Yardley English Dahlia

Launched earlier this year, English Dahlia* is the newest fragrance in Yardley's Contemporary Classics range. Yardley ring a bell? Thought it might... Yardley is a heritage brand, established in the mid-seventeenth century, when young entrepreneur Jonanthan Yardley obtained a royal warrant to supply soap to the City of London. The brand struggled to withstand the Great Fire of London, although one detail made it through, the use of lavender, and to this day, it is one of Yardley's iconic ingredients. Fast-forward to 2016, and Yardley not only stock that classic lavender scent that your Gran requests (yep, mine does), but they also have some fresh new fragrances, both in the Floral Classics and Signature ranges.

English Dahlia is a floral chypre scent, inspired by the dahlia flower's late summer/autumn bloom. Interestingly, a dahlia doesn't give off any scent, so I was intrigued to see how Yardley would interpret such a flower. Dahlias symbolise the inner strength to succeed and create your own path in life, a mantra that I think would be best suited to young professionals, although the fragrance is universal.

The scent opens with sparkling citrus notes, fresh neroli and apple, which make a statement with its punchy green accords. The scent softens as it moves into the heart, blending dahlia "accords"with feminine rose and peony. The scent finishes with a warm base of patchouli, cedar and musk, giving the scent a bit more longevity and the robustness that an autumnal floral requires. 

Although I find the opening quite strong, once it settles, it becomes a lightweight and easy to wear scent. Although the Dahlia is meant to signify autumn, the green floral nature still lends itself more towards spring time in my opinion, so I look forward to wearing this more as the seasons change. I don't have many pure floral scents in my collection, so this is really refreshing. 

And finally, let's address the elephant in the room. Is it really a chypre? From my understanding, a chypre fragrance should have citrus (bergamot) in the top notes, with labdanum (a resin derived from species of rockrose) and a musky oakmoss base. Although only the citrus and musk from English Dahlia's scent pyramid are consistent with this model, the Dahlia accord contain some of the other notes. Either way, there's no denying that this is a nod towards a chypre fragrance. Despite being the very definition of a "niche" smelling fragrance, I don't actually enjoy true chypres because I don't really want to smell like a greenhouse... English Dahlia is more of a green floral, and that's okay with me.

If you're a fan of fragrance layering, English Dahlia also comes in a Deodorising Body Spray* (£2.49) and Nourishing Hand Cream* (£4.49), both affordably priced, and perfect for Christmas gifting. This is a real crowd-pleasing scent, and one that all generations would appreciate. but I feel like Mums and Aunties in particular would love this in their stocking. The hand cream is deceptively strong, so you could use it as a base on your wrists, adding a spritz of the EDT and throwing the body spray into you bag for a top up.

Starting at just £9.99 for 50ml (with offers frequenting in places like Boots), the Eau de Toilette is really affordable, and both the packaging and scent inside feel a lot more high-end than the price tag. If someone asked what you're wearing, I can guarantee they'd be expecting you to add another zero onto the price! I've been pleasantly surprised by English Dahlia. It's not the most unique fragrance on the market, but if you're after a pretty floral that isn't your conventional lavender or rose, this is perfect. It is also a great introduction to the genre of chypre scents for those looking to widen their scent knowledge without investing £100+.

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*Post contains PR Samples kindly provided by Yardley London. 

This does not affect my views and I will always give my honest opinion of a product.