I’m not a perfume wearer usually. If someone gives it to me, then that’s great, but I’ve never really been tempted to fork out £40 or more just to smell nice. I’d rather spend my money on clothes or makeup any day. However, when I was offered the chance to try the new Liz Earle fragrance I certainly didn’t put up a fight. I’m a big fan of the Liz Earle product range (as you might have noticed if you read this blog) and I was very intrigued to check out their very first fragrance (plus it was a gift so it would have been rude not to, right?)

I’m not sure what’s taken them so long to come up with a fragrance; it seems such a natural part of the range as all their products have luxurious, indulgent botanical scents which would translate perfectly into a perfume. As with all Liz Earle products, there’s a story behind the product and the ingredients are all from tantalisingly exotic sounding locations: “high-altitude lavender from France, damask rose from Turkey, Italian bergamot and spicy patchouli from Indonesia…” You get the gist. I know they’re trying to seduce me with these poetic references and I have to admit, it works. It adds a sort of romanticism to the product to imagine its ingredients having origins across the world. And there’s more. The scent was created by “distinguished leading French perfumer, Jean Charles Niel” in whom the Liz Earle clan entrusted “to indulge in this age old art, carefully hand-crafting this complex scent with true passion to create this vibrant, sparkling fragrance translating into warmth and sensuality.” Dreamy isn’t it?

Now onto the product itself. Presented beautifully in a pull-out elegant box (inscribed on the back with the product story, and hidden inside, with more scribe, signed by Liz), a clear glass bottle nestles inside holding this precious nectar. I like the bottle; it’s elegant yet simple, heavy enough to feel special but light enough to carry around with you in your handbag. And the smell? It is a powerful scent with a lot of depth to it. There are 14 botanicals in there after all. What really comes through for me is a citrusy, orangey zest (the bergamot I presume) but it’s not a sweet citrus smell; there’s something else balancing it out, something spicier. (I know nothing about perfume by the way so this is just my attempt to explain it.) As well as bergamot the ingredients include geranium, lavender, rose, and cardamom, nutmeg and cedarwood.

On first sniff I was pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed the scent although thought it was a little ‘mumsy’, perhaps because it’s something my mum would wear (she has confirmed she does indeed like it and has offered to take it off my hands. Hands off mum!)  It is a more ‘mature’ scent than the sweet orange or vanilla notes I wore as a teenager (the last time I really bought perfume) so perhaps I’m just not used to a more grown up fragrance. But I have been wearing it for a few days now and am really liking it! In terms of staying power, I find it wears off after a few hours, which I presume is normal although I’m no expert as I say. I only apply a squirt or two to be fair though as I don’t want everyone in the room (or the tube) to be intoxicated when I walk in (take note mother). The bottle is a good size for carrying in your handbag anyway so it’d be no real hardship to top up during the day.

All in all, a very lovely scent. Liz Earle Botanical Essence No. 1 is £40.35 for a 50ml bottle, available on their website. 98% derived from natural ingredients.