Our take
What does Burberry London smell like?
Released in 2006, Burberry London pays tribute to the British capital, its bottle dressed in the house’s famous check fabric. The scent unfolds as a warm, polished floral. The opening combines honeyed honeysuckle, juicy tangerine and rose. The heart moves into creamy white flowers: sunny tiare, jasmine and fresh peony, tender and bright at once. Sandalwood, musk and patchouli in the base add a woody softness that recalls wool and the leather trim of a coat. It is a discreet, comfortable floral oriental, as suited to the city as to grey days.
When to wear it
Perfect in autumn and winter, for daytime or the office. It suits those who want warm white florals without excess.
The story of Burberry London
In 2006 Burberry was in the middle of a revival under creative director Christopher Bailey, who had arrived a few years earlier. The brand wanted fragrances that sold the idea of London as much as the trench coat. Burberry London came out that year in two versions, for women and for men, under licence to Inter Parfums. The bottles are wrapped in a band of the house check, which makes them some of the most recognisable Burberry has produced. The women's scent itself doesn't chase effect. It's a warm floral of honeysuckle, tiare and jasmine over sandalwood and patchouli, closer to a well-cut city wardrobe than an evening gown. Burberry took its fragrances back in-house in 2012, then licensed them to Coty in 2017. Since then the brand has put most of its energy behind Her and Goddess, and London has become a quiet classic in the catalogue. It never got campaigns on the scale of those later launches, which we find a bit of a shame.
Our detailed review
It starts out more honeyed than you'd expect. Honeysuckle leads, rounded by juicy mandarin, with the rose in the background. After half an hour tiare takes over with a creamy, almost sunny texture that contradicts the rainy image of the name. Jasmine and peony keep things clean. This is the best phase, soft and quietly bright. Three or four hours in, sandalwood and patchouli bring back warmth, with an earthy touch that stops it going bland. We like how comfortable it is, never shrill. The flaw is a lack of relief. It doesn't say much more after the first hour, and it lacks one strong material that would make it memorable. The honeyed side can also turn a little waxy on warm skin. It suits women who want an enveloping city floral for winter without vanilla or sugar. Anyone who likes scents with a strong personality will find it too well-behaved.
Burberry London vs its rivals
Gucci Flora shares six notes with Burberry London. Mandarin and peony, rose and patchouli, sandalwood and musk turn up on both sides. They part ways quickly, though. Osmanthus and citrus make Flora a light, powdery spring floral, while tiare and honeysuckle give London a creamy cold-weather warmth. For winter, London. For spring, Flora. Kilian's Love Don't Be Shy takes honeysuckle, jasmine and rose and coats them in caramel, sugar and vanilla. It's a marshmallow gourmand, far sweeter and far louder. If London feels too discreet, that's the direction to try. Chanel's Allure shares mandarin, rose, jasmine and sandalwood, with peach and vanilla making it rounder and silkier. It's the most accomplished of the three, and also the most conventional.
Longevity, projection and use
Burberry London is a moderate eau de parfum. Expect six to eight hours on skin, and longer on a wool coat, where the sandalwood hangs on. The trail stays reasonable: present for the first hour, close after that. Two or three sprays work well, one on the neck and the rest on the chest or a scarf. It's office-safe. Wear it in autumn and winter, day or evening. It still works on cool spring days. In summer, honeysuckle and tiare turn sticky, and we leave it on the shelf.
It belongs to the Floral, Oriental / Amber family. Burberry London is one of 3 creations by Burberry in our encyclopedia.
