Darren Alan Perfumes Butterfly Bush review

Darren Alan Perfumes Butterfly Bush

“Look, a butterfly. Did you make a wish?

You don’t wish on butterflies.

You do so. Did you make one?

Yes.” ~ Louise Glück, poet

Darren Alan courtesy of Darren Alan Perfumes

Butterflies: they go by so many expressive names! Be they called mariposa (Spanish), papillon (French), Schmetterling (German), vlinder (Dutch), farfalla (Italian), borboleta (Portuguese), fluture (Romanian), babochka (Russian) – or a vast variety of fabulous, onomatopoeic (a word that mimics the natural sound of the thing it describes) designations, butterflies capture the imagination. Artisanal perfumer Darren Alan’s offering on a salute the humble, colorfully fragrant Butterfly Bush – and with it, the last glorious gasp of August’s summer pleasures.

Buddleia, aka butterfly bush – is one of those comely additions to the summer garden which not only smells divine, it attracts bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds. A woody perennial shrub, buddleia has been known to spread like wildfire and can become a bit of a nuisance, given the opportunity. We’re not here to give this vividly-hued, plume-like, bottle-brush shaped beauty a bad name: it offers pollinators an opportunity to gather its honeyed, richly sweet nectar during a part of the summer when such sources tend to be low.

Butterfly on a Butterfly Bush by Darren’s Husband Vaughn

For me, the butterfly bush’s ability to sustain butterflies and bees outweighs its tendency to take up real estate. I heartily agree with Darren that these flowering plants are emblematic of late summer; they are intoxicating. The butterfly bush comes in a rainbowlike array of colors: purple, violet, blue, lavender blue, pink, red, magenta, white, yellow, orange – and even bicolor varieties. It is the dark purple, violet, magenta, and lavender-blue which attract the largest number and widest variety of regional butterflies and skippers (the latter bridge the gap between butterflies and moths); the magenta and brighter raspberry pinks attract larger butterflies and hummingbirds; white and ivory hues tend to attract fewer butterflies, many bees, wasps, and nocturnal moths. Yellow and orange buddleia attract bees and small pollinators – but they are not quite as popular as those on the blue-violet spectrum. Who knew?

I’ve watched you now a full half-hour;
Self-poised upon that yellow flower
And, little Butterfly! indeed
I know not if you sleep or feed. ~ To A Butterfly, by William Wordsworth

Darren Alan Perfumes Butterfly Bush opens with a zingy note of bergamot, which I very much welcome as a prelude to a heady floral. It’s brisk and tonic, and grabs your attention like a citrus breath of fresh air. Bergamot consorts beautifully with an herbaceous, clover tone my nose picks up: this may be attributed to the amyl salicylate employed in Darren’s formula. There’s also linalyl acetate present; it complements bergamot and hints of lavender – furthering the evocation of greenery. These impressions are more fleeting than the sumptuous jasmine and heliotrope which follow closely behind them. These florals are shamelessly decadent: a pollinator’s paradise. Who could blame the bee? We essentially [sic] become the pollinator as we bury our proboscis in Butterfly Bush’s nectar, honeyed and indolic. The animalic underbelly of both jasmine and the bee is beautifully underscored by Darren’s proprietary vintage musk accord and ambrette seed. Orris provides yet another companionable facet, with its subtly earthy woodiness and suede nuances. A dash of buttery sandalwood and woody vanilla provide the finishing touch to Butterfly Bush’s expansive, joyous fragrance. What a sensual way to acknowledge the estival beauty of August. Darren Alan has given us one more full-bodied, glorious perfume. Wear it and be wonderful.

Notes: bergamot, jasmine, heliotrope, vintage musks, ambrette seed, orris root, sandalwood, vanilla

I purchased my bottle of Butterfly Bush through Darren Alan Subscription Perfume of The Month club. My nose is my own…

~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor

Darren Alan Perfumes Butterfly Bush

Thanks to the generosity of Darren Alan Perfumes, we have a 10 ml bottle of Butterfly Bush for one registered reader in the USA. You must register for your entry to be counted. To be eligible, please comment on what sparks your interest based upon Ida’s review, and that you live in the USA. Draw closes 8/22/2026

All images courtesy of the perfumer unless noted.

Read more reviews of Vintage Novel, Dust and Clay, CaFleureBon X Darren Alan Lipstick Queen, Hekate, Big Island, Vrai Violette, ÇaFleureBon X Darren Alan Scarab Queen

Darren Alan is also a contributor to our in-depth essays on Perfume Notes and Ingredients: Read Narcissus in Perfumery Benzoin in Perfumery Cinnamon in Perfumery

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