‘Impressions’ is the new collection of La Fleur by Livvy, an artisanal botanical line based in Colorado and founded by perfumer Olivia “Livvy” Larson. The collection pays tribute to the Impressionist artists of the nineteenth century, and A Walk in Giverny is its first creation.
Created by Olivia Larson and Italian perfumer Andrej Babicky, A Walk in Giverny is an ode to Claude Monet and his beautiful gardens in Giverny, the French town where the artist lived and worked for decades.
Olivia has always been deeply moved by Monet’s art and his process. He was the most relentless and dedicated of all Impressionist artists. He was encouraged to always listen and convey his perceptions, and all the criticism he received never distracted him from this artistic search.
‘The Artist’s Garden at Giverny’ is the Monet painting that inspired the perfumer duo to create a Walk In Giverny. Both Olivia and Andrej are passionate about flowers and gardening and believed that Monet’s artistic talent along with his ability as a gardener would be the perfect theme for the fragrance.
Olivia and Andrej met about a year ago and began to collaborate shortly after. Although they are both natural perfumers, they decided to expand their palette by introducing a small amount of mixed media in the form of synthetic musks to this creation.
A Walk in Giverny is a chypre fragrance that beautifully highlights the light and shadow effect typical of this olfactory family. I enjoy its grace along with the retro touches. I have spent some time sniffing and experiencing it, and each time I wear it, I pick up new nuances: brighter, dustier, greener, richer.
A dazzling, tart bergamot opens the fragrance, which soon reveals its chypre character with green, mossy hints. I experienced the rhododendron note in another fragrance, Anatole Lebreton Incarnata (see review here), and I recognize the same gentle vegetal, spicy, and woody hues here. I recently read that rhododendron’s aroma is reminiscent of that of carnation. Because carnation is one of the fragrance’s heart floral notes, I can’t quite tell where the rhododendron ends and carnation begins; however, a gentle clove-like piquancy is unmistakably present on my skin along with the silkiest orris. The floral bouquet is laced with green, tangy, and dry accents conferred by the blackcurrant bud and hay. The fragrance’s dry down is silvery, crisp, and airy with balsams and resins adding depth and substance.
“As you can see in our choice of raw materials and especially the floral heart notes – not all of these are found in Giverny. However, this fragrance represents our ‘imaginary field trip’ in Monet’s Giverny gardens”, says Olivia.
In my own walk in Monet’s Giverny gardens, the day is bright and warm after a stormy night. Rain drops still rest on flower petals, and the scent of damp leaves and earth fill the air. Along with wet flowers and grass, I smell the stones drying in the sun, which together create a soft ‘chiaroscuro’ of dry and moist sensations.
A note from the brand:
“As I wandered outwards from the gardens at Giverny my heart sank for my spirits were uplifted in the presence of such beauty. The summer skies were blue with floating clouds on high. I smelled the violets and rhododendrons whilst jasmines intoxicated me as though leaning up against the wet brushes left sitting in turpentine. I moved from tree to flower and black currant buds smelled fruity and woody. Geraniums laughed out loud in bright bold pinks everywhere. Slowly as I left the gates; and made my way towards the town, I realized that I would always carry the sights and sounds from Monet’s Garden in my heart. The smell would nestle within my olfactory forever. Citrus rushed out to greet me fighting for attention with Tuberose and Patchouli. The fresh air with florals and citrus were everywhere. The earth felt invigorating and I smiled.”
The notes are listed as they appear on the line’s website:
TOP: Bergamot, Rhododendron
MID: Jasmine, Tuberose, Geranium, Carnation, Black Currant Bud and Hay
BASE: Patchouli, Labdanum, Fir Balsam, Styrax, Violet, Orris, Opopanax, Vanilla, Benzoin with synthetic musks.
A Walk in Giverny includes 97% wild, natural, and organically sourced raw materials, and 3% synthetic musks. It is available on the brand’s website as Eau de Parfum in 50 ml bottles.
Launched in 2013, La Fleur By Livvy is centered on Olivia’s love of flowers and travel, which inspired her first two collections. All the line’s fragrances are handcrafted and filled in small batches and are animal cruelty free.
I reviewed A Walk In Giverny from a 5 ml vial that was kindly gifted to me by Olivia Larson.
The first two photos are by Sarah. The third photo was kindly provided by Olivia.
