Tag: Wood

We’re Fall-ing for these Woodland Walk Scents

Here in the UK, autumn is a master magician, pirouetting the landscape into russet and gold, tossing crispy leaves under wellies and inviting brisk woodland walks punctuated by brisk sniffs of “what’s that scent in the air?” Naturally, November puts us firmly in “fall-ing” mode – craving perfumes that conjure forests in all their earthy grandeur, a twist of rustic eccentricity, and a generous snuggle of moss and wood.

 

 

Whether you’re a mud-spattered nature enthusiast or simply scrolling woodland photos from your sofa, these fragrances offer crisp leaves, head-clearing verdancy and all the cosiness of enchanted autumn walks you could possibly desire. We suggest it’s high time to spritz, sniff, sally forth – and don’t forget to kick some leaves on the way.

So dust off your Barbour, keep an eye out for deer (or at least a stray squirrel) and plunge with us nose-first into these woodland wonders…

 

 

 

 

Experimental Perfume Club Cedarwood Absinthe

This is the olfactory equivalent of reciting mysterious poetry to a grand cedar tree while sipping a (possibly inadvisable while walking) herbal cocktail. Woody, leathery and gloriously herbaceous, it starts with a spritz of absinthe via aromatic wormwood, before plunging into deep, balsamic cypriol. Virginia and Atlas cedar bring that forest floor energy, with smoky patchouli and tobacco swirling in the undergrowth. At first, you’ll catch a burst of fresh, crisp air – then it melts into warm skin, sultry woods, and the promise of woodland mischief at twilight. Marvellous!

From £35 for 10ml eau de parfum experimentalperfumeclub.com

 

 

 

 

 

Penhaligon’s Daphne Bouquet

Penhaligon’s Daphne Bouquet carries you straight to Highgrove Gardens, where daphne blossoms flirt outrageously with blackcurrant leaves and mossy undergrowth. There’s something riotously British about it – elegant, radiant, and bursting with a folklore twinkle. Every spritz is a spring tennis rally between sharp green notes and velvety florals, created in support of The King’s Foundation and inspired by King Charles III’s private paradise. Bonus points: wearing it gives you instant charity chic, with 10% of proceeds whisked to an excellent cause. If moss had a tiara made of silver cobwebs glinting with morning dew, it would smell like this.

£175 for 100ml eau de parfum penhaligons.com

 

 

 

 

 

Granado Patchouli

Patchouli often gets typecast as the hippie cousin at the perfume family reunion, but Granado’s interpretation is charmingly rustic, green and earthier than a well-fed compost heap (in a delightful way). With 88% natural ingredients, it is rich in natural patchouli, warmed by cardamom and nutmeg, and freshened up with twangs of lavender and geranium. It’s an aromatic stroll through bramble and undergrowth, minimalist yet secretly opulent. Layer it, wear it solo, or just revel in its moody autumnal hug – here, patchouli wears tweed with cool panache.

£70 for 100ml eau de toilette harveynichols.com

 

 

 

 

 

L’Artisan Parfumeur Il Était Un Bois

With a name that practically dares you to swirl your scarf and recite something poetic, Il Était Un Bois is woodland comfort bottled. Vetiver anchors the scent, buckwheat adds unexpected softness, and cedarwood shines with life as if the bottle were secretly whittled from an enchanted tree. The result? A walk through a serene forest on a crisp afternoon, bird calls above and a sense that somewhere nearby, something magical might happen. It’s harmonious, quietly divine, and the very essence of a peaceful autumn ramble.

£170 for 100ml eau de parfum selfridges.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

Moncler Le Bois Glacé

Think spiced vetiver breeze in a posh apothecary bottle. Le Bois Glacé modernises Haitian vetiver’s smoky charms, pairing them with the effervescent brightness of Calabrian bergamot and pink pepper. The packaging – all wood-grained paper and three-dimensional logo chic – promises sophistication, but the juice is what truly forest-bathes your senses. Imagine a stride through piney heights, autumn wind in your hair, topped with peppery zest and a knowing smile. This is the fragrance for anyone who’s ever wanted to smell like they just completed the world’s most stylish forest trek.

£175 for 100ml eau de parfum selfridges.com

 

Written by Suzy Nightingale

Artists of Note: Molton Brown Oudh Accord & Gold Limited Edition

What does the word gold in a fragrance mean to you? Is it an idea of sumptuous radiance, warm light that shimmers on skin, or the promise of decadent luxury, poured into each ritual of daily life? Molton Brown Mesmerising Oudh Accord & Gold is a creation that encapsulates this gilded splendour, with scented additions that turn every simple ritual into an act of outright olfactory luxury.

Since its launch over a decade ago, this decadent composition has garnered a cult following (and quite rightly won awards!), enveloping its wearers in a billow of gloriously glimmering spiced clouds and smoky, honey-tinged woods. And now one lucky fragrance lover can WIN the entire artistically redesigned limited-edition eau de parfum and matching collection, to celebrate its scented success! Read on to discover more, and how you can be in with a chance to own them all…

This gilded story begins as the fragrance opens with a glistening flicker of bergamot, fresh and darting, setting the stage for what is to come. As the steam of a spiced forest unfurls, deep, velvety oudh accord draws you inward, its rich, woody resonance smouldering seductively. There’s nothing shy or retiring here: Senior Perfumer Sylvie Fischer’s artistry is evident in the full-bodied layering that morphs from one opulent note to the next. ‘Olibanum is a beautiful fusion of sweet, woody accords with a resinous intense aspect,’ Fischer explains. ‘It’s made up of two different components: a resin and an oil. The oil adds brighter, enlivening top notes while the resin at the heart and base leave a more intense and sensual trail…’

With every spritz, the scented story unfurls on your skin as it warms – one that echoes with the sonorous bass of that olibanum (frankincense) thrumming throughout, rising in curls above honeyed resins and glimmering saffron threads. Wearing it, we feel as though someone has laced the dusk air with the sumptuous richness of distant lands. Molton Brown’s latest artistic incarnation pays homage to this sense of place and memory, offering not only the limited edition Eau de Parfum but also an expanded collection featuring Bath & Shower Gel, Body Lotion, Hand Care, candles, and the NEW Aroma Reeds home diffuser. (And don’t forget: one of you can win the LOT!)

 

 

 

This year, the brand’s ‘Artists of Note’ project takes the experience even further, commissioning London-based artist Karimah Hassan to conjure ‘The Golden Bridge’ for Mesmerising Oudh Accord & Gold. Hassan, whose heritage is a vivid tapestry of Wales, Yemen and Bangladesh, creates work alive with legacy and radiance. Her diptych and poem are a celebration of transformation – ‘the alchemy of turning scent into ceremony.’ She reflects, ‘It makes me feel like a goddess – like I’m charging forward on a chariot.’ In her words, the fragrance is ‘a bridge to the past that still calls my name’ and a ‘tapestry of love, woven from birth. A woman of gold, a dreamer unseen, a scent that tells of the places I’ve been.’

 

 

 

 

For those who crave a touch of gold to elevate the everyday, the new limited edition bottle shimmers with a metallic ombre glass and gold-speckled cap – a true piece of perfumed art. Each perfumed piece in the collection is meticulously bottled in England, with Molton Brown’s unwavering commitment to ingredient quality, sustainability and a cruelty-free ethos they instigated way ahead of other beauty and fragrance houses, right from when they first opened their doors in 1973.

So, if you’re seeking a truly special scent where artistry, memory and ceremony are interwoven through every note, we think you’ll agree that Molton Brown’s Mesmerising Oudh Accord & Gold delivers a compelling invitation. Where might this scent take its next wearer? That magical journey, as always, is just a spray away…

 

Written by Suzy Nightingale

We cedar-WOOD urge you to try these fragrances!

Do you remember the smell of your school pencil case? That’s really the smell of cedar, which is of course also the wood used for pencils. Of course it smells woody, but that’s just too simple: it also has a freshness, with hints of resin. If you’ve ever walked in an evergreen forest, cedar will transport you back there, too. And so many utterly fabulous fragrances employ cedar to evoke this forest-y wonderment.

It’s mostly the foliage (from trees grown in the Atlas mountains of Morocco, or Virginia in the USA) that is steam-distilled to produce the intense oil, which is also used in aromatherapy for calming and balancing. Sometimes, the roots and the wood of this slow-growing tree are used, putting some environmental question marks over its use today. Partly for that reason, there are now quite a few cedar-like synthetic notes used to give depth and a ‘grounding’ quality across some women’s fragrances – and many men’s.

As ‘nose’ Christine Nagel explains, cedar wood can be used to different effect: ‘Virginian cedar has a dry and almost “nervous” effect in a fragrance, whereas cedar wood from the Atlas Mountains is much warmer…’

Which of these cedar-infused fragrances do you want to try first? We urge you to seek them out in the colder months ahead for the comfort of nostalgia plus the magically spacious quality they can offer in a scent…

 

 

Ostens Cedarwood Heart

‘Cedarwood Heart leaves a dry, almost pencil-shavings scent on the skin that’s then softened by an unexpected, slightly creamy and almost vanilla like quality’ they say, and within seconds of this sumptuously comforting scent being on your skin, we know you’re going to fall for it in a big way. The cedar is nuanced, flinty at first then sinking into that deliciously soft creaminess, which has a natural sweetness but stays far away from the ‘gourmand’. Truly woody, with a sense that you’re floating above a forest in a dream, or are somehow living in a storybook treehouse. Magnificent!

Try a sample in the Ostens Discovery Set – £40 for all six scent samples to adore!

 

 

 

Maya Njie Nordic Cedar

Within Nordic Cedar, you truly feel as though you’ve walked into one of the atmospheric photographs Maya Njie is inspired to create her fragrances around. Harking to her part Swedish heritage, although we may never have visited the exact forest this scent evokes, all of us wearing it can feel a sense of towering trees, the shadows thrown by lofty canopies far above our heads, that reassuring comfort of cedar mixed with earthy patchouli – all enclosing us in a hug as cardamom gifts brightness, ambergris adds cool mist, and it feels like we’ve been on a fabulously fragrant walk.

Try a sample (along with five other fragrances) in the Maya Njie Discovery Set – £34 for 6 x 2ml samples

 

Written by Suzy Nightingale

 

 

 

Experimental Perfume Club Smell Like a King

A brilliant blending of heritage and modernity in which so-clever perfumer/ founder Emmanuelle Moeglin melds ginger, turmeric, salt-tinged woods and mellow tobacco of her Cardamom Moss with the unashamedly magnificent leather and herbaceous depth of the stunning Cedarwood Absinth base (do also try this scent on its own – glorious!) Think wooden-panelled rooms and freshly rolled cigars glinting with a verdant freshness, mellowed with a husky muskiness that exudes confidence. Easy to wear yet stylishly characterful, this really deserves a fanfare.

From £35 for 8ml eau de parfum experimentalperfumeclub.com

 

 

Laboratorio Olfattivo Tonkade

This cedar-enriched stunner is from the perfume house’s Nero collection, with an unusual opening of seasonal dried fruits, neroli, tonka bean, and a cool breeze of cardamom spice leading to a crescendo of warm woods – all swirled with that deliciously dry cedar to meld the composition. In the trail, patchouli and soft vanilla add to the moody, woody vibe which positively bursts out of the so-stylish bottle. Then as the pace slows again, enjoy a smoky-sweet base accord that swirls with soft musks – a misty perfumed path you’ll be following (and trailing) all day…

From £110 for 100ml eau de parfum pulseofperfumery.com

 

 

COSMOSS Sacred Mist

Kate Moss taps into powerful ingredients to showcase into her spiritual side, embracing meditation  and mindfulness with her signature gusto. And we couldn’t be happier with that metamorphosis, expressed via her Cocomoss skincare collection, also offering us an astonishingly accomplished Chypre creation in which subtle jasmine and tuberose fuse with geranium and bergamot. It’s the sense-soothing, calming notes of oakmoss, cedarwood and tonka that we’re spritzing and re-spritzing – on and off the yoga mat.

Try a sample (plus 11 other scents & a body care treat) in our Garden of Delights Discovery Box £23 / £19 for VIPs

 

 

Sandalwood scents to adore this autumn

Perfumers have been seduced by sandalwood’s silky, sweet woodiness for centuries. Arabian perfume-makers would use the wood in pulverised or sawdust form as the base of solid perfumes and incense. In India, sandalwood’s soothing, pervasive scent has long been considered an aid to meditation, helping to still a whirring mind. In rituals, sandalwood oil may be applied to the forehead, the temples, or rubbed between the eyebrows. And it’s been used in many cultures as incense, burned on altars, as a way of communicating with the heavens.

 

Surprisingly, Santalum album isn’t actually a tree but a parasitic plant which grows by suckering itself to the roots of other trees, and slowly growing as high as 10 metres. To extract the deep, sweet woodiness, wood or root chippings are steam-distilled. If you ever come across a piece of the wood itself, it’s magical: the scent can still be enjoyed, years after it was harvested. (A little light sanding re-releases the scent, if it fades.)

 

 

 

In fragrance compositions, sandalwood is adored by noses because it’s so versatile – it blending seamlessly with pretty much any note you can name, it also has the benefit of working as a ‘fixative’, tethering other ingredients and keeping them ‘true’, in a composition. Because of its universal appeal and effectiveness, and because so many sandalwood trees have been cut down in India, largely for production of perfume and incense – it’s now highly protected, as it’s often been illegally harvested.

The good news, however, is that plantations in Australia are now coming on-stream, producing sandalwood oil of high quality – to the relief of perfumers, fragrance-lovers and conservationists alike. Also, a wide range of excellent quality synthetic sandalwood-like ingredients are now used in place of this at-risk wood, to give that smooth milkiness.

This autumn, we urge you to seek out some of these sandalwood scents and revel in all its qualities…

Sana Jardin Sandalwood Temple

Moroccan neroli oil glimmers like motes of gilded glitter suspended in languid, late afternoon sunshine. Atlas cedarwood and Haitian vetiver add the dappled shade of a walk through nature, marvelling at stained-glass effect of sunlight through leaves. Rich vanilla and East Indian sandalwood swirls throughout – a sacred space to sigh, contentedly.

Try a sample of Sandalwood Temple in the Sana Jardin Discovery Set: £30 for 10 x 2ml eau de parfum

 

 

 

Fragrance du Bois Santal Complet

Inspired by waves of bliss you feel on sunny but chilly days, lemon’s brightness frosted with coconut shavings gleams to the heart of soft violet and black pepper, before that creamy base sandalwood swirls like a cashmere wrap around your shoulders, a hug of warmth resonating with the amber, musk and vanilla that’s a joyously sun-filled snuggle.

£245 for 100ml eau de parfum fragrancedubois.com

 

Goldfield & Banks Silky Woods

If a fragrance can ever smell like liquid gold, this is it – a smooth, molten swoon of Australian sandalwood, harvested sustainably for the first time in the Daintree Rainforest in Tropical Queensland. Spiced with a tingle of saffron, swirled with smoked vanilla and the hug of tobacco leaves in the trail, it’s an all-day (and night) wrist-sniffer, for sure.

£180 for 100ml eau de parfum fenwick.co.uk

 

 

Escentric Molecules Molecule 04

Perfumer and founder Geza Schoen showcases the single note of Javanol – a sheer sandalwood synthetic molecule created from a natural substance at Givuadan in 2001. Mindblowing-ly fresh, and radiating grapefruit amidst the woodiness, it’s a wake-up call for the senses which reveals the multifaceted versatility of sandalwood’s appeal.

OR…

Escentric Molecules Escentric 04

Here surrounded by a supporting cast of complimentary notes, the Javanol shines like a polished gem with the added zest of lime, piquant pops of aromatic juniper and and the warm, almost sherbet-y fizz of pink pepper give an extra shot of freshness, while marijuana leaf softens the grapefruit pith (and adds to the addictiveness of the sandalwood scent).

Try samples of both these takes on sandalwood, plus EIGHT other pairings of single molecules and their ‘Escentic’ counterparts in the Escentric Molecules Discovery Set £25 for 10 x 2ml eau de parfum

 

Written by Suzy Nightingale

Fragrance Family Friday: Woody

As part of our continuing series exploring the differing Fragrance Families – the ways that scents are classified – today we’re getting up close and personal with Woody…

Many fragrances contain wood in some aspect, but what exactly designates a fragrance as ‘Woody’?

The clue, quite simply, is in the name – although some of these fragrances do smell like they’re closely related to the chypre family. It’s true: they share some characteristics, but generally without the floral flourishes of the chypres.

Perfumers have so a fabulous palette of woody elements to weave into their creations:  sandalwood, cedar, agarwood (a.k.a. oud), guiaiacwood, as well as patchouli and vetiver.  (These last two aren’t woods:  they’re roots and leaves, respectively – but you’d never guess, from their intensely earthy, woody character.)

Woody fragrances can be given a spin by adding spices/fruity notes, or herbs – so if you like woods (or you’re simply interested in learning what they smell like), do explore the other members of this family, too.

In the meantime, why not try some samples of this Fragrance Family at home? We can’t think of a better introduction than to plunge into the exotic delights of Fragrance Du Bois…

Fragrance Du Bois Oud Noir Intense

FAMILY: WOODY
TOP NOTES: bergamot, cardamom
HEART NOTES: rose, jasmine
BASE NOTES: sandalwood, saffron, patchouli, vanilla, musk, amber, 100% organic oudh oil

A perfect marriage of bergamot and cardamom blends smoothly into floral, woody notes of rose, jasmine, amber, sandalwood, vanilla and musk, stimulating the senses with its complexity, while the oudh base adds to its strength and depth.

Fragrance Du Bois Sahraa Oud

FAMILY: WOODY
TOP NOTES: grapefruit
HEART NOTES: rose absolute, geranium, jasmine, patchouli
BASE NOTES: black pepper, sandalwood, saffron, vanilla, amber, 100% organic oudh oil

Sahraa Our immediately invokes the mystery and majesty of the desert, and has been crafted for the sophisticated palates of both Middle Eastern connoisseurs and aficionados of fine perfumes. Beautiful floral top and heart notes of grapefruit, rose absolute, geranium and jasmine, create a symphony that blends softly into base notes of patchouli, sandalwood, saffron, vanilla, amber and oudh.

Fragrance Du Bois are, quite unashamedly, so oudh-obsessed. And are we surprised? Derived from the dark resinous wood of the Aquilaria tree, oudh (often spelled ‘oud’) is an utterly fascinating material – a resin that occurs in less than 7% of trees, in the wild. Which explains why the material is so precious – and, sought-after. And not all oudh, it transpires, is harvested with the focus on sustainability that Fragrance Du Bois are renowned for.

In fact, so Fragrance Du Bois tell us: ‘Due to illegal logging, wild resources have been severely depleted. So, since 2004, all species of the Aquilaria tree have been protected under CITES [Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species].’

Created by some of the best noses in the world, each fragrance expresses true mastery of this unique ‘liquid gold’ (as oudh oil is known). You’ll fall in love, we guarantee it – even you oudh naysayers!

Be transported to exotic fragrant lands, happy in the knowledge that Fragrance Du Bois is also looking after caring for the environment, planting a tree for every full size fragrance purchased.

If your appetiete for Woody fragrances has been whetted, you can try a Fragrance Du Bois Discovery Set including these two we’ve reviewed above, along with three other of their fabulous creations, exploring the other fragrance families through oudh, for only £20!

Angela Flanders Dark Flowers Duos

As the nights draw in and we shiver in to the colder months ahead, those bright florals don’t seem quite so suitable, somehow. Just as we might choose to layer a pretty dress with a more seasonable sweater, so to can we layer our fragrances to better suit our moods…
With this in mind, British perfume house Angela Flanders have helpfully launched Dark Flowers Duos, ‘four seductive duos of flowers and woods. Wear each one individually or layer them to create a unique scent.’ In fact, you can create three scents with each duo, by choosing to wear alone or combine them both for a deeper plunge. As Angela Flanders suggest, ‘Why not transition your scent from day to night? Start by wearing the floral fragrance on its own during the day. Follow by later spraying on the woody fragrance to intensify your scent and give it more staying power.’
Four Dark Flowers Duos are currently available, each comprising a floral and a complimenting fragrance to perfectly enhance the other, but of course if you maximise the pleasure by purchasing them all, your scent-combination options become endless! Which layering options would you choose?
Mimosa & Sandalwood
Soft sun-drenched notes of mimosa blend seamlessly with warm and smooth sandalwood.
Jasmine & Vetiver
Sultry jasmine and grassy vetiver… This sensual blend is a marriage made in heaven.
Tuberose & Patchouli
Deep and earthy patchouli combines beautifully with creamy and heady tuberose.
Lily of the Valley & Hungary Water
Lift your mood by layering green and dewy notes of lily of the valley with invigorating Hungary water.
Angela Flanders Dark Flowers Duos £50 for 2 x 10ml eau de parfum
Buy them at Angela Flanders
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…

Beaufort_LV_lifestyle

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…?

Screen Shot 2016-05-18 at 17.00.09

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.

Beaufort_LV_Bottle_and_Box

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

Adventurer & inspirational guest speaker for Davidoff Horizon, Levison Wood shares his five favourite smells (NOT including bush rat…)

A full-time explorer and writer who served for ten years in the British Army and led expeditions over five continents, Levison Wood could have been forgiven for putting his feet up and giving in to the lure of the sofa. Instead, he began a quest to travel on foot through some of the most extreme and remote terrains in the world – encountering tigers, poisonous snakes, plunging several hundred feet off a cliff into the jungle and a cannibalistic monk along the way!

With two successful TV series dogging his every step – Walking the Nile and Walking the Himalayas – and books to accompany those series, Levison now dedicates his life to photographing and documenting ordinary (and extraordinary) people and cultures around the world, and constantly challenging himself, pushing himself ever onward to further adrenalin-fuelled adventures.

NewHorizon
Who better, then, to appear as an inspirational speaker at the launch of the brand new Davidoff fragrance for men – Davidoff Horizon? The stunningly shot marketing campaign features deserts, sandstorms, swooping eagles, mountains and close-ups of Italian model Simone Bredariol looking picturesquely sweaty. The fragrance itself is as earthy as Cool Water was aquatic, with airy top notes of grapefruit, rosemary and zesty ginger before plunging recklessly into the heart and base of vetiver, patchouli and a rich cocoa absolute cocooning the blend like a reassuring hug.

Levison is surely the epitome of a modern-day adventurer who manages to be ruggedly handsome (Levison squirms with embarrassment if this is ever mentioned, and it’s mentioned quite a bit as you can imagine…) and bristling with vitality, while also being incredibly funny and down to earth. We were delighted when he agreed to talk to The Perfume Society about his five favourite smells – an interesting mixture of the rugged and sublime, as we discovered.

Levison Wood: my five favourite smells are…

1: Frankincense – Definitely my favourite. It reminds me of travelling the Middle East. Whenever I go there I pick some up to bring back with me, it’s so reminiscent of the places I’ve been, and I never get tired of it.

2: Jasmine – I’m a big jasmine fan, love the stuff. Especially when you see (and smell) it growing in the wild. Just gorgeous.

3: Freshly cut grass – A nice English answer, that, isn’t it?! It reminds me of Spring, and playing cricket at school, that sort of happy memory.

4: Campfire – The wood smoke, that feeling of sitting around the campfire at the end of a long day, sharing stories and laughing. Whisky essential!

5: Toast – Obviously. It’s that morning smell! I have it just with butter, or perhaps with Marmite if I’m feeling really indulgent. Better than Bush rat with maggots any day…

Davidoff_-_Horizon_-_125ML_-_AED_360_-_with_packagingDavidoff Horizon from £34 for 40ml eau de toilette
Buy it at Boots

Written by Suzy Nightingale