Let's talk about this perfume. It's gorgeous. That's the first thing you need to know. The second thing you need to know is, as soon as I sprayed this, it was like Spring and Summer had arrived, and had brought with it this delicious scent of sweetness and blueberries than I cannot get enough of. Seriously, I keep sniffing myself, it smells that good. I do love a sweet scent, but I draw the line when it turns sickly and people start to recoil away from you, not that that's ever happened... *cough* anyway, this Lanvin Me* (£33, here) perfume is divine, and I'm going to tell you exactly why I love it.
First impressions first; the packaging. It's blue and gold, one of those classic combinations that reminds me of Marie Antoinette (the film, not the person) as it always looks so decadent and divine. It's elegant, and I would expect nothing less from Lanvin as after all, as a prominent French Fashion House has to keep up appearances, and this offering is completely Lanvin, in my opinion. This perfume is meant to personify the Lanvin woman; a woman, not pretentious, but confident and unique in herself. I was very excited to try it, so after carefully opening the box (anyone else have a fondness for pristine packaging? who can resist that gold ribbon exterior) I was delighted to find a very lovely little bottle. It's a beautiful bottle, very simple in its design, yet very effective, as it's size and adornment mean that it has that little something else, that je ne sais quoi, as the French would say. It could sit in the window of a Parfumerie and look quite at home next to the gilded bottles for far more expensive concoctions.
Up next is the scent. This is something that's been on my mind since it first arrived and I promptly sprayed myself with it. It's a scent that I can't really describe; it's blueberry, sweet, fruity, floral and just addictive. It smells so good, that it's hard to find the words (useful, I know). The Top Notes are Blueberry and Mandarin. The Heart Notes are Tuberose and Rose Absolute. The Bottom Notes are Liquorice and Sandalwood.
Blueberry is a definite yes, as are sandalwood and some type of rose, but maybe my palette isn't sophisticated enough to pick up the base notes of liquorice and mandarin, or to distinguish which rose is which. All I can tell you is that this smells sweet and fresh, something that would make you smile as soon as you smelt it. It's fresh and whimsical, but delicate and not too overpowering if you're not a fan of strong perfumes - and i'm generally not. I like a good scent, but nothing too strong like YSL's Opium, which smells fabulous on other women, just not myself. It's just divine and I find myself spraying it, even when I'm just sitting in my room, because it just smells so wonderful, and I cannot get enough of it - the scent of blueberries is just intoxicating and sweet.
The more it lingers, it has a certain sensuality to it, a fruity but spicy background that makes those around you take notice and inquire as to what perfume you're wearing (this has happened to me several times in work). It's not something that I've smelt before, and that's something I love about the science of creating a perfume; how something so divine could be created, and it can trigger a scent memory, but still be completely new.
Blueberry is a definite yes, as are sandalwood and some type of rose, but maybe my palette isn't sophisticated enough to pick up the base notes of liquorice and mandarin, or to distinguish which rose is which. All I can tell you is that this smells sweet and fresh, something that would make you smile as soon as you smelt it. It's fresh and whimsical, but delicate and not too overpowering if you're not a fan of strong perfumes - and i'm generally not. I like a good scent, but nothing too strong like YSL's Opium, which smells fabulous on other women, just not myself. It's just divine and I find myself spraying it, even when I'm just sitting in my room, because it just smells so wonderful, and I cannot get enough of it - the scent of blueberries is just intoxicating and sweet.
The more it lingers, it has a certain sensuality to it, a fruity but spicy background that makes those around you take notice and inquire as to what perfume you're wearing (this has happened to me several times in work). It's not something that I've smelt before, and that's something I love about the science of creating a perfume; how something so divine could be created, and it can trigger a scent memory, but still be completely new.
Alber Elbaz, the Artistic Director of Lanvin, says that 'LANVIN ME is more than a fragrance. Its composition tells a story that expresses each separate shade. It resembles a partiture of feelings and a motions of a moment, like a fascinating melody of senses' and whilst I do agree with this, I think it should be emphasised that this is more than a fragrance; it's something special, it's a memory of summertime, fruity and floral. Fragrances smell different on different people, and this to me, once it settles on the skin and warms, smells like blueberry and sandalwood, with a dusky hint of rose, and this really works for me. It's soft and sensual, but spicy and understated, making it one of my predicted, go to perfumes for summer.
To learn more about Lanvin, here is a link to the Fashion House's page on the Harvey Nichols website, who graciously offered to send me the perfume for my review. Although this is indeed a product sample, I would never alter my opinion in order to improve my standing with a PR Company/Brand. This review has been a thoughtful reflection on what this perfume means to me, and I hope that this will encourage you to sample the perfume for yourself, as it really is divine for this time of year.