valentine Archives - The Perfume Society

Scents to love yourself (show some self-care – for Valentine’s or just whenever!)

Why not show some self-care this Valentine’s (or whenever, just because)? We spend so long thinking of others, and yes ’tis the season for romance etc etc; but maybe you’re done with the oodles of over-priced single roses, have already given loved ones lots, or simply aren’t in (or into) romantic relationships right now?

Well we’re with you, and happen to think you deserve to treat yourself for a change. So, have a browse and decide which of these you like the sound of, then fall back in love with yourself with some of these scents… (Okay, okay – you can treat someone else, too, if you really want; but you know what they say? Self care isn’t selfish, so make sure you do you, first).

Map of the Heart Discovery Set £35

Co-founders Sarah Blair and Jeffrey Darling created Map of the Heart – award-winning fragrances that come from a passion for telling stories and their understanding that scent can transport the wearer in a split second. Proudly Australian, each fragrance by perfumer Jaques Huclier has a seam of sandalwood at its core, and it throbs life through the perfumed pulse of this niche house’s scents, using indigenously and sustainably sourced Santalum spicatum. Understanding that scent can transport the wearer just as words, images and films can whisk us to another world – this set showcases their wearable art forms, and is a wonderful gift for the artistic travellers who deserve some new adventures to explore.

Molton Brown Rhubarb & Rose (just one of the scents in the Exquisite Essences Discovery Box: £23 / £19 for VIPs)

Molton Brown are right on the trend (as always) of grown-up versions of good-enough-to-eat fragrances, here firmly rooted in cherished childhood memories of baking with rhubarb’s unique tartness sprinkled by just enough sweetness. In this utterly addictive eau de parfum, those seeking scrumptiousness can indulge with joyfully juicy raspberry and a vivacious kick of pink pepper enhancing rhubarb’s sparkle, as luscious lychee and the tender peony showcase rose’s powdered charm, with a soothingly sensual base of cedarwood and musk swathing you in a gossamer soft trail. This is one to wear when you want to smell utterly scrumptious, and simply can’t get enough of yourself. Delicious, darling!

edeniste Love Lifeboost™ £68 for 30ml eau de parfum

We adore the description the house give this scents, saying it’s ‘A gesture of scented self-care that twists the traditional ideals of love into a new and meaningful ritual of confidence, compassion and generosity, to oneself and to others.’ And it’s not just words – edeniste back up every claim of the way their fragrances make you feel with extensive research. Having worked with top neuroscientists to prove the efficacy of the way our brains react to the scents, this new addition couldn’t be more timely. Ripe cherries, green leaves, radiant jasmine and tuberose with a duo of roses feel like a wearable giggle of delight, the smooth, woody dry down a hug that keeps going.

La Montaña Wisteria Candle £39

Oh, this wisteria’s as lush and beautiful as an idyllic cottage, the kind where those stunning flowers have scampered up and settled en-masse, garlanded so stunningly as to make you gasp. Says Cassandra Hall, the vivacious founder of the house: ‘We have a long history with wisteria, from the flower-festooned walls in Granada on our first wedding anniversary to the wisteria we tried to grow in a pot next to our front door in England. But now (finally!) we have it growing abundantly in our garden here in Spain and it’s a divine scent that says ‘home’ to us. Wisteria is a stunning, one-of-a-kind fragrance anywhere, but when it’s flowering in pure mountain air, the beauty of its perfume is life-affirming.’ Affirm your life now by burning this beautiful candle, and lightening even the greyest of days!

Jean Paul Gaultier La Belle Le Parfum (Try it in our Scintillating Scents Discovery Box: £33 / £29 VIPs)

We can just imagine the fun that Givaudan’s Sonia Constant and Quentin Bisch – a most mischievous creative pairing – got up to here, fully intending to lead us into temptation, casting an olfactory spell via a succulent, sensual cocktail of vanilla, pear, almond, belladonna, musk, bergamot and roasted tonka, which dance around each other like nothing so much as naughty nymphs. Having smelled this sample we think you might succumb to the full-sized rose-bedecked bottle, but you’ll definitely agree it’s 100% fun. This is for those of us who like to kick up their heels (even if it’s just a kitchen disco), so let your hair down and live it up with La Belle!

Written by Suzy Nightingale

This Valentines Day, isn't it time to love thyself? (Oh well, and thy partner if you have one.) Seven scented treats to indulge in…

In troubling times we should really be telling all those we love how much we adore them – and doing that regularly, not only for one officially sanctioned day per year. But with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, the pressure builds to choose ‘that special gift’ showing exactly how much you care – or to wonder if your significant other will be thinking of you significantly enough not to just thrust a hasty bouquet of garage forecourt carnations at you this year…
And that’s not even counting those without partners to worry about finding gifts for (or receiving from). So we say: whether single or in a relationship, why not treat yourselves to some scented goodies this year? Here’s our edit of some fabulously fragrant ways to indulge…
[Disclaimer to peeved partners of The Perfume Society team reading this: yes, yes, we’ll get you something, too. Don’t worry. But we’re totally treating ourselves from this list as well!]

It’s always more than simply perfect packaging at Jo Malone London, of course, but my goodness isn’t it lovely when the box is as fab as the contents? We are loving the denim design by British renowned florist Philippa Craddock. And the contents? The classic Red Roses perfume nestling on a bed of freshly cut blooms. Serious “wow factor” and the scent of roses with a breeze of lemon and violet will far outlast the beautiful bouquet itself.
Jo Malone London Valentine’s Day Floral Box £130
Buy it from 7th–14th February exclusively available at Selfridges

Would you choose a perfumed passion or scented sensuality? Well with Ormonde Jayne you can have both! Originally launched as Russian exclusives, now we too can luxuriate in lurve.
Passionate Love fizzes with energy – it’s Champagne sipped straight from the bottle to catch the foam, and then a merry barefoot romp through meadows, picking armfuls of fresh flowers, skinny-dipping in icy streams, shared laughter in bright sunshine. With oodles of warm neroli sprinkled with nutmeg and corriander seeds, it’s the swooning, classically-inspired heart of white flowers garlanded by osmanthus and violet that we fell hardest for.
A mischevious twinkle in the eye heralds Sensual Love – baskets brimming with lusciously juicy, sun warmed berries entwined with an elegant bouquet of osmanthus, jasmine and rose that prevents it being too “girlish glee”. Suddenly the path plunges deeper in to the heart of the forest, with verdant green buds and moss-covered tree trunks softened by a voluptuously rounded vanilla. We foresee outbreaks of fruitiness whenever it’s spritzed…
Ormonde Jayne Passionate Love and Sensual Love £195 for 50ml eau de prfum
Available only in-store at Ormonde Jayne Bond Street (and Moscow!)

Scents set to get the pulses of perfumistas racing was the thinking behind the Heaven Scents collection – from the just-launched Aqua Celestia by genius perfumer Francis Kurkdjian to the gorgeously presented new niche brand Map of the Heart and with a bevy of fragrant beauties in between. We’re using our stylish Micallef 20th Anniversary Keychain as a cute bag charm, and the full-size (huge!) bottle of decadently rich Judith Williams body cream is perfect to layer with your chosen perfume to ‘lock in’ the scent to skin for longer-lasting wafts with which to seduce…
Heaven Scents Discovery Box £12.50 for VIP Subscibers or £17.50 to everyone else
Buy it in our Shop

Why not… dust your delicates? Silky under-things and bed linen, that is! Although at 10% composition, these scented sprays are gentle enough to spritz on skin before going to sleep or sprayed directly on to hair and scarves, too – one of our favourite ways to wear fragrance and enjoy it all day. An intimate and gloriously self-indulgent experience that’s kind of a gift to whomever you choose to let close enough, anyway, there are currently three scents to choose from:
Gibson Girls
A graceful mix of white flowers including jasmine, gardenia, white iris and peach for the powdery facet. Classic, with a twist of geranium, cassis, orange blossom and coumarin.
Tuberose Mexique
A celebration of the most glamorous of white flowers. The creamy fragrance has been called ‘the sexiest scent of all time’ and this particular tuberose is the night scented variety from Mexico. Smooth, sensual and narcotic.
Rose de Grasse
The ‘Queen of Flowers’ – delicate and feminine, rosa centafolia has grown in the fertile soils of Grasse for centuries. Its scent cannot be beaten for sheer unadulterated beauty. Satin soft, feminine and timeless.
IDEO Parfumeurs Lingerie Spray £45 for 50ml spray
Buy them now at Roullier White

‘Stay in bed!’ So say the people at Miller Harris, who put together a cute animation giving us just this advice for use with their Valentine’s Day limited edition candle. And who are we to argue with such wise words? A collaoration with artist Laura Quick, the candle comes with a range of transfers and so can be emblazoned with luscious lips, winking eyes and a cheeky ‘merçi’ among other options. Turn off the lights and breathe in the scent of gentle roses wrapped in the soft, juicy tang of blackcurrant and mandarin.
Miller Harris Rose Silence Candle £45
Buy it at Miller Harris

Sharing is caring, so they say. And with many über-cool brands now suggesting their scents are completely unisex anyway, what a great opportunity to branch out and try something completely new! With an incredible 18 fragrances to sniff in total, from Zadig & Voltaire‘s His and Hers explorations of modern gourmands to Creed‘s must-try classics and Shanghi Tang‘s mini discovery sets, you’re bound to find a new fragrant crush for you and your beloved. Or just indulge in the maxim that ‘charity’ begins at home and keep them all for yourself! We will not pass judgement (having done exactly that ourselves. Shhhh…)
Sharing Collection Discovery Box £15 for VIP Subscibers or £17.50 to everyone else
Buy it in our Shop
Written by Suzy Nightingale

11 virtual Valentines to our perfumer pin-ups…

Yes, it’s THAT DAY, and while we eagerly await the better day that follows (happy half-price chocolate-box day, everyone!) we are pondering on the many ways in which scent can set our hearts a-flutter.

Of course we have incredibly strong emotional responses to fragrance – as has been proved by many scientific studies – and about which we are learning more all the time. It’s a fact: smelling something you adore lights up particular parts of the brain that little else can reach.

But it’s not just the perfumes themselves that we love: how about celebrating the fact that the once obscure ‘noses’, those who create the masterpieces we love, and the people who are so inspired by their passion for fragrance they go on to found a whole new house, have finally stepped into the limelight they so deserve?

There may still be some who, when they imagine a perfumer, picture them beavering away in ivory towers (or secret laboratories) – ancient, scented Methuselahs with mad-scientist hair and perhaps a long beard – aeons of scent wisdom etched into their care-worn features. Now, while some may indeed have more than a hint of the mad-scientist about them (naming no names), we are here to tell you that many noses (and indeed founders of the houses) today are stepping out from the labs so we can get to know all about them, not just their creations.

We don’t have the time or space to include all of our favourite perfumers and founders (how could you choose?) but here’s a little list of some of those remarkably talented people we’re sending our heartfelt love to this year…

Pierre Guillaume – When he was only 25, his first composition ‘Cozé’ was an immediate success, with esteemed New York Times fragrance critic Chandler Burr dubbing his creations “the coolest new European fragrances from a young French chemist”. Not a bad start, then, and after founding Parfumerie Generale and Huitième Art Parfums, his scents are still causing great excitement.

Mathilde Laurent – Ultra-cool with a no-nonsense rock ‘n’ roll style and yet seamlessly carrying on the tradition of translating the glamorous Cartier image into contemporary fragrances with timeless appeal, Mathilde is one of very few in-house perfumers, and also creates exquisite bespoke perfumes in their oppulent Parisian boutique. We admit to having a total girl-crush!

Thierry Wasser – All his predesessors were Guerlains, but his sheer talent shone through and Jean-Paul Guerlain himself appointed Wasser as the successor to the role of head nose for Guerlain – entrusting him with the top secret ‘Formula book’ passed down through generations of the family, and resting securely in his hands. Charmingly elegant, always with a twinkle in his eye, his knowledge and humour always seem in harmonious balance.

Lyn Harris – Not content with setting up Miller Harris, Lyn has now gone back to her bespoke perfumery roots with Perfumer H – a jaw-dropping selection of scents that will change each season in the most stylish shop we’ve seen for ages. Laid-back, highly talented, she’s like the coolest girl at school you always wanted to be…

David Frossard – Owner of niche perfume house, Frapin, he was previously export director for L’Artisan Parfumeur and Penhaligon’s before starting – Différent Latitudes – an alternative perfumery brand representing, distributing and communicating for 20 independent brands in over 50 countries. He also gives kickboxing classes, apparently. Sign us up!

Cécile Zarokian – When your first ever professional fragrance creation is Amouage Epic Woman, you have a lot to live up to, but Cécile more than rose to the challenge – already creating over forty fragrances for various niche houses like Jovoy Paris, MDCI, Jacques Fath, Laboratorio Olfattivo, and the entire Château de Versailles scented candles collection. We’re always fascinated to see what she does next…

Ben Gorham – Intrigued by scent and memory after visiting his mother’s hometown in India and being passionately stirred by spices and incense, Ben graduated from art school but – following a chance meeting with perfumer Pierre Wulff – became convinced his furture lay in perfumery rather than the world of art alone. Founding BYREDO, the house is known for understated, refined, fragrances that appeal to all the senses.

Julie Massé – Hailing from a Grasse family, once Julie graduated from perfumery school, she gained the remarkable opportunity to train with perfume legends like Christine Nagel and Pierre Bourdon, and is now principal perfumer at Shay & Blue. A young perfumer who delights in taking classic accords and weaving her own contemporary style in to each creation, she’s already developed her own unique nose’s scent signature.

Carlos Huber – Training as an architect, Carlos was inspired by his Mexico City roots and the diverse mixture of Aztec, Spanish Colonial, contemporary buildings and culture surrounding him. Creating luxury spaces and instillations with historical references for Polo Ralph Lauren, Carlos was increasingly drawn to his love of fragrance, eventually founding the house of Arquiste and wooing the noses of many fragrance aficionado around the world.