Reviews of Royal Scottish Lavender (1856)
by Creed

By far the highest quality lavender I've ever tried. It is firm and sharp - the sharpness probably from the clove/spice notes that give this lavender and bite and an edge. It actually bites the nose a bit, especially on application. There is no alcohol or booziness at all, and the typical Creed dry down to amber is warm and a nice finish. I'm not sure any lavender fragrance is worth $150+, but when I run out of my decant I will seriously think about it.

In spite of my chosen name, perhaps there is no disputing the loveliness of this elegant lavender-vanilla fragrance. But the unmistakable loveliness is precisely what makes it a difficult scent for a man to carry. Harper Lee gives a fine description in her novel _To Kill a Mockingbird_: "Ladies bathed before noon and after their three o'lock naps. And by nightfall they were like soft teacakes from frosting of sweating and sweet talcum." If you are a woman in need of an impeccable, dignified mild vanilla-floral with a clean powder dry down--for a smart lunch, a wedding, or meeting with your children's teacher--then RSL is top drawer. But even the most broad-minded man shouldn't try to pull this one off.

A far better blend of vanilla and lavender than Caron pour un Homme, IMHO. Where Caron's rendition can easily become cloying, RSL remains beautiful and complex throughout its dry-down.

The clove adds just the right amount of spice to balance things out, and the amber and sandalwood in the base notes ensure a warm finish.

Damn near perfect.

Creed’s Royal Scottish Lavender is a nice composition. Subtle citrus smoothens the opening, as does vanilla the base. The lavender is pronounced, but not sharp or overbearing. I find lavender to have calming effect and RSL is no exception here. A scent I wear not to project, but to focus the mind and look within.

I would imagine that this particular lavender reacts in very different ways depending on the skin type. With my dry skin, it performs beautifully. Lavender can be brutal: Caron’s Pour Un Homme, for instance, has embarrassed me too many times by, without warning, becoming a sillage monster — I no longer wear it. There have been several times when I pushed Royal Scottish Lavender to its limits of application, heat, and humidity, and yet it has never “bloomed,” it has remained beautifully controlled, giving off a rich and natural and even fresh lavender note. The clove doesn’t misbehave at all and this scent has never gone medicinal or aromatic on me. Its drydown is quite quiet and dignified. If I were to name some complaints they would be that it gets a bit too powdery and that it doesn’t last long enough, but as far as its lasting power, it is a Creed so there’s no surprise. I think that naed_nitram is right, though, that Royal Scottish Lavender is quite stuffy — that’s probably why I like it so much.

Notes:
Bergamot, Neroli
Lavender, Clove
Sandalwood, Amber, Vanilla
Reformulated in 1975

A splendid lavender it is. All that easy to wear it is not. If I may quote the venerable de Charlus:"Poetic, quaint, fresh, prim, confectional, medicinal, old fashioned, somewhat delightful if somewhat staid."
If you want a fresh, spring-time, 'joie de Provence' lavender, de Nicolai's Haute Provence (nomen est omen) will be a good choice. If you want straightforward natural lavender, why not try the pristine lavender water from the good monks on Caldey Island, whose prices, I may add, are also more in the Christian spirit of sharing than Creed’s Royal Bill? RSL, despite its reformulation, does have a distinctly Victorian air about it, which is owed to the noticeable clove. It adds warmth and spiciness, but also makes for that certain stuffy-medicinal feel (not anywhere near the degree of Crown’s Park Royal, mind you). This, however, passes after a half an hour or so, as the clove recedes and the classical base note triad comes forth. The amber is first and adds a slightly animal/BO note, finally a very gentlemanly sandalwood-vanilla combination, interacting quite beautifully with the lavender, smoothens out matters significantly. The fresh opening and the classy drydown are the best parts of this fragrance, while the middle, which I would speculate was somewhat clipped in the reformulation, recalls memories, fond or possibly less so, of days long long past.

ZZ is absolutely right about this one; it is probably the best lavender based scent on the market that I've smelled. Unfortunately, at retail it is also probably one of the most expensive, but I have yet to find another that does the lavender so smoothly and softly. Caron PuH has always been a tough one for me to wear (the lavender just doesn't "feel" right on me), but this one manages to stay interesting all the way through drydown.

Royal Scottish Lavender (RSL) is a lavender-based fragrance of a very high quality. The top notes introduce one of the most natural smelling lavender that I have had the pleasure of experiencing. The lavender note is clean, slightly earthy and smooth at the same time. I detect a hint of citrus in the top notes too. The middle notes introduce a blend of spice and moss, before RSL ends the experience with a base of either vanilla or sandalwood (I wasnt able to find the official notes listing anywhere).

Just like the classic Caron Pour Un homme, lavender is the star of RSL. However, compared to Caron homme, the lavender note is far more complex and natural smelling in RSL. RSL is also a comparatively more complex fragrance. Overall, with decent longevity and a fantastic lavender note which makes its presence felt till the very end, RSL is an excellent fragrance worth seeking out.

I have fallen for this scent in a big way. My decant is used up and a 250ml bottle on its way! It just smells so natural. It has penetration but in a light sort of a way and it drys down (pretty fast) to a beautiful sweet vanilla which still projects just enough lavender. The initial blast of lavender action smells utterly wonderful, woody and fresh. For me this is a fantastically versatile fragrance, it works for formal or casual, hot or cold, day or night. Straightforward quality!!

Extremely nice scent and as the scent has been around for 140something years, surprisingly contemporary. Very fresh lavendar scent that plays well with casual attire and spring weather. Lasting power isn't the best, but it's worth a try for everyone.

The Baron de Charlus once told me: 'I recall the time when I was a houseguest at the Balmoral estate of Queen Victoria (or "Quack Quack" as we used to call her on account of the fact that she reminded us of a small stout duck). She gave us each a bottle of Creed's Royal Scottish Lavender.
"We are curious to know, de Charlus," demanded the Queen, "whether this fragrance, reputedly commissioned by ourself in memory of our dear Prince Albert, meets with your fastidious approval." "It is well known, my dear Quack Quack," I responded, "that sadly many Creed scents suffer from one of two faults: either from the infamous Creed arse note or from an incurable air of stuffiness. In the case of Royal Scottish Lavender, the infamous arse note is mercifully lacking, but not so the air of stuffiness. If I let my imagination wander, I conjure the following image: three of us are seated together in the royal train travelling through the Highlands: my own elegant self, your prim and portly personage dressed in widow's weeds, and the serious shade of your dear deceased consort Albert. The tenacious scent of Royal Scottish Lavender fills our compartment,strangely combining a sharp, natural air with an over-civilized medicinal and stuffy quality - in some ways reminiscent of herbal candy or those sticks of lavender rock one sometimes still finds in the jars of certain pharmacies. Poetic, quaint, fresh, prim, confectional, medicinal, old fashioned, somewhat delightful if somewhat staid."
The Queen blinked back a tear. "Much like my dear Albert, then," she commented, "and much unlike you, reeking of your decadent dandy's scents, your Musc Ravageur, your Habit Rouge, your Anucci Man and your Sybaris!"
I felt somewhat annoyed by these jibes at my exquisite taste and resolved to respond with the deadliest insults that a fragrance master can muster. "My dear Quack Quack," I replied icily, "I have it on the best authority that your precious Albert, when he was not stinking out the royal palaces with Cigar Aficionado or offending foreign dignitaries with the injudicious odour of Joop, would insist on boring the whole of English society to death with the bland tedium of Memoire d'Homme and Dior's Higher Energy! Enough said, I believe."'

RSL is a very light fragrance, so light in fact that some might be frustrated by its lasting power. I on the other hand love the fresh and clean aura it creates, even if it does so for only a few hours. A perfect post workout scent. The lavender is sharp and clearly masculine. I really like this but be sure to test before buying.

RSL is THE best lavender based scent I've ever encountered. A perfect balance of Lavender, subtle spice and moss. Not at all overwhelming or loud. Classy!!

A wonderful basic lavender scent for either sex. I find it lasts fairly well, though the latter stages must be sniffed directly from the spot applied. Pure in essence, but, as I keep saying, not worth the price of a vintage item.