I reviewed legendary make-up artist Mary Greenwell’s Lemon EDP back in February, when it was love at first sniff – and it’s one fragrance love-affair that has no signs of abating (as is my usual, fickle olfactory want).
So, after last week’s birthday, I knew exactly what I’d be splurging my birthday money on:
I really cannot convey *how much* I love this scent. The bottle is pretty spectacular, too.
The 100ml bottle is a weighty dressing-table-worthy number; a simple glass flacon, adorned by an oversized 22-carat gold plated pebble stopper. The fresh lime and lemon packaging reflects the ‘green notes’, which are the key to the amazingness of this vivid scent.
It has eschewed any cliched ‘zesty’ references, and intelligently and knowingly gone straight for the botanical, lemon grove freshness that has me ‘barefoot in Amalfi’ with one squirt. It’s so hard to describe, without sounding like Jilly bloody Goolden, but it’s as much about the leaves and the sun-warmed bark of the lemon grove, as it is about the fruit. It’s earthy and masculine but with a heart of narcissus absolute and hyacinth that keeps it pretty and fresh, rather than musky.
I haven’t got in this much of a flap about a fragrance since I discovered ‘White Suede’ by Tom Ford, which to me smells like amazing sex in the back of an expensive car with a hot guy (sorry mum, but it does). Yep, it’s leathery and smoky, with amber and saffron… it’s totally ungirly but at the same time incredibly womanly – if that makes sense? Like grown up, sexy, ballsy womanly – you know?
Anyway, back to Lemon. Another reason I splashed out for the 100ml was that at £90, instead of £60 for 50ml, it represented much better value for money and knowing that one squirt after my shower in the morning will last me through to the evening (boy does this scent wear well), it does actually represent good value (and quality) for money.
You can purchase Lemon, or Mary’s first scent Plum direct from her website, if you want to give it a whirl without splashing out, she offers a sample for £2.50. Or alternatively it is available in some House of Fraser stores.
