Tag: sea

The alchemy of ambergris – perfume’s most peculiar treasure

Ah, ambergris – the very word conjures tales of wildest fragrant fortunes, ranging from shipwrecked treasures found by dog-walkers on Dorset beaches to ancient Egyptian rituals, pungent dragon’s spittle (!!) in Chinese folklore and the really rather unexpected presence of whale effluvia being in a pretty perfume bottle in the first place.

 

Long before the perfumed profiles of ‘skin-like warmth’ ambergris can bring, this waxy lump cast up by the salty froth of the ocean has seduced the noses of emperors, poets and the modern nose with seductive magic. One can’t help but marvel at nature’s curious and casually thrown gift, which begins its life (steel yourselves) entombing indigestible bits of squid in the bowels of a sperm whale, which, once regurgitated, dries to a resinous block with a beauty only time and sea air can reveal.

Finally maturing from the – ahem – distinctly faecal into the kind of radiance chemist Gunther Ohloff once described, this prized perfumery note reveals its true nature as (to echo Ohloff): ‘earthy, tobacco-church wood, musky and radiant.’ In perfumery, ambergris anchors the most fugitive molecules, pining the fleeting prettiness of a top note and refusing to let go – a fixative par excellence.

 

 

These days, even the most ardent perfumers must cast longing glances at ambergris and, faced with (forgive the reminder) stomach-churning prices and the small matter of whale protection laws, generally reach for their synthetic alternatives. Ambroxan – distilled from clary sage with the tenacity of a stubborn librarian – is the kingpin, while other cleverly conjured molecules like Ambrinol S, Ambrinol 95, Ambrarome and Ambrain whisk up similarly animalic, skin-like, salt-licked woollen warmth; but without sending accountants into a spin.

What does ambergris truly evoke in scent?

The perfume-poetic’s reply would be a blend of windswept church pew, Brazil nut, sun-bleached marine legends and a licentious wink of musk. But it’s probably more helpful to think of ambergris almost being used as a ‘seasoning’ within a scent composition, if you will – a touch of it not only adding its own nuance, but allowing the other materials to bloom and beckon you forth once cloaked in its mysteriously misty, salt-tinged and powdery air.

Even the Black Death couldn’t dull the appeal of ambergris – indeed, it became even more sought after, with balls of ambergris clutched as perfumed talismans against pestilence, which, frankly, sounds a bit optimistic but is just the sort of thing we love to imagine we’d do under the circs. Modern fragrances continue the tradition of using the note with an almost alchemical air. So yes, some scents whisper with ambergris as the secret heartbeat in their compositions, though as we say, though very few use tinctures of the real deal; the miraculous synthetic molecular versions can each add their own wisp of whimsicality (or full-on throaty purr of seduction).

 

If you’re entranced and want to learn more, do seek out a copy of the book all about the history of ambergris in perfumery: Floating Gold, which we’ve reviewed here. Meanwhile, to further whet your appetite for ambergris, here’s a scented selection we suggest you try…

 

 

 

 

Clive Christian Town & Country

Pristine herbs are polished with the glint of countryside morning, before ambergris unfurls below – as stately and complex as London’s City of Westminster. Sandalwood cushions the composition, lending an air of sophisticated poise, as if one is donning Churchill’s coat (he apparently used to wear this fragrance!) and stepping out amidst dew-dappled grass for a spot of painting.

£400 for 50ml eau de parfum fortnumandmason.com

 

 

 

Mizensir For Your Love

A kiss immortalised – powdery raspberry and musk twirl boldly, inviting a second glance and moments of skin-on-skin intimacy. Ambergris, conjured via its closest molecular cousins, pulses close to the body, cloaking the perfume in a sweetly provocative — almost human — warmth. The effect lingers like a private love note, at once daring and elegantly tender.

£200 for 100ml eau de parfum selfridges.com

 

 

Creed Green Irish Tweed

Fresh as a walk through mythic meadows, verdant iris and lemon verbena tumble against the wind, violet leaves catching a brief shaft of sun. At its heart, ambergris merges with Mysore sandalwood, making the composition sporting yet unforgettable – a classic breeze that beckons everyone to linger longer in the green.

£285 for 100ml eau de parfum libertylondon.com

 

 

 

 

Strangelove NYC silencethesea

Hypnotic and primal, this fragrance floats ambergris tincture atop oud, white truffle and a saline whisper of jasmine. There’s an earthy mystery, as tuberose dives deep and Angelique roots shimmer, crafting a salty-woody intimacy that feels as charged and secretive as a lover’s gaze, the ambergris infusion breathing a spellbinding hush.

(We love wearing it in teeny dabs from their exquisite pure parfum necklace version of the scent…)

£248 for 1.25ml pure parfum necklace harrods.com

 

OR, why not try it in the strangelove Discovery Set of eaux de parfums so you can explore the entire collection? £92 for 5 x 2ml samples in the Shop

 

 

Electimuss Trajan

Bottled sunshine and unisex adventure, Trajan sweeps through Mediterranean citrus groves, picking up lavender, sage, cedar and sugared spice. Ambergris waits in the wings, coolly ushering a breeze that soothes the warm landscape and mingles with zesty sweetness, for a fragrance that traverses empires in spritzes, promising longevity, projection and endless charm.

£158.33 for 100ml eau de parfum jovoyparis.uk

 

Written by Suzy Nightingale

Salt, Sun & Spray: 5 Scents for Seaside Dreamers

Salt in a fragrance?! No, the world hasn’t gone mad (at least not in this case), salty fragrances really are a thing; and the addition of a salty note goes beyond adding an almost savoury twang to a composition. These salty additions (and yes, even seaweed in some!) now act as a sort of scented seasoning. Think of them as setting the sea-spray sparkling, weaving a briny breeze and minerally magicking intrigue…

 

 

We’ve gathered some of our favourite ‘salty sea-breeze’ scents for you to spritz, inhale, and be transported coastwise: whether you yearn for windswept snogs on Brighton’s pier, languorous lolls on Mediterranean shores, or a balmy escapade to tropical sands. Each of these salt-infused scents flutters its own flag above the waves. So, unfurl your beach towel and prepare to be whisked seaside (but without the sand in your sandwiches, and with zero chance of rain, hurrah!)

 

 

 

Boadicea the Victorious Aqua Sapphire

Salty waves break tantalisingly over tropical pineapple and rum in this sparkling ode to the ocean, swirling saffron’s golden warmth into the boozy zephyr. That signature Boadicean bravura unfurls as seaweed breezes in with classic Rose de Mai, salty and ever-so-seductive. Musk flirts in the undertow and cypriol, amber woods and moss smoulder like embers after a midnight beach bonfire. It’s a sapphire flash – part 90s ozonic fizz, part beach-bar cocktail – that never loses its veil of marine mystery. One spritz, and suddenly you’re skipping stones in the surf, salt on lips, hair ablaze with sun. Blissful!

From £69.50 for 10ml pure parfum boadiceaperfume.com

 

 

 

 

 

Roger & Gallet Vanille Soleil

A Mediterranean daydream in a bottle. Vanilla – but fret ye not, it’s defininitely NOT the cupcake kind. Here, salted air tangles with Madagascar vanilla, brightened by jasmine and ylang-ylang’s floral flurries. Tonka bean and amber bring the gilded warmth of sun-drenched skin, while a saline breeze lifts everything into a lighter, languid sphere. Imagine vanilla, taken for a tango on the tiles of a sun-baked riviera, her petticoat fluttering above rhythmic sandal-beats, as behind, the sea croons a breezy refrain. Joyfully balmy and far less sweet than you’d expect, it’s an echo of laughter bobbing across the waves.

£39 for 100ml eau de toilette escentual.com

 

 

 

 

 

Thomas de Monaco Sol Salgado

The romance of salt and sun, gloriously bottled to enjoy whenever the mood strikes. Sol Salgado opens on linden blossom and mimosa, evoking golden serenity, soft as cotton flower. A heartbeat later, the tide turns: salt and ambergris roll in, tinged with heliotrope’s almond aura; sandalwood and skin musks drift and swirl, as smoked vanilla smoulders in the background. If beach holidays always seem to end too soon (or you never get to go on one!) this is the endless summer you’ve craved – a sensual evocation of gold on sun-warmed skin and the shimmering magic hour when the sultry breeze turns every moment cinematic.

£230 for 50ml extrait de parfum lessenteurs.com

 

 

 

 

 

The Merchant of Venice Gold Regatta

Take to the laguna for a Venetian regatta, bracing salt air and pageantry galore. Gold Regatta launches with the unique savour of red algae and prickly pear – fruity yet evoking a froth of briny spray. Helichrysum and salty woods conjure the warm, aromatic tang of Mediterranean facades and secret canals. Amber and vanilla lace the dry down, which lingers on skin like golden sunlight shimmering on water. It’s the romance and pride of Venice transformed into an aquatic, salty-woody fantasy, making every day wear feel a little bit legendary.

£220 for 100ml eau de parfum escentual.com

 

 

 

 

Sarah Baker Atlante

A mythic tidepool in a bottle: sparkling yuzu and graceful orris shimmy through tangled seaweed and wet rocks dusted with natural ambergris. Atlante is the sort of scent mermaids might splash on before a moonlit soiree with a salty sailor – saline, mineral, and tantalisingly fresh. Lily of the valley, pink pepper, and a drift of seashells complete the journey, while cedar and driftwood anchor the waves. Glimmering with tidepool minerality and bracing sparkle, Atlante leaves you blinking at the beauty of the shore – where every pebble hides a story, and every breeze is scented with adventure.

£145 for 50ml extrait de parfum in our Shop

Each of the fragrances described here is a magically perfumed passport, and now your only choice needs to be which seaside you want to be beside in fragrant form…

Written by Suzy Nightingale

Beach day bliss – escape to the coast (no matter the weather!)

A gentle whisper of sea spray, a sunlit breeze, the promise of adventure: the magic of coastal escape fragrances is that they allow us to journey wherever we wish, whenever we wish. With each spray, these scents have the power to conjure the wildness of a blustery clifftop or the languid warmth of a balmy beach, regardless of the weather outside the window.

Here, a selection of evocative fragrances, each a bottled memory of the coast, invites the imagination to set sail. It’s true escapism in fragrant form, no matter what the actual weather is doing this weekend. So, where would you like to go…?

 

 

 

 

Ruth Mastenbroek Marlin

As the sun dips below Kent’s coastal dunes, this fragrance awakens like a balmy evening stroll through lavender fields kissed by salty air. Aromatic bergamot and thyme pirouette with English lavender’s herbal calm, while plum and amber hum a dusky serenade. Atlas cedar and fir needle anchor the blend, evoking sun-bleached driftwood and the quiet thrill of twilight over shoreline. It’s a scent for those who crave the serenity of empty beaches, where the only sound is the distant sigh of waves meeting sand.

£65 for 30ml eau de toilette ruthmastenbroek.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goldfield & Banks Pacific Rock Moss

Picture a cliffside path in New South Wales, where lemon-scented gusts whip through sage and coastal moss clinging to sunbaked rocks. This fragrance is the essence of a summer day distilled – citrus sharpness softened by creamy cedarwood, herbal whispers tangled with mineral freshness. It captures the moment when sea spray mingles with sun-warmed skin, a vibrant yet meditative ode to the Australian coast’s rugged beauty. Close your eyes and feel the crunch of crushed shells beneath bare feet.

From £100 for 50ml eau de parfum jovoyparis.uk

 

 

 

 

 

Acqua di Parma Arancia Di Capri La Riserva

Sunlight flickers through blood orange groves above Capri’s cliffs, their juice dripping onto rosemary-studded slopes. This scent is a two-month maceration of Mediterranean summer – zesty citrus bursting with saline intensity, basil’s green snap softening into suede’s golden embrace. It’s the olfactory equivalent of diving into turquoise waters, surfacing with salt-crusted hair and the tang of seaweed on your tongue. A richer, eau de parfum formulation that celebrates and somehow bottles the very scented soul of coastal Italy.

£217 for 100ml eau de parfum libertylondon.com

 

 

 

Jorum Studio Rose Highland

No tame garden rose, this – imagine petals torn by Hebridean winds, flung against jagged rocks where gorse battles the elements. Saline air carves through sweet basil and clove bud, while rhododendron and jasmine cling like determined wildflowers. Vetiver and Atlantic oak rise like ancient cliffs, their ruggedness softened by ambergris’s sunlit warmth. It’s the scent of a storm rolling in across the Scottish coast, equal parts brutal and beautiful, demanding attention and inspiring romantic reveries.

£89 for 30ml extrait de parfum jorumstudio.com

 

 

 

 

Thomas de Monaco Grand Beau

The French Riviera in a bottle – pine resin dripping from sunbaked trunks, juniper berries crushed underfoot on a coastal trail. Tuberose and olibanum swirl like silk scarves caught in a sea breeze, their opulence tempered by vetiver’s dry intellect. Marine notes emerge like a sudden glimpse of azure through cypress trees, ambrette seeds humming with skin-warmed sensuality. This is the a stolen kiss in a hidden cove, all salt, shadow, and forbidden encounters so-elegantly evoked.

£230 for 50ml extrait de parfum lessenteurs.com 

 

 

 

 

Each of these fragrances holds a key to uncharted shores – let’s think of them as not mere perfumes, but portals. They prove that adventure needn’t require luggage or plane tickets (even if you’re craving that reality but can’t make it happen just yet). A spritz becomes a compass, guiding the spirit to where the horizon stretches endless and the air tastes of possibility. The coast, in all its moods, awaits in every drop. Oh, let’s go!

 

Written by Suzy Nightingale

‘Wild Swimming’ Inspired Scents – dive on in!

In the Summer edition of The Scented Letter Magazine, which celebrates 10 Years of The Perfume Society, we look at the fascinating ripple of wild swimming-inspired scents and otherwise water-themed fragrances that have lapped at our desks (and our skin) of late. These aren’t the 90’s style beach-y perfumes of yore, but rather a whole new (and dare we say it, more adventurous?) take on the aquatic fragrance family.

The intro to my feature for the magazine sets the vibe…’There’s a sudden surge of scents evoking rock pools, lakes, and rivers this summer. Could these less exotic, willow-fronded and estuary-esque fragrances be linked to the increasing popularity of ‘wild-swimming’ outdoors?’

‘With aquatic fragrances seemingly turning a new tide this season, we’re witnessing a drift towards natural bodies of water inspiring whole rafts of mossy, seaweed, driftwood, and algae-infused concoctions. In previous summer editions of The Scented Letter, we’ve looked at the re-emerging waves of sea-inspired scents washing across our desks, but more recently there’s been ripples of change in the fragrant waters – and they’re not necessarily even linked to the sea itself. Fascinatingly, the places we currently find ourselves paddling in are perhaps (for most of us) the more attainable kind, the inspiration often closer to home. We’re invited to dive – nose first – into the calm, silvery surface of lakes; explore algae-ribboned rock-pools; paddle in mineral-ic, mystical pools of childhood nostalgia, or dabble our fingers (and noses) in the mossy velvet verdancy of willow-dappled ponds.’

 

 

Do take a look at the so-evocatively designed pages (thank you to our talented magazine designer, Jenny!) and the perfumes mentioned in the  article, along with the usual award-winning news, Latest Launches reviews, and further fascinating articles within. You can either purchase a gorgeously glossy print copy, here, or subscribe to have The Scented Letter magazine delivered in a FREE digital format, here.

Meanwhile, the fragrances discussed within that H2 Eaux feature are not the only scents inspired by natural bodies of water – so here, we wanted to showcase some other stunning fragrances that so cleverly (and intriguingly) capture the evocative scene of cool, silvery lakes, rivers, pools, waterfalls and sea; and the calm – or adventures – to be found within.

 

 

 

 

Do you like the water calm and meditative, or prefer the thrill of a strong current of a scent to pull you onwards in its intriguing trail? Whatever your choice, we’ve some  suggestions for all tastes, so let’s dive on in…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ella K Orchid K

Always adventurous perfumer and founder, Sonia Constant, treks around the world with her portable ‘Headspace Technology’, thereby to capture smells in their living environment. For Orchid K, she tells us, ‘I wanted to create a fragrance around this black vanilla orchid discovered in Monte Rosa in Italy, which I associated with the flowers surrounding Lake Como, the magnolias, jasmines and oleanders of wild roses…’ Fluffed with marshmallow and orange blossom, there’s also a faint drift of incense, floating across the lake from the surrounding churches. Utterly sublime.

£225 for 100ml eau de parfum at 50ml

 

 

 

 

Cochine Water Hyacinth & Lime Blossom Diffuser

Water-inspred scents don’t have to remain outside, you know. Why not consider bringing the peace of lounging beside a lake to your home this summer? Here, Cochine create the reminiscence ‘of lazy afternoons on the banks of the Saigon River.’ The fresh yet gentle scent of lime blossom is combined with woody notes of water hyacinth to create an invigorating and fresh fragrance that wafts aloft on a cooling breezing, filling any space and delighting your senses 24/7. The perfect way to switch off for precious moments – months-worth, in fact – of scented contemplation.

£60 for 150ml reed diffuser in our shop

 

 

 

 

4160 Tuesdays Wash Me in the River

Founder and nose, Sarah McCartney, beautifully sets the tone, saying: ‘Wash Me In The Water is the fragrant embodiment of a refreshing plunge into a lake, climbing out onto grassy banks, lying down surrounded by aromatic herbs and wild flowers. If you ever need to wash away yesterday’s mistakes and start again, wear this one. The name is borrowed from the song Take Me To The River; it has refreshing rosemary and clary sage for your memory, frankincense to calm your soul, the smell of green grass meadows and a dip in cooling fresh water, a drop of mint and the light floral aroma of a new bar of soap.’

£65 for 50ml eau de parfum in our shop

 

 

Penhaligon’s Savoy Steam

Harking to their barber shop heritage, Penhaligon’s invite you to take your ease in the plunge pool, transitioning from hot to cold scent sensations as though you’ve emerged, dripping and refreshed from the herbaceous waters of the spa’s outdoor pool – via the deeply cooling herbaceous notes of eucalyptus and rosemary, balanced with the clarity of lemon and geranium. But don’t worry, you’re not left shivering: soon, you’re patted dry with extra fluffy white cedar-scented and Turkish rose-infused towels, heated with a tingle of glowing incense. Bracing, followed by a comforting embrace, if you will.

£175 for 100ml eau de parfum penhaligons.com

 

 

 

 

Granado Bossa

Though this transports us sea-side, the waters are choppy yet the tide is retreating. We paddle on pebbly sea beds, delighting in warm skin from the ankle-up, squealing with joy and the quenching coolness of the waters on a baking hot day. while the bouquet of solar flowers and the coconut note promote a creamy and delicate sensation. ‘With 90% ingredients of natural origin’ Granado says, ‘the fragrance is enveloped by the comfort and elegance of musk and cashmere wood, resulting in a floral, solar, fresh and comfortable creation.’ Oh, take us to the waters of Rio de Janeiro right now!

£65 for 100ml eau de toilette libertylondon.com

 

Written by Suzy Nightingale

 

Vitamin Sea – fragrances for wishing you were still there…

Recently, the tide has turned for salty, marine-themed scents (and PS: they’re not just for summer anymore – evoking glacial lakes and Nordic fjords as well as sun-kissed beaches). But why now this sudden swell of sea-inspired fragrances, you may wonder?

There’s something about the emotional pull of the sea that is eternal. For centuries, it has led philosophers, artists and scientists to pontificate as to exactly why we’re so drawn to the ocean. The Persian mystic Rumi, ruminating on the subject in the 1200s, declared: ‘You are not a drop in the ocean. You are the entire ocean, in a drop.’ He wasn’t far off, actually.

Modern science has identified that the discovering the human brain is 80% water. More than 70% of the world’s surface is covered by it (over 95% of that yet to be explored). Indeed, it’s hard to disagree with author Arthur C. Clarke, who once astutely remarked: ‘How inappropriate to call this planet Earth when it is quite clearly Ocean.’

So it’s perhaps unsurprising that water exerts such a tidal pull, in our lives. And that as we seek to calm ourselves and reconnect with the elements via our senses, water-inspired scents have been one of the biggest scent trends we’ve seen these last couple of years. These new water-inspired creations don’t simply seek to evoke the ocean, but rivers, waterfalls and deep, coolly inviting lakes. It isn’t only memories of holidays they evoke, either – as lovely as that undoubtedly is during these colder, greyer months; instead, it’s about harnessing the all-year-’round mood-boosting qualities of seascape scents, which we encourage you to paddle and then plunge into, here…

 

 

 

BDK Sel d’Argent
The salty kiss of warm skin, sheer orange blossom shot through with the sparkle of grapefruit and crunchy green galbanum. Think sunlight dancing on waves, somewhere fabulously expensive.
£155 for 100ml eau de parfum harrods.com

 

 

 

 

Thomas Clipper Atlantic
A spirited journey across the sea, with crisp citrus melting to a fuzzy, honeyed blossom; the deeper base of spice-flecked wood and musk a wonderfully evocative nod to adventure.
£99 for 50ml Cologne thomasclipper.com

 

 

 

Montblanc Explorer Ultra Blue
Luminous bergamot shivers to an icy plunge of alpine freshness. The exclusive, silvered patchouli is the scent of wet stones; ambergris, dawn’s mist still clinging.
From £35 for 30ml eau de parfum theperfumeshop.com

 

 

 

Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue Forever Pour Homme
Intensely juicy grapefruit fizzes to a cool, shady breeze of violet leaf and Javan vetiver oil across eerily still water; the base a soft white swathe of musk and patchouli.
£55 for 50ml eau de parfum boots.com

 

 

Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male on Board
Oh Captain, my Captain! Salt-licked skin tastes of sun-lotion and geranium leaves, a faintly boozy rum-like amber swirled with tonka bean. All aboard!
£72 for 125ml eau de toilette lookfantastic.com

Kenzo L’Eau Kenzo Pour Homme Hyper Wave
Inspired by Japanese art’s iconic ‘Hokusai wave’, zesty mandarin invites spontaneity, soaring to the crest before resting on a bed of moss.
£46 for 50ml eau de toilette boots.com

 

 

 

Cartier Rivières de Cartier Luxuriance
‘Life is often said to flow like a river,’ reflects Mathilde Laurent, wild botanicals rippled through rosemary, mastic, oak and geranium; a cold knife nestled on a riverbed.
£104 for 100ml eau de parfum johnlewis.com

 

 

Nishane EGE / ΑΙΓΑΙΟ
A tribute to the Aegean Sea carrying common bonds between Turkish and Greek culture; yuzu zings through violet leaves, basil and mint to the deliciously sticky olibanum and liquorice base.
£275 for 100ml extrait de parfum ab-presents.co.uk

 

 

 

Skandinavisk Kapitel 4
The herbaceous green embrace of crab-apple entwined dog rose evokes Scandinavian waterways, damp moss, rock pools and the freedom of ‘navigating with no fixed destination’.
£45 for 30ml eau de toilette skandinavisk.com

 

 

 

Laboratorio Olfattivo Salina
A literal evocation of the sea in all its salty glory, one imagines a message in a bottle tossed on roiling waves, a poem of pine trees and sunlight lustily sung on barnacle-bottomed boats.
£90 for 100ml eau de parfum flannels.com

 

Written by Suzy Nightingale

 

Haeckels offer discount on products for plastic-baggers!

Ultra-hip Margate-based beauty and fragrance house Haekels don’t do anything by halves.They began by foraging seaweed and making multi award-winning facial and bodycare products, then branched out into the most incredible fragrances, all based on locally gathered ingredients and named for the map coordinates they can be found at.

Now, Haeckels want to address the major issue of plastic littering our coastlines and water, which can injure animals and end up contaminating the sea (and the life that depends on it) all over the world. More than merely paying lip-service to a ‘fashionable’ campaign, they’re offering a fantastic reward for customers who want to help out in a practical way…

Haeckels say: ‘On Wednesday night we went to our local beach, we see it as our duty to clean our coastline. Plastic, cans, fishing equipment and general waste littered the sand and this took just ten minutes to collect. Everything you see would have been washed into the sea in a matter of hours.

Since 2012 we’ve been rewarding customers who take part in cleaning our beaches. A pat on the back isn’t enough to start a movement so we give them a discount on product in exchange for contributing. It is something we really believe in and businesses need to encourage actions like this.

Making product out of ocean plastic isn’t a solution to the problem, in many cases its greenwashing, PR stunts or hiding a multitude of sins. Join us in reducing plastic waste, finding innovative solutions to packaging and protecting our coastline.’

We believe more companies need to take note and encourage their own customers to follow suit, how about you?

Check out these seashore themed scented goodies from Haeckels and work out how you can involved…

‘This location is one that is close to our hearts, an uninhabited bay with remnants of beach use in times gone by and only a raw natural beauty left behind to enjoy. A man made bathing pool bridges the gap between the sea and land, an iconic reminder of a past popularity and a link between man and effects on the nature of the landscape. Walk along the sandy beach with sand and salt on your skin and take in the aromas of fresh seaweed, the chalk reef and seawater. Listen to the sound of the wind blowing through the long cliff top grasses, black lovage and distinctive white flowers.’

Haeckels Walpole Bay GPS 23’ 34”N £160 for 100ml eau de parfum

This much sought after and award-winning hand balm contains a careful blend of fragrant coastal flowers and skin-softening natural emollients that provide nourishing moisture and protection for hands and cuticles. Seaweed and geranium extracts gently encourage the skin to repair and provide essential vitamins for replenishing damaged skin cells.

Haeckels Eco Marine Hand Balm £18 for 50ml

‘Bog Myrtle thrives in the harsh conditions of the northern hemisphere with a long history of being found on the hard to reach paths of mountainous regions and at the top of cliffs along the coastline. It has been used as an insect repellent for these reasons: its location means that walkers and explorers come across the plants when they are being attacked by midges and other insects finding that Myrica gale is proficient in keeping them at bay. The aroma is sometimes comparable to that of cloves and is often used in flower bouquets for its fragrant qualities which compliment other floral scents.’

Haeckels Bog Myrtle Incense Cones £16 for 25g

‘The fresh, salty smell of the ocean is one of the most distinctive smells on the planet, evoking memories of crashing waves and sandy beaches. Scientists have finally unravelled how the seaside odour is created, tracing it to an enzyme that helps algae survive in their salty seawater environment. Researchers found that the smell itself is produced by algae that form extensive blooms on the ocean surface. These blooms release an aromatic compound called dimethylsulfide (DMS) into the air.’

Haeckels Cliff Breeze Travel Candle £15 for 60ml

‘A picturesque bay which is a natural area of outstanding beauty but one which is used a lot by tourists and also for film locations. In the winter its true elegance comes through with less people and more wildlife able to take advantage of the chalk reef, chalk cliffs and cliff hedgerows. This beauty is perhaps shown best on days when it rains, as the rain hits the chalk a fresh and clear fragrance come off the rock to give way to the freshness of cliff grasses, annual seablite and sea orache.’

Haeckels Botany Bay GPS 26’ 3”E £160 for 100ml eau de parfum

Written by Suzy Nightingale

Molton Brown set sail with Seabourn…

Molton Brown have long been offering us ways to escape the everyday humdrum with a vast selection of fabulously fragranced goodies – since 1973, in fact – but for the past fourteen years, only travellers on the luxurious ocean-line, Seabourn, have been able to experience this ultra-bespoke range. Created especially for the lavishly appointed ships, the scents were suitably inspired by the sea itself. Once exclusively the pleasure of passengers of the Seabourn, now Molton Brown are offering the range as a summer Limited Edition, giving us all the chance to get on board with their tantalisingly transportive fragrances and (as always) high quality formulas.
Molton Brown Say: ‘This year, for the first time, Molton Brown have created two completely bespoke fragrances that reflect the cruise line’s unparalleled luxurious guest experience. Usually available exclusively for Seabourn’s on-board guests, they will be offered in Molton Brown stores for a limited time. The beautiful collection is composed of ingredients inspired by Seabourn’s very own signature cruise destinations.’
The first thing you may notice are the exclusive bottles – standing apart from Molton Brown’s usual style with opaque white bottles, all featuring charming illustrations of the main fragrant ingredients, hand-drawn by the coast-based illustrator, Angela McKay. Completely sharable, the range encompasses shampoo, conditioner, bath and shower gel and a body lotion. And we couldn’t wait to get splash-happy…

Immersive Samphire & Eucalyptus Bath & Body Collection:
As always, Molton Brown use the highest quality ingredients possible, such as the carefully sourced, salty-green notes of Samphire picked from the French Atlantic Coast, and deliciously uplifting eucalyptus from Beijing. Philippe Bousseton, Master Perfumer at Takasago, reveals his inspiration for this collection as being, ‘A revitalising and very fresh aroma ideal for bathing, where samphire and marine notes are reminiscent of the sea and ultimately, of the Seabourn experience.’ Fabulously evocative, fresh without being citrus-y, we were immediately dreaming of those revitalising seaside walks that make you feel more alive.

Immersive Samphire & Eucalyptus Bath & Shower Gel £20 for 300ml

Immersive Samphire & Eucalyptus Body Lotion £25 for 300ml

Inspiring Basil & Vetiver Hair Care Collection:
Here, Master Perfumer of Fragrance Resources, Heidrun Harder, used herbaceous basil from Vietnam and deliciously cool vetiver, found in Haiti. Explaining the charcater of these products, Heirun says they are, ‘Very sophisticated, rounded and clean thanks to aromatic notes of basil and vetiver, perfect for hair care.’ A complete boon for those of us who require a more subtle wake-up than being blasted by grapefruit or  drowning in flowers first thing, they are gentle but effective and leave hair glossy with a ready-to-go bounce.

Inspiring Basil & Vetiver Shampoo £18 for 300ml

Inspiring Basil & Vetiver Conditioner £18 for 300ml
Molton Brown Seabourn Collection
Buy them now at moltonbrown.co.uk
Written by Suzy Nightingale

BeauFort London continue the intrepid scent adventure with Lignum Vitae…

BeauFort London are one of the most intriguing brands we’ve seen in a long time, so imagine our excitement on discovering they’ve just released their latest fragrance – Lignum Vitae – into the wild blue yonder of the perfume world.

Having first encountered them before they’d even properly launched, sometimes you get a sixth-sense tingle the passion behind the perfume will carry a new fragrance house way further than they’d perhaps ever have imagined. This was certainly the case when we first got our noses around the unique triptych of fragrances that began their story – really, quite unlike anything else around, the ‘fume-heads, bloggers and fragrance-buying public agreed; with 1805 Tonnerre (featured in our Secret Sensations Discovery Box) subsequently chosen by Jo Fairley as the Most Exciting New Brand of 2015 in her Telegraph Online column; praised by big-name glossies and highly respected tomes such as the Financial Times, alike.

Although perhaps not entirely smooth sailing (what new company’s launch is?) appropriately enough, these firecely independent, historically inspired yet utterly contemporary fragrances – named for the famous Beaufort Scale of measuring wind strengths – are themed around the turbulent history and intrepid spirit of the British isles, maritime history and notoriously shady characters who have shaped them. It was clear this niche line had quite an adventure ahead of them – indeed they have recently been lauded by critic Luca Turin as one to watch – and with the brand new fragrance Lignum Vitae just launched, it’s another exciting scent trail we were keen to explore…

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BeauFort London Say: ‘Inspired by the innovative use of materials that allowed 18th Century clockmakers to construct the first truly accurate marine chronometers, Lignum Vitae combines elements of wood, metal and salt to produce a truly unique, transportive fragrance.

In combining unexpected and exotic raw materials, BeauFort London celebrates the innovative spirit which brought to an end the search for lost time, and permitted the safe passage of ships across the world.’

Discussing the various inspirations behind any BeauFort fragrance is like a masterclass in maritime history, literary appreciation and a philosophy 101 with a smattering of art criticism for good measure – but fascinating as these influences are, it’s important as ever to not forget the most important thing of all – what it smells like on your skin! Complex, perhaps even slightly unsettling (because of their singularity) to some, BeauFort are not about one size fits all crowd-pleasing sniff-alikes that put you in mind of such-and-such a scent you used to wear. So what does Lignum Vitae actually smell of…?

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An immediate tang of salty air melts mistily to the scent of madeleines still warm from the oven – a Proustian almost-but-not-quite gourmand sense that feels as though it’s going to get huge, but within a while segues seamlessly to a citrus-tinged, freshly-felled woodiness and the silvered glint of cold metal that keeps the whole concoction bouyantly uplifted. Tenacious in perhaps a more tender way than its predecessors, Lignum Vitae is one of those true ‘scent journeys’ on the skin as it warms and settles. Having sprayed this in the early afternoon we could still smell it the next morning, where now it had dried down to a close, warm skin scent that was comforting but with a wonderful whiff of weirdness to it that you cannot exactly place. It seems to constantly fold back on itself, somehow – you think you have the measure of it and then it switches again, still retaining an image of its former self but with a new layer to explore. There’s a point about an hour in, when all the various threads seem to mingle into an intricate knot – you can trace each one, yet they have transmogrified into a new creation…

Were we to draw a map of this fragrance’s journey, we could cite the salt on the breeze, sweetness wrapped within a shady forest, misty darkness, warm skin huddled close against cool, mossy wood and the ever-present, slightly melancholy but ultimately intensely comforting echo of sweetness, wood and salt that carry you onwards to the trail’s end.

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BeauFort London Lignum Vitae £95 for 50ml eau de parfum
Buy it at beaufortlondon.com (or see their website for other stockists)

Written by Suzy Nightingale

Salt is in the air: a latest trend…?

A trip to the great British seaside is always a real treat, truly to behold come rain or shine – whatever the weather actually. Though, I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who is rushing to the coast for one last dip, before we officially draw a line under summer. It’s in our DNA as Brits to want to escape to the sea, whether it’s to walk the dog and wonder how on earth you’re going to get said wet canine back in the car, or the craving of a ‘wake-up’ like none other as you brave the great ocean.

Perhaps it’s the smell that’s so addictive. In the heat it’s dry, dusty sand and sun cream, but with a twist of watery freshness blown in from the shore. In the cold, it’s the thick heavy wind that batters you from every angle, ‘blowing out the cobwebs’, so to speak. For both, there is always one key ingredient – salt. We love the stuff. Perhaps because of these experiences, or perhaps it’s the sticky, certain ‘tang’ we can’t quite put our finger on.

There are some incredible historical scents that include sea salt, of course who could forget Miller Harris‘s Fleur de Sel, or Heeley’s Sel Marin? This season, salt is in the air again and we think we’re spotting a trend floating in the undercurrent.

 Jo Malone London Wood Sage & Sea Salt  £82 for 100ml cologne

Try it at: www.jomalone.co.uk

Classified as a woody fragrance, created by master perfumer Christina Nagel, it perfectly captures the spirited feeling you experience when walking a windswept shore.  The fragrance clogs the nose with a freshened, heavy sweetness, but retains warmth, like cold, weather-beaten cheeks that burn. Notes include ambrette seed, red algae, grapefruit, as well as those key components – sea salt and sage.

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Shay & Blue London Salt Caramel £55 for 100ml

Try it at: www.shayandblue.com

Salt brings caramel alive and this is clearer than ever in Shay & Blue’s latest scent, Salt Caramel. Created by Dom De Vetta and Julie Massé – taking their inspiration from the Queen Charbonnel et Walker’s sea salt caramel truffles – it’s a truly indulgent fragrance. Notes include burnt caramel, sea salt, sandalwood, tonka bean and vanilla. Good enough to eat.

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Calvin Klein Reveal £37.50 for 100ml eau de parfum

Try it at: The Perfume Shop

Created by master perfumers Jean-Marc Chaillan and Bruno Jovanovic to summon feelings around the smell of sun-kissed skin in the evening sunset, enveloped in cashmere. The top opens with fresh and flavorful sea salt and pepper. The heart adds ambergris and powdery iris, while the base is smoothed with sandalwood, musk, cashmere and vetiver (another potential female fragrance trend we’re sniffing of late).

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Written by Alice Crocker