Hydrangea

I don't know if I got a bad sample or not, but it smells really musty, bordering on bad breath.

A sweet and delicate sweet pea and honeysuckle scent with a touch of green. It's so lovely and feminine. Wearing it always makes me happy. It reminds me of an Australian perfume line Lucky Scent used to carry called Renee, which had two perfumes (L'Eau and Mediterranean Lily) that were perfect for the kind of moments when you just want to feel pretty in an uncomplicated (but not simplistic) way. I think anyone who likes authentic-smelling sweet florals should try Hydrangea. The packaging is beautiful too. The design is minimalist without being ugly-stark-modern. You can't tell from the photo above, but the box is made of a pearlized cardboard that looks like (and may actually be) handmade paper.

Up front it's a redolent, white floral, heady, night blooming scent on a thick New Orleans night; however, it is quickly followed by lots of powder on the dry down. Not a lot of depth, but easy on warm summer day.

Due to a sensitive nose, I dislike strong scents. This becomes very nice after an hour. Upon application, the scent is all wrong--strong and thorny floral, I'm questioning why I'm wearing it. But after an hour, what was obnoxious has turned powdery soft, romantic... wafts of delicate hydrangea sweetness and vanilla. At the end (2 hours in), I get a faint sandalwood but pressing my wrist against nose to find it. This scent became creamier when layered with Molecule 01 and I've fallen in love with this combo! Downsides: Barely any sillage in the week I've been applying in the morning daily--someone has to hug me right after I apply to smell it. The scent seems to only last a couple hours. Fast fade on my skin.

I can appreciate the idea of trying to mix flowers to sort of bring together the concept of another flower that may not have the strongest profile by itself. That said, I was expecting a lot more green in this - it's really a violet, iris, and muguet blend, no green at all, barely any musk. Which may be a good thing, for some! Just not for me.