3 Perfumes that Have Impressed Me (from Floral Street Perfumes)

I thought we might do something a bit fun and different for product review this week, and I would share with you my thoughts on not one, not two, but three products, all fragrances from the lovely natural fragrance brand Floral Street. Creator Michelle Feeney, a beauty brand mogul with experience in major cosmetics lines such as Estee Lauder and MAC Cosmetics was inspired to create a line of perfume that celebrates the many facets of every person, allowing the person to express their mood with their choice of scent and with scents that are modern, sustainable (all the bottles are compostable and certified by the Forest Stewardship Council in Britain, helping, with the World Land Trust, to preserve "critically endangered forests") , accessible, and affordable. Drawing on her experiences of London city life and the women who live there, as well as the exciting array of smells abundant in London's flower district, she has revolutionized what a floral perfume can be in both character, wearability, and versatility. Even as a floral perfume lover, I do sometimes find myself thinking that some of them are a bit generic or too sweet or too powdery or somehow dated-seeming for my tastes, but not so with what I've smelled from this range for sure. I purchased their Perfume Discovery Set from Sephora ($19 USD), which features eight of the nine perfumes currently available in the range. It has been such a treat to try, but I do have three clear standout favorites.

*For all fragrances mentioned there is both a 1.7 full size bottle ($70 USD) and a 0.34 oz travel spray ($30 USD) available on Sephora.com and in certain stores as well as on the Floral Street website. I have also seen supersize 3.4 oz bottles of a few of the fragrances on the Nordstrom website for Select items are also available on QVC and QVC.com.

Black Lotus: Though the floral named in this perfume is lotus, this fragrance is a true gem for the rose lovers out there like myself, but those who love a dark and spicy rose. If you know my tastes in fragrances from reading this blog, it should not be surprising that a fragrance like this takes the top of my list. But this is definitely a unique gem even in the dark rose category I love so well. According to the brand, Black Lotus captures a woman's rebellious and feisty side, and while I do agree, to my this fragrance speaks of rebellion meets elegant refinement. The fragrance is a velvety rose that almost feels like it has been dipped and succulent red wine. Sparks of red pepper dash up in the fragrance's top, giving it heat but with no sweet warmth. This fragrance is dangerous, not a cuddler. Leathery jasmine and a dusty crushed saffron round out this fragrance adding to the depth and an even greater dimension to the spiciness. However, gratefully for me, the saffron is quite subtle and adds just a perfect twinge of sourness to offset what would otherwise be a very dense mesh of flowers. I totally would wear thus fragrance on a date or out to the theatre, a club, or anywhere I wanted to feel my most confident, come hither, but also self-possessed and pulled together. Though this fragrance is unusual and definitely not for those who like a subtle scent, I do not believe it announces itself before the wearer nor does it project too far out or too strongly, it simply makes its presence known to those who are near. But it is a presence that is unlike most anything out there and is definitely unforgettable.

Arizona Bloom: In almost a complete contrast to my previous pick, Arizona Bloom is a subtle deserty coconut- jasmine blend mixed with salty air and earthy roots. This could easily be a full-size bottle pick for me come next Spring and Summer because it offers breezy lightness while not being too splashy and fleeting, cologney and alcohol-laden or in anyway one dimensional in the way that many warm weather-friendly fragrances seem to me. I could also seeing this being a wonderful pick for those who tend to favor sweeter, more gourmand or food-like scents but find them too heavy for hotter months due to the whiffs of the coconut adding some of that delectable quality. There is some jasmine here once again, but it is definitely a much lighter note in this one compared to the dense leathery base it imparts to Black Lotus. Here, it almost serves as a non-note, just adding a vague background floral character and a whisper of extra lightness to this airy, creamy, earthy scent. It is a beautiful presence though, and I could not be more taken with this scent, It does need some respraying after about three hours, but the more I smell it throughout the day, the more I come to be drawn to it.

Electric Rhubarb: Electric Rhubarb is by far the scent that surprised me the most out of the ones I sampled. To me, this is the least "flower forward" perfume presented in the perfume discovery set, but this by no means is a bad thing, nor does it mean that the fragrance is totally devoid of anything floral. That component is satisfied by a sheer yet ever present veil of smooth gardenia that is soft and rich and not at all nose tickly as some other gardenia or gardenia-featuring perfumes I've tried in the past. What the main play is here, though is a grounded, true-to-life-feeling sandalwood that is not to cloying or heavy, but offers a delicious touch of the earth in what might otherwise be a very heady fragrance. The rhubarb itself also adds a touch of earthy, rootiness but also offers a pop of freshness that gives the fragrance some excitement and energy. This would be a great way to subtly introduce floral notes into your fragrance wardrobe without them being in any way in your face or overtaking the rest of the composition. This is also the best choice, I feel, from what I've smelled from this brand so far, if you naturally gravitate towards woodsy fragrances, as the use of sandalwood here is really something special and is really unique with the fresh rhubarb and calming gardenia. Electric Rhubarb is neither super light nor super heavy, and it wears pretty closely to the skin, yet seems to last a good 4-6 hours on my skin, which is average to pretty longwearing. Floral Street envisions this scent as worthy of sipping Prosecco on a summer afternoon, and while that does sound like an awesome idea, this fragrance is just the thing for me when I need to feel both grounded and lively at once, ready to take on the world.

I could go on more and more about these scents plus the other five scents I got to play with in the Floral Street discovery set. To review those in brief, there is Wonderland Peony (a sweet, subtle floral combination of peony and some violet topped with a very appealing fruity blend of guava, sweetened lemon, and subtle raspberry with hints of cedar and cotton candy; great for young people exploring their first fragrance and those who love keeping things light but with hints of sophistication), Neon Rose (a sparkly almost-single note smelling, cologney hyper-fresh rose with subtle bergamot aftereffects), Wild Vanilla Orchid (a refreshing and subtle spa-like vanilla with subtle white florals and a calming note of bamboo), Ylang Ylang Espresso (a cozy mix of coffee and smoky sweet florals perfect for snuggling or curling up with a good book in), and finally Chypre Sublime (a true yet updated take on a classic chypre style, meaning that it combines the best of many florals, woods, and spices blended into one. Chypre Sublime specifically boats a spicy yet clean- smelling damask rose, powdery fresh violets, frankincense, and earthy patchouli in the base).

All of them are unique and offer such different personalities that I'm sure, should you pick it up, you will find one if not multiple that tickle your fancy. I am also intrigued to one day explore Sunflower Pop (the only fragrance from Floral Street that is currently not included in the discovery set), which is a citrusy honey fragrance inspired by Van Gogh's sunflower paintings. But all of these scents are in and of themselves pieces of art and lovely to try, and I can't recommend enough exploring this lovely brand.