John Ruskin once said, ‘The purest and most thoughtful minds are those which love colour the most’. I have to say, it’s a bazaar feeling to be wearing that clean, white blouse whilst spraying a brand-new bottle of bright blue perfume for the first time. But why do there seem to be so many of these colourful scents hitting the shelves at the moment? And why are we so keen to buy them? Theory suggests, that when you stimulate other senses and memories, other than just the sense of smell, we further spark ones imagination and emotive experiences. So it would make sense then, that you would potentially fall deeper in love with a colourful fragrance.
Fragrance is arguably an art form after all, and lately we have seen an emergence of art and fragrance collaborations, with many brands pairing with artists to add a further depth of creativity – whether it be illustrators inscribing bottles, or water-colourists adding splashes to the packaging. Terry de Gunzburg even held an exhibition ‘Making Colour’ at The National Gallery, whilst showcasing her newest colourful creations.
We’ve explored some of the latest of these interesting and rather beautiful scents…
Olfactive Studio Ombre Indigo £75 for 50ml
Buy it at: www.olfactivestudio.com
Olfactive Studio’s latest creation is born from collaboration between Brazilian photographer Gustavo Pellizzon and Robertet perfumer Mylene Alran. The result? A colourful blue scent that captures an ambience of depth, reflecting the shadows within us, along with a stunning visual that is a ‘tribute to grace’ and ‘the serene’. It’s an atmospheric, smoky blend of woods and resins in the top, saffron and tuberose in the heart and incense, benzoin and papyrus in the base.
Terry de Gunzburg Rose Infernale and Rouge Nocturne £127 for 100ml eau de parfum intense
Buy it at: Harrods
In collaboration with Michel Almairac, Terry de Gunzbuurg has crafted two opulent and intensely coloured scents taking inspiration from her passion for the ‘queen of flowers’ – the rose.
ROUGE NOCTURNE
Breaking hearts, this midnight rose with a deep red juice, blends a lurid top of Turkish rose and amber with a heart of vanilla, before settling into a base of Indonesian Patchouli.
ROSE INFERNALE
A simmering floriental that liquefies sweet and spicy Indonesian nutmeg, Turkish rose, Somalian frankincense and Haitian vetiver into a deep fuchsia-purple juice.
Illuminum #234 £95
Buy it at: Illuminum
The first of a three part ,’95 per scent’ series, addressing the relationship between the sense of smell and taste by exploratory brand, Illuminum. In collaboration with food artist, Tom Wolfe, this bright green scent combines the gastronomical ingredients of fennel, bergamot, lemon, yuzu and aniseed, with floral notes of geranium, mandarin blossom and jasmine.
Written by Alice Crocker
