Bluebell
Penhaligon's (1978)

So much more than a simple LotV or a standard Hyacinth formulation. This really does the whole spring woodland experience. Sure, the Hyacinth notes hit first, but the quality reminds me of Spring walks in the Fontainebleau Forest, combined with English woodlands. Perfect for the young at heart, or the aspirational youth looking for a woodland floral. Don't doubt it, it is wonderful.

I bought this without knowing what to expect, and having no idea what bluebells smell like. Well, apparently they smell like Hyacinths! To me, this fragrance is full on fresh cut hyacinths, with their stems and everything, and some morning dew thrown in that ups the wetness/juicy factor. There’s no sweetness added, this is just flowers. Sometimes I do think I smell a hint of roses in the background, but as soon as I concentrate on that thought, it disappears. This is an eau de toilette, but for me, it performs like an edp. It has a moderate sillage/projection without being too loud and overpowering, but people around me do remark at how pretty my perfume is. That portion lasts around 4-5 hrs on me, and then it settles into more of a skin scent which continues to power on for at least another 4-5 hrs. At the very end of its wear, for maybe the last hour or two, it smells more of a clean and powdery scent with just a slight hint of flowers. I think this is absolutely gorgeous and nothing like anything else in my relatively small collection. If you want to smell like real flowers, and not fruity or vanilla sweetened flowers, look not further. I think Princess Diana had exquisite taste and I completely understand why this was a favorite of hers. This is one of my favorites too.

I smell hyacinths in all their full, unfettered glory here with Bluebell. Their unapologetic stemmy, sharp greenness that opens the senses, the dewy, floral splendor, and their spicy, cinnamic undertones. I find it to be the ultimate hyacinth soliflore, which may very well be off-putting to those who may want their hyacinth to be tamed and relegated to supporting player, maybe even a walk-on appearance.

Here it steals the show, for better or worse, but for that I adore it. I truly believe some folks may not have had the pleasure of experiencing hyacinths and their fragrance up close and personal, or maybe they would be put off by them and therefore be put off by Bluebell, which is all fine and good. Stop sniffing hyacinth-centric scents, then. It may not necessarily be the fragrance, it may just be you—Luca! In all seriousness, if it were just Princess Diana and me who enjoyed Bluebell, then I'd just be fine with that. Happy Spring!

It has a floral-astringent smell at first. Lots of green follows. Piercing hyacinth, LOTV, and galbanum. More flowers expose themselves. Green and floral bounce back and forth in the middle. Spices from the base slowly creep up.

Galbanum and clove are the strong notes, to my nose. I get an almost metallic vibe here as well. A vague vegetable note, too.

This is an odd, green-floral. Not too bad, if this, is your thing. Not quite for me but, well done.

Smelling of Hyacinths and Lilly of the Valley, Bluebells is simple yet rich in beauty. There is a green note galbanum is noticeable, a worthy scent worn by Princess Diana among other fragrances Only reason it isn't a 5 stars is like all Penhaligon's it is fleeting and stays close to the skin Longevity is only fair.

Spray this on one, and judge it from those first few seconds, and it would be easy to dismiss this scent as screechy, synthetic and offensive. Images that popped into my mind were scented all purpose household cleaners or those small aluminum tins (with the tear-off lid) of air freshener for your car.

Several wearings of Buebell later, I realized that Bluebell replicates a very realistic hyacinth flower (in nature) with a mild mix of spicy (not creamy spice...much more muted) and slightly soapy notes. For me personally any time I smell a soapy floral I can't help but think of lily of the valley and Diorissimo - but now after having worn Bluebell I can wrap my head around other soapy floral accords. The texture is one of freshness, sparkling cleanliness and...for lack of a better word 'pretty'.

Well done and worth the price of admission!

This guy can comfortably wear a hyacinth fragrance (I love wearing Anais Anais by Cacharel - not a hyacinth fragrance per se...but another soapy floral) but perhaps other guys might be a bit uncomfortable wearing this one as a stand alone fragrance rather than 'butch' hyacinth fragrances like Hyacinth And The Mechanic by Andy Tauer and/or Chamade Pour Homme by Guerlain.

Don't expect this one to last too long though...longevity and sillage are below average. I am totally okay with that: A lingering cloud of flowers all around me for hours can be a bit annoying.