Friday 10 April 2009

Miller Harris: Fleurs De Bois



Strolling through my beloved Liberty I found to my surprise and happiness the new Miller Harris fragrance Fleurs De Bois available a month earlier than I had thought it would be. It is I now find exclusive to Liberty for the month of April.

I have been waiting to try this fragrance since I read the first reports that it was inspired by a walk through Regent's Park. I now read that is inspired more specifically by a walk through the secret gardens in Regent's Park. I confess that although I think of myself as having a fair amount of the knowledge I didn't know of a secret garden in Regent's Park- which I think makes the idea of the scent even more interesting to me.

The Liberty website describes the scents as having: 'Crisp top notes of galbanum and green grass, lemon Sicily, tangerine green and rosemary [that] give way to a traditional English bouquet of rose, jasmine and iris. A base of oakmoss, patchouli, santal, vetiver and accents of birch complete this green and woody bouquet'.

Initially I found the grass and rosemary scents most pronounced and as the scent dried on my skin the rosemary continued to be very detectable together with the lemon and some grass- but all in a more mellow, woody base softened by a hint of florals as is described.

Fleurs De Bois has excellent staying power, is beautifully packaged (as all the Miller Harris scents are) and I find it a very interesting perfume. It is not something I fell instantly for but the more I sample it the more I think I could fall for it.

My one point of contention with Fleurs De Bois is it's name. I don't find it unusual enough and it most definitely doesn't sound like what it smells of. I know the company has a tradition of using french names but I'm sure something relating to a secret garden in French, or even to the park, would have been much more romantic and appealing.

6 comments:

vicki archer said...

I shall have to have a try when I go back to London - any excuse for a wander through Liberty! Happy Easter Rose, xv.

Trish said...

The box looks gorgeous. I love their boxes and bottles. Trying to wrap my brain around a rosemary perfume, don't think I've ever worn one. I just might want to pour some salt on my self and me if I did, LOL.

~T

Rose said...

Vicki- yes you must try, I am very interested in what other people think. To start with I really wasn't sure and it grew on me. I still think the best Miller Harris is Fleur De Sal though

Rose said...

Hi Trish, yes I agree the bottles/ packaging and all the artwork at Miller Harris are beautiful. The colours are very modern and striking but the drawings are very whimsical.

It isn't just rosemary but it is quite noticeable- or was to me. I know what you mean, it is unusal- but I think it's quite interesting. A friend had rosemary in her wedding bouquet which I thought was lovely- because it made a change from the normal floral smell of bouquets.

ScentScelf said...

Uff da! There's only one note there I could possibly take issue with -- the patchouli -- but green (grass, galbanum, oakmoss, even the rosemary) with birch tar? lemon Sicily? some rose & jasmine??

Even if it's a slow courtship, as yours is with it, I can easily imagine myself falling in love. I'll need to find a sample so I can go a few rounds on the dance floor and see what I think...

Rose said...

Hi Scentscelf- I think it should be everywhere from May and I would definitely advise a few turns around the dance floor! I will look forward to hearing what you think