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Yardley London are an iconic fragrance house, their heritage supposedly reaching all the way back to the reign of King Charles I, but The Great Fire of London in 1666 wiped out the records so we put the founding date at 1770. You can read far more whispers of this house’s fascinating history in The Scented Letter Magazine’s Best of British issue, but whatever the true date – we can all agree the name of Yardley has been around, like, forever. And instead of merely resting on that good name, it seems they’re ready to shake things up a little…

Showcasing a brand new collection of vibrantly contemporary, utterly wearable fragrances inspired by precious jewels, we were seriously impressed at their quality – learning at the launch that each fragrance has been composed by a prestigious perfumer – and with a with a seductive campaign fronted by ‘rock royalty’: one-to-watch, Tigerlily Taylor, daughter of Queen‘s drummer Roger Taylor.

The new style icon stars in an attitude-fuelled ultra-glam (and totally modern) film shot by world-famous photographer RANKIN (scroll down to watch it, below…) revealing Yardley London’s The Collection – perfumes aimed at bright young things of today who want to wear something unusual, but don’t want to pay the earth for the privilege! Priced within the reach of most people’s pockets, at £25 for 50ml eau de toilette, it means you can try the whole range without winning the lottery first.

So, let’s have a sniff…

Daisy Sapphire
Developed for Yardley by renowned perfumer Juliette Karagueuzoglu (who’s the nose behind fragrances for L’Artisan Parfumeur, Coach, Jimmy Choo and Yves Saint Laurent among many more) this simply sparkles with a dewy fresh, green floral bouquet ‘inspired by the striking vibrancy of the yellow sapphire, with a burst of cheerful, energetic top notes of dewy green leaves and apple unravels into hyacinth and white rose at its heart, drying down to warm base notes of sandalwood and musk.’

Juliette says: ‘I created this fragrance from memories of how a field of daisies smell, an abundant nature through elegant green leafy notes, the freshness of the air and the dewy mornings through its petal notes of roses and hyacinth. I worked on balancing the freshness, vibrancy of the notes and their sensuality to create a fragrance as varied as life itself.’

Rosie Ruby
Domitille Bertier‘s the perfumer, here (she created Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb, with Olivier Polge and Carlos Benaïm, and fragrances for Thierry Mugler and Hugo Boss to name just a few!) ‘An edgy, head turning fragrance that exudes the beguiling beauty of the pink ruby stone with ripe fruity top notes of mandarin, pear, peach and cassis, folding into an assertive heart of pink pepper, peony, rose and orange flower water, balanced by a soft, warm base note of cedar wood, sandalwood and vanilla.’

Domitille says: ‘I wanted to create a unique and unforgettable scent that gives confidence to every woman from the first spritz. I am proud of the combination of peony and pink pepper – a beautiful blend of raw materials! The floral bouquet is textured with fruity and spicy facets, which bring a modern touch contrasted with a creamy woodiness of sandalwood. The fragrance becomes addictive and creates such a sensual trail.’

Poppy Diamond
Juliette’s the nose for this one again, composing a ‘sophisticated, sparkling and uplifting sheer floral fragrance representing the brilliance and magnetism of the diamond with refreshing top notes of pear and bergamot, enveloped in a sweet, subtle note of honey with an elegant heart of rose, peony and lily of the valley, enhanced with a sensual base of cedar wood, sandalwood and vanilla.’

Juliette says: ‘I created this fragrance to express all the facets of a rose in a contemporary way. Rose is a very stimulating flower, always reinvented, always inspiring. Poppy Diamond has the brightness and brilliance of Damascenian roses in the Turkish fields, the light woody and subtle honey undertones for enhancement to give more power, femininity and sheer sensuality of one of the most captivating flowers.’

Lilac Amethyst
‘An addictive, intense and feminine floral woody fragrance, inspired by the irresistible beauty of the amethyst, blending pear, lemon and bergamot with basil in the top notes with a sensual heart of fig, peach, black pepper and heliotrope complemented by a warm, woody and spicy amber base.’ multifaceted floral woody fragrance inspired by the enchanting allure of the amethyst crystal. Exploring the trend for gender-free (anyone can wear them) floral woody scents, Nelly Hachem-Ruiz is the up-and-coming perfumer (best known so far for creating David Beckham Beyond), and here developed an intriguing blend of ‘fresh pear, lemon and bergamot with basil in the top note, leading into a sensual heart of fig, peach flower, spicy black pepper and powdery heliotrope, complemented by a skin soft, warm, woody amber base.’

Nelly says: ‘My goal for this fragrance was to create a memorable scent that fuses fresh and deeper sensual notes together in perfect harmony. This is a highly textured fragrance combining spices, herbs, florals and cologne notes around a heart of indulgent, creamy fig.’

Flora Jade
Anne-Sophie Chapuis is the perfumer behind two of the Comme des Garçon ultra-trendy fragrances, and was chosen here to compose ‘a sophisticated chypre bouquet that celebrates a popular olfactory trend in fine fragrance. The name Jade also pays homage to Sea Jade, Yardley’s ground-breaking fragrance of the 60’s. Crisply green, this floral chypre ‘captures the bold, exuberant spirit of the jade gemstone. Fruity, aromatic green top notes of peach, bergamot and galbanum blend with an airy floral bouquet heart of rose, jasmine, ylang-ylang and orris, delicately wrapped up in base notes of patchouli, sandalwood and moss.’

Anne-Sophie says: ‘I love chypres, which I consider to be the most sensual and sexy olfactive family and the most sophisticated. I have created a modern crisp green fresh-floral chypre that captures the bold, exuberant spirit of the jade gemstone. I wanted to create something airy, delicate, with a natural, earthy bouquet.’

Yardley London The Collection, £25 for 50ml eau de toilette
Buy them at boots.com

So now, with noses suitably primed, sit back and watch the brand new, so-stylish campaign, below. We think your only question should be which one you get first…

Written by Suzy Nightingale

There is no doubt that fragrance has the power to utterly alter the way we feel – it can lift our spirits, transport us to a specific time and place so rapidly we’re left reeling with sensorial shock or swathe us in comfort just when we need it most. But what about taking that further and using ingredients in perfumes to target particular feelings and to provoke our enjoyment beyond merely “smelling nice”?
Valeur Absolue take inspiration from aromacology, mineral therapy and the roots of 17th century fine perfumery: each scent created to fragrantly enhance a mood – the key ethos being to uplift, relax and revitalise. Of course fragrance-lovers instinctively understand perfume’s feel-good factor: But Valeur Absolue’s founder – Geneva-based Benedicte Foucart – wanted to take that one stage further. Imagine fragrances infused with ingredients known to soothe, to nurture, or to inspire passion. Imagine gemstones, not only creating something beautiful to look at – but, according to Foucart, helping to shift energies… With many people now subscribing to the idea that semi-precious stones can harness “healing” powers, it’s certainly a fascinating path to follow within the world of luxury perfume.

Having worked as International Vice President at Elizabeth Arden (where many fragrances were launched, during her tenure), and then perfume house Firmenich as head of global marketing, Foucart came to the brand with ample consumer experience. Indeed, Valeur Absolue was actually inspired by a consumer study of 10,000 women in the USA and Europe, which revealed ‘the growing dissatisfaction among women concerning the current offerings in the fragrance market,’ observes Benedicte, explaining, ‘Our products are “more” than perfumes; above all, perfumes that smell absolutely delicious, but they are also real wellbeing elixirs which offer real benefits to women.’
“Areumat perpetua” features in all the blends – a natural extract of immortelle flower, linked to the release in the body of feel-good beta endorphins. The ultimate vision Benedicte had for Valeur Absolue was ‘to bring fine fragrance and wellbeing back together,’ returning to the tradition of the 17th Century roots of fine perfumery, and the time when perfume had a health- or mood-enhancing powers.

Rouge Passion marks the seventh fragrance in their line, and takes the story further with regard to creating a scent that takes a more intensely sensual direction. Champacca is the stand-out ingredient for us, here (collars woven with champacca were traditionally worn by Indian women as a seductive ploy, so Benedicte informs us!) with a deliciously addictive quality that keeps your nose clamped to your wrist long after spraying. A softly powdered tonka bean was chosen to round off the base – a highly sophisticated yet totally on-trend gourmand touch that we dare you to try and resist…
Valeur Absolue Rouge Passion £59 for 50ml eau de parfum
Buy it at House of Fraser
Can crystals “heal” or enhance? Well whatever you believe, there’s no doubt the gem-filled bottles are beautiful objects in and of themselves, and the soft rattle you get with each spritz is terribly satisfying and soothing to play with. More than this – and most importantly – the fragrances smell great. These are not “spa” products, it was vital for Benedicte to give women contemporary, sophisticated scents they actually wanted to wear. The new branding – which we love – reflects this, and the whole ethos of the brand: wellbeing through elegant simplicity, for people who don’t want to compromise.
Interested in finding out more of these crystal-powered, mood-enhancing scents? Read our page dedicated to the brand to match the perfume to your personality, and check out their website for an in-depth guide to each fragrance….
Written by Suzy Nightingale