Lavender Colognes

[Scotto]

I was hoping to convince boboakalfb to give some impressions on the Atkinsons lavender he has been using on his SOTD. I am trying to figure out which lavender cologne to pick up next. Ron has posted glowlingly on the L'Occitane version (burnt wood + lavender!), and I know some folks like the Atkinsons. I have Yardley, and it is too soft for me.

Lavender cologne lovers speak out!

[slaneyg]

I am a lavender lover. These i have and like:

Pure Lavender (for purists, i think a bit dull though, but safe)

Taylor of London, Yardley, Yawn.

Mostly Lavender (not so dull, in order of lavender strength, high to low)

Puig's Lavanda - very inexpensive. I dont care if its considered "light". I love it, its got a bit of lime i think. Its very worthy. If you like lavender, you wont go wrong here.

Roger & Gallet Lavande Royale - Lavender, spice, musk, wood. Light.

Caron Pour un Homme, a classic, big lavender blast initially, then vanilla, Certain purists dont like it. Too bad, not everyone wants to smell trumperstaylorstruefit all the time. At least try a sample.

My secret lavender weapon is Guerlain's Aqua Allegoria Lavande Velours. Lavender and sandalwood. Its discontinued i think, but still available. Long lasting on my skin. It was marketed for women :eek:. Try it if you can find it. Then give it a day before you opine. I found 3 bottles of it for $20 per last year. My wife thought i was nuts. Clearly she is incorrect. :smile:

Lanvin L'Homme - Not too light, will hang with you all day. Lavender, citrus, woody, mint

That's the extent of my lavender knowledge!

I want to try the L'Occitane and Annick Goutal. Perhaps santa will bring me some.

[Coche_y_bondhu]

Hello Scotto,

I use the Atkinsons English Lavender, based on a recommendation by Gordon. Incredibly good lavender scent at a decent price for a decent quantity. And it lasts about 4 hours on me if I remember.

I had the Yardley, and I have to agree, it was very weak.

I also have a Lavender for Men from some English catalog my wife has. Can't remember exactly. Not as good as Atkinsons.

Most true single note florals (or in this case, an herbal) will fade fast, just like the predominantly single note citrus flavors.

CF is supposed to debut their lavender cologne this year. Still waiting, but I have a feeling the price will be a tad high. I might take the chance.

I bought my Atkinsons at Someplace in Time:

http://store.yahoo.com/somplaceintime/atenlaco.html

$27.50 for 8 ozs. They also have a 4 oz version for $18.50. Splash bottle. Quick shipping.

Cheers,
Richard
North TX, South of Ron's Cottage

[boboakalfb]

I received the bottle last week and have had a chance to wear it twice. The only other Lavender I have tried is Trumpers but was unsure with the note of mint. I decided on the Atkinsons after reading some suggestions and am satisfied with my purchase. I think it lasted about 6 hours or so. The price was right, ordered from Somewhere in Time.

[slprl]

I just received my bottle and tried it. I really like and I have received several compliments about it. Give it a try.:thumbup:

[Scotto]

I have been using it too, and I agree it is a nice scent. Very crisp. Interestingly, I have been enjoying it more since I decanted it into an atomizer. Definitely works better for this cologne.

[Coche_y_bondhu]

Hello All,

I also use Atkinson's lavender. I think it was based on a recommendation by Gordon some time back. This is the only one I have tried that lasts hours on me.

Still waiting for CF Lavender EDT to debut. Things are quiet at the Castle since the price increase announcement. I guess we wait.

Cheers,
Richard
Plano TX

[obsessis]

I picked up a bottle after reading the reviews, this matched with my patchouli oil should be nice.

[enlightenment]

Well after reading this thread i just stopped off and picked up some L'Occitan Eau de Toilette; that's the one that's Lavender and Burnt wood. I really like it. It's fresh with little spice and warmth. One question, what it A.O.C. stand for?

http://usa.loccitane.com/product/product.asp?product=20ET100OC&variant=&=

[Coche_y_bondhu]

Hello Enlightenment,

AOC (Appellation d'Origine Controlee, or "Controlled Designation of Origin") is a label. Usually reserved for fine wines and specialty foods, AOC certification of fine lavender protects customers from imitations and adulteration (excerpted from an herb site).

Cheers,
Richard
Plano TX

[zaphf]

Picked up a bottle of this this weekend. The initial smell is very strong and not very floral, but after an hour it settles down into a dry, manly lavender. I think there's a range of products on this scent, but I've only tried the EDT

[Phog Allen]

Puig's Lavanda - very inexpensive. I dont care if its considered "light". I love it, its got a bit of lime i think. Its very worthy. If you like lavender, you wont go wrong here.

My secret lavender weapon is Guerlain's Aqua Allegoria Lavande Velours. Lavender and sandalwood.

I had to revisit this thread. I love lavender and all these choices sound good. The Puig Agua Lavanda(I think I've seen this listed as "dry lavender water" in edt )sounded like a must for me the first time I read about it. This recommendation helps seal it. It's so affordable that there's no way to consider it a bad choice. If you don't like it you're not out much.

Guerlain's sounds like something I'd like a LOT. I will try to dig up some of this.

Regards, Todd

[DEF]

I use the Puig Agua Lavanda EDT and like it quite a bit. It's not strong by any means, but I do find that throughout the day, I'll catch little whiffs and hints of it -- which is just about right for a scent like this. I am usually fairly liberal with it when I put it on in the morning. (And of course, this is the one that they always say Sinatra wore. I don't know if that's true, but it's what they say.)

I don't own, but I also like the Roger and Gallet Lavender; I wouldn't mind having that one someday.

I've probably seen the most glowing reviews for the Atkinson's, though.

This is a little OT, but I plug this one every time I can: If you like florals, give Roger & Gallet's Eau de Gingembre a try. It's based on ginger blossoms and to me is the perfect balance of floral, fresh, and soapy -- with the faintest hint of spice. It's a great clean scent that anyone, male or female, can wear with confidence.

[Kyle]

From where have you gents purchased the Puig Agua Lavanda?

[guenron]

From where have you gents purchased the Puig Agua Lavanda?
Here (http://www.99perfume.com/)

[Kyle]

Thanks, Ron.

[PerfumeCritic]

I recently fell in love with Penhaligon's Lavandula, an oddly masculine, rich multi-faceted lavender aroma.

[Scotto]

Good to see you here, Mr. Critic.

[Agent86]

It's good to see this topic revisited, as I may have to find a replacement for the Atkinson's. SWMBO says that I smell like an old man when I wear it. In fact, my mother said that my grandfather probably wouldn't even wear the Atkinson's...talk about giving someone a complex about their cologne. :eek: I'm actually on the fence about the scent, so no great loss I suppose.

Think I'll try to pick up some of the Roger & Gallet or Lavandula. I'll post back with the results for those of you comtemplating a lavender fragrance.

[stropmegently]

Has anyone who enjoys lavender tried the C&E lavender line? I have the hand lotion and find the lotion is not only really effective for keeping ones hands moist and not greasy but smells very nice, IMO. So, anyone try the spray that is associated with this line? If so, how is it? Feminine? Mellows nice?

Darren

[Scotto]

Has anyone who enjoys lavender tried the C&E lavender line? I have the hand lotion and find the lotion is not only really effective for keeping ones hands moist and not greasy but smells very nice, IMO. So, anyone try the spray that is associated with this line? If so, how is it? Feminine? Mellows nice?
I found it extremely feminine.

I also recently picked up the Trumpers Lavender water, and didn't much care for it. Very odd smell, and was gone in an instant. I have it available for decants for those who want to take a chance.

The Atkinson's is still the best stuff out there for men, IMO.

[ponyplayer]

Hi all,

Has anyone used the Floris Lavender? I see it is part of the 50% off sale.

Thanks.

Patrick

[Shane]

I have the Santa Maria Novella Imperial Lavender. It's one of my very favorite scents. Not the cheapest thing on earth at $84 for 3.3 oz., but a little goes a long way. You can find it at www.lafcony.com.

Shane

[Scotto]

Hi all,

Has anyone used the Floris Lavender? I see it is part of the 50% off sale.

Thanks.

Patrick
Very girly.

[russellnyc]

Has anyone else tried Penhaligon's Lavandula? Sounds perfect, but because it's a woman's scent rather than a unisex one, I'd need some additional data.

[sobranie]

hello mr perfume critic...:)....sobranie from basenotes here too...:)...recently i've been turned onto these folks for the remarkable lavender....
http://www.caldey-island.co.uk/ have just ordered their lavender stuff...eagerly awaiting....lavender is one of my favs especially lately...
caron - 3rd man and l'impact pour un homme are wonderful...and also encens et lavande by serge lutens is worn sparingly...:)...

[sobranie]

russell i've just been waiting on lavandula...should be here tomorrow i believe...will certainly post a review...:)...i've gotten it that its actually a more masculine lavender...

[sobranie]

lavandula arrived today and although longevity is moderate it is a very "masculine" smelling lavander despite being marketed for females...very calm and not flowery in the least...very reminiscent to serge lutens "encens et lavande"...i'm very happy with this...its an excellent lavander

[russellnyc]

Sobranie, thanks for the input! I am glad to hear that Lavandula is a wearable men's scent, I'm thinking of taking a field trip down to Saks Fifth Avenue or perhaps even the Penhaligon's store uptown in NYC to try/buy some.

In the meantime, though, unable to resist temptation over the weekend, I ordered bottle of Santa Maria Novella imperial lavender aftershave (an impressive line, to say the least; I'm curious about the lavender+amber cologne they also sell), and a bottle of Atkinson's for good measure. I've been using lavender shaving cream or soap lately and then using some other scent to finish, it would be great to keep the lavender thing going all day.

[russellnyc]

I got the Santa Maria Novella last night and wore it this morning. First off, this is a very green (pure?) lavender smell, not a sweet one. The packaging is beautiful, and the stuff itself exudes quality. Now I know why they also have a lavender/amber scent, probably to sweeten it up a bit.

I made the mistake of applying this directly to my face after a close shave with a gigantic, probably-not-sharp-enough 7/8 Wade and Butcher spike-point wedge, and had the burn of a lifetime. I had to put out the fire with some Trumpers and a little AoS Lavender just for good measure. I can't say how this would have felt after a proper shave, but I can say that it smelled very nice for a bit and then disappeared. My face feels pretty good (if still a little burnt), so I'll save this stuff for my better DE shaves. I think my next purchase will probably be the SMN amber/lavender, since i can use that on myself regardless of shave quality.

[russellnyc]

Have been using Atkinson's the last few days. It's pretty sharp, and lasts about 4 hours on me. Better than the Santa Maria Novella, which is outrageously sharp and only lasts about 30 minutes (no exaggeration there, I just applied some and can't smell it anymore). Didn't like the Atkinson's at first, but it's growing on me. I'm waiting on some Penhaligon's samples, but I don't think they're sending me Lavandula.

[Joe Frances]

Hello Gents:

Thought I would weigh in on the lavender issue, and suggest Lorenzo Villoresi Wild Lavender a/k/a Inglese. It is fairly sharp, but not terribly sharp, very fresh, clean and just a little "soapy". It is very masculine and lasts 3-4 hours. Hard to find, but worth checking out. Excellent product.

I also like Yardley Gentleman, which has some lavender, although I am not sure it would be classified as primarily lavender. This is also a great mens' fragrance worth trying.

[guenron]

Hello Gents:

Thought I would weigh in on the lavender issue, and suggest Lorenzo Villoresi Wild Lavender a/k/a Inglese. It is fairly sharp, but not terribly sharp, very fresh, clean and just a little "soapy". It is very masculine and lasts 3-4 hours. Hard to find, but worth checking out. Excellent product.

I also like Yardley Gentleman, which has some lavender, although I am not sure it would be classified as primarily lavender. This is also a great mens' fragrance worth trying.

Joe,
Interesting stuff.. I personally don't care for the Yardley Gentleman. I think it relates back to fond memories of a Yardley black label cologne I had 40+ years ago. Have to try the LV Inglese though. Where were you a year ago when we were dying for these comments? :lol: