With the notoriously unpredictable British summer weather and the general gloominess of the political climate, we could all do with a hit of happiness right now. Enter Juliette Has a Gun – serving us sunshine in a bottle with their latest scent, Sunny Side Up.
‘The idea was to propose something that inspires happy and positive feelings. I started with sandalwood essence, a woody note with unctuous tonalities. I simply accentuated it with some musks, and a jasmine and coconut milk facet,’ explains perfumer, founder of the house and resident rebel, Romano Ricci.
Juliette Has a Gun say: ‘ Like a happy therapy, the fragrance recalls those moments of freedom, insouciance and letting go – those warm balmy days when the sun never seems to set and time is suspended.’
Amusingly enough, the day we attended the press launch it was raining (typical!). But walking in to the room dominated by a towering arrangement of bright blooms cunningly constructed in to a giant ice-cream cone of flowers, and surrounded by the charmingly bright, Beatles-esque artwork of illustrator Jamie Cullen (see above for his portrait of Romano), already the smiles began breaking out – a feeling further magnified by actually smelling the fragrance itself…
Top notes: amyris, sandalwood, jasmine, lactone, vanilla absolute
Heart notes: sandalwood accord, iris butter absolute, jasmine sambac absolute
Base notes: ambrette, Iso E super, salicylate
Just before breathing in, can we take a moment to appreciate to playfulness of the bottle? Viewed from above, the yellow cap represents the yolk against the white of flacon – exactly the kind of whimsical touch beloved by this brand. And don’t worry, there’s no messing about waiting for the happiness to kick in, here – an immediate blast of sparkling jasmine escapes like a suppressed giggle in church, followed swiftly by a fluffy snuggle of sandalwood and the delectable creaminess of that iris butter – seemingly soft enough to slather on toast to accompany your eggs, should you wish.
Close your eyes and imagine an impossibly perfect beach: warm sand, warm skin, an omnipresent hush of crystal waters massaging brightly coloured pebbles and your own deep, contented breaths. Sunny Side Up is all blissfully relaxed limbs glowing with the retro-smelling scent of suntan oil, the softness of the blanket beneath you and a waft of vanilla ice-cream on the breeze as the sun dips its toes in the ocean. If your holiday is already a distant memory or you haven’t managed to get away so far this year, an instant hit of happiness awaits…
Juliette Has a Gun Sunny Side Up £110.00 for 100ml eau de parfum
Exclusive to Harvey Nichols
Written by Suzy Nightingale
