Tag: gourmand

Aromatic Awakening: The Art of Coffee in Fragrance Design

In a world where the boundaries between our morning ritual and our signature scent are deliciously blurring, coffee has become the aromatic muse captivating perfumers worldwide. From the steaming cup that awakens our senses at dawn to the complex coffee notes that linger on our skin at dusk, this beloved bean is experiencing a remarkable renaissance in fine fragrance. So now, we invite you to explore how coffee – once merely the companion to our daily routines – has transformed into the most intoxicating note in modern perfumery…

There’s a fascinating symbiosis between fragrance and flavour in how coffee enters the perfumer’s palette. Indeed, often these two teams of scientists-meets-creatives are based in the same building. Romantically, we could imagine famous noses sitting at their desks and raising their noses to discover where a delicious aroma is wafting from, tracing it to the basement of the Flavours department, and then jostling with their employees to be the first to use an exciting new discovery. Though one supposes it’s a rather more prosaic testing and development process than that fantastical scenario, before the food ingredient crosses the floor to the perfumers’ portfolio.

Quite apart from the reciprocal correlations between what we smell and taste (it’s commonly cited that up to 80% of ‘flavour’ is experienced through retro-nasal olfaction as we eat); another intriguing connection is the fact that, just as perfumers rely on fragrance wheels to navigate the olfactory landscape, coffee connoisseurs often employ tasting note ‘wheels’ – colour-coded charts of descriptive words – to hone their palates. The parallels between these sensory tools are striking, with both serving as visual guides to the complex world of aromas and flavours.

 

 

 

 

Whilst various versions of fragrance wheels have existed since 1949, it was Michael Edwards, a renowned fragrance expert and founder of Fragrances of the World, who revolutionised the concept in 1992 with his improved modern iteration. This wheel has since evolved to reflect contemporary fragrances and our ever-changing perception of scent. Because coffee professionals, much like perfumers, also undergo rigorous training to discern the subtle nuances.

The terroir, harvesting methods, processing techniques, storage conditions, and blending of coffee beans all contribute to a vast array of aromas and tasting notes, mirroring the intricate world of perfumery. One might describe a coffee as having ‘notes of sun-kissed berries with a whisper of jasmine’, or ‘a rich, velvety base of dark chocolate accented by a hint of smoky spice’ – descriptors that could just as easily grace the packaging or marketing of a perfume. This shared language of sensory exploration bridges the gap between the realms of coffee and fragrance, inviting we enthusiasts to savour the complexity of enjoying sipping and sniffing with equal passion and discernment.

 

 

 

 

What makes coffee such an intriguing note in perfumery is its remarkable versatility, and The Fragrance Shop 2025 trend report confirms that coffee notes are indeed taking centre stage in what they term the ‘neo-gourmand’ movement – a new wave of fragrances that are more sophisticated and complex than traditional gourmand scents. Often featuring coffee alongside other intriguing notes like matcha, rice, sesame, and nuts, this family of scents are what some are now calling ‘umami perfumes’ – the savoury counterpoint to sweet gourmands.

For those eager to explore this aromatic trend, why not lets some of these coffee inspired fragrances filter through to your daily rotation…?

 

4160 Tuesdays Black Velvet Cafe 

A deep, intoxicating coffee absolute weaves seamlessly with oudh and woods, creating a plush, textural experience that lives up to its velvet namesake. As it unfolds on skin, the warmth of tobacco and the earthiness of patchouli emerge, grounding the composition while allowing glimpses of brightness to shine through. The true artistry of Black Velvet Cafe lies in its evocation of that secluded corner in a subtly lit café – black velvet furnishings surrounding you, the comforting embrace of leather nearby, and that perfect espresso warming your hands – a sensory memory captured in a bottle that transcends seasons and occasions.

£50 for 50ml eau de parfum 4160tuesdays.com

 

 

 

 

 

Adscenture Turkish Delight

Beckoning you to Istanbul’s labyrinthine Grand Bazaar, where the rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee mingles with exotic spices in the air. The journey begins with a vibrant burst of ginger and warm, roasted coffee notes that immediately transport you to a bustling Turkish café. As you wander deeper, the fragrance unfolds its heart of aromatic cinnamon leaf, smoky tobacco, and delicate geranium. But the true magic emerges in the drydown, where powdery Turkish delight confections blend seamlessly with creamy vanilla, resinous benzoin, and earthy labdanum, leaving a trail as mesmerising as the bazaar itself. This is an olfactory adventure that captures the essence of Istanbul’s sensory tapestry in a bottle.

£60 for 30ml eau de parfum in our Shop

 

Electimuss Caspian Cherry

Promising ‘a truly indulgent cherry confection of Bacchanalian intensity, served on a silver platter’, perfumer Kevin Mathys certainly delivers. Atop a burnished base of vetiver and white chocolate, luxuriant cherry is resplendent in almond liqueur and whipped coconut, while spiced honey, dark chocolate and a shot of coffee beckon you closer. Inspired by ancient Romans first tasting cherries, traded across the Caspian Sea; this is a complete feast for the senses.

£200 for 100ml extrait de parfum electimuss.com

 

 

 

 

Roja Dove Perfumery Chou Chou

Almost a century after their original launch, Roja Dove redesigned three fragrances created by 1930s perfumer Pierre de Velay. After translating the texts in de Velay’s diaries, his reinterpretations include this ultra-gourmand indulgence, in which a sparkle of citrus soon drifts dessert-wards, past violet and jasmine to notes of vanilla, coffee, milk chocolate, candyfloss, caramel, then on to a finale of oakwood, dry woods, amber and musks. One for those who take their coffee with plenty of sugar and relish the opulence, this is far beyond a grab-and-go latte: think delicately sipping while wearing an exquisite silk dressing gown and matching slippers, reading letters from a lover on a chaise lounge…

£495 for 100ml eau de parfum rojadoveperfumery.com

 

 

 

La Montaña Alfredo’s Café Candle

Coffee can also be captured in candle form, such as this stunner – inspired by a real-life café owned by Alfredo, this fragrance embodies the heart and soul of community life. As you light the candle, you can almost hear the lively chatter, hearty laughter, and the satisfying clack of dominoes hitting the table. This complex aroma took exceptional craftsmanship to perfect, requiring over forty iterations before achieving its final, captivating scent. The result is a sophisticated blend of black tobacco, coffee, and brandy, intertwined with notes of leather and church incense, transporting you to the warm, cosy atmosphere of a bustling Mediterranean café.

£39 for 220g in our Shop

 

However you like your aromatic brew, it’s clear coffee notes are continuing to percolate through the fragrance world, offering an invigorating alternative to traditional sweet scents. Whether you prefer your coffee (and your perfume) milky and sweet or dark and intense, there’s never been a better time to wake up and smell the coffee – quite literally.

Written by Suzy Nightingale

Cherry Picking Perfumes…

Cherry fragrances have blossomed into a veritable orchard of olfactory delights, their sweet and tantalising aroma captivating perfume lovers and becoming an increasingly prominent trend in the ever-expanding fruity gourmand family.

Far from being a fleeting fancy, cherry scents have taken root in the fragrance world, branching out into diverse and sophisticated interpretations that are anything but one-note wonders….

 

Cherry has an allure in perfumery because of its versatility. It can be playful and innocent, evoking memories of childhood sweets and summer picnics, or it can be deep and sensual, reminiscent of ripe, juicy fruit dripping with perfumed possibility. Cherry notes can add a luscious, mouthwatering quality to fragrances, often serving as a bridge between tart fruity accords and richer, more indulgent bases.

As the cherry trend has matured, we’ve witnessed a delightful evolution in how perfumers are utilising this beloved note. What you might have thought of as being syrupy-sweet cherry scents are now more complex compositions that explore the multifaceted nature of this fruit. Cherry is being paired with unexpected, more, deeper and darker ingredients like leather, tobacco, and even oudh, now – creating cherry-infused aromas that are at once familiar and intriguingly novel.

 

 

 

The new crop of cherry fragrances we’re sniffing are more sophisticated than ever, bringing differing vibes to suit every mood and occasion. Some perfumers are opting for a more realistic interpretation, capturing the slight tartness and green facets of fresh cherries. Others are leaning into the gourmand aspect, blending cherry with almond, vanilla, and chocolate for an utterly decadent experience. Still others are using cherry as a subtle accent, a fleeting whisper that adds depth and intrigue to otherwise prominently floral or woody compositions.

 

Which of these cherry scents would you pick, we wonder…?

 

 

 

Cherry

 

THoO Oud Guilty Crush wraps black cherry in a velvety embrace of dark chocolate and smoky tobacco, creating a scent as indulgent as it is mysterious. It’s the olfactory equivalent of a midnight rendezvous in a luxurious speakeasy.

£220 for 75ml eau de parfum harveynichols.com

 

 

 

Cherry

 

Edeniste Oud Ghazal marries the sweetness of red cherry with the rich, resinous depth of oudh, resulting in a fragrance that’s both opulent and inviting. It’s like biting into a juicy cherry while lounging on plush silk cushions in a Moroccan riad.

£240 for 100ml eau de parfum harrods.com

 

 

Cherry fragrances

Electimuss Caspian Cherry offers a sophisticated take on sour cherry, blending it with crisp apple and warm amber. The result is a scent that sparkles like sunlight on water, refreshing yet comforting.

£200 for 100ml extrait de parfum electimuss.com

 

 

 

 

Fragrance Du Bois Sirene captures the essence of glacé cherry, combining it with delicate rose and creamy sandalwood. It’s a scent that whispers of vintage glamour and stolen kisses in secret gardens.

£255 for 75ml eau de parfum harveynichols.com

 

 

 

 

Cherry

Initio Narcotic Delight lives up to its name, presenting a heady cocktail of black cherry liqueur spiked with pink pepper and smoothed with vanilla. It’s an addictive concoction that leaves you craving just one more sip.

£265 for 90ml eau de parfum selfridges.com

 

 

 

 

4160 Tuesdays Cherry Who takes a playful approach, blending tart cherry with zingy citrus and a hint of almond. It’s quirky and fun, like a cherry-flavoured sherbet fizzing on your tongue.

£190 for 100ml eau de parfum 4160tuesdays.com

 

Cherry as a trend is continuing ti flourish and diversify, and one thing is certain: these fragrances are far from the cough syrup-sweet scents you might have sour flashbacks of from yesteryear. Today’s cherry perfumes are sophisticated, nuanced, and yes – utterly irresistible. Whether you prefer your cherries black, red, sour, or glacé, there’s a cherry fragrance out there waiting to seduce your senses and become your pick of the perfumed crop.

Written by Suzy Nightingale

Craving salad? Let these crisp veg-inspired scents refresh you!

After the festive season’s indulgences, our palates and noses often crave a refreshing change. Just as we might yearn for a crisp salad after weeks of rich fare, our olfactory senses seek lighter, more invigorating scents. Enter the world of vegetable-based fragrances (featuring ingredients that wouldn’t look out of place in a a salad), and get ready to discover this burgeoning trend in modern perfumery that’s as surprising as it is delightful…

The past few years have seen a veritable harvest of vegetable notes sprouting up in perfumes. From the earthy sweetness of beetroot to the green crunch of cucumber, perfumers are exploring a whole new ‘gourmand’ category that leans away from sugary sweetness and into savoury notes. These scents don’t merely mimic their botanical inspirations; thanks to cutting-edge extraction techniques and innovative aroma molecules, they capture the true essence of these garden delights in ways that are both familiar and fantastically novel.

 

 

Victoire in her gorgeous vegetable garden

 

 

The launch of L’Officine Universelle Buly’s ‘The French Garden’ collection exemplified this trend beautifully. Co-founder Victoire de Taillac describes a garden as ‘a perfect universe, a paradise, a haven,’ where ‘smells come together and surprise you.’ The six fragrances in this line intertwine vegetable notes with flowers and musks, creating olfactory experiences that evoke the dewy freshness of a morning garden stroll.

 

 

 

Les Jardin Français is available online at www.buly1803.com and at their Selfridges counter: £145 for 75ml. La Sizaine collection of six x 9ml travel perfumes is also available for £108, selfridges.com. The perfect way to sample the whole collection (because you will need to smell them all!)

 

 

 

 

Another notable entry in this verdant realm is L’Artisan Parfumeur’s Le Potager collection. This range celebrates the humble vegetable patch, transforming common garden produce into sophisticated scents. As perfumer Quentin Bisch, who worked on the collection, notes, ‘The challenge is to dress the vegetable with a classic material to keep a part of the mystery.’ This approach results in fragrances that are both reassuringly familiar and intriguingly complex.

So now, with the spirit of freshness and seeking something new for our noses, let’s explore these garden salad-inspired scents – which would you pick as a refreshing change from the heavier scents you’ve been wearing, we wonder…?

 

 

 

4160 Tuesdays Le Jardin de Monsieur McGregor

This whimsical creation traces a mischievous rabbit through a Lake District garden. The scent opens with crisp cucumber and celery notes, complemented by leafy greens and creamy mushrooms. A hint of nibbled strawberries adds sweetness, while a trail of pipe smoke lends a touch of human presence to this botanical adventure.

From £40 for 15ml eau de parfum 4160tuesdays.com 

 

 

 

 

 

Shay & Blue Clementine

Don’t let the name fool you – this fragrance is more than just citrus. Succulent clementine is entwined with swags of laurel leaves and the surprisingly bright, peppery green of watercress. The addition of petitgrain brings a piquant sunshine that revives flagging spirits, making this an ideal scent for banishing winter blues.

From £25 for 10ml eau de parfum shayandblue.com

 

 

Officine Universelle Buly Indian Cucumber and Syrian Mint

Offering us a refreshing olfactory journey through a sun-drenched garden (yes please!) the crisp cucumber provides an invigorating opening, while Syrian mint adds lively aromatics that feel cool and clean, yet definitely pep-up flagging sprits. A whisper of iodine evokes sea breezes, and white musk lends a soothingly soft base. It’s, elegantly wearable and will have you craving more!

150 for 100ml eau triple buly1803.com

 

 

 

 

 

Jack Perfume Covent Garden

Inspired by London’s famous market, this scent captures the essence of a morning stroll among the stalls. Carrot takes centre stage, its aromatic sweetness tinged with ginger. The overall effect is reminiscent of munching on fresh vegetables while an exciting breeze carries hints of exotic spices.

£95 for 100ml eau de parfum jovoyparis.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Diptyque Eau Rose Eau de Parfum

In this reimagining of their classic rose scent, Diptyque add an unexpected twist: artichoke. This fleshy, green note enhances the original rose oil, adding a slightly bitter edge that speaks of melancholy moments in walled gardens. The result is a more complex, arboreal take on floral romance.

 £153 for 75ml eau de parfum diptyqueparis.com

 

 

 

 

To the Fairest Élan Vital

Oh this takes us to a forest floor in all its lush complexity. A medley of green notes, including a hint of stinging nettle (which make a nourishing soup, apparently – have you ever tried it?), and settles onto a base of grounding vetiver. Soft moss and patchouli create a cosy bolthole, while a cover of golden leaves adds warmth to this woodland-inspired scent.

£85 for 50ml eau de parfum tothefairest.com

 

 

 

 

 

Comme des Garçons Rouge

True to the brand’s avant-garde spirit, Rouge subverts familiar notes in daring ways. Blood-red berries mingle with earthy beetroot, creating a vegetal sweetness that’s grounded by swirls of iced incense and charred leather. It’s a bold, unconventional take on the vegetable trend we can get behind.

£135 for 100ml eau de parfum libertylondon.com

 

 

 

 

L’Artisan Parfumeur Iris de Gris

‘How many times, while shelling fresh peas, have I dreamt of this green fragrance?’, exclaims perfumer Quentin Bisch. Ethereally airy thanks to bright green galbanum, (‘an herbaceous plant with a scent akin to the pea’ L”Artisan tells us), ‘this fragrance is a hymn to green in all its forms, punctuated with iris, which makes a refined imprint on skin.’ We concur – and it has us dreaming of dew-dappled plants and brighter days, for sure.

£170 for 100ml eau de parfum artisanparfumeur.com

 

 

 

 

 

As we embrace a new year, why not resolve to explore these garden-veg inspired scents? They offer a fresh perspective on perfumery, proving that vegetables can be just as alluring as flowers when it comes to fragrance. So go ahead, spray your five a day – your nose will thank you for the olfactory boost!

Written by Suzy Nightingale

Delicious fragrances fit for The Great British Bake Off…

Indulging in the sweet allure of gourmand fragrances has never been more enticing, especially as the new season of The Great British Bake Off 2024 approaches. This beloved show, which celebrates the art of baking, aligns perfectly with the ever-rising trend of edible-inspired scents that evoke the comforting and nostalgic aromas of cakes, pastries, and other delicious treats. Gourmand fragrances, characterised by their delectably addictive notes such as vanilla, caramel, honey, and chocolate, have captured the hearts of fragrance lovers worldwide. But we know many of you might still raise a sceptical eyebrow…

Love them or shun them, these scents have seen a staggering 77.5% rise in searches for ‘gourmand’ this year, so it’s clear these olfactory delights are more than just a passing trend. Plus, there are FAR more grown-up and nuanced versions available – so something for all tastes, we promise. The comfort and joy these scents bring resonate deeply, often transporting us back to cherished memories of childhood baking and generally embracing good times. As we transition into a season filled with warmth and cosiness, now is the perfect time to explore these fragrances that not only smell delicious, but also provide us with a sense of comfort and happiness.

 

 

 

With a tent-full of new contestants and all manner of culinary challenges ahead, the upcoming episodes of The Great British Bake Off will undoubtedly inspire many of us to embrace their inner baker, but even if you’re not a natural in the kitchen (god forbid the soggy bottom!) we urge you to seek these out, and spritz on some deliciousness. No matter if you find yourself drawn to the classic richness of vanilla or the playful sweetness of caramel, there’s a gourmand fragrance out there with your name on, just waiting for you to indulge…

 

 

AKRO Bake 

A lemon cake inspired scent that’s so realistic yet not too sweet, and that we’re obsessed by? We’d never have believed it, until we smelled THIS. Gourmand? Yes, there’s cool, smooth cake-batter scrumptiousness followed by steamy, (slightly undercooked?) sponge-y-ness and Chantilly cream, but it’s masterfully balanced with bright lemon peel. Indulging our cravings is co-founder and perfumer Olivier Cresp’s ethos for AKRO – and we were hooked, from first sniff! Worthy of a ‘Hollywood handshake’ for sure.

£160 for 100ml eau de parfum fenwick.co.uk

 

 

 

 

Maison Tahité Cacao2

As contestants whip up decadent chocolate cakes and intricate pastries, Cacao2 envelops you in a warm hug of dark chocolate notes. The fragrance opens with a spicy cinnamon accord that tickles the nose, reminiscent of the aromatic spices often used to elevate chocolate desserts, while intoxicating toasted notes evoke the aroma of freshly baked goods emerging from the ovens in the Bake Off tent (but none of the burning.) Cedar and vetiver provide a sturdy base, enhancing the fragrance’s character and adding depth, much like how a well-structured chocolate tart needs a perfectly baked crust for support. And we all need extra support, these days…

£90 for 100ml eau de parfum libertylondon.com

 

 

 

 

 

Shay & Blue Salt Caramel

If you have ever experienced lifting the gilded lid of a beautifully packaged box of Charbonnel et Walker‘s Sea Salt Caramel Truffles, you’ll recognise perfumer Julie Massé photo-realistic longer-lasting fragrant interpretation of the addictive cocoa confection. Caramel and bourbon vanilla rock on the precipice of sweetness before being dashed through with a hint of freshly-hewn sandalwood and an ultra-intriguing definite note of the salt crystals to set your taste buds salivating. We desperately want a cake inspired by this, please!

£25 for 10ml eau de parfum shayandblue.com

 

 

 

4160 Tuesdays Creamy Vanilla Crumble

Imagine settling in to watch the bakers create their masterpieces while you’re surrounded by the scent of vanilla custard and crumble (surely one of the most soul-soothing desserts ever?) It’s almost as if you could taste the contestants’ creations through your television screen, adding an extra layer of sensory enjoyment to your weekly viewing ritual. Here, there’s no stress, all pleasure in the cuddle of creamy custard notes, complemented by the delightful crunch of crumble. The addition of a subtle fresh leaf tobacco accord adds depth and sophistication, preventing the scent from becoming overly sweet, but you’ll definitely want second-helpings!

£100 for 50ml eau de parfum in our shop

 

THoO Crazy Bon Bon Pop

Imagination is allowed to run wild in THOO’s ‘Crazy Collection’, its fragrant flights of fancy wittily reflected in the hand-decorated bottles. Bon Bon Pop whisks us to nostalgic childhood memories of filling paper bags with treats. Of course the Bake Off challenges often revolve around such whimsically delicious nostalgia, and in this scent we’re invited to feel like that kid in the sweetshop again, woohoo! Perfumer Douglas Morel fuses white peach, coconut, caramel-drizzled amber and a reassuringly woody base, to soothe, after we’ve gorged ourselves – albeit it olfactorially (at first…)

£220 for 75ml eau de parfum harveynichols.com

 

Written by Suzy Nightingale

Further honey fragrances for the hive…

Our theme this month has been honey fragrances, and as you’ll have learned in our first fragrant edit, honey is creating quite the buzz [sorry] in the world of perfumery lately. It can add such a unique character to a scent’s composition. Possessing floral, blossom-y or addictive and even animalic qualities along with the touch of sweetness the synthetic recreation of the aroma offers a perfumer, there really is a honey fragrance for every taste.

Here, we showcase seven further delicious, honey-centric scents we feel our fragrant hive mind of Perfume Society perfumistas would welcome trying…

 

4160 Tuesdays Honey Jasmine Karma

A blissful blend to whisk you somewhere lovely and conjure sunshine even if the weather’s not behaving, this white floral wafts forth a vegan honeyed aroma for which (as their website delightfully describes) ‘no bee has been bothered’. The sticky sweetness is tempered by a drowsy luminescence that keeps it from being cloying, and the Karmawood™ adds a powdery sandalwood feel that proves incredibly grounding in the dry-down. Instant ‘om’.

From £40 for 15ml eau de parfum 4160tuesdays.com

 

 

 

Marc-Antoine Barrois Tilia

Tilia is the Latin name for the linden tree, whose blossom is honeyed, seductive, and surely the true embodiment of summer. Created with Marc-Antoine’s long-time creative ‘accomplice’, Quentin Bisch, this solar masterpiece is dusted with pollen and drizzled with honey, but with the green of leaves, crushed in a palm, and cool vetiver offering welcome shade. It is, we’re told, ‘Simple. Solar. Smiling. The scent… of holidays that never end.’ Oh, yes!

From £105 for 30ml eau de parfum lessenteurs.com

 

 

Redolescent Hive Mind

Redolescent Hive Mind

Picture fresh honey dripping from combs while worker bees fill the air with rhythmic hum, creating a refined and sophisticated aroma. The perfume, a luxurious blend of beeswax, cedarwood, jasmine, and lemon, exudes a classy, gilded warmth. As the scent settles, it connects you to the natural world, grounding you in summer moments and cloudless skies. Not just a perfume; it’s a golden glow for special occasions, a connection to nature, and a tribute to the vital role of bees in our world.

£145 for 50ml eau de parfum in our shop

 

 

 

Paco Rabanne Lady Million

Captivating at first spritz, Lady Million the brightness of neroli is immediately trailed by charismatically seductive orange blossom narcotic jasmine and creamy gardenia pulsing to deeper tones of patchouli and an opulent drizzle of honey melding beautifully with the woody base notes. Amber glows to become all enveloping, a swathe of sweetness that lasts for hours. Presented in a bottle to represent a diamond (and spawning many follow-up fragrances for its huge success) it’s a bestseller for a reason.

£86 for 50ml eau de parfum boots.com

 

 

Initio Addictive Vibration

Don’t be deceived by the innocent-sounding blend of orange blossom and honey in Addictive Vibration: this is seriously naughty…Unveiling a body of lustful scent in ‘a magma of flesh and fiery blend of musk and honey. Addictive Vibration captivates with its heart of orange blossom and vanilla orchid.’ Well golly, this is a steamy scent and will certainly get pulses racing. As they say… ‘The bodies succumb to arousing waves of attraction lingering in their wake, a trail of carnal dependance.’ Wear with caution at the supermarket, then!

 

 

 

JEAN_PAUL_GAULTIER_SCANDAL_A_PARIS

Jean Paul Gaultier Scandal

Fusing the sparkle of blood orange, gilded honey, patchouli and gardenia to a musky base reflects the light and shade found in ‘the endless fun of Paris.’ At first the gardenia shines through, diffusing the honey as though backlit by golden sunshine and punctuated with the darkly glimmering juice of a fleshy blood orange. As the sun dips lower, the patchouli comes out to play, weaving a honeyed, chypre trail that still billows with the gardenia’s flirtatiousness.

From £62 for 30ml eau de parfum jeanpaulgaultier.com

 

Kajal Joorie

‘In working on the creation of Joorie,’ says founder Moe Khalaf, ‘ I kept having flashbacks to the farmhouse where my family would go during our summer holidays.’ Here we are invited to relive the halcyon days via ‘berries, figs, jasmines, petunias, chamomiles, and lavender’ plus fresh wild honey eaten while gazing blissfully at the sky, surrounded by the hazy buss of bees and smiling in the sunshine. Woven throughout is Moe’s favourite rose bush, the velvety petals now dipped in honey for us to enjoy, here.

£186 for 100ml eau de parfum kajalperfumes.com

 

Written by Suzy Nightingale

Honey fragrances – get ready to bee inspired…

Our theme this month is honey – warm, luxurious and comforting, honey works wonderfully in fragrances to emphasise floral notes, or add touches of amber richness.  There’s a whole hive of honey and beeswax scent notes in fragrances, and perfumer  Christine Nagel explains why she loves using it…

‘Honey has two facets – half devil, half angel. In Ambrée structures, it has a sweet, comforting effect, taking you back to childhood. But a small touch in a feminine structure can be extremely sexy…’

There are so many varieties of honey, each taking their smell (and colour) from the flowers on which the bees that produce it have feasted.  Orange blossom honey.  Eucalyptus honey.  Acacia honey:  the variations are almost limitless, sometimes woody, flowery, herbal or even tobacco-y.  The ancient Arab perfumers were the first to capture honey’s sweetness in perfumery, but today the honey featured is generally a synthetic note – one that’s drizzled sensually over quite a few fragrances in the past few years.

Now, can you envisage getting sweet on any of these honey-centric scents…?

Guerlain L’Art & La Matière Tobacco Honey

There’s something about honey which goes beyond delicious to downright irresistible in this fragrant nuzzle-me-closer scented experience, which had us purring from first spritz. Imagine a fine tobacco that’s been kept dry in a precious, carved wooden box, yet somehow suffused with nectar; enrobed in a nugget of glowing amber, but sliced with shards of light. Defiantly rich, yet it it floats in drifts around you like a gilded cloud.

£295 for 100ml eau de parfum guerlain.com

Parfums de Marly Oajan

Talk about a honeyed charm, this fragrance has it by the jar-full! Silky honey slinks to a sizzle of cinnamon, with apricot-tinged fruity osmanthus sweetly gliding to the smoothest amber, resinous (incense-like) labdanum and and rich benzoin. Swirled with addictive vanilla and toasty tonka bean, the earthy patchouli and dried fruity note of davana grounds the base. An all-day wist or neck-sniffer, for sure.

£245 for 125ml eau de parfum selfridges.com


Floral Street Sunflower Pop

Celebrating their collaboration between the Van Gogh Museum, Floral Street unveil a scent inspired by the artist’s most famous painting. The very definition of optimism, it’s sunny to look at and sunny inside, vibrant with fresh mandarin, Calabrian bergamot, and accords of vegan honey and Bellini cocktails. We’ll raise a glass to a fresh scent that allows us to hang onto summer for a wee while longer.

From £110 for 100ml eau de parfum floralstreet.com

Or

Enter our GIVEAWAY here for the chance to win the Sunflower Pop products!

Floris Honey Oud

A really good introduction to how oudh can be used in a nuanced way – almost as a seasoning instead of the main flavour – this one is actually delicious (as in, if it came in a jar, you’d want to lick it off your fingers, or slather it on buttered toast and guzzle it, ). The spiced honeyed note intensifies as oudh softly adds depth.. Intensely nuzzle-able, there’s nothing whatever to frighten the horses, here, even if you’ve avoided oudh!

From £30 for 10ml eau de parfum selfridges.com

[NB: Also available to sample as part of the Floris Private Collection set, for only £35, and including some of their most iconic scents].

 

 

 

 

Thameen Bravi

What if the diva lost her voice and needed the power of perfume to regain her bravado? This imagined story was the starting point for the third in Thameen’s ‘Britologne’ series, Bruno Jovanovic adding aphrodisiac ginger’s tingle to decadent tuberose, seducing with the decadent wild honey, and wonderfully smoky toasty-ness of walnut throughout, this packs a seriously addictive gourmand punch. Encore!

£250 for 100ml Cologne elixir selfridges.com

 

Written by Suzy Nightingale

Easter Egg Hunt – WIN Maison Tahité Cacao2 worth £90!

We’ve set a fragrantly themed trail of clues to lead you around our website – simply follow your noses, find the hidden easter eggs and in our fragrant prize draw, one lucky person will WIN a 100ml bottle of Maison Tahité Cacao2, worth £90!

Maison Tahité is a new niche house specialising in stunning, contemporary versions of gourmand fragrances – using deliciousness rippled through every creation, the collections span Cocoa, Coffee and Vanilla. As it’s Easter, of course we’re focusing on the chocolate, and their Cocoa collection investigates the aromatic universe of this divine raw material, also known as “the food of the gods”. By stimulating the release of endorphins, Cocoa pushes us to listen to our senses and indulge in hedonism. Its enveloping aroma is an invitation to enjoy every moment of life, without the guilty feelings often connected with the “sin” of eating chocolate.

 

 

Perfumers such as David Maruitte, Paul Guerlain and Luca Maffei have developed this theme for Maison Tahité in a series of tempting creations; and we know you’re going to fall hard for the sumptuous Cacao2, created by David Maruitte. Maison Tahité says:

‘For those who love strong sensations. An enveloping and reassuring, still intensely emotional fragrance. Fully embodying the Cocoa collection, it sublimates all the nuances of this divine ingredient: Cinnamon reveals its spicy side, Toasted Notes fascinate us, while Cedar and Vetiver enhance its character. Just like biting a bar of extra dark chocolate.’

You have until midnight Wednesday 3rd April to enter – simply list your answers of the pages you’ve found the eggs on:

Terms & Conditions: No cash alternative to the prize will be offered. The prize is not transferable. Only entries accepted from U.K. residents, prize cannot be posted elsewhere. Entries only accepted until midnight Wednesday 3rd April 2024.

 

 

Fragrant clues to egg hiding places around our website:

1 – This house specialises in deliciousness, with collections of Cocoa, Coffee, and Vanilla scents to tempt you…

2 – This Fragrance Family is the most recent, and these ‘foodie’ fragrances smell almost edible!

3 – This ingredient is found in Maison Tahité Cacao2 – rich, smooth, and meltingly delectable…

4 – Reading this taste and flavour-full book (originally developed for people who’ve lost their sense of smell / taste due to Covid) will have you drooling…

5 – Historically, this was the sweetest-smelling king, who presided over a perfumed court…

Don’t forget you have until midnight Wednesday 3rd April to email us your answers. So, we wish you all a very happy Easter, and good luck!

The first gourmand: Brillat-Savarin – an 18th Century chemist who knew you are what you eat (and smell!)

Long before ‘gourmand’ foodie-inspired fragrances were even dreamed of and while smell was still perceived as the poor cousin of our other senses; one 18th Century polymath was championing the exquisite pleasures that taste and smell bring to everyday life. And more than mere pleasure alone: in fact, he heralded the proper appreciation and scientific study of these so-neglected senses…

‘Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are.’ So said Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, 1755-1826, a French lawyer and politician whom, apart from law, studied chemistry and medicine, and eventually gained fame as an epicure and gastronome.

His seminal work Physiologie du goût (The Physiology of Taste), contains Savarin’s philosophies and observations on the pleasures of the food, which he very much considered a science – long before the birth of molecular gastronomy and serious studies of taste and smell had begun.

And smell was very much at the forefront of the gastronomique experience, Savarin had worked out; exclaiming: ‘Smell and taste are in fact but a single composite sense, whose laboratory is the mouth and its chimney the nose.’

 

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Previously considered the least important of the senses – indeed, smell remains the least scientifically explored, though technology is making huge leaps in our understanding – Savarin proclaimed that, ’The sense of smell, like a faithful counsellor, foretells its character.’

Published only two months before his death, the book has never been out of print and still proves inspirational to chefs and food-lovers to this day. Indeed, he understood that taste and smell must work together in harmony for full satisfaction of the senses, Savarin observed that ‘Smell and taste are in fact but a single composite sense, whose laboratory is the mouth and its chimney the nose.’

 

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Preceding the remarkable leaps in knowledge high-tech equipment has allowed and revealing how entwined our sense of smell is to the taste and enjoyment of food, Savarin also observed how our noses protect us from eating potentially harmful substances, explaining ‘…for unknown foods, the nose acts always as a sentinal and cries: “Who goes there?”‘ while coming to the conclusion that a person’s character may be foretold in their taste and smell preferences… ‘Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are.’

 

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We once devoted an entire issue of our award-winning magazine The Scented Letter to taste and smell – as of course we are gourmand fans in ALL the senses. And so it is heartening to know that Brillat was on our side here, with this extremely useful advice we selflessly pledge to carry through life:

‘Those who have been too long at their labor, who have drunk too long at the cup of voluptuousness, who feel they have become temporarily inhumane, who are tormented by their families, who find life sad and love ephemeral… they should all eat chocolate and they will be comforted.’

 

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Wise words, indeed. We plan to enjoy all the sweet temptations that come our way, in scent form and in chocolate. Talk about having your cake and wearing it, too!

Written by Suzy Nightingale

Easter Egg Hunt to WIN Atelier Materi Cacao Porcelana, worth £210!

We’ve set a fragrantly themed trail of clues to lead you around our website – simply follow your noses, find the hidden easter eggs and in our fragrant prize draw, one lucky person will WIN a bottle of Atelier Materi Cacao Porcelana, worth £210!

 

 

 

 

Cacao Porcelana is an incredible, ultra-chic gourmand scent – it’s chocolate, but NOT as your nose thinks it knows it. If you don’t think you’re one for gourmand creations, be prepared to have everything you think you know about chocolate turned on its head when Cacao Porcelana reveals the bitterness of the beans, rippled with rum and swathed in rings of tobacco…

White cacao beans are a rare ancestral variety of cacao also known as the ‘Nectar of the Gods’. The beans are removed from the pods, fermented, then sun-dried and roasted. White cacao yields sensuous notes of walnut and milk with hints of tonka bean.

After opening on sweet, syrupy top notes, Atelier Materi’s Cacao Porcelana unpacks its bitterness, sustained by powdery and woody notes. Light tobacco, patchouli and sandalwood scents give Cacao Porcelana a sensual, even fleshy signature.

 

We are sure you’ll fall hard for this delicious scent – surely the chicest way to enjoy chocolate, ever?! Here’s how you could be in with a chance of smelling delectable this Easter…

How to hunt: Simply read the scent-themed clues and set off in search for all the colourful eggs pictured below (FIVE in total) scattered across our website, then enter your details and answers telling us the location of each egg below. We will only contact you by phone if you are a winner.

One winner will be chosen –  due to postal restrictions, only entries from U.K. residents, sorry!

Closing date: Sunday 9th April 2023 at midnight.

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Fragrant clues to egg hiding places around our website:

1 – Brush up on your history to this ‘sweetest smelling king of all’…

2 – This Working Nose‘s first scent memory is of cakes that ‘…smelled like Anis and Vanilla, made by the Carmelite nuns in my town.’ (He’s famous for creating some of the world’s most-known scents, and now has his own house, Mizensir).

3 – This ingredient is found in Cacao Porcelana – an unexpected soft smokiness adding to its sensuality?

4 – This Fragrance Family is the most recent, including the note of chocolate, these ‘foodie’ fragrances smell almost edible!

5 – Reading this book (originally developed for people who’ve lost their sense of smell / taste due to Covid) will have you drooling…

We wish you all a very happy Easter, and good luck!

Terms & Conditions: No cash alternative to the prize will be offered. The prize is not transferable. Only entries accepted from U.K. residents, prize cannot be posted elsewhere. Closing date for entry is midnight 09/04/2023. After this date no further entries to the prize draw will be accepted.

 

Gourmand Scents for Shrove (4160)Tuesday(s) & Beyond

Pancakes or 4150 Tuesdays perfumes? We’ll take both, thanks! And now we have many of these in 50ml or full-size bottles stocked in our shop, it’s even easier to dip in to the deliciousness.

Because we are often what we eat – or at least, our taste preferences can be mirrored in the foods we crave – we thought why not widen this and say ‘we are what we smell’? So, let us match your favourite pancake toppings to some delectably more-ish perfumes from the always delightfully eccentric British niche house of 4160 Tuesdays. Definitely not only for Pancake Day itself – this house has something for every perfumista’s palate. Scents to indulge yourself with far beyond Shrove [4160]Tuesdays…

 

‘…lemon and orange and real honey absolute for a fresh, tasty top note that makes you lick your lips. So perhaps it’s a gourmand – a scent that smells of tasty food – but the pancake bit is quite subtle – plus they are British pancakes, the sort with no sugar in the batter. Oh who are we kidding? Really it’s all about warm bodies.’

4160 Tuesdays Sunshine and Pancakes from £32 for 15ml eau de parfum

 

‘It leads out with cedrat, orange, tangerine and bergamot essential oils,  juicy fragrance reminding us of eating a lemon top ice cream on a summer day. In reality, after its happy introduction, it’s a gently but perfectly constructed floral chypre with an iris-narcissus-lily of the valley heart, with a generous topping of white chocolate mousse, tonka absolute and musks.’

4160 Tuesdays Fluffy Lemon Top from £85 for 50ml eau de parfum

 

 

‘A long time ago in a village perched on a hill, there was a house above a chocolate shop where a beginner perfume-maker’s friend lived… Over the Chocolate Shop is the gloriously rich aroma you can inhale as the chocolatiers make their first batch of pralines in the early morning. Melting cocoa butter, a dash off coffee, hazelnut extract and a drop of vanilla absolute.’

4160 Tuesdays Over the Chocolate Shop from £100 for 50ml eau de parfum

 

 

‘A light, fruity floral fragrance which smells like a refreshing glass of fruit punch with a hint of cherry jam.  So how do we create a cherry jam note? What we did was to blend citrus essential oils, flowers, woods and raspberry. We’re pleased with its scrumptiousness.’

4160 Tuesdays Fruits of the Tree of Knowledge from £25 for 15ml eau de parfum

 

 

‘…the ideal blend of tart with sweet, smooth with sharp, bright with soothing. It’s made with one part tart to 29 parts comfort – the perfect balance between two contrasting themes, a pudding in a perfume. It’s all the delights of smelling rhubarb crumble with custard, a sparky citrus fruit and Yorkshire rhubarb-inspired creamy vanilla delight.’

4160 Tuesdays Rhubarb & Custard 1:29 £100 for 50ml eau de parfum