French Lavender

[jj_j]

Beth had two single notes in lavender, although one was never on the site; I was lucky enough to get an imp of both the French and Bulgarian lavenders long ago.

 

The French Lavender is what I think of as "standard" lavender; it's crisp and the more astringent of the two. It's the note in Arcana and most of the other blends containing lavender.

 

For those who think lavender is a sharp, rather medicinal smell, French Lavender is probably the one they're referring to. Although that pungent, camphor-like feel fades away in five or ten minutes, I've had friends who weren't lavender lovers tell me that was the part that really put them off.

 

Beth's single note in French Lavender is the best I've tried. Yes, it has that pungency that comes with French Lavender, but it's much less sharp than many other lavender essential oils. Her single note also has wonderful staying power after that part fades away, so the herby floral goodness that's the best part of lavender lasts, unlike other versions.

 

Lavender's a widely available scent, but this single note stands out. Rich and full, it's the best of what lavender should be.

[roesmoker]

I love the lavender note in Nanshe and Arcana, so I had high hopes for this one. Sadly I don't like it nearly as much as I thought I would. It's way too sharp for me, and had a very bitter edge that turned me off immediately.

Edited June 26, 2005 by roesmoker

[OriginalWacky]

Bottle (Imp): Sharp, like lavender always is to me.

 

Just On: Sharp, like lavender usually does to my nose.

 

An hour or two later: It's settled into a skin scent on me.

 

Around 6 hours: It's pretty much gone now, which isn't a surprise.

 

12 hours: Uh yeah, so it's still gone. Amazing, isn't it?

 

Overall: Lavender always starts out sharp to me, but I never worry about that, as I know it mellows into a nice scent. However, it also fades pretty quickly on me, so I'd have to go through the sharp stage over and over.

 

After reading other reviews: Not a whole lot to add.

[UltraViolet]

BPAL blends wihich use French Lavender (vs. Bulgarian Lavender) as one of it's ingredients;

Arcana, Arkham, Azazal, Bluebeard, Calliope, Casanova, Chesire Cat, Chiroptera, Corazon, Cyphre, Despair, Emvy, Gaueko, Mad Hatter, Naiad, Nephilim, Ode on Meloncholy, Old Scratch, Oneiroi, Pain, Paris, Psyche, Santa Eularia Des Riu, Sophia, St. Germain, Twilight, Veil, Villian, Wilde.

In the bottle

More sharp than the Bulgarian lavender, I can tell the difference.

 

On I love ths lavender. The Bulgarian is lighter and sweeter but this is really nice too. It's not a wimp that's for sure.

 

30 minutes

Turns kind of flat and metallic like , as most good lavender blends do on me.

 

Throw:

a bit more than usual

 

Scent category:herby

 

Summary

Noticeabley less sweet than the other kind of lavender.

 

Purchase again?

yes

 

1-5 rating (5 being best)

4

Edited November 30, 2005 by UltraViolet

[Lori]

Well, since I am about to part with all of my much sought after and hard won Single Notes from BPAL, I thought that before they go, I would do some reviews.

 

Imp: Decanted, won in Ebay auction

 

Lavender is probably my most favourite essential oil to wear and to use in the house. I have Lavender scented shampoo and conditioner, soap, face cleanser, body lotion, etc. I burn Lavender oil and I light Lavender candles. There are three gorgeous Lavender farms on this island, and there is an abundance of Lavender products to buy here.

 

Still I wanted to try this French Lavender to see how it compared. It compares quite nicely! I have only sniffed it so as not to contaminate the imp, but it has a beautiful soft lavender smell. Yes, the astringency is there but it is not overpowering. This would be a nice scent to burn as a room diffuser or to wear to alleviate stress or just to smell pretty! It is beautiful and I hate to part with it, but now that I have sniffed it to compare, I will pass it on. It is really lovely and whomever gets it next, I am sure will appreciate its beauty. :-)

[Little Bird]

I wish that I could try Bulgarian Lavender to compare with this one. Alas, I have not gotten ahold of that singlenote yet.

 

French Lavender is very herbal and medicinal on me, though it gets better in the drydown. After a few minutes it gets sweeter and more powdery. It smells just like LUSH's Schnuggle body butter on me.

 

I don't really love lavender (smells pretty bland to me), but this is the best of lavenders, in my opinion. It smells rich and has a lot of throw. I would recommend this to anyone who likes lavender.

Edited October 16, 2006 by Blood onmy hands

[grrrlennyl]

at first: a strong, pure lavender.

on: very, very strong and pungent. i think this is what is in somnus.

1 hour later: very light and faintly herbal.

2 hours later: pretty much gone.

overall: this is definitely a nice, strong lavender oil. it was very calming. i wish it would have lasted a bit longer, but i definitely enjoyed it while i could smell it.

[theshapeshifter]

This is the sharp, pungent "HELLO I'M LAVENDER!" scent that I associate with my garden. Very lifelike - and I think I recognize the note from Nanshe - but a little too much on its own, for my taste.

[edenssixthday]

Single Note: French Lavender - I find almost all BPAL scents with French Lavender to be somewhat “gamey” to my senses, although I have been able to get used to some after regular use (e.g., Somnus). The French Lavender SN, however, didn’t have that gamey quality that I expected. Neither was it strong and powerful like most lavender is on my skin. Rather, it was light and soft and smelled like my favorite lavender room oil, which is a no-name brand from a craft store. I love that I have something like that room-oil scent to wear on my skin. However, it’s incredibly light and subtle and sticks very close to my skin. The lasting power is adequate, but it’s too subtle for my taste. I may use it to layer, or just use it at night when I don’t want throw, but just want something to mellow me out before bed.

[storme]

In the imp: strong, slightly astringent lavender.

 

On me, wet: slightly soapy and very pungent lavender - sort of herby and bitter, but in a way that appeals to me.

 

On me, dry: Still fairly sharp, still fairly pungent, still very herby. It's dry and acrid, not a sweet soft lavender - but very compelling.

 

Verdict: I love lavender in blends, so no real surprise that I like this. I don't think I would wear this alone, though - I'm too attached to Safari for that - so I guess I will be trying to swap it for other SNs to test.

[Meg]

In the bottle: Lavender, pretty powerful, deep and nearly minty.

 

Wet: Sharp, sweet lavender, very purple in my mind. There's an edge here that's nearly citrusy, and something nearly woody, like lavender stems.

 

Drydown: As most lavenders, it fades very fast when it dries down. I'm guessing it's because lavender is very volatile, or perhaps my skin eats it up. At any rate, very little is left of it after it dries down, on me. All it leaves is a rather deep sweetness, which works well as a grounding note in various blends, but doesn't have any throw alone.

 

Overall: I adore lavender, so I was really excited about this one. Unfortunately, it's much too short lived on me, even if I slather, my skin seems to just eat it up. It's a very pretty, soft lavender with a proper bite at the beginning and a lovely soft herbiness afterwards. I just wish I could have a magnifying glass for my nose so that I could smell it after drydown.

[ami226]

In the bottle: This smells exactly like a fresh sprig of lavender to me! Lavender with a bit of greenness. Not too sharp like most lavenders seem to me though. Yay!

 

On the skin: Pure herby lavender. Reminds me of this French Festival I attended where there was a lady selling bundles of lavender!

 

Smells to me like TKO without the vanilla!

[zankoku_zen]

French Lavender is fabulous. It's lavender with a bit of herbal greenness. Very provencal, french and definitely more like the lavenders we're used to smelling. Great throw and wear length.