Tag: sunny

In-Season Blooms: Sweet Pea Scents

There is something so charming, almost wistful, about the delicate scent of sweet pea flowers. Their pastel petals and gentle curves evoke memories of cottage gardens and sunlit, dewy mornings in late summer. Yet in the world of perfumery, sweet peas remain elusive – so-called ‘mute’ flowers – whose exquisitely subtle perfume cannot be captured as a natural extract. Instead, perfumers turn to alchemy, artfully blending other notes and magical accords to conjure the beloved spirit of sweet pea in fragrantly bottled form.

Each fragrance below is a celebration of that creative ingenuity – an olfactory tribute to the ephemeral, delightfully mischievous muse that is sweet pea…

 

 

 

 

Yardley London Bluebell & Sweet Pea

A shimmering homage to gentle femininity, this fragrance opens with the first gleam of lemon, bergamot, and uplifting cassis – a citrus syrup topping woodland berries, bright and inviting. Bluebell, jasmine, and lily of the valley skip hand in hand through a blossom-strewn glade, peony petals catching in the breeze and sweet pea offering its sun – warmed smile. Together, they paint the memory of laundry dancing on a line, a day as fresh as linen and as soft as laughter.

As the sunlight filters through, the heart deepens into gently creamy notes of vanilla and smooth woods, shored by the reassuring caress of musk. Brimming with the piquancy of just-picked blackberries bursting with juice and the clear – floral delight of bluebells, it lingers with a whisper of English summer. Here, sweet pea is the unspoken melody, reimagined and radiant; bound into an embrace of natural elegance, and promising confidence and comfort with every spritz upon skin.

£18 for 125ml eau de toilette yardleylondon.co.uk

 

 

 

Jimmy Choo Blossom

Fizzing with anticipation, this modern bouquet whirls you first into a sweet/tart dance of raspberry and red berries, where citrus glimmers like laughter at a garden party. Sweet pea emerges, luminous and dewy, leading the flutter of rose petals into a sunlit swirl. The heart of the fragrance feels like a cheeky wink of effervescence – pretty, and forever poised between dream and desire, rose and sweet pea entwined in a playful pirouette.

The base settles gracefully into a silky blend of white musk and creamy sandalwood, softening the fruity sparkle into a tender finish. Blossom is a celebration of joy in motion, an ode to early evenings glittering with possibility. Sweet pea here is transformed into a pink, sparkling chiffon – a flower given fresh voice through the artistry of perfumer Louise Turner, and her ability to conjure sweetness from air.

£76 for 100ml eau de parfum theperfumeshop.com

 

 

 

 

Jo Malone London

 

Jo Malone London English Pear & Sweet Pea Cologne

Golden orchards glimmer beneath the late afternoon sun, where juicy Williams pears hang heavy on branches and their fragrance calls forth summer’s lush rewards. Into this scene glides the gentle, petal-like sweetness of sweet pea – pastel – hued and unassuming, yet softening the juicy abundance with its powdery, luminous charm. This fragrance casts the orchard in a dreamy haze, the fruit’s ripeness entwined with the giddiness of spring blossoms.

White musk brings a featherlight touch, like the fine silks of a vintage scarf fluttering at your throat. Over time, the fragrance becomes an intimate embrace – clean, subtly floral, and skin-close, leaving the impression of sun-warmed gardens and walks amidst pear trees in flower. Sweet pea’s voice is a whisper through the foliage, a subtle serenade that wraps the senses in memories you didn’t know you cherished.

From £56 for 30ml eau de parfum jomalone.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

 

Van Cleef & Arpels Thé Amara

Imagine the first rays of sun piercing the serenity of a green tea garden where bergamot glistens on the leaves, mint exudes its refreshing clarity, and a tickle of pink pepper enlivens the dawn air. At the heart of this fragrance, sweet pea entwines delicately with rose – a pairing that sketches a fresco of dew-kissed petals and blushing freshness. The bouquet is nuanced and luminous, casting blissful emotions in olfactory brushstrokes.

As Thé Amara evolves, the base reveals an enveloping softness – white musk mingles with cedar and cashmeran, lending a gentle, woody warmth that caresses the skin in a memorable trail. Here, sweet pea drifts through like a silk ribbon: subtle, elusive, and utterly graceful. This perfume captures the poetry of a garden after rain: light, transparency, and the joy of fleeting beauty captured in a bottle.

£164 for 75ml eau de parfum harrods.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Amyris Femme

A luminous whirl of amyris and iris sweeps you into this vibrant dance – each spritz an invitation to twirl amidst sunlit lemon trees and the porcelain white curves of sweet pea blooms. Joy unfurls here, spun from a bright heart of floral and honeyed facets, sweet pea breathing its slightly unbuttoned innocence alongside creamy iris. The impression is at once sparkling and serene, as if caught in a gentle updraft of wind-blown petals.

With musky amber humming in the background, Amyris Femme carries an undercurrent of soft, powdery sensuality. Sweet pea’s presence is both finely embroidered and ephemeral – it serves as a scented tribute to the feelings its scent inspires, of optimism, romance, and shimmering possibility of a sunny day. In Francis Kurkdjian’s hands, the once-mute flower’s impossible beauty finds its voice – delicate yet unforgettable, forever dancing just out of reach.

£185 for 70ml eau de parfum franciskurkdjin.com

 

Written by Suzy Nightingale

Francis Kurkdjian: Capturing Light in a Bottle

Francis Kurkdjian is a master of capturing light in fragrance, a gift that radiates through every creation bearing his name. Now the in-house perfumer at Dior, while very much continuing to helm his own Maison Francis Kurkdjian, he balances a disciplined, methodical approach with a poetic sensibility.

Let’s explore the luminosity…

Rising as early as 5 a.m., Kurkdjian begins his day with remarkable efficiency and clarity. ‘People generally link creativity to romanticism, like a free spirit with your hair blowing in the wind, but it doesn’t work that way; you need a frame within which to work,’ he observes. This structured mindset, combined with a minimalist aesthetic and a meticulously organised workspace, allows him to distil moments of light and emotion into scent with extraordinary precision.

 

 

 

 

 

Within his Maison, Kurkdjian’s fragrances are singularly suffused with radiance, each bottle seeming to glow softly from within. Indeed, many of his compositions are conceived as luminous expressions of time and mood – from the delicate freshness of dawn to the warm embrace of twilight. ‘I have a creative routine that I apply for most of my projects,’ he explains. ‘As an early bird I am at the office around 7:30 – 8 the latest. It’s the best time for me to work on a scent, to smell the trials I have made previously.’

This dedication to routine and focus is reflected in the clarity and elegance of his perfumes, which unfold like carefully composed symphonies of light as they warm on the skin. Now, which of these light-filled fragrances have you tried, we wonder…?

 

 

 

Petit Matin

‘Rise at dawn, escape into the delicious freshness of an early morning in Paris and rediscover a taste for beauty.’

Petit Matin sparkles like the first light of day, evoking the quiet streets and deserted arcades of Paris bathed in dawn’s gentle glow. The fragrance opens with the vibrant zest of litsea cubeba and orange blossom, their citrus brightness immediately awakening the senses. The floral softness of lavandin and hawthorn adds a delicate, dewy freshness, conjuring the sensation of morning air kissed by light. Beneath this radiant veil, a labyrinth of musky notes weaves subtle warmth without diminishing the scent’s airy clarity. Petit Matin is a bright, shimmering eau de parfum that invites wearers to dive into the excitement and promise of a new day.

From £113 for 35ml eau de toilette franciskurkdjian.com

 

 

 

 

Grand Soir

‘Before the City’s lights turn on, a range of dazzling colors from honey to a captivating amber paint the sky.’

Now we are bathed in the sumptuous glow of twilight, when daylight’s last golden embers mingle with the approaching night. Rich and enveloping, it opens with a deep accord of cistus labdanum, lavandin, and cinnamon leaf-a tapestry of resinous warmth and gentle spice. The heart and base unfold into an amber-vanilla accord enriched with sweet balsamic benzoin facets, creating an olfactory glow that is both vibrant and sensuous. Grand Soir wraps the wearer in a soft caress of evening light, exuding a magnetic allure that is simply irresistible.

From £115 for 35ml eau de parfum franciskurkdjian.com

 

 

 

 

Gentle Fluidity Gold

‘An overdose of musks and vanilla with the floral, spicy note of coriander seeds brings ethereal volume and a lingering trail.’

A warm, generous hug where the richness of vanilla and amber-y gilded woods is lifted by the sparkling floral-spicy essence of coriander seeds and an abundance of musks. The fragrance radiates a glowing warmth, reminiscent of candlelight filtering through sun-dappled rooms. Its enveloping trail is both comforting and luminous-a sensuous melody that lingers with effortless elegance. This scent invites the wearer to bask in a golden aura of radiant intimacy. Yes, please!

From £115 for 35ml eau de parfum franciskurkdjian.com

 

 

 

 

Gentle Fluidity Silver

‘An ascending, ultra-fresh, aromatic note, similar to a “gin frappé” effect, balanced by the dry, slightly balmy, spicy notes of nutmeg.’

Shimmering with crystalline freshness, it’s hard to believe Kurkdjian conjured such a differing character from the exact same notes as Gold. Yet here juniper berries burst forth with invigorating piquancy, evoking the cool fizz of a gin-based cocktail. Nutmeg and amber woods add a dry, balmy warmth that grounds the composition without dulling its airy brilliance. The musks and vanilla base reveal facets ranging from sweet and enveloping to clean and powerful, creating a scent that is both vibrant and comforting. Silver’s luminous trail is like a delicate lace shawl spun from dew-speckled spiderwebs-ethereal, shimmering, and utterly captivating.

From £115 for 35ml eau de parfum franciskurkdjian.com

 

 

 

 

Aqua Vitae

‘The idea of sensuality, pulsing with brightness and warmth, inspired by the island of Formentera.’

Embodying the radiant balance of sun and shade, inspired by Kurkdjian’s summer escapes to the island of Formentera. It opens with sparkling Sicilian mandarin and Calabrian lemon, their citrus brightness tempered by the soft, luminous floralcy of sweet mock orange and lily of the valley. The base of guaiac wood, vanilla, and tonka bean lends a gentle, glowing warmth that feels both fresh and sensual. Aqua Vitae captures the magnetic attraction between two people-a luminous dance of light and shadow, cool air and sun-kissed skin-distilled into a fragrance that is at once energising and tender.

From £175 for 70ml eau de toilette franciskurkdjian.com

 

 

 

 

APOM (A Part Of Me)

‘A carnal eau de parfum with a sensually luminous, radiant, and generous sillage.’

Diving deeper into a gilded trail, this scent is an intimate dialogue between fragrance and skin, where light and warmth unfold in a floral, aromatic amber embrace. The top notes sparkle with bursting freshness of lavender and generous orange blossom, creating an immediately familiar and radiant signature. Ylang-ylang lends sunny brightness, while vanilla and white musks wrap the composition in a soft, airy sillage. It seems to hug the contours of body and personality with a glowing sensuousness.

From £115 for 35ml eau de parfum franciskurkdjian.com

 

Francis Kurkdjian’s Maison creations are a testament to his extraordinary ability to translate light into olfactory poetry. Whether it is the crisp clarity of dawn in Petit Matin, the golden depths of Grand Soir, or the shimmering duality of the Gentle Fluidity duo, each fragrance is a radiant expression of mood and moment. His disciplined routine, early mornings, and orderly mind are reflected in the elegant minimalism and luminous complexity of his scents – a true master of bottling light…

 

Written by Suzy Nightingale

Good morning sunshine! (Scents for Sunrise)

There is a rare and precious quality to sunrise: a gentle hush, a promise of possibility, the world bathed in golden clarity before the day unfurls its full brilliance. For perfumers, capturing the essence of sunrise is to bottle hope itself-a luminous optimism, soft yet vital, that beckons us to step forward into new beginnings. This week, as part of our exploration of ‘light’ in fragrance, we turn our faces to the dawn and discover three scents that evoke the first rays of morning…

 But what does it mean to create a sunrise in fragrant form? The brief is as poetic as it is precise: conjure freshness without chill, radiance without glare, the warmth of new light as it kisses skin and stirs the senses.

 

 

The perfumer must balance clarity and softness, weaving notes that shimmer with energy yet remain cocooning and gentle. Citrus, dew-laden florals, and the faintest whisper of musk or wood are often the chosen palette – each ingredient carefully selected to evoke the optimism, serenity, and subtle thrill of daybreak.

A sunrise scent is never brash. It is the olfactory equivalent of drawing back the curtains on a sunlit morning, letting hope spill in.

These fragrances are designed to uplift, to clear the mind, to inspire movement and gentle joy. They are the scents of beginnings-of possibility, of lightness, of the world remade anew.

 

 

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Petit Matin

“A stroll through Paris in the first glimmers of daylight”

Petit Matin is the very embodiment of a Parisian dawn. Imagine the city’s arcades still deserted, the air tinged with the promise of adventure, and the first golden beams glancing off cobblestones. Here, the luminous energy of litsea cubeba and orange blossom sparkles at the top, as if sunlight itself has been distilled into droplets. Lavandin and hawthorn lend a soft, floral haze-like the gentle blur of early morning light, while a labyrinth of musky notes anchors the composition, warm and quietly sensorial. This is a fragrance that feels both invigorating and comforting: a brisk walk through cool air, hands cupped around a morning coffee, the city slowly coming to life. Petit Matin is bright, sparkling, and full of anticipation for the day ahead.

£185 for 70ml eau de parfum selfridges.com

 

 

 

Angela Flanders Lawn

“Dewy grass and the hush of English morning”

Angela Flanders’ Lawn is the olfactory portrait of an English garden at first light. The name itself conjures a vision: the delicate green of freshly mown grass, cool earth beneath bare feet, and the air still trembling with the memory of dawn’s dew. Flanders, ever the alchemist, was known for her ability to distil atmosphere and emotion into scent, and daughter, Kate Evans similarly evoked a sense of place and time in this, her debut scent after her mother’s passing. Capturing the quiet optimism of a garden awakening, before the heat of the day scorches through, verdant galbanum, soothingly aromatic lemon balm, bright bergamot, whispers of tuberose, and jasmine flutter to earthy patchouli. It is the scent of peaceful solitude, of possibility unfurling leaf by leaf, petal by petal.

£85 for 30ml eau de parfum angelaflanders-perfumer.com

 

 

 

Creed Eladaria

“A trilogy of roses veiled in the silvery mist of dawn”

This is sunrise as seen through the lens of a dreamlike garden, where roses glisten with dew and the air is cool, yet tinged with the promise of warmth. The fragrance opens with radiant mandarin, a burst of citrus light that cuts through the mist, while pink pepper adds a gentle, spicy warmth. At its heart, a trilogy of roses – Centifolia, Damascena, and a soft rose accord – blossom alongside delicate peony and lily of the valley, creating a plush, petal-soft effect. Fluffy musks in the base form a cocoon of subtle sweetness and grounding warmth. It’s airy yet hushed, capturing the quiet elegance of morning, a sky painted in soft pastels, the world poised on the threshold of day.

£165 for 30ml eau de parfum harveynichols.com

 

To wear a sunrise scent is to carry a little radiance with you-a reminder that every day begins with hope, that light returns, and that beauty can be found in the quietest of moments. Whether you’re drawn to the sparkling optimism of Petit Matin, the verdant hush of Lawn, or the dewy romance of Eladaria, these fragrances invite you to greet the day with open arms and a joyful heart.

 

 

Next, we’ll bask in the golden glow of sunny afternoons. But for now, let us linger in the gentle embrace of dawn, and say: good morning, sunshine with every spritz!

Written by Suzy Nightingale

Scenting the Winter Solstice

Marking the rebirth of the sun, and a renewal of hope and lighter days ahead, the Winter Solstice has enthralled cultures around the world for many centuries. That gradual waning of daylight hours – which, oh golly, has felt eternal and gloom-laden – is reversed, and in religious ceremonies, in the alignment of ancient monuments, and in households eager to fling back the curtains, we gratefully welcome the light again.

It takes time, of course, for us to notice the incremental extra minutes, then hours, that we can look to the sky and feel hopeful again; but there are things that can help. A brisk walk in whatever nature you can access (even twice around the block when you’re in a funk) can shake off some of the frosted cobwebs; and a generous spritz of a scent that has somehow captured the midwinter sunshine and magnified it – a perfumed prism of happiness, if you like – is fantastic for an instant uplift. These aren’t the balmy, beachy scents of summer, which can feel a little brash and jolting right now; but the gentle winter sunshine contained within can add a sparkle and genuinely can help boost your mood.

Until the sun feels like it’s in the right place again, please consider seeking these out to help you feel a bit lighter of spirit….

 

 

la montana first light 50ml

La Montaña First Light

A cool gasp of surprise as sunlight sets the top of a mountain ablaze, dew-sparkled fennel, the rosy-green fuzz of geranium and silvery pine needles warmed by a touch of balsam-burnished leather in the base.

£65 for 50ml eau de parfum in our shop

 

 

 

 

Moncler Les Sommets Le Solstice

Sun-glistened icicles viewed from the snugness of your luxury wooden cabin in a chic ski-resort. Smooth, powdery iris hugs cool violet and buoyantly radiant musk. It’s sipping Champagne wearing fluffy slippers time!

£175 for 100ml eau de parfum harveynichols.com

 

 

Moncler Sunrise Pour Femme

Moncler have clearly  also been inspired by sunlit mountain peaks (and why wouldn’t you be?) this time the rays ripple through bursts of grapefruit, golden pear, velvety petals and a violet-dusted woodiness that lasts ‘til dusk.

£76 for 60ml eau de parfum houseoffraser.co.uk

 

 

 

Frederic Malle L’Eau d’Hiver

Soothing whispers of endless comfort swirl in exquisite minimalism, a blanket of iris covering frosted hawthorns, radiant hedione glistening through melting icicles, the sun low but bright and rising, slicing through sadness.

£240 for 100ml eau de toilette libertylondon.com

 

 

Edeniste Néroli Sensuel 

Neroli doesn’t have orange blossom’s summer swagger, but it feels like light pouring into a room when the curtains are flung open. Crystalline pear and juicy white musk-swathed peach match the glittering, frosted aura.

£68 for 30ml eau de parfum in our shop

 

 

 

Cloon Keen Atelier Frosted Moon

Ethereal moonlight kisses frosted grass, sparkles of ice shards piercing beneath winter’s mantle to vetiver’s welcoming earthiness: spring’s bulbs warmly cocooned.

£120 for 100ml eau de parfum lessenteurs.com

 

Written by Suzy Nightingale

Desperately Seeking Sunshine? Try These Orange Blossom Scents!

‘Did you ever sleep in a field of orange-trees in bloom? The air which one inhales deliciously is a quintessence of perfumes. This powerful and sweet smell, as savoury as a sweetmeat, seems to penetrate one, to impregnate, to intoxicate, to induce languor, to bring about a dreamy and somnolent torpor. It is like opium prepared by fairy hands and not by chemists.’

― Guy de Maupassant, 88 Short Stories

Orange blossom is beloved by perfumers in light-filled ‘solar’ scents – a newly emerging category, and a word I’ve found increasingly used for fragrances which aren’t merely fresh, but attempt the alchemy of bottling sunshine. And these fragrances are more welcome than ever when the season’s change means the darkness hits early, the days seem unnaturally shortened, yet somehow endlessly grey. As such, I urge you to seek out these orange blossom scents – SO right for right now!

 

It’s the bitter orange tree we have to thank for these heady white blossoms – one of the most benificent trees in the world, for it also gives us neroli, orange flower water and petitgrain – all utterly unique in smell, from verdant to va-va-voom depending how they are distilled and the quantity used in a fragrance.

Originating from Asia, the bitter orange was introduced to North Africa by crusaders of the VIIth century, and now it’s just six villages in the Nabeul region of Tunisia that provide the majority of the world’s crop. Women do most of the harvesting, the pickers swathed in headscarves climbing treacherously high-looking ladders to reach the very tops of the trees, typically working eight hours a day and gathering around 20,000 (approximately 10kg) of flowers.

 

 

When the blossoms are hydro-distilled – soaked in water before being heated, with volatile materials carried away in the steam to condense and separate – the extracted oil is neroli, the by-product being orange flower water, while petitgrain is the essential oil steam distilled from the leaves and green twigs.

Long steeped in bridal mythology, when Queen Victoria married Prince Albert in 1840, she chose orange blossom to decorate her dress, carried sprigs in her bouquet and even wore a circlet of the blossoms fashioned from gold leaves, white porcelain flowers and green enamelled oranges in her hair. It firmly planted the fashion for ‘blushing brides’ being associated with orange blossom – but this pretty flower can hide a naughty secret beneath its pristine petals…

 

 

While the primly perfect buds might visually convey a sign of innocence, their heady scent can, conversely, bring a lover to their knees with longing. In his novel The Leopard, Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa chronicles crossing an orange grove in full flower, describing ‘…the nuptial scent of the blossoms absorbed the rest as a full moon does a landscape… that Islamic perfume evoking houris [beautiful young women] and fleshly joys beyond the grave.’

 

It’s the kind of floral that might signify sunshine and gauzy gowns or veritably snarl with sensuality. Similar to the narcotic addictiveness of jasmine, with something of tuberose’s potency; orange blossom possessses none of that cold, grandiose standoffishness of some white florals: it pulsates, warmly, all the way.

 

Perfumer Alberto Morillas associates the scent of orange blossom with his birthplace: ‘I’m from Seville, when I’m creating a fragrance, all my emotion goes back to my home,’ Alberto told me, talking about his inspiration for his Mizensir Solar Blossom fragrance. ‘You have the sun, the light and water – always a fountain in the middle of the square – and “solar” means your soul is being lifted upwards.’

Oh, how we need that bottled sunshine when summer fades; an almost imperceptible shifting of the light that harkens misty mornings, bejewelled spiderwebs and sudden shivers…

Why not swathe yourself in these light-filled fragrances to huddle against the Stygian gloom? I love wearing them year-round, to remind me sunny days will return, that things will be brighter, presently. I promise.

 

 

Packed full of the brightest orange blossom, swathed in a cloak of earthy moss, soft musk and smooth sandalwood – the creaminess is an addictive layer of warmth. One to swish through leaves while wearing, grinning joyously.

EAU.MG Flor Funk £95 for 50ml eau de parfum

 

 

 

 

A shimmering haze of Moroccan magic, the orange blossom diffused by dusk, a languid sigh of inner contentment that resonates for hours – soothing, weaving its way around your soul and making for a blissful beam of happiness with every spritz..

Sana Jardin Berber Blonde £95 for 100ml

 

 

 

 

 

Waves of orange blossom-infused warmth giving way to fig tea sipped beneath the shade of whispering trees, the memory of laughter, and of bare feet on sun-warmed flagstones, fingers entwined, forever dancing, giddy on sunshine.

Stories No.1 £75 for 30ml eau de parfum

 

 

 

Perfumer Chris Maurice swirls delectable butterscotch and a ripple of dark chocolate through this orange blossom soaked scent. Vibrating with an amber-oudh glow in the base, it’s a scent that will surprise and delight you throughout the dullest of days.

Sarah Baker Gold Spot £145 for 50ml extrait de parfum

 

 

 

Suffused with a stillness that tingles expectantly, there’s a silvered gleam of a wooden boat gliding over a lake – the orange blossom darker here, sweetened a touch with candied peel, mellow greengage segueing to a seaweed-tinged purr of myrrh.

Prosody London Whistle Moon £57 for 30ml eau de Cologne

 

Written by Suzy Nightingale

Bring Me Sunshine: how ‘solar’ became a whole new scent category

For some time at The Perfume Society, we’ve been noticing a surge of fragrances described as ‘solar’. Filled with sunshine, radiant and sparkling, we might once have called these fragrances ‘fresh-floral’ or, more prosaically, ‘citrus’. But lately, we’ve felt that this is no more (solar) flash-in-the-pan, but the birth of a whole new fragrance family. And that doesn’t happen every day…

 

In a fragrance, ‘solar’ denotes a feeling of sunshine – but with it a physical feeling of being uplifted, of turning our faces toward the light source, a perfumed purr of warm cat contentedness. Citrus notes are vital, but in this new genre they’re mellowed by breezy blossoms, dappled with cooler herbs or touched with a tingle of spices and warm woods.

 

 

For prolific Master Perfumer Alberto Morillas, it was vital to use orange blossom as a note in the Mizensir fragrance (from his own fragrance line), Solar Blossom. He explains: ‘Orange puts the soleil into a fragrance – it’s sunshine in flower form.’ He cannot smell orange blossom without thinking of the sun, Alberto tells me, but insists that when creating a ‘solar’ fragrance, it’s about more than trying to make it feel sunny.

 

‘For me it goes much deeper than that,’ he says, his blue eyes twinkling as he looks out on what happens to be a grey London view. ‘I’m from Seville, and really when I’m creating a fragrance, all my emotion goes back to my home.’ He reminisces about the place where he lived as a boy, clearly remembering Seville as his true home even though he moved to Switzerland when he was 10. ‘You have the sun, you have the light and the water – always a fountain in the middle of the square – and to me, solar means your soul is being lifted upwards, you’re looking up from the cool shade of a courtyard to the sun, so powerful, above.’

 

 

 

Solar Blossom represents all these elements, he continues, and along with orange blossom, he deployed jasmine and musk to represent ‘the dimension of the sun. It’s very important, to create this dimension of space within any fragrance.’  When he was was six or seven, Morillas recalls, ‘I liked to lay on my back and look at the sky at the shapes of the clouds, fascinated by how they change all the time, the many things you can see in them. To me this is the closest form of a physical representation of perfume. It should always be changing, just like the sky. The clouds will be forever shifting.’

Mizensir Solar Blossom £185 for 100ml eau de parfum lessenteurs.com

 

 

 

 

Always-inventive perfumer Calice Becker decided altogether to eschew ‘typical solar notes’, as she puts it, for Parfums de Marly Cassili. Becker continues, ‘the combination of plum-frangipani-sandalwood creates a creamy tropical feeling that I describe as solar.’ It offers that holiday-in-a-bottle, instantaneous hit of happiness that brings back memories of stepping off the plane and being hit by a glorious wall of warm air, followed by your body’s involuntary sigh of (sunny) delight.

Parfums de Marly Cassili £230 for 75ml eau de parfum selfridges.com

 

 

 

Perhaps the ultimate ‘solar’ warm-skin scent, if we choose to express it in these terms, is Guerlain Terracotta, Thierry Wasser’s sun-soaked homage in scent to the brand’s iconic bronzing powder. There’s bergamot in the top notes, yes, but it’s all about the lactic lap of tiaré flowers against the heady exoticism of warm, waxy ylang ylang, transporting us to a faraway idyll. Oh god, yes please.

Guerlain Terracotta £75 for 100ml eau de toilette guerlain.com

 

 

 

 

 

For scents steeped in sunshine, meanwhile, it’s always been hard to beat Acqua di Parma’s Colonia. Since 1916 we’ve been reaching for the golden glow of Sicilian citrus (bergamot, lemon and sweet orange), the brightness glittering to a heart of lavender and Bulgarian rose on a smooth, woody base; a formula that’s remained unchanged to this day, reviving flagging spirits and bringing sunshine for 107 years – before ‘solar’ was a thing, and no matter the weather. Which is just as well, really, isn’t it?

 

Written by Suzy Nightingale

Light-filled fragrances for Diwali & scents for eternal sun-worshipers…

If you’re anything like us you’ll have been basking in the gloriously golden (and surprisingly warm) sunshine these last few days – we’re hanging on to every last ray, and it’s especially aposite to seek light-filled scents at this time, with the celebrations of Diwali about to begin – and other festivals around the world (and in many religions) in homage to the sun before the darker days truly kick in. Here, we pay our own perfumed tributes, and urge you to seek these out for eternal sunshine of the scented mind…

 

 

NARCISO RODRIGUEZ  Narciso Eau Neroli Ambrée
Neroli is one of the most instantly sunshine-y, happy-making notes on the scentscape (we took an office poll last year, and it came out on top for evoking bright light and happy, holiday memories). The brilliant Aurélien Guichard packs pleasure into every spritz, here – a veritable whoosh of optimism, tempered with comfort, in this slinky, silky dream. Orange blossom and soft woods sigh contentedly to the so-iconic white musk trail.
£65 for 50ml eau de parfum
johnlewis.com

 

 

 


BOUCHERON Patchouli D’Angkor
Here’s proof that patchouli can throw off its deep, dark and sometimes dark past to be reinvented as something sheer, summery and fresh. Here, patchouli has some unexpected bedfellows – pear, Bourbon pepper, jasmine and white musk – as well as more expected notes of bergamot in the top, guaiac wood in the soft base, offering further proof of perfumer Nathalie Lorson’s talent for reinventing notes, the better to delight and surprise our noses.
£175 for 125ml eau de parfum
Harrods.com

 

 

 

JIMMY CHOO Urban Hero Gold Edition
Luscious pineapple and ripe blood orange offer the most welcome kind of bracing opening, perfectly offsetting the more balsamic sweetness of soothing lavandin and rich, creamy tonka bean (think roasted almonds, lapped in milk) at the heart. This fragrance of contrasts, reflecting the inspiration of street art and free-spirited creatives amidst a city environment, is captured in a special edition golden bottle that will steal the show on his side of the bathroom shelf.
£72 for 100ml eau de parfum
johnlewis.com

 

 

 

LA MONTAÑA First Light Three Wick Candle
Don’t only think of perfumes, get ready to light up your life with this unique, utterly aromatic blend of wild mountain flora flushed by the first fingers of dawn breaking. Frosty fennel, bergamot, rosemary, mountain pepper, and rockrose pierce the air, and the inspiration for the scent came from that moment ‘…before anyone starts an engine, or lights a fire, the air is clear, and still, and silent. The first breath of the day carries the perfume of wild mountain herbs, the alchemy of which, blended naturally on the breeze, weaves a magical spell…  A new day, a new life – and a memory we didn’t know we had.’
£150 for 3-wick 650gms candle
In our shop

 

 

JEROBOAM Floro
Jeroboam pioneered downsized flacons: easy on the back, easier on the pocket, now offering this ‘flurry of flowers’ that proves they can bring the sunshine no matter the season. Fruit notes first capture the attention: green and red apples, and luscious pineapple. Then the flowers burst open: jasmine and airy, transparent petal notes, rendered a touch creamy by sandalwood and finished with a flourish of dry woods, white musk and cedar. Eminently shareable, Jeroboam suggest (and oh, we do love these light-filled flowers, on a chap!)
£100 for 30ml eau de parfum
jovoyparis.uk

 

Written by Suzy Nightingale

You are my sunshine: why solar scents are soaring

What do we mean by calling a scent solar ? Although not an official fragrance family, it’s a word we’ve seen increasingly used to describe a whole range of recent launches.

Filled with sunshine, radiant and sparkling, we might once have called these fragrances ‘fresh-floral’ or, more prosaically, ‘citrus’. A new way of referencing scent taps into the zeitgeist, reflects how we’re feeling as a society and, therefore, how we want to project ourselves. In a world that for so long has seemed dark and scary, perhaps it’s only natural we’re being ever-more drawn to scents offering an olfactory ray of sunshine.

Actual solar flares are intense bursts of radiation emanating from the sun that can affect radio waves and send your Google Maps haywire. In a fragrance, yes ‘solar’ denotes a feeling of sunshine – but with it a physical feeling of being uplifted, of turning our faces toward the light source, a perfumed purr of warm cat contentedness.

Citrus notes are vital, but in this new genre they differ from Colognes because solar scents are more multi-layered: mellowed by breezy blossoms, dappled with cooler herbs or touched with a tingle of sheer spices and warm woods.

So, why is ‘solar’ trending? Quite simply, we need something that goes deeper than a quick, zesty pick-me-up; beyond merely feeling momentarily refreshed. As Louisa May Alcott puts it in Little Women, ‘Some people seemed to get all sunshine, and some all shadow.’ And quite frankly, with the state of the world at the moment, aren’t we all weary of shadows?

So, why not soak yourself in these solar scents, look towards the light, and let the sunshine in…?

 

Wear these solar scents for instant sunshine Escentric Molecules M+ Mandarin

Escentric Molecules M+ Mandarin £95 for 100ml eau de parfum
The KAPOW! of super-charged, fruity brightness  feels like clouds parting and ends with a hug of ‘your skin but better’ softness. Sophisticated freshness that keeps on going (and helps you hang on to hope).

 

 

Sunny solar scents for summer Floral Street Arizona Bloom 
Floral Street Arizona Bloom from £24 for 10ml eau de parfum
Capturing the heart-soaring feeling of freedom this wide-open vista evokes a desert oasis. Queen of the Night flower lush with Balinese coconut, grounded by woody oakmoss and salted musks.

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Vitae Cologne Forte (2ml of all three new MFK eaux de parfum are in Eau So Fresh Discovery Box, £23
Sun-drenched mandarin mixes with a sunny floral accord and brings to mind the warmest, glowiest early afternoon light, underpinned by the sensuality of the fragrance.

  

ESTEE_LAUDER_BRONZE_GODDESS_AZUR.j
Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Azur £44 for 50ml eau de toilette
Sicilian lemon, Italian bergamot and Calabrian mandarin are shot through with salty licks of luminescence – neroli and orange flower buoyed by shafts of sunlight, warming to blissfully body-warmed milkiness.

 


Shay & Blue Mermaid Kisses (2ml eau de toilette is part of The Scented Retreat Discovery Box, £23)
Think honeydew melon, holiday cocktails on the shoreline at sunset, looking out to an endless horizon. We’re dreaming of bare, bronzed shoulders kissed by the evening air, the excitement of tomorrow’s adventures.

By Suzy Nightingale

Fragrances for… a holiday in a bottle

Travel restrictions are lifting for some, but we’re still up for taking a holiday in a bottle at Perfume Society Towers. One of the most magical things about fragrance is its ability to transport us to far-flung climes, to give the feeling of sun-warmed limbs and that blissful mix of relaxation and excitement at exploring somewhere new. So if you can’t get away, get these…!

 

 

CALVIN KLEIN Eternity Summer
Another in the ever-evolving ‘solar floral’ fragrance trend we’ve previously noted, here gleaming bright sunlight glints through the zing of Italian bergamot and luminescent jasmine, while heat haze shimmers in the desert rose oil and tingling warmth of ginger. Echoing the sunset colours of the beautiful bottle, this ‘duality of summer days’ captures the watercolour-dipped radiance melting into evening, cool violet leaves, coconut water and vetiver whispering on still sun-warmed skin. Immediately evocative. £RRP TBC STOCKIST TBC

 

DIOR La Collection Privé Eden-Roc
We rather suspect that Dior’s resident perfumer, François Demachy, enjoyed even more than usual his ‘research’ for this fragrance, a hymn to one of the world’s most legendary hotels, on the rocky shore of the Côte d’Azur. Flooded with sunlight, it’s cooled and ruffled by a salty breeze, revealing an accord reminiscent of nothing so much as expensive suntan oil, suffused with jasmine and a touch of coconut. Truly the stuff of holiday dreams. From £99 for 40ml eau de parfum dior.com

 

GUERLAIN Aqua Allegoria Nettare di Sole
There is just so much anticipation, each year, for Guerlain’s fresh-in-every-way duo of Aqua Allegoria, always sophisticated, always breezy, always wonderfully escapist. The star of the show as ever is a central note of citrusy bergamot, this time wrapped in luminous white florals and aquatic notes and then drizzled tantalisingly in honey. Guerlain’s own description nails it: ‘A delicious icy floral honey.’ To which we can only respond: ‘More, please.’ £69 for 75ml eau de toilette guerlain.com

 

 
ACQUA DI PARMA Bergamotto di Calabria La Spugnatura
This limited edition is offered in a real treasure of a collectible, hand-crafted porcelain bottle – refillable, too, in line with AdP’s focus on sustainability. Imagine a fresh breeze, lightly rippling through the air, sun sparkling on the water, imagined here via the citrus refreshment of bitter orange, mandarin and grapefruit alongside that signature bergamot, with green galbanum and geranium and offering lasting impression of cedarwood and vetiver. £124 for 100ml eau de toilette acquadiparma.com

 

HOLLISTER Canyon Escape For Him
Perfumer Linda Chinery took inspiration from ‘…the spirit of the Hollister guy who is energised by his love of the unknown and adventure that is made even better when shared with friends.’ Black pepper and cardamom provide a tingle of contradicting temperatures – imagine a heat wave relieved by jumping into a lake as blue as the juice. Soothing sage and a refreshingly piquant note of Californian juniper beckons the oakmoss, amber-rich base. Worth a detour! £16.50 for 100ml eau de toilette very.co.uk