As sure a sign of summer as your neighbour who seemingly mows their lawn thrice a day, Wimbledon is a welcome signal to pop the corks, open the starwberries and (for us at PSHQ) to don the whites while shouting “New bottles, please!” So, with such fragrant fun in mind, we present our whimsical scenting of the Wimbledon games to come…
MALIN + GOETZ
Strawberry
Forget overly sweet or boring: this is a contemporary strawberry ‘reimagined’ by the artistic team at Malin + Goetz. They ‘deconstructed’ and reinterpret the garden strawberry, invoking its luscious freshness via bright shafts of pink pepper and bergamot, given a floral flourish by orris root, jasmine petals and warm musks. ‘A dynamic scent that challenges the conceptions around the strawberry,’ they promise. What the fruit has in common with this, however, is a decided moreishness.
£78 for 50ml eau de parfum
malinandgoetz.co.uk
Maison Margiela
When the Rain Stops
There comes a moment during Wimbledon when, inevitably, the heavens open. Much banter ensues, British sense of humour to the fore. But at least we can revel in the scent of ‘petrichor’ after the rain stops, so beautifully evoked here in another of this so-clever niche fragrance house’s scent memories. Think nose-tingling pink pepper awakening dewy leaves, encouraging Isparta roses and jasmine to bloom. Damp, earthy moss, rain-washed air: the storm clouds, parted – a moment of joy captured forever.
£49 for 30ml eau de toilette
theperfumeshop.com
LACOSTE
Match Point
Never mind Match Point, this is game, set and match to Lacoste for a thrillingly fresh aromatic creation that pitches two poised accords against each other. In the opening game, enjoy the green, exhilarating energy of basil and gentian, with an intriguing yet subtle bitter edge. But ultimately, as with all fragrances, it’s the base notes which win through – here, the composed, calm elegance of vetiver, smoothed by Cashmeran.
From £35 for 30ml eau de toilette
Lookfantastic.com
CONTRADICTIONS IN ILK
Nonchalant
Inviting you to dip ripe berries into the frothing fizz of a Champagne cocktail coupe, this is one for the so-chic bystander, probably clad in vintage couture but wearing it with tennis shoes, who doesn’t really care who wins the game, as long as she gets the prize… Always perfectly powdered and ultra-cool, there are hints of spicy drama amidst the devil-may-care attitude – a sense of the swans down puff thrown in temper across a dressing room, lipstick kisses on popped corks, and countless heady bouquets from admirers filling the air.
£150 for 50ml extrait de parfum
Buy it here
PACO RABANNE
Invictus Platinum
There is a cool feel to the metal platinum, which is echoed here by the freshness of this new interpretation of super-successful Invictus, in a flacon that somehow looks more than ever like a fabulous trophy. Awarded with this, the wearer will be invigorated and energised by a complex, powerful fusion of absinthe, grapefruit, mint, lavender, patchouli, cypress and oakmoss, powered out of the bottle by a crush of mint. Über-masculine, mega-wearable.
From £57 for 50ml eau de parfum
theperfumeshop.com
