A little while ago we treated some of our lovely Perfume Society subscribers to THE most extravagant lunch-break ever, as we reclined on sofas and armchairs within the swanky surroundings of Selfridges Everyman Cinema, thereby to watch The Eye Has To Travel – a doccumentary tracing the incredible rise and rise of inimitable Vogue editior and style guru, Diana Vreeland. It also gave people a chance to try the range of Vreeland-inspired perfumes, created in loving memory by her adoring grandson, Alexander Vreeland, and we had been lucky enough to attend a personal breakfast with him as we spoke about the very latest of the Diana Vreeland Parfums… and now we can finally tell you all about it, too!
All the fragrances are named for the oft-repeated phrases the grand-dame of fashion would utter in her unmistakably booming voice, and Simply Smashing is no exception. Created by perfumer Clement Gavarry who was inspired by Diana Vreeland’s love of the island of Capri, and is quite simply one of most delicious uses of citrus we’ve yet come cross.
Spritzing this on the skin smelled like we had been immediately transported to a sunlit poolside with a faaaaabulous view, being served tempting morsels of toast lavishly slathered with homemade marmalade, pots of Earl Grey tea and perhaps a cheeky little snifter of gin and tonic to get the day started as you mean to go on… Best of all, the composition has been specifically created to last and last – so different to those disappointing blasts of freshness that die within the hour in most citrus-based perfumes – this is a zestiness that keeps on giving the whole day through.
Opening with a tart, luminous union of lemon oil and Calabrian bergamot, we dive headlong into aromatic juniper berries, basil and lemon verbena before softening the mix with geranium, suede and a final trail of softly woody notes to follow you like a whisper into the evening sunset. Glorious and vibrant, quite unforgetable – it’s another feather in the (very stylish) cap for Diana Vreeland Parfums, and a fittingly fizzy, happy way to remember this remarkable lady…
Smashingly Brilliant £133 for 100ml eau de parfum
Buy it at Selfridges
Written by Suzy Nightingale
