Two Girls with Oleander” by Gustav Klimt 1890 (didn’t he know the flowers could cause skin irritation?)
As a child I was fascinated with the natural world. My siblings and I spent all of our free time collecting objects of interest from the palmetto scrubs, streams and beaches of Florida's central east coast. Whatever implement we had on hand became a tool to extract or save our collected treasures. But one day, when we were discovered digging in the garden with the sterling silver flatware (and when a few crystal goblets were found to be converted into homes for various species of snails), my mother finally laid down the law – "You can look all you like, but don't touch anything!" This rule applied not only to the good silver and crystal (touching permitted on special occasions only) but also to the bright colored man-of-war jellyfish tangled in the flotsam at the seashore, the cute little multicolored snakes resting in the flowerbeds (red touches yellow – kill a fellow…) and to a host of beautiful but lethal flowers, fruits and plants. The most forbidden of all were the pink and white flowering shrubs known as oleanders.
Van Gogh Oleanders©
The extremely toxic Nerium oleander, a member of the Dogbane family that includes fragrant favorites like Plumeria, is commonly used in landscaping throughout southern United States and in warm climates around the world. In Victorian times, blooming oleanders were often kept in pots at the bottom of stairways, their distinctive waxen, spiced-fruity scent filling entire households with perfume. While a judicious whiff of oleander blossoms is considered to be non-toxic, a taste of the leaves, flowers, bark or branches can be fatal to humans and pets. Even honey made from the nectar and smoke from burning oleanders can be poisonous. Thankfully today we can safely enjoy the "intoxicating" scent of oleander via the art of perfumery, presented to us as the legacy fragrance Lili Bermuda Oleander.
Stuart Hall, St. George Bermuda
Oleander was one of the first scents created by The Bermuda Perfumery, founded in 1928 by William Blackburn (W.B.) Smith and his daughter Madeline Smith. In 2004, Isabelle Ramsay-Brackstone and her late husband Leslie Kirby Brackstone acquired the Perfumery and moved its operations to Stewart Hall in the historic town of St. George. In September 2018, commemorating the 90th Anniversary of The Bermuda Perfumery, Lili Bermuda launched a limited edition version of its Legacy Collection, six fragrances created in the early to mid 20th century: Easter Lily, Jasmine, Frangipani, Passion Flower, Bermudiana and my favorite – Lili Bermuda Oleander.
Oleanders on Lake Como Photo by Gail Gross©️
Lili Bermuda Oleander opens like the flower itself, waxen and powdery with a clean bright edge that borders on medicinal. This is indeed the scent of the forbidden oleander flowers I remember from my childhood, spiced with the brilliance of pink pepper and grounded in the rounded, lush softness of orange blossoms and honey. As Lili Bermuda Oleander develops on my skin, buttery, fruity notes and green, slightly aqueous suggestions of hibiscus flower add an overall tropical effect to the blossom. Lili Bermuda Oleander is a perfume that speaks of sultry summer afternoons by the lake or seashore, evoking memories of the rising and falling hum of cicadas and the unique charm of classic southern elegance that can only be described as silken, sophisticated and slow.
Lili Bermuda Oleander by Gail Gross©
As a soliflore, Lili Bermuda Oleander does not noticeably change over the six-hour life of the scent, but matures, warms and thickens into a humid twilight of jasmine, dark vanilla and white musk. Notes: Sweet orange, hibiscus, pink pepper, iris, oleander accord, muguet, vanilla and white musk.
Disclaimer: I would like to thank The Bermuda Perfumery for the boxed set of six vials of the Lili Bermuda Legacy Collection. My opinions are my own.
Gail Gross – Senior Editor
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Lili Bermuda Legacy Collection
Thanks to the generosity of Lili Bermuda we have one six-vial boxed set of the Legacy Collection which includes Oleander, Eastern Lily, Bermudiana, Jasmine, Frangipani and Passionflower or one available for one registered reader worldwide. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what appeals to you about Lili Bermuda Oleander based on Gail’s review and where you live. Which fragrance from the Legacy Collection might you like the best? Draw closes 11/12/2018
We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like ÇaFleureBon and use our Site feed…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.