Arden Beauty EDP by Elizabeth Arden...

When I recently bought a bottle of Green Tea Scent Spray, I didn't realise it would be the start of a whole Elizabeth Arden fragrance exploration. Till then I'd only tried (and loved) True Love 3 years ago, and I guess as usual I was distracted by the plethora of perfumes on the market and didn't get around to sampling any more. But with quite a few from the range seemingly discounted to (in most cases) half price in the last month, it was the perfect opportunity to investigate more from this house. And after reading an online description of Arden Beauty followed by a quick spritz in Chemist Warehouse, I just had to add her to my collection ♥...

The bottle is quite plain, but there's a classic elegance to its simplicity, with the only adornment being the frosted gold name band at the top and a translucent red cap. You'll probably need to decant this one as it's 100mls and the flacon is thick, solid and heavy. The glass is colourless and the liquid inside is tinted with the merest hint of gold...

The fragrance is quite the stunner - light and crisp but with an air of sophistication, definite but not overpowering, and reasonably long-lasting (+4 hours). To me it conjures up autumn - when the mornings and evenings are starting to chill off, the leaves are turning amber and gold, and you can almost smell the moist earth in the air. On the other hand, I'm loving it right now in the spring, and I'm certain its freshness will carry me through hotter days as well. Created in 2002, it's usually classified as a green floral, and I almost concur, although I would start the description with "spicy" or maybe even label it as a "green floriental" as it has an eastern edge to it, an unmistakable tang, possibly from the inclusion of ginger and rhubarb. I've also seen it described as a woody oriental, but hey, we all know how subjective and personal perfume is. There's also iris and bergamot, orchid and lily, and the base is a blend of my all-time loves - musk, amber and sandalwood...

Since my purchase, I've been poking around and can't see it on the EA website, and one fragrance site actually listed it as "discontinued" - if that's the case it's such a shame after all these years, and especially as this beauty and I have only just been introduced. Needless to say, I'll be hoofing it back to Chemist Warehouse and grabbing another bottle ($14.99) in case it will soon be gone forever ♥...

Do you have a favourite Elizabeth Arden fragrance?

Take care of you,
kats xxx