I’m happy to talk about two recent releases by La Fleur By Livvy, an independent fragrance line I have very much enjoyed over the past year and a half.
Bouquet de Printemps
Bouquet de Printemps is a kaleidoscopic fragrance that encapsulates contrasting olfactory notes (sweet vs. tart) and even evokes an array of different colors (green, yellow, red, gold). It’s a floral and bucolic composition that is initially cool and refreshing, but later provides a surprising warm twist. Sparkling citruses and grounding herbs open the fragrance, setting the stage for a floral heart that reminds me of delicate wildflowers in a verdant park. As I keep smelling my wrist, the composition becomes warmer, bringing to mind chamomile tea with tart berries. The surprise in the evolution of this fragrance is that the tea is sweetened with a spoonful of honey. Indeed, it is the honey note that unfurls and persists on my skin over time, creating a golden sensation as it blends with mimosa, rich sandalwood, and earthy accents.
Bouquet de Printemps was created as an ode to a lush tropical spring in Australia. By using a green fougére structure brightened by lemon and berries, sweetened by mimosa and honey, and grounded by hay and sandalwood, Olivia Larson delivers another imaginative creation.
Notes: Citrus, Orchids, Mimosa, Honey, Raspberry, Strawberry, Sandalwood, Hay, Grasses and Ferns, Mitti ka Attar, Synthetic Musk.
The fragrance was created as Eau de Toilette using mixed media (89% natural and 11% synthetic materials) and is available on La Fleur By Livvy’s website.
Resham
Resham’s opening is bold and lively with pinches of spice and splashes of citrus. There’s also a solemn vein that suggests ringlets of incense or myrrh. Marigold is the star here and comes across as earthy and slightly bitter, complementing the spices perfectly. The presence of jasmine is discreet and only seems to be in the background. Indeed, I don’t perceive this as a predominantly floral fragrance, but one where herbal, resinous, and balsamic notes interweave to create a sensation that evokes sumptuous fabrics (think of a golden silk drape) and pure gold jewels shining in the sun (think of the gorgeous ornated rings worn by women in India).
Resham, named after the Hindu name for silk, was created by perfumer Andrej Babicky in collaboration with Olivia Larson as a tribute to elaborate silk sarees from India. This sumptuous garment is light and luminous in the hands of a woman who is reliving her wedding from the previous day. The silky sensation was created by blending opulent resins, woods, spices, and vanilla on a floral background.
Andrej’s and Olivia’s use of spices, resins, and herbs along with natural florals is exceptional, and the evolution of their fragrances is always artistic, original, and unexpected (read my reviews of A Walk in Giverny and TOSOM here). I am especially impressed with Resham’s voluptuous dry down.
Resham was a finalist at I Profumi di Boboli 2020 contest in Italy.
Notes: Citrus, Warm Spices, Vanilla (in house), Woods, Resins, Benzoin, Bridal Bouquet.
The fragrance was created as Eau de Parfum using mixed media and is available on the line’s website.
About the fragrance line
La Fleur by Livvy’s is owned by Olivia Larson, a self-taught perfumer who handcrafts and fills all her all-natural fragrances in small batches in Colorado. All creations are animal cruelty free. Discover more about the fragrant collections on the line’s website and read my interview with Olivia here.
The sample and decant of the two fragrances were kindly gifted by Olivia Larson. Opinions and photos are my own.
