Today we’re taking a deep dive into the art behind the Maya Njie fragrances in her sensorially interwoven and utterly intriguing Discovery Set, which we are thrilled you can now purchase from The Perfume Society shop!
Maya Njie (pronounced ‘Maia N-Jai’) has uniquely diverse familial and artistic roots to bring to her fragrance creations. Being born in Västerås Sweden, with a West African heritage, and later moving to London in her teens, Maya went on to study at the University of the Arts.
Weaving together these threads via the medium of the senses, Maya began experimenting with smell alongside the the visual mediums of colour and photography. Indeed, so Maya told us when we first met her, the studio often gained visitors of passers-by who’d been attracted first by the wonderful scents wafting from the doors…
‘Some would ask if they could buy whatever fragrance it was, and I had to explain they weren’t for sale. But it got me thinking…’
Truly, wearing her heritage and inspiration on her skin, the fragrant future of Maya Njie was forming.
Maya had chosen the stimuli of an old family photo album for her inspiration – the images within were taken decades before her birth, but she found their faded colours and snapshots of familial life so fascinating to pair to fragrances.
Gaining notoriety from glowing fragrance reviews all over the world, now, we are thrilled to be working with Maya Njie at The Perfume Society, and to offer her fabulous Fragrance Discovery Set now in our shop!
Within Nordic Cedar, for example, we may never have visited the Swedish Forest it was inspired by, but we feel a sense of towering trees, the reassuring comfort of cedar and earthy patchouli enclosing us as cardamom gifts brightness, ambergris adds a touch of mist.
For Vanilj, the traditional Swedish note of cardamom is used again, the comfort intensified by addictively dark vanilla that swirls boozily amidst ambered musk.
In Tobak, addiction is ramped up via the honeyed smokiness of the tobacco leaf, a trail of animalic musks and leather resonating many hours later.
Incorporating music as another inspirational medium, Les Fleures is named for Minnie Ripperton’s 1970 song, a green floral scent that ripples with bergamot’s brightness, magnolia and sweet fig, an ‘unbound celebration of life, love and creation.’
Those longing to escape might yearn for Tropica – an invitation to imagine ‘trading in a dark, bleak and cold setting for a warmer climate far away, with flourishing green vegetation and remote beaches’ with tropical fruits lushly layered on sandalwood and coconut.
And in the latest launch, Voyeur Verde, nature claims an abandoned car, leaves and creepers entangling the leather seats, a wonderfully verdant burst of rebirth and ‘balmy cypress trees shadowed by the Sierra Bernia mountains.’
Viva Magenta is the Pantone Colour of the Year 2023 and, given the many links between colour, mood and smell, I thought it was only right to find some scents that vividly help express this vibrant colour in fragrant form…
Each year, the influential Pantone Colour Institute chooses a ‘colour of the year’ which guides fashion, interior design and all manner of micro trends for the coming seasons. For this year’s choice of ‘Viva Magenta’, Pantone explains their thinking, and what the colour represents emotionally…
An unconventional shade for an unconventional time
Pantone’s Colour of The Year, Viva Magenta 18-750, vibrates with vim and vigour. It is a shade rooted in nature descending from the red family and expressive of a new signal of strength. Viva Magenta is brave and fearless, a pulsating colour whose exuberance promotes a joyous and optimistic celebration, writing a new narrative.
This year’s Colour of The Year is powerful and empowering. It is an animated red that revels in pure joy, encouraging experimentation and self-expression without restraint, an electrifying, and a boundless shade that is manifesting as a stand-out statement. PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta welcomes anyone and everyone with the same verve for life and rebellious spirit. It is a colour that is audacious, full of wit and inclusive of all.
As a nuanced crimson red tone that presents a balance between warm and cool, PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta is also a hybrid colour, one that comfortably straddles the physical and virtual in our multi-dimensional world. It is assertive, but not aggressive, a carmine red that does not boldly dominate but instead takes a “fist in a velvet glove” approach. Exuding dynamism, PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta is a transformative red tone capable of driving design to create a more positive future.
Reading about their inspirations for Viva Magenta, it struck me the language used in the Pantone report was very similar to how fragrance houses describe the emotional resonance of their scents – and little wonder, given the myriad threads that connect colour, perfume and mood.
‘The evidence from numerous studies demonstrates that simply changing the colour of a fragrance can change the way it smells to us’ –– Professor Charles Spence, Head of Oxford University Crossmodal Research Laboratory
‘Seeing red’, ‘feeling blue’, going ‘green with envy’ – we’ve linked colours with emotions for centuries. But there is science behind the pairing of certain hues with sentiment and sensation. And fascinatingly, some of your favourite fragrances are packaged in tones designed to suit the mood the scent is trying to evoke; indeed, they may even have deliberately dyed the ‘juice’ a particular shade on the colour spectrum to evoke specific feelings, provoke memories and metaphorically ‘colour’ the way you smell them.
‘Our perfumers can type the name of colour in our database and it will pull up a list of ingredients proven to stimulate certain emotions and responses in people.’ –– Céline Manetta, PHD, CSI Global Innovation Senior Manager IFF
We could all do with some extra bravery, joy and exuberance in our lives right now, so given these crossmodal (overlapping of senses) connections, I’ve chosen some fragrances that use magenta as a touchstone to bring this powerful, bright and uncompromising colour to the fore as we wear them on our skin….
Armani Prive Magenta Tanzanite
Composed as a tribute to the spectacular colours of Africa’s landscape, a cool breeze of cardamom is warmed by furling plumes of honeyed tobacco smoke, spicy ginger and the energising scent of coffee. A lively dance of contrasts, this sizzles pleasingly. £260 for 100ml eau de parfum armanibeauty.co.uk
Juliette Has a Gun Mmmm
Even the name was designed to be onomatopoeically pleasing, and the delicious melange of ripe raspberry, geranium and bright neroli conjure forbidden fruits, while orange blossom and tuberose hypnotise the senses to a deliciously drenched creamy musk trail. £90 for 50ml eau de parfum selfridges.com
Mugler Angel Nova
This iteration twists ripe raspberry and succulent lychee with damask rose atop a darker base of Akigalawood and resinous benzoin. Definitely one to try if you clutched your pearls and backed away from the original. This is pretty, fresh but with a burst of petal power. £77 for 50ml eau de parfum theperfumeshop.com
Parfums de Marly Oriana
Plush, velvety fruitiness conjures an 18th century French mistress idly sucking pastilles while sighing on a chaise lounge. Pale flowers tremble, a sudden decision is made to give in to passion, and the soft, skin-like scent of ambrette billows beguilingly for hours. £120 for 30ml eau de parfum harrods.com
Goutal Rose Pompom
Exuding playfulness a sparkle of blackcurrant and raspberry are swirled with armfuls of dewy roses, a flurry of petals and joyful pops of pink pepper reminding you of love, light, laughter with friends. Happy memories meld with the scent to create a wearable smile. £76 for 50ml eau de toilette houseoffraser.co.uk
Jusbox Sirens & Sailors
Paying homage to the unforgettable British soul singer Amy Winehouse via a kiss of peachy osmanthus, the smoky swagger of booziness in the heart softens to suede-like whispers and a smooth patchouli base resonates thrillingly until way past your bedtime. £168 for 78ml eau de parfum selfridges.com
Lancôme La Vie est Belle Intensément
Affirming ‘happiness as the ambition, as a way to live life to the fullest and without making any sacrifices’ if ever a scent invited positivity, it’s LVEB’s euphoric burst of pink pepper, bergamot and raspberry, with a floral, velvety heart and a pulsing baseline of vanilla and iris. From £87 for 50ml eau de parfum lancome.co.uk
Colourful fragrance feeds on Instagram are lighting up our life right now – most especially as we’ve just published the latest edition of The Scented Letter magazine with the theme of ‘Perfume’s Bright Future.’
Because fragrance truly has been brightening the darkness of the last year for so many of us – both literally and metaphorically – and we now know that colour, emotions and scent are not only metaphorically linked, but scientifically proven. Changing the colour of the bottle, packaging or juice inside can drastically alter our perception of how a perfume smells to us. And, as you will discover in this biggest ever issue: fragrance designers have mapped out your mood, sometimes long before the first drop of an ingredient has been added to the composition.
But really it all comes down to that immediate uplifting appeal that bright colours and the right fragrance can have – a whizz, bang, pop! of rainbows bursting forth from our phone screens just make everything seem jollier, somehow. And how we’ve needed that of late.
Here are some of our favourite multi-hued, must-follow fragrance feeds on Instagram, for whenever you need to smell in full colour...
dr.elle.perfume
A perfume collector based in the U.K., Dr. Elle’s account is a brilliantly curated glimpse at her incredible collection – displayed in a rainbow of colours. Fascinating to see the colours en-masse, to spot rare bottles and be entranced by her impeccably arranged flatlays!
anillustratednose
In her ‘spare time ‘from working in science, Nafia is a talented artist who renders some favourite fragrances in hand-drawn illustrations. Often surrounded not only by their literal colours, but those the scent evokes for her, adding another sense to seeing them on screen.
yura_perfume_collection
A perfume collection of dreams, we wonder how many bottles Yura has in total, with snippets such as ‘Photos of a few months ago. And have collected 300 bottles more after that…’ Exquisite flacons, usually arrayed by house, showing their full scent spectrum.
suzys__niche_fragrance_reviews
No not my collection (I wish!) but this Suzy shows her ‘passion for fine fragrance expressed through reviews and photos.’ Wonderfully evocative and so-colourful backdrops give another vibe to her really great descriptions of how the particular perfumes make her feel.
markus.ebrahim
Anyone who keeps fragrance bottles in a cocktail cabinet is right up our street, and Markus describes himself as a ‘perfume extremist’, whose Instagram also serves as a scent diary. A rapid response nurse for the NHS, his feed is full of color, wit and personal reflections.
fragrance.obsession
Exploring both niche and more mainstream designer houses, colourful flowers and themed layouts are often employed to accompany her lovely reviews (sometimes even matched with nail polish too!) We love her trays of monthly scent sellections as well: so organised!
alltheperfume
Sarah has an extraordinary collection we’ve previously shared in The Scented Letter magazine’s #ShareMyStash feature, having visited her home and seen the beautiful bottles for ourselves! Gorgeous photos and thoughtful reviews of often more affordable houses.
We often liken a fragrance to texture – ‘velvety’, ‘smooth’, ‘suede’ – or colours, temperatures and emotions. With so few words in our language dedicated to smell alone, we must reach out with our other senses and make a connection between them and what we are smelling.
Arun Sispal is an artist and designer who sought to explore these connections in a tangible way, translating them into fragrant form with the help of British indie perfume house 4160 Tuesdays. You can now experience the results at his exhibition within the Royal College of Art – which is FREE but ends 1st July 2018, so we urge you to make haste before you miss it!
Scroll down for full details of how to get there, but for now we caught up with Arun, and asked him to explain the concept in his own words…
Arun Sispal: ‘The sentence I use to summarise what the work is about is -“If you were unable to experience the qualities of fragrance through the olfactory system, how could you experience its qualities through senses of touch and sight?”
Essentially, this project is to be viewed as a ‘conversation’ and ‘enquiry’, as opposed to a design piece with a final end outcome. The work discusses notions of ‘Interpretation’ and ‘blended senses’, and how the senses can influence one another. The conversation is made up of 3 stages:
Stage 1– I created a bespoke scent Stage 2– I responded to the scent created through design and material creation Stage 3– The design work was taken to 4160 Tuesdays, where Sarah McCartney created a fragrance response to the design work.
Stage 1– I created a scent at 4160 Tuesdays with a perfumer named Harry. We had several attempts and I described the type of scent I wanted. I needed the scent to have body and definition, as opposed to being something that was very silent and undefined – this was to allow for a successful material interpretation of the scent; because if it was quiet and did not have many facets, I don’t feel the design response would have been engaging or understandable.
In the end, we created a super heavy, dark and dusty scent, with a veil of Dorinia rose that glistens on tops, eventually drying down to something quite powdery. It is a scent than keeps changing, and shows new sides, and that is what I wanted- for it to fleet between these quite dramatic moments.
Stage 2– I then spent time responding to the scent. Thinking about the colours it evokes, the journey of the scent and how it develops over time, its weight, texture etc. (all of these elements that are both tangible and intangible, but once sprayed and in liquid form, this sense of physicality is no longer present). I also got those around me to tell me what the scent evoked for them and any memories, and the responses were so varied and unexpected- depending on their age, location etc.
In terms of the colours… Initially these super dark charcoals and blacks, quite scratched on surface, as the scent isn’t forgiving or a wallflower, but it shouts, and these tones reflected the intensity of the smoke. Also, a refined selection of bitten pink and metallic blush, reflecting the Rose when it is both shrouded in smoke and at its most brightest, clean stage. An abundance of mid tones that do not necessarily sit under the ‘pink’ or ‘grey’ heading, but instead are quite unsure of their identity, and shift between the 2, reflecting the transiency and ephemerality of the scent, and how it develops so much.
And in terms of the materials, using heavy wool felts in super flat, monotone charcoal and gunmetal coloured metal aspects, to reinforce the weight of notes like the agarwood, karmawood and white birch, and then contrasting this with delicate degrades of embroidery in metallic pink that shimmer on the surface, like the softness of the rose.
Stage 3– The design work was then taken to Sarah McCartney of 4160 Tuesdays, who spent time understanding and looking and touching the materials, and trying to create a connection between their physicality, and the array of ‘ingredients’ at the facility. One of the most prominent and interesting elements that Sarah picked up on was the use of gunmetal coloured wire that lay on top of the wool felt in a regimented, slightly aggressive way, and how its edges ‘poked’ out of the surface.
She wanted to use a note that had the same ‘pokey’ feeling – eventually opting for pink and black peppercorn- due to their instant ‘hit’ that knocks your head back when you smell it. This was such an exciting part of the project, as it was great to see the way that a professional perfumer is able to interpret the visual and aesthetic, which is the job of a designer.
The work was an experiment that had materials at the heart, how to tell a story in a multisensory way. It is about sensitivity, and it is also quite romantic…’
Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore, Kensington, London, SW7 2EU 12-6pm, 28th June- 1st July (closed 29th June) Located in ‘Textiles’
As children, we used to endlessly repeat tongue-twisters, one of our favourite (of course it would be flower themed) being:
“Moses supposes his toeses are roses,
but Moses supposes erroneously;
for nobody’s toeses are posies of roses,
as Moses supposes his toeses to be…”
We’re not sure from whence the rhyme originally sprang, but it was clearly from the mind of a scented beauty visionary, for now your ‘toeses’ can indeed be ‘posies of roses’. Or, well, at least they can smell like roses while being painted in an array of sumptuous nail polish shades, in a veritable bouquet (over seventy in the collection, so it’s a BIG bouquet) of rose-scented, floral-themed colours and names, by the hands-down Queen of ‘Fabulous Hands’ (and feet), Margaret Dabbs.
Margaret Dabbs says: ‘Themed around the names of English flowers, the 72 beautiful shades of polish take inspiration from the wonders of nature. The soft, light pastel tones of spring-time jasmine and apricot blossom contrast delightfully with the classic, rich winter-time reds of crimson rose and poinsettia. Vibrant summer shades such as fuchsia and gerbera daisy give the range a vivid diversity of colour, which will guarantee the perfect finish to your manicure.’
Using a unique formula personally created by Margaret ‘to promote nail health and vitality’, vitamin E strengthen and protects the nail bed, with wild rose botanical extract not merely there to smell pretty – it reduces inflammation, helps prevent infections and (the best bit, for us) leaves the oppulent, lasting scent of wild roses on the nails long after the polish is dry. Free from potentially harmful indredients such as formaldehyde, toluene or DPB, Margaret assures the formula is so good for your nails that they’ll remain healthy – even after removing the varnish.
As you know, we’re always ready to get our noses into products that use scent in a unique way, and this summer we predict many a beach, garden or pool-side will witness scenes of people sniffing their manicures (and pedicures, if they’re flexible enough!) Instead of supposing they have heatstroke and need to be taken indoors for a glass of water and a nice lie down – now you know they’ll simply be enjoying the scent of wild roses (on their toeses)… Margaret Dabbs London Nail Polish £14 each
Buy them at margaretdabbs.co.uk and Margaret Dabbs London Clinics.
