have used one of the driest herbal oils on the market for it. But I beg to differ and still not call it a lavender perfume. The overall impression leads us away from any classical concept of natural lavender perfumes.
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post #16 of 40
3/19/10 at 3:11am
Quote:
Originally Posted by merry.waters View Post

The CALDLEY isn't that close to the raw oil as I know it, but well done. It seems it avoids any 'fresh' from Linalool or to much of terpenes, definitely no campher. It's diffusion and longevity could be emphasized by 2 or 3 reapplications within the first hour or so. It has and as a soliflore could to be used liberally anyway. It's darn cheap and obviously of more than adequate quality. If - if - I was to jumpy to dissolve some crass good lavender in alcohol, add some tiny amount of a citrus (Bergamot, Petit Grain) and experiment with Exaltolide/Cosmone/Musk-Base as a fixative, then I would buy the CLADLEY. This is a taste of heaven which the Kilian lacks...

You might be interested in one of the secrets of Caldey, by perfumer Hugo Collombien which isn't released in Turin's review of Lavender (Caldey*****) in Perfumes The Guide but in his regular column for Neue Zürcher Zeitung ("Blue" / September 2006): the synthetic musk molecule Exaltolid.

edit Mar 22 /Quote:"... Of late, though, it seemed to me that something less sophisticated, less yellow-vanillic (aptly, Pour un Homme is colored green), was called for, a really simple lavender. This is not as easy as it seems. Excellent grades of steam-distilled lavender oil come from all over the world, but adding just the right amount of other stuff to turn lavender into a real perfume is tricky. It is an uncooperative perfumery note, halfway between top and middle. It doesn’t quite fly off in seconds the way citrus does, but fades by the time you finish breakfast. Merely extending it with woody or herbaceous notes won’t do: wrong color. What makes a great lavender is good fixation, that mysterious process by which heavy molecules make lighter, flightier ones stay longer. After smelling a dozen lavenders that fade to purple or gray, I think I may have found the true-blue best. It comes from Caldey Island, in Wales, and is sold by the monks that inhabit it ... Caldey Island Lavender has an exquisite quiet, musky drydown. It was composed by Flemish freelance perfumer Hugo Collumbien, now 89 years old. I called him up to ask how he did it, and he explained he used the best stuff from Sault, in the Vaucluse. I worked up the courage to ask what he’d used as a fixative: the legendary musk Exaltolide, now synthetic but originally found in the musk rat. What works for bees and rats works for us.
 source: English Version / Original Version in German

I should probably mention that both, Caron's Pour un Homme and Caldey Lavender have been top rated by Turin - five stars, and both are contained in one or the other Best Ten lists.
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post #17 of 40
3/19/10 at 4:59am
In late Spring,and Summer I prefer a lighter Lavender, and so I turn to Acqua di Parma Lavanda Tonica AdP. Light transparent Lavender easy to wear. In the Fall, and Winter month's I like a little heavier Lavender, so I wear Nicolaï pour Homme, PdN. A heavier spicy Lavender accord followed by Caron Pour Un Homme,Caron. These three pretty much fulfill my Lavender needs, and or wants.
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post #18 of 40
3/19/10 at 6:18am
when I really want a hit of lavender like I rubbed the plant between my fingers, no perfume has ever come close to the scent from an essential oil. There are several on the market that I'd highly recommend (the one I currently have is somewhat obscure, from a lavender farm on Cape Cod).
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post #19 of 40
3/19/10 at 6:34am
I love Royal Scottish Lavender, but I wouldn't say it's the most "natural smelling" lavender because of the animalic aspects. I haven't had a chance to try By Kilian's A Taste of Heaven, but I've heard good things. I really, REALLY love lavender, and a couple I enjoy that have not been mentioned are Azzarro's Pure Lavender as well as Yardley's English Lavender. Both are relatively inexpensive, but they're beautiful and unadulturated. That's my .02 anyway. Good luck on your lavender quest.
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post #20 of 40
3/19/10 at 6:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mrclmind View Post

By Kilian "A Taste of Heaven" has one of the best lavenders on the market.

I think it is quite good too.
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post #21 of 40
3/19/10 at 6:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by SculptureOfSoul View Post

+1 Oxford and Cambridge.

I am fond of this as well. One has to like peppermint though to enjoy it.
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post #22 of 40
3/19/10 at 7:13am
+-+
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post #23 of 40
3/19/10 at 7:54am
Quote:
Originally Posted by merry.waters View Post

I would second that it is close to the destilled oil, may be of non-French provenience, Himalaya, Spain, Bulgaria, Tasmania? Beyond that something's happening. Couldn't figure out what is was. Some additions? Not sublime but to complex and with low impact to analyze. I wore KILIAN once on the wrist. It was by far more lavender than the CARON applied to the other hand, that compared to the KILIAN smelled of - after 10 minutes - nothing but vanilla. CARONs was a miss especially considered what Papa Luca Turin says about it. But the lavender itself had some nice Linalool freshness! Alas, the KILIAN is by far to expensive to be taken into consideration. Mr. Kilian is as rich as could be already. The price tag is neither justified by precious material, nor by the labor - construction and production, nor by its misleading 'niche' status. It's simply 'exclusive'. I'm excluded, and loving it!

The CALDLEY isn't that close to the raw oil as I know it, but well done. It seems it avoids any 'fresh' from Linalool or to much of terpenes, definitely no campher. It's diffusion and longevity could be emphasized by 2 or 3 reapplications within the first hour or so. It has and as a soliflore could to be used liberally anyway. It's darn cheap and obviously of more than adequate quality. If - if - I was to jumpy to dissolve some crass good lavender in alcohol, add some tiny amount of a citrus (Bergamot, Petit Grain) and experiment with Exaltolide/Cosmone/Musk-Base as a fixative, then I would buy the CLADLEY. This is a taste of heaven which the Kilian lacks. The perverted price tag not even taken into account already.

I still prefer the By Killian.
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post #24 of 40
3/19/10 at 8:25am
Caldey Island Lavender Water is IMO the most 'natural'.
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post #25 of 40
3/19/10 at 9:55am
  • MFJ
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I really like A Taste Of Heaven too. I was contemplating whether to suggest it earlier, but I reckon if one didn't enjoy the Caron (which I think has a more herbal/sharper dose of Lavender, opposite experience to merry.waters) for its vanilla, he/she might feel the same with TOH. I am drawn to TOH for its vanilla dry-down, very very nice scent. But similarly to merry.waters, I experienced the lavender on TOH smooth out into the vanilla rather quickly.
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post #26 of 40
3/19/10 at 10:00am
Agreed Caldey Island is very natural. You can't go wrong with most of the suggestions here. You could also get a nice bottle of high quality steam distilled lavender essential oil and apply it periodically throughout the day to the collar of your undershirt... I do it quite often.
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post #27 of 40
3/19/10 at 10:09am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mrclmind View Post

I still prefer the By Killian.

Just when I wrote my comment I received samples of lavender from Kashmir, France, Spain, oils, CO2 extracts, absolues. I've got some 'litsea' of linalool/linalyl acetat chemotype as a reference too, but it seems to be a mistake of my vendor: http://www.naturrohstoffe.de/impressum.php yet to be cleared.

Nevertheless as expected when diluted in C2H6O they are all very different. The Spanish lavender is as close as could be to the quite quietly called "A Taste of Heaven" BY KILIAN 'niche' offering. Regarding the lunatic price tag the similarity, hence lacking abstraction and concept is noteworthy: "The 50mL / 1.7fl.oz refillable spray \t165€<~200$$>". But You could buy a candle too, and see Your cash burn (65$$<~90$$>)!

A simple question remains. What is 'natural lavender' supposed to smell like? Should fragrance transport the idea of lavender or should it resemble the odor of the fields in Kashmir, Bulgaria, Tasmania ... or moms old school bug repellent?
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post #28 of 40
3/19/10 at 10:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by merry.waters View Post

Just when I wrote my comment I received samples of lavender from Kashmir, France, Spain, oils, CO2 extracts, absolues. I've got some 'litsea' of linalool/linalyl acetat chemotype as a reference too, but it seems to be a mistake of my vendor: http://www.naturrohstoffe.de/impressum.php yet to be cleared.

Nevertheless as expected when diluted in C2H6O they are all very different. The Spanish lavender is as close as could be to the quite quietly called "A Taste of Heaven" BY KILIAN 'niche' offering. Regarding the lunatic price tag the similarity, hence lacking abstraction and concept is noteworthy: "The 50mL / 1.7fl.oz refillable spray \t165€<~200$$>". But You could buy a candle too, and see Your cash burn (65$$<~90$$>)!

A simple question remains. What is 'natural lavender' supposed to smell like? Should fragrance transport the idea of lavender or should it resemble the odor of the fields in Kashmir, Bulgaria, Tasmania ... or moms old school bug repellent?

It's really a matter of taste merry.waters. To say that a Taste of Heaven is not worth the price (which was my first impression as well), is very objective. Some people can afford it quite easily; they enjoy the fragrance, and don't like the alternatives. To say they are burning their money is your personal opinion, and you have a right to it.
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post #29 of 40
3/19/10 at 10:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mrclmind View Post

It's really a matter of taste merry.waters. To say that a Taste of Heaven is not worth the price (which was my first impression as well), is very objective. Some people can afford it quite easily; they enjoy the fragrance, and don't like the alternatives. To say they are burning their money is your personal opinion, and you have a right to it.

If they buy the scented candle they do, objectively. Supposed they enlighten it.

No, I don't agree in the taste case too. It's a matter of style, not taste. Take me as as dandy or not. To leave that money for such little - by any means - is vulgar. I won't recommend vulgar fragrances.

btw: I liked Your most recent tube review. My criticism regarding Your blog as to say was meant to improve things, not as a personal offense. 'Hope You've got it right. Again, keep on, please.
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post #30 of 40
3/19/10 at 10:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by merry.waters View Post

If they buy the scented candle they do, objectively. Supposed they enlighten it.

No, I don't agree in the taste case too. It's a matter of style, not taste. Take me as as dandy or not. To leave that money for such little - by any means - is vulgar. I won't recommend vulgar fragrances.

btw: I liked Your most recent tube review. My criticism regarding Your blog as to say was meant to improve things, not as a personal offense. 'Hope You've got it right. Again, keep on, please.

Which criticism was that?
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post #31 of 40
3/19/10 at 10:39am
Quote:
Originally Posted by mrclmind View Post

Which criticism was that?

http://www.basenotes.net/threads/247...=1#post1782246

I have had high hopes it wouldn't get to serious.
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post #32 of 40
3/19/10 at 10:39am
Got it... I'll respond on that particular thread.
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post #33 of 40
3/19/10 at 10:45am
Eau de Cologne 1920: Lavande by Jardin de France also smells great...simple, cheap, but still natural smelling.
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post #34 of 40
3/19/10 at 11:02am
Quote:
Originally Posted by merry.waters View Post

To leave that money for such little - by any means - is vulgar.

I had a hard time spending money on A Taste of Heaven too... and luckily I didn't end up having to, since my By Kilian Rep was kind enough to give me a very nice sized sample.
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post #35 of 40
3/19/10 at 11:09am
+ 1 for Oxford & Cambridge
In my opinion one of the finiest fragrances ever, full stop.
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post #36 of 40
3/19/10 at 11:33am
Caswell & Massey Lavender Water. This is a pure lavender scent and keeping in spirit with the eaux of the 18th and 19th century toilette waters.

http://www.caswellmassey.com/Lavender-Water.aspx

They also have Orange Flower Water.

http://www.caswellmassey.com/Orange-Flower-Water.aspx
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post #37 of 40
3/19/10 at 4:50pm
I refer everbody to the excellent post on JamieB's excellent blog (if there is another basenotes awards I would nominate and vote for it):

http://www.basenotes.net/entries/533-Lavander-Lavandin-How-subtle-can-the-difference-be

Lavender dominant fragrances will use lavender absolute, not only the oil. It is heavier and longer lasting, a middle note, more floral.
The big issue with lavender fragrances for me is the fixation. There seem to be a few standard templates (moss, vanilla, musk).
Several of the cheaper lavenders have good main lavender accords but, in my opinion, suffer in the musk department with somewhat nasty cheap bases which last long after the lavender has gone. I find big synthetic (i.e. all of them) musks unpleasant and unsubtle. I prefer the moss type base which is more natural but now surely threatened by IFRA. The vanillic/spicy accord is also good.
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post #38 of 40
3/21/10 at 4:38pm
I agree with Agua Lavanda By Puig. Excellent
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post #39 of 40
3/21/10 at 5:01pm
Trussardi dal 1911 Lavanda Cologne. Also very excellent.
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post #40 of 40
3/21/10 at 6:57pm
Amazing how lavender gets such responses... I'm glad. I'm wearing Czech & Speake Oxford and Cambridge today, and I enjoy it a lot. A really amazing opening salvo, and then a very cool and pleasing dry-down.
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