Ah, the seductive allure of not quite telling the truth when it suits you far better to weave a little lie. Swedish niche brand AGONIST revel in the olfactory exploration of literary and cultural themes that play a large part in our lives, and with their latest fragrance, White Lies – which we were lucky enough to smell at Pitti Fragranze earlier this month – the truth may not always be out there…
AGONIST say: ‘Like a white lie it entices you yet holds a promise of a deeper truth. With a fresh and tempting top of lemon, rasperry and lychee, it drags you in to a heart of jasmine, tuberose and heliotrope. The deep and sensual notes of patchouli, orcanox and vanilla in the base makes the composition truly unique and impossible to forget.’
Top notes: Lemon, rasperry, lychee
Heart notes: Jasmine absolute, tuberose absolute, heliotrope
Base notes: Patchouli, orcanox, vanilla
Founded by perfume-obsessed couple Niclas and Christine Lydeen, they share a love for fragrance, intrigued and fascinated by its power. As Niclas muses, ‘We started to think about themes and ideas. We wanted to show another side to this perception of clean Swedish design. We were more inspired by a poetic, darker and melancholic side of the Swedish culture and heritage.’
Continuing this darker exploration of poetic themes, White Lies takes you on a journey, slowly unravelling its multi-faceted nature as it warms on your skin. Explains Niclas, ‘White lies is a joyful and playful fragrance that doesn’t reveal itself at first, just like a little lie. It is a smooth sensation that becomes stronger. We wanted to create a scent that takes you to another dimension where dreams, stories and fantasies come to life. In the end it keeps its promise and becomes a symbol of truth, yet with some intriguing shades.’
Sweet at first – an Eton Mess of meringue swirled through puffs of whipped cream and sprinkled with tart fruitiness, like the lie itself, the further it goes the deeper it gets. As the floral heart blooms, so too does the base, reaching up and grabbing the blossoms with tendrils of resinous earthiness mellowed by the darkest, most delicious vanilla beans. You might say we found it rather difficult to resist…
AGONIST White Lies £115 for 50ml eau de parfum
Buy it at Avery Perfume Gallery
Written Suzy Nightingale
Tag: Avery
AVERY Perfume Gallery branch out at Harvey Nichols
We love it when our favourite perfumeries open off-shoots in larger stores – it gives perfumistas a new place to explore while also allowing a whole new crowd of perfume-lovers a chance to stumble across some future favourites. AVERY Perfume Gallery have a particularly diverse and fascinating range of scents with something to tempt all – from a die-hard niche lover to the just-dipping-toes-in classicist venturing into waters new… and now they’re finding a home at Harvey Nichols, London’s iconic Knightsbridge store.
AVERY Say: ‘Located on the ground floor, the AVERY Perfume Gallery space brings together some of the world’s most niche fragrances, presenting artistic perfumery at its best. The display and the setting are visually curated by Cristiano Seganfreddo (Vice President and Creative Director of Intertrade Group). It is composed of polished copper fixtures adorned with precious Italian white marble and luxurious printed textiles, which are used to customise the sofa, and also includes an original 50’s style console. Visitors can savour the fragrances and fully experience each aroma utilising classic mouth-blown olfactory boules. Exclusively designed for AVERY Perfume Gallery stores as well as a series of ceramic animals and birds entirely Made in Italy with special gold-effect plating. Every “Scent Animal” is exclusively created as a design object for the AVERY Perfume Gallery stores.’
‘With a history that dates back to 1831, Harvey Nichols has always been a leader in its selection of mixed, curated and contemporary fashion since the 90’s. AVERY Perfume Gallery perfectly mirrors Harvey Nichols’ attitude: the love for beauty, quality and a contemporary shopping experience, offering a taste of olfactive and visual emotions.A Lab on Fire: is a limited production brand, encapsulating the mystery of its creator and the genius of stimulating collaborations with the most brilliant talents in the world of perfumery.’
Among the many unique fragrances you absolutely must seek out, here’s some houses to explore further while you’re there…
Agonist: fragrances that represent the beauty of Scandinavian nature and culture. Each fragrance comes in a spray line as well as in handcrafted Swedish glass flacons.
AVERY Fragrance Collection: a collection of five perfumes (A, V, E, R and Y), devised by Celso Fadelli (President and Fragrance Curator of Intertrade Group), tracing unexpected olfactory itineraries.
Azagury: whose prét–à-couture scents and clothes are adored by the most glamorous women in the world.
Blood Concept: whose sanguine sensations run through every essence of the new 3 lines: BLACK, RED and UPSIDE DOWN.
Diane Pernet Paris: 4 one-of-a-kind fragrances from the global fashion icon Diane Pernet.
Préparation Parfumée Andrée Putman: an icon of interior design and her passions enclosed in six extraordinary scents.
Re Profumo: presenting characters from a novel as perfumes accompanied by an assortment of ceramics decorated with 24k gold.
Roads: the perfume collection by Danielle Ryan that consist of ten fragrances created in collaboration with the finest master perfumers of the United Kingdom.
Santa Eulalia: the famed fashion boutique of Barcelona created 5 fragrances that pay homage to the beauty of the Catalan’s city.
soOud: precious essences that welcome you into the world of the Orient are dedicated to the exploration of the senses.
S-Perfume: collection by former sculptor Nobi Shioya in which New York meets Japan and its traditions.
