Atkinsons English Lavender

[cvac]

Got my bottle recently from Cambridge Chemists. I put some in a small atomizer and tested it yesterday. Seems to vanish pretty quickly (in a matter of minutes) down to something that smells vaguely lavendery but kinda close and very faint. Perhaps like an old style eau de cologne maybe?

Just wondering what others experiences with this are since gets recommended regularly...I usually don't have trouble with fragrances lasting on my skin so I'm not sure what is going on with this one.

 

[The Nid Hog]

My experience is exactly the same as yours. I think that is has an interesting, subtle scent, but it's very faint.

 

[Evbo]

I have the same issue w/Caldey Island's lavender water. It's gone from my skin within about 15 minutes.

 

[The Nid Hog]

I have the same issue w/Caldey Island's lavender water. It's gone from my skin within about 15 minutes.

Are you using the after shave or the EdT? I have the AS and I get a very brief, very intense blast of lavender which quickly fades away. I've never tried the EdT.

 

[Evbo]

Are you using the after shave or the EdT? I have the AS and I get a very brief, very intense blast of lavender which quickly fades away. I've never tried the EdT.

I have both.

Totally agree w/your assessment of the AS (which I love, btw!). The EdT -- actually, they call it "lavender water" -- is far gentler & less intense than the AS. But it fades just as fast, if not faster.

 

[cvac]

Have either of you tried this?

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=127088

Posted the review because I never hear anyone talk about it.

 

[The Nid Hog]

No, I haven't. I think that there are a lot of small lavenders around--i keep hearing about small scale UK products. It would be nice to put together a list of all of them.

 

[Evbo]

Haven't tried it either, altho I've certainly read about it on their website. I have their Meehan's Bay Rhum cologne, which I love.

FWIW, I tried their Sandalwood cologne sometime last year. I tried to like it. Several times. But whenever I sprayed it on my wrist, all I got was a blast of alcohol (smelled like grappa, actually) and nothing else. At first I figured the alcohol would burn off, but no. Never happened. Wound up throwing it out. Good thing I only bought a sample.

 

[blantyre]

I replaced my Yardleys English lavender with the Atkinsons version when the Yardley ran out a couple of months ago. The Atkinsons seems to last a couple of hours but certainly doesn't have great longevity. That said, I haven't found any lavender that does - I also use SMN Imperial and it lasts at best 2 hours.

Between Atkinsons and Yardley is a close call IMO - I like both but don't want to have both at the same time due to space.

 

[cvac]

Yeah, I seem to recall comments from possibly you or someone else to the same effect about the sandalwood cologne...that's really too bad. By other accounts on this board, their Bay Rum shave soap doesn't work well at all either.

The Bay Rum cologne is great stuff though.

The Uplands cologne seems to have a high concentration of EOs and is pretty potent. I don't get the alcohol problem you had with the Sandalwood from it. The 1/2 ounce sample of the Uplands isn't on the BDF website, but you can request one and they will make it up for you. If you do get a sample, I'd be curious to hear your thoughts.

Haven't tried it either, altho I've certainly read about it on their website. I have their Meehan's Bay Rhum cologne, which I love.

FWIW, I tried their Sandalwood cologne sometime last year. I tried to like it. Several times. But whenever I sprayed it on my wrist, all I got was a blast of alcohol (smelled like grappa, actually) and nothing else. At first I figured the alcohol would burn off, but no. Never happened. Wound up throwing it out. Good thing I only bought a sample.

 

[The Nid Hog]

Are there any other good continental lavenders? Of course there's Agua Lavanda Puig, which I quite like. Anything else?

 

[alabamalawyer]

I have tried the Atkinsons and Aqua Lavanda Puig. While I like both in terms of scent, neither has any real staying power. I have found this particularly true with lavender fragrances. The only lavender scent that I have found with any decent staying power is L'Occitane. It has a peppery top note that fades pretty quickly to a noticeable lavender base.

 

[HoratioCaine]

Staying power is an issue with most lavender colognes. The notes themselves tend to be fleeting, and the concentrations of the colognes tend to be lighter. The only exceptions I've found are Oxford & Cambridge, which lasts quite a while one me, and possibly Creed's Royal Scottish Lavender, although I've only ever tested the latter, so I don't have a fully formed opinion of it. Atkinsons is in the fleeting category. For these lighter types, I usually splash (or spray) the cologne on my chest and then put a shirt on right over it, while the cologne still wet. The fabric traps the scent and keeps it around longer. So far, I've had no issues with staining.

 

[kingfisher]

I was going to mention Oxford and Cambridge as a longer-lasting lavender, but Horatio Caine beat me to it.

However, to my nose at least, the dirt/mint note never really goes away, which makes it never really smell all that much like lavender at any time through it's evolution (such as it is). Others may disagree.

Note that I really like the mint and somewhat dirt-like notes, so I don't mind that it lasts. I'm just saying it never really reaches out and grabs me and says "I'm a lavender cologne."

 

[HoratioCaine]

However, to my nose at least, the dirt/mint note never really goes away, which makes it never really smell all that much like lavender at any time through it's evolution (such as it is). Others may disagree. [...] I'm just saying it never really reaches out and grabs me and says "I'm a lavender cologne."

I agree. I mentioned the O&C mainly because it is generally accepted as a lavender cologne, and is labeled (literally) by C&S as such. But I was surprised when I first smelled it, as I was expecting it to be much more of a straight lavender. Instead, to my nose, it's its own scent, with a strong lavender component, but is not a straight-up lavender fragrance.

 

[guenron]

Here are three that you can try. Varying lavender and longevity.

 

[ironduke]

Varying lavender and longevity.

It would be off-topic but could you tell the difference between three(perhaps four with Atkinson's)?

 

[HoratioCaine]

It would be off-topic but could you tell the difference between three(perhaps four with Atkinson's)?

Of the four, the only one I haven't tried is the Taylor. I can definitely tell the difference between the three others. In fact, all of the lavender waters I've smelled differ from each other in significant ways.

 

[Cuttingboard]

I've been trying to find a nice spring fragrance, particularly a lavender cologne. I'm looking for the scent of fresh cut lavender and I really like Santa Maria Novella Imperial Lavender but the longevity is very short (2 hours). I have a sample of C&S Oxford & Cambridge which I plan on using tomorrow but I've heard less than positive reviews of the scent.

What are your thoughts on Creed Royal Scottish Lavender?

 

[john parker]

In the various discussions of lavender I do not recall Serge Lutens Gris Clair being mentioned. Had a sample and found it to be a delightful lavender. Unfortunately, the smokiness did not pass the wife-test. Wish I could say it was inexpensive.