Author: Alison Pitcher

From Acqua di Parma to Invictus Legend, this week’s latest launches are designed for men, yet so sublime that women will want them too. From breezy Tuscan Cypress to Creed‘s legendary Aventus, each one has a touch of the suave and a soupçon of summer.

ACQUA DI PARMA
CIPRESSA DI TOSCANA
Nothing says summer like seeing the iconic blue of Acqua di Parma’s bottles, and here we’re jetting to a secluded island in the Mediterranean (yes please, immediately!) to be surrounded by the serenity of nature. Close your eyes and feel the sunshine warm your soul as a star anise and bright elemi accord is illuminated by sparkling citrus notes of orange and petit grain, while sage, lavandin, cypress and pine provide the shade, perfectly.
£112 for 150ml eau de toilette
selfridges.com

BVLGARI
LA GEMME FALKAR
Master perfumer Jacques Cavallier once again evokes the intricate beauty of gemstones, this time a trilogy of musks with a masculine edge paying tribute to Australian white opal, Madagascan red jasper and here, the falcon’s eye of Brazil. This legendary stone’s blue-green iridescence shimmers through layers of decadent black musk, profoundly supple tanned leather notes and a downy cloak of rich agarwood. Despite the opulence, a verdant blaze transcends throughout the intricate complexities.
£223 for 100ml eau de parfum
harrods.comCREED
AVENTUS COLOGNE
Just as you enter the spicy beginnings, the woody heart and warming base resonate with unanticipated thrums of juicy freshness and mouth-watering appeal. Then, a surprise appearance of heady patchouli in the heart gets up close and personal with a balmy resin-rush of styrax as the Cologne dries down. We salute this fresh spin on bestselling Aventus, with fresh mandarin replacing pineapple of the classic, and a long-lasting, fruity/musk dry-down that resonates beautifully.
£215 for 100ml eau de parfum
creedfragrances.co.uk

DOLCE & GABBANA
LIGHT BLUE SUN POUR HOMME
Light Blue is shot through with the warmth of the Italian sun for summer 2019 – a study in contrasts between a chilled cocktail of Italian bergamot and frozen grapefruit, and the warmth of ginger. Cedarwood, cypress, coconut water and rosemary make for a cool-in-every-way heart, with oakmoss, white musks, vetiver and vanilla in the after-glow. An easy-breezy ozonic accord bathes the whole composition, meanwhile, delivering the allure of salty, sun-kissed skin.
£53 for 75ml eau de toilette
johnlewis.comPACO RABANNE
INVICTUS LEGEND
Domitille Bertier and Nicolas Beaulieu are the perfumer dream team behind this new interpretation of blockbuster Invictus. Intense, spicy-woody, it contrasts ‘fresh adrenaline and hot, powerful woods’, we’re told, with ‘a metallic freshness that blasts through desert heat’. How’s that achieved? Contrasting notes of geranium, green laurel and salty grapefruit are pitched against smoky guaiac wood, red amber and honey, to great effect. Go on, award yourself the Invictus Legend ‘trophy’ bottle.
From £53 for 50ml eau de parfum
feelunique.com

Breathtaking blossoms, Vanilla Vibes, and Riviera chic, they’re all here in this week’s latest launches. Will you swoon for Sahara Blue or succumb to Sana Jardin? Add a touch of Chanel Paris-Riveria, some HUGE sunglasses, and you’re ready, jet-set, GO!

BURBERRY
HER BLOSSOM
Longstanding Burberry perfumer Francis Kurkdjian tells us this fresh, airy interpretation of Burberry Her was ‘inspired by London’s parks in spring.The combination of plum blossoms, citrus notes and delicate peony petals create an unexpected floral breeze, and the addition of creamy sandalwood and hints of musk combine in this enveloping signature of enduring femininity.’ The so-pretty-in-pink flacon is inspired by an archival Burberry design, meanwhile – definitely our kind of hip flask.
From £44 for 30ml eau de toilette
johnlewis.com

CHANEL
LES EAUX DE CHANEL PARIS-RIVIERA
The latest olfactory flag on the map of Gabrielle Chanel’s life is firmly planted by Olivier Polge in the sands of the Côte d’Azur, making a quartet (following Biarritz, Deauville, Venise). Evoking the sun-drenched paradise Chanel helped to popularise, this is a bouquet of sheer summer petals, weaving together fresh citrus notes, jasmine and a special quality of neroli from orange blossoms harvested in the South of France, warmed by benzoin and sandalwood.
£99 for 125ml eau de toilette
chanel.com

JULIETTE HAS A GUN
VANILLA VIBES
The richness of vanilla cut through with a healthy sprinkle of sea salt plunges us immediately to childhood memories of the beach, sandy picnics and sticky fingers hastily licked as ice cream melts. Natural vanilla absolute is noticeable in the opening, but take a while to drip fully to the orchid-laden heart – and all the while a transparency prevents the sweetness from overtaking, a tremulous sunshine-filled daydream that shivers in the breeze.
£110 for 100ml eau de parfum
harveynichols.com

MORESQUE
SAHARA BLUE
Transporting us to the dunes of the Sahara desert under an infinite canopy of stars, there’s a grandeur granted to the seemingly humble ingredients of lemon, fresh ginger, pink pepper and the crisp greenness of Granny Smith apples. Juicy top notes, lavender and jasmine Sambac entwine with coriander, with a sunset slashing the cobalt blue sky as the softest swathe of oakmoss and a tingle of amber inhabit the suddenly chilled air.
£290 for 50ml eau de parfum
harrods.com

SANA JARDIN
JAIPUR CHANT
Sana Jardin are helping to put sustainability firmly on the scent agenda, a brand created primarily as a vehicle for social change, offering fragrances (by the esteemed Carlos Benaïm) which are exquisite enough to convert any eco-refusenik. They don’t launch newness every five minutes – au contraire – but introductions like this are worth waiting for, heady with tuberose, jasmine and French narcissus, freshened by lemon and ultimately smoothed by soft musks. Hypnotic, we’re finding.
From £180 for 100ml eau de parfum
sanajardin.comGUCCI
GUCCI GUILTY COLOGNE
Colognes are definitely having a moment – and with creations like this, we couldn’t be happier. Alberto Morillas’s modern reinterpretation of the centuries-old, classic construction – first invented in the XVII Century – lifts the spirits via vibrant Calabrian bergamot, rosemary, juniper and Spanish cypress essences, plus a floral breath of violet and heliotropine. No blink-and-you-miss it Cologne, however, it ultimately wraps skin in long-lasting layers of sensual patchouli, cedarwood and white musks.
From £52.50 for 50ml Cologne
thefragranceshop.co.uk

With musk, fruit, flowers and more than a touch of cool, this week’s latest launches will make a dreamy addition to any collection. Will you flirt with Floral, marvel at Musk Shamal or be enticed by Electric Rhubarb? The fun begins with choosing…

ARMANI/PRIVÉ
MUSC SHAMAL
Exclusive to Harrods until early autumn is this Julie Massé creation for Armani’s haute couture perfumery line, which sets out to capture ‘the air of the desert, dancing across the sand dunes of Arabia.’ It’s a deep dive into amber and cedarwood, armfuls of rose and jasmine, powering out of the onyx-coloured glass bottle on a tide of NoreenalTM, a modern, breezy aldehyde. Expect dust storms of musk, too, with vanilla further buffing the edges.
£225 for 100ml eau de parfum
harrods.com 

ATKINSONS
TULIPE NOIRE
A deeper, darker reinvention of Atkinson’s delicate 1929 creation Black Tulip, Fabrice Pellegrin’s Tulipe Noire is as enchanting as its original petalled namesake, with a contemporary feel. A spicy, warm coriander comes alive when shot through with a dazzling bergamot. The opulent floral heart of tuberose and jasmine sings, before the hushed whispers of musk, sandalwood and cedar are heard. Calming and soothing yet elegant: a veil of a scent.
£130 for 100ml eau de parfum
atkinsons1799.com

FLORAL STREET
ELECTRIC RHUBARB
Effervescent bubbliness abounds with sparkling rhubarb popping the cork on a frothy gush of gardenia, exotic frangipani and radiant jasmine Sambac. Already we’re in the sunshine and partying – tinkling laughter and clinking glasses the backdrop to a happy-making fragrance that’ll have you wanting to kick off your shoes and dance barefoot on the lawn. Perfumer Jérome Epinette has done it again – revolutionising notes we thought we knew, making them fresh, relevant, utterly wearable.
£58 for 50ml eau de parfum
floralstreet.comJIMMY CHOO
FLORAL
Constructed around the magnificence of the magnolia flower, this new eau de toilette represents contemporary femininity with a luminous sweet pea and apricot flower accord swirling around the central flower in a flurry of petals ruffled by a warm summer breeze of Ambroxan, musks and blonde woods. Perfumer Louise Turner says she wanted to create a fragrance ‘textured in elegance and softness,’ and from the sparkling top to the smooth base, it’s a triumph.
£49 for 60ml eau de toilette
debenhams.comGUERLAIN
L’HOMME IDÉAL COOL
In that sexy square Guerlain bottle, a new twist on bestselling L’Homme Idéal that wraps the original almond olfactory signature in three utterly refreshing accords. At first whoosh, experience the effervescence of bergamot, orange and a handful of mint leaves. In the heart, neroli makes a reappearance, with aquatic notes lapping alongside. And in the base – ensuring this has staying power on the skin – encounter vetiver and patchouli. Cool? Yes, and cooling.
£56 for 50ml eau de toilette
johnlewis.com

This week’s latest launches will inspire you to celebrate midsummer. With Prada Water Splash and Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Sun, chances of a sunny outlook are high. Azzaro brings us a warm front of floral vanilla and Guerlain provides a beguiling breeze of Shalimar Souffle d’Oranger. Probability of perfume shopping? 100%

AZZARO
WANTED GIRL
A positive constellation of superstar perfumers (from IFF) came together for this. Dominique Ropion, Loc Dong, Jean-Christophe Hérault and Fanny Bal offer us an overdose of fresh, acidic pomegranate, orange blossom, ginger flower and ginger essence, before giving this summer floriental a gourmand twist from delectably sweet dulce de lecce. Haitian vetiver is warmed by vanilla and tonka bean powder for a sun-drenched scent whose warmth certainly doesn’t fade as dusk falls.
From £46 for 30ml eau de parfum
feelunique.com

BOUCHERON
PATCHOULI D’ANGKOR
Here’s proof that patchouli can throw off its deep, dark and sometimes dark past to be reinvented as something sheer, summery and fresh. Here, patchouli has some unexpected bedfellows – pear, Bourbon pepper, jasmine and white musk – as well as more expected notes of bergamot in the top, guaiac wood in the soft base, offering further proof of perfumer Nathalie Lorson’s talent for reinventing notes, the better to delight and surprise our noses.
£175 for 125ml eau de parfum
Harrods.com

DOLCE & GABBANA
LIGHT BLUE SUN
Light Blue Sun ‘is an invitation to Capri,’ we’re told. Truly we don’t need asking twice to dive right into the island’s azure waters, evoked via mouthwatering top notes of Italian lemon, Granny Smith apple, coconut water and a breezy ozonic accord. Light Blue’s original jasmine and rose heart now pulses with nectarous wafts of exotic frangipani. As the sun sets, prepare for an encounter with cedarwood, white musks, Bourbon vanilla and amber.
£57 for 50ml eau de toilette
johnlewis.comGUERLAIN
SHALIMAR SOUFFLE D’ORANGER
Another splendid offering from the hands of Thierry Wasser. This airy reincarnation of Shalimar conjures the luscious gardens of the Taj Mahal with notes of tangerine, orange blossom and heady jasmine. A green, almost vegetal, petitgrain makes way for the soft nuances of neroli, before spoonfuls of silken vanilla are folded into creamy sandalwood. A juice as delicious as the beautifully adorned flacon it sits in, with its so-so-summery splashes of colour.
£79 for 100ml eau de parfum
selfridges.com

PRADA
L’HOMME WATER SPLASH EDITION
This limited edition spin on Prada L’Homme is 100% cool, inside and out, encased in a Saffiano paper label adorned with a print taken from Prada’s fashion collections. In yet another show of brilliance by Daniela Andrier, the citrus overture of neroli and bergamot is subtly spiced by cardamom, notes of ginger warming the cool iris heart. Fresh at first, Water Splash’s true character shows itself in its end-game, via cedarwood, sandalwood, smoochy amber.
£67 for 150ml eau de toilette
johnlewis.com

Mysterious mermaids and Indian Sandalwood await you among this week’s alluring latest launches. Byredo’s new scent will leave you Sundazed, Miu Miu tempts you towards amber with a Twist and heritage brand Floris invites you on a Neroli Voyage. We are powerless to resist!

ANNA SUI
FANTASIA MERMAID
Like the sparkling light reflections that shimmer on the sea, Fantasia Mermaid weaves radiant ingredients together. Blood orange, mandarin and cooling cardamom make for an effervescent start. Aqueous blooms float together in the heart of this scent, with peony, jasmine and watery lychee. An incredibly uplifting floriental, soft wisps of spices are woven throughout, housed in one of the most magical, coral-laden, mermaid topped bottles. Another dressing table-worthy wonder from Ms. Sui.
£40 for 50ml eau de toilette
qvcuk.comBYREDO
SUNDAZED
Paying tribute to the era of free love, Sundazed comes wrapped in all  things sunshine; bright, dazzling mandarin and Californian lemon. Neroli shimmers like the twinkle of light on water while Arabian jasmine cloaks your skin with its soft, yet opulent, touch. A dry-down of cotton candy and skin musks evokes distant memories of summers spent at beachside funfairs. A scent in which to bask in a state of summer-induced bliss.
£110 for 50ml eau de parfum
byredo.com

FLORIS
NEROLI VOYAGE
Inspired by an expedition Floris Perfumery Director Edward Bodenham took to retrace the footsteps of his ancestor, Robert Floris, this transports us from Antibes across the Ligurian Sea to the aromatic isle of Corsica and onwards to the Italian coastal town of Positano, our sails filled by a breeze fragrant with neroli, lemon, marine notes, jasmine, ginger and fennel seed. It weighs anchor via musk, amber and oak wood, indigenous to Corsica’s famous maquis.
£120 for 100ml eau de parfum
florislondon.com

MIU MIU
MIU MIU TWIST
Another gorgeous, sparkling, faceted Miu Miu bottle – matched here by the almost iridescent, light-hearted notes of this latest collaboration between Miuccia Prada and perfumer Daniela Andrier. It incorporates an exclusive new accord – an invention of Daniela herself – by the name of ‘pink amber’, a woody element conjures up burnt sugar cane cutting through crisp air, ‘or a musical laugh in the midst of a stately affair’, as Miu Miu put it.
From £49 for 30ml eau de parfum
debenhams.com

DUNHILL
SIGNATURE INDIAN SANDALWOOD
Gorgeous bottles from Dunhill, with caps reminiscent of the textured, award-winning Dunhill Icon bottle – but trust us, even more gorgeous is the quartet of juices inside the Signature collection’s flacons. The ingredients chosen for the fragrances echo Dunhill’s obsession with quality and provenance – and the first of those chosen materials is Indian sandalwood, lifted on a breeze of bergamot and wrapped in tree moss and patchouli. Wonderfully woodsy, a little damp – and quintessentially masculine.
£120 for 100ml eau de parfum
Harrods.com

A glorious gala of new fragrance awaits you with this week’s latest launches. Will you be Under the Lemon Trees or spritzing Tom Ford Velvet Gardenia? Whether you choose Givenchy’s precious Myrrhe Carmin or Cartier’s exotic Pasha Noire, we say Love, Don’t be Shy!

GIVENCHY
MYRRHE CARMIN
At the luxe end of the scent spectrum, you can discover L’Atelier de Givenchy’s array of opulent scents, in exquisite bottles – here, a striking black glass and red silk incarnation, promising ‘gothic allure’, as Givenchy put it. Resinous myrrh is spiced by cardamom and shot through with sweet vanilla, alongside subtler elements of bergamot, ginger and rose. We recommend a trip to Harrods to check out this entire, somewhat under-the-radar collection.
£169.50 for 100ml eau de parfum
harrods.comKILIAN
LOVE, DON’T BE SHY EAU FRAÎCHE
Kilian Hennessy launched Love, Don’t Be Shy as a gourmand ‘so yummy it would almost make you want to “take a bite” at your partner.’ It seems impossible that was 10 years ago, but to celebrate the birthday of one of his most successful fragrances it’s now released as an airy limited edition eau fraîche, shot through with airy neroli and petitgrain, peony and freesia, to create a gauzy, summer-perfect sweet treat.
£165 for 100ml eau fraîche
bykilian.co.ukTOM FORD
PRIVATE BLEND RESERVE VELVET GARDENIA
Tom Ford has been in the vaults – and we love him for it. He’s brought back to life eight fragrances, with six remaining exactly the same (Rive d’Ambre, Amber Absolute, Arabian Wood, Jonquille de Nuit, Bois Marocain and Italian Cypress), and two – including Velvet Gardenia – tweaked by the eternally perfectionist Mr. Ford. With a glamorously opulent jasmine note which didn’t exist when it first launched in 2007, its white floralcy is more sumptuous than ever.
£218 for 50ml
harrods.com

MAISON MARGIELA
UNDER THE LEMON TREES
It’s 1987, Palermo. You stroll through lemon groves, verdant grasses underfoot. You stop in the shade of a tree, a brief moment of cool in the warm Italian sun. The effervescent fizz of lemons surrounds you, while you’re sprinkled with dappled light. Coriander and maté absolute create the green foliage that shelters you, cedarwood and musks, the trunk and the roots that enfold you, while tea leaves bring calm. Truly, la dolce vita.
£96 for 100ml eau de toilette
selfridges.com

CARTIER
PASHA NOIRE ULTIMATE
For the many devotees of woody-aromatic Pasha Noire, a stunning limited edition flacon inspired by Cartier’s trinity rings in differing shades of gold, contrasted against eternally chic black glass. Green citrus, amber and cedarwood feature in the juice itself – which remains unchanged from the classic original, an energetic, long-lasting scent that balances zesty freshness with dark, deep woods. Masculine enough for the office – but apply more generously for a smoochy evening out.
£88 for 100ml eau de toilette
johnlewis.com

Prada, Prosody and poetic roses await you among this week’s tempting selection of latest launches. Add a touch of Couture from Mademoiselle Rochas, or maybe a spritz of Tom Ford and you’re all set for  a scented adventure!

MANOS GERAKINIS
ROSE POETIQUE
Rose is due a resurgence from its still sometimes dusty-fusty connotations, and there are two roads we can travel with contemporary rose scents, fresh and green or rambunctiously sashaying. This falls squarely in the latter, with an almost leathery, saffron-speckled opening that quickly becomes engorged with the tart juice of rhubarb, then freshened with ripe raspberries before your mouth puckers. Provocatively moreish, it begs for hot skin and passionate encounters.
£150 for 60ml eau de parfum
At Bel Rebel

PRADA
CANDY NIGHT
In a bottle that shaded from pink to midnight blue with the ombré mood of dusk settling, here’s a new and very feminine take on Prada Candy. It sets out to make our mouths water via a cocktail that opens with a sparkling zoosh of orange cutting through the double-sweetness of caramel and chocolate. Notes of iris, patchouli, musk and tonka beckon us to explore the world after dark, all dressed up and perfumed to go.
From £70.50 for 50ml eau de parfum
boots.com

PROSODY
NEROLI NUANCE
If there’s a more spring-like note than honeyed, green-spicy neroli, from the blossom of the bitter orange tree, we’ve yet to smell it. Prosody’s founder Keshen Teo showcases this bright white floral here in a seasonally note-perfect blend with mandarin, rosemary, jasmine sambac, candlewood, benzoin and galbanum. Green and cheering as the shoots emerging from the earth right now, it offers a lift to the spirits that’s so welcome, right now.
£135 for 50ml eau de parfum
prosodylondon.com

ROCHAS
MADEMOISELLE ROCHAS COUTURE
Conveying the utter chic of the Parisian woman, Mademoiselle Rochas Couture offers a lightly spiced opening that tingles with pink pepper, juicy pears and sharp bergamot, before a hypnotic heart of dewy lily of the valley, sparkling orange blossom and sweet heliotrope sets out to bewitch. Intoxicating flowers are further amped up with the carnal intensity of musks, milky sandalwood and tonka bean. All dressed up in a bow, and set to beautify any vanity table.
£38 for 30ml eau de parfum
escentual.comTOM FORD
BEAU DU JOUR
Technically ‘shareable’, we’d nevertheless place this firmly in the boys’ camp, with its bracing lavender cool of rosemary, geranium, oakmoss and basil. But there are decidedly dandyish facets, too: spices of saffron and cardamom are garlanded with plenty of jasmine, which smells just so good – though quite different – on a male skin, before patchouli and amber start to smoulder in the finish. A flowered hankie in the pocket of a pinstriped suit, this.
From £162 for 50ml eau de parfum
tomford.co.uk