Aesop have fragrance at their heart, but always linked to the efficacy and wellbeing benefits of their produtcs. Never a brand to slap a nice smelling scent in for the sake of it, they’ve now launched a trio of home fragrances created by perfumer, Barnabé Fillion, with the premise that Istros, Cythera and Olous will ‘…transform the home, redefining the physical space that surrounds us.’
Each of the room sprays has been commissioned with a bespoke musical track composed to evoke the notes of the scents themselves, and with such a connection between music and perfume – we speak of musical and fragrance ‘accords’, the ‘notes’ of a scent, a perfumer arranging their ingredients on an ‘organ’ – it’s an harmonious match, indeed.
Aesop say: ‘Just as each Aromatique Room Spray unfurls in a melody of top, heart and base notes, composer and musician Jesse Paris Smith has created three distinctive tracks to narrate the shifting journey.’
Istros
A union of enlivening florals and smoky tobacco, underscored by the embrace of sandalwood.
Istros is a scent of what has been left behind: a street baked by heat during the day, cooled at night; tendrils of tobacco smoke long dispersed; bazaars that bear the etchings of commerce, commotion and carnival. But more than this, it is a communion with the creative spirits who have journeyed through – an energy distilled from their traces.
Cythera
A veil of geranium and incense, lent symmetry by woody patchouli and the warmth of myrrh.
Cythera conjures a moonlit garden as vespertine flowers relax their petals and nocturnal animals emerge from sleep. Drawing us into the present, an atmosphere of reverence is stirred as darkness returns. The air in this space holds a delicate aroma woven with the memory of the day, and the promise of the evening ahead.
Olus
A blend of citrus botanicals, balanced by breaking waves of cedar and the refreshing spice of cardamom.
Just as words are born of our breath, Olous rouses an exhalation of clipped, green aroma. Boundless as it is, nature makes its presence felt inside the home – stillness ensues. The environment is redefined to an elemental time, when life was all silence – pleasantly devoid of the babble of phone chatter, or the burring hum of the mechanical.
You can listen to the soundtracks on the Aesop website, and we highly recommend taking a few minutes to sit down, spritz and chill to the scents…
Aesop Aromatique Room Sprays, £37 for 200ml
Buy them at Aesop
Written by Suzy Nightingale
Tag: Aesop
Invigorate your senses with Aesop – and be in with a chance to win tickets to discover Australia's Impressionists
The proudly Australian brand of Aesop have partnered with The National Gallery for the exhibition Australia’s Impressionists, showing until 27 March, and the very first UK exhibition of its kind. Featuring works by Tom Roberts, Arthur Streeton, Charles Conder and John Russell, the show ‘…unveils a distinctly Australian interpretation of the movement,’ and Aesop are offering a limited number of free passes to the show, if you can answer the artistic question on their website…
Established in Melbourne in 1987, Aesop’s main objective has been to formulate skin, hair and body care products by souring the very best of both plant-based and laboratory-made ingredients, and harmonising these precious essences in everything they do. Furthermore, Aesop explain they like to venture forth from the many boutiques and points of sale they’ve amassed around the world, and ‘…alongside our commercial activities, we explore and support the arts as an avenue through which to inspire, learn and communicate.’
To get you in the mood for gazing at artistic representations of glorious sunshine and flowers, why not pamper yourself with a fragrant spa-like, at-home treatment? As we write this, the sun is shining but the frost glitters cruelly, and what with the dehydrating side-effects of central heating and rapid temperature changes playing havoc with our skins, it’s a good time to slough off the despondencies of winter with an invigorating body scrub. And luckily, Aesop have our backs (and fronts and sides…)
Crisply camphorous to awaken your senses with essential oils of pine needles, the warm tingle of clove bud and richly herbaceous sage leaf, this enlivening scrub contains finely milled pumice and bamboo stem to meticulously buff away residual grime and prime your whole body for your chosen pampering product (we suggest a richly moisturising body oil, to be layered with your favourite fragrance for an extra long-lasting scented treat that will leave you glowing!)
Aesop Redemption Body Scrub £25 for 180ml
Buy it at Aesop
Written by Suzy Nightingale
