What does the word gold in a fragrance mean to you? Is it an idea of sumptuous radiance, warm light that shimmers on skin, or the promise of decadent luxury, poured into each ritual of daily life? Molton Brown Mesmerising Oudh Accord & Gold is a creation that encapsulates this gilded splendour, with scented additions that turn every simple ritual into an act of outright olfactory luxury.
Since its launch over a decade ago, this decadent composition has garnered a cult following (and quite rightly won awards!), enveloping its wearers in a billow of gloriously glimmering spiced clouds and smoky, honey-tinged woods. And now one lucky fragrance lover can WIN the entire artistically redesigned limited-edition eau de parfum and matching collection, to celebrate its scented success! Read on to discover more, and how you can be in with a chance to own them all…
This gilded story begins as the fragrance opens with a glistening flicker of bergamot, fresh and darting, setting the stage for what is to come. As the steam of a spiced forest unfurls, deep, velvety oudh accord draws you inward, its rich, woody resonance smouldering seductively. There’s nothing shy or retiring here: Senior Perfumer Sylvie Fischer’s artistry is evident in the full-bodied layering that morphs from one opulent note to the next. ‘Olibanum is a beautiful fusion of sweet, woody accords with a resinous intense aspect,’ Fischer explains. ‘It’s made up of two different components: a resin and an oil. The oil adds brighter, enlivening top notes while the resin at the heart and base leave a more intense and sensual trail…’
With every spritz, the scented story unfurls on your skin as it warms – one that echoes with the sonorous bass of that olibanum (frankincense) thrumming throughout, rising in curls above honeyed resins and glimmering saffron threads. Wearing it, we feel as though someone has laced the dusk air with the sumptuous richness of distant lands. Molton Brown’s latest artistic incarnation pays homage to this sense of place and memory, offering not only the limited edition Eau de Parfum but also an expanded collection featuring Bath & Shower Gel, Body Lotion, Hand Care, candles, and the NEW Aroma Reeds home diffuser. (And don’t forget: one of you can win the LOT!)
This year, the brand’s ‘Artists of Note’ project takes the experience even further, commissioning London-based artist Karimah Hassan to conjure ‘The Golden Bridge’ for Mesmerising Oudh Accord & Gold. Hassan, whose heritage is a vivid tapestry of Wales, Yemen and Bangladesh, creates work alive with legacy and radiance. Her diptych and poem are a celebration of transformation – ‘the alchemy of turning scent into ceremony.’ She reflects, ‘It makes me feel like a goddess – like I’m charging forward on a chariot.’ In her words, the fragrance is ‘a bridge to the past that still calls my name’ and a ‘tapestry of love, woven from birth. A woman of gold, a dreamer unseen, a scent that tells of the places I’ve been.’
For those who crave a touch of gold to elevate the everyday, the new limited edition bottle shimmers with a metallic ombre glass and gold-speckled cap – a true piece of perfumed art. Each perfumed piece in the collection is meticulously bottled in England, with Molton Brown’s unwavering commitment to ingredient quality, sustainability and a cruelty-free ethos they instigated way ahead of other beauty and fragrance houses, right from when they first opened their doors in 1973.
So, if you’re seeking a truly special scent where artistry, memory and ceremony are interwoven through every note, we think you’ll agree that Molton Brown’s Mesmerising Oudh Accord & Gold delivers a compelling invitation. Where might this scent take its next wearer? That magical journey, as always, is just a spray away…
Written by Suzy Nightingale
