Taking artistic inspiration from Jackson Pollock’s iconic Number 31 painting, the composition of the fragrance has been carefully balanced to express the colours and textures of the canvas – truly making the connection of fine perfumery as an art form (something we have long believed at The Perfume Society!) Here, the traditional structure of the fougère fragrance has been given a thoroughly aquatic feel. The talented third-generation Italian perfumer, Paolo Terenzi, explains that he wanted to create '…the expression of the harmony of chaos in a drop of perfect emotion.' Citrus notes depict white paint flecks while Lake Garda lavender and sage bring natural tones of green, Cambodian oudh and ambergris pick out the darker splashes. Fizzing with optimistic harmony, it so brilliantly balances these notes to create waves of vibrant equilibrium throughout the day.
For their debut collection, D’OTTO chose to express abstract art through their fragrances, founder and perfumer Paolo selecting his favourite artworks throughout history and using the synaesthetic feelings the colours, materials and brushstrokes of the artist give, making these wearable pieces of art in themselves. Truly a modern Renaissance man, Paolo calls himself an ‘unconventional storyteller’ and musician; and with a professional background that also includes a degree in law and philosophy, studies in chemistry and physics and a lifelong passion for poetry. What’s more, the artistry runs in the family, as Paolo can trace his artistic inclinations back through his family’s bloodline, to 15th Century Rimini.
SMELLING NOTES:
EXPLORE: D’otto 1+7
• Allow yourself to think of the colours and textures this scent evokes…
• What painting (or other medium) would you create, based on it?
• Do the ingredients conjure an Italian landscape for you?
• Can you sense the ‘aquatic’ feeling Paolo wanted for the composition?
• Which three words best sum up 1+7 for you? Artistic? Multifaceted? Textural? Over to you…
From £275 for 100ml EXTRAIT de parfum selfridges.com
MAISON CRIVELLI NEROLI NASIMBA
FRAGRANCE FAMILY: Floral
TOP NOTES: mandarin, pink peppercorn, cardamom
HEART NOTES: neroli, petitgrain, orange blossom
BASE NOTES: Saffiano leather, vetiver
MAISON CRIVELLI
NEROLI NASIMBA
Inspired by a safari trek where orange blossom suffused the air, here is a fragrance to take your nose on an adventure. Neroli Nasimba is a magnificent juxtaposition of contrasts and, using unexpected notes, continues the always fascinating fragrances from this house (which we predict will go on to conquer the fragrance world with their multilayered and inventive scents). In this fragrance we find oodles of orange blossom and luminous mandarin contrasted with the cool spice of cardamom and deep, animalic purr of Saffiano leather. Created in collaboration with Paul Guerlain, this is an absolute must-sniff and, a forever-love for warmer days or, conversely, when you crave that soul-swooning, bone dry heat.
Thibaud Crivelli founded Maison Crivelli in 2018, making it his mission to open up the communication channels of the fragrance world, inviting people ‘to slow down and take a moment for themselves,’ so that you’re able to be surprised again – to be re-connected to your sense of smell and the emotional responses you experience. Having grown up in France, spending his childhood summers on the French Riviera; later, Thibaud studied in Paris before moving to China in 2006, then travelling in various Asian countries for the next 10 years. Considering that the previous three generations of Crivellis had traversed five continents, and with music, art and foods sampled from a wide variety of those cultures, it’s perhaps only natural that he, too, became a sensorial adventurer.
SMELLING NOTES:
EXPLORE: Maison Crivelli
NEROLI NASIMBA
• Can you feel heat shimmering in this scent? Which notes evoke this?
• Have you tried leather fragrances previously? How does this differ?
• When does the orange blossom become most noticeable for you?
• What occasion or time of day would you feel happiest wearing this?
• Which three words best sum up Neroli Nasimba for you? Sultry? Adventurous? Surprising? Over to you…
TOCCA COLETTE
FRAGRANCE FAMILY: AMBRÉE FLORAL
TOP NOTES: bergamot, mandarin, lemon, juniper berry, pink peppercorn
HEART NOTES: jasmine, violet, cyclamen
BASE NOTES: incense, musk, sandalwood, amber, vanilla, cedarwood
TOCCA COLETTE
There are times in life when you just want to surround yourself with a massive dose of fragranced familiarity and traditional perfumery. Well, this one is the perfect choice for that. The citrus opening is skilfully muted, with just a touch of pink peppercorn in there, before a floral heart arrives that’s like a love story – delicious jasmine, powdery violet, and watery cyclamen. However, the base of Colette truly is magical. It combines a smooth-as-silk amber accord with a delicate dose of incense, and all cushioned by a pillow of musk. It’s like a much needed hug in a bottle.
TOCCA began life as a fashionable Manhattanbased fashion house and, thanks to its incredible designs and attention to detail, became the must-have among modern adventurers. However, 2006 saw them venture into the perfume world with Florence, Stella and Touch, and their continuing launches have revealed tales of romance, intellect, and emotion. Are you ready to discover that “indulgence begins within”?
SMELLING NOTES:
EXPLORE: TOCCA COLETTE
• Thinking about the idea of a “floral love story”, which ingredients would you add to the current jasmine, violet and cyclamen?
• What links can you find between the world of perfume and the world of fashion?
• We think that this perfume feels like “a hug in a bottle”, but how does it make you feel?
• Which of your friends would love to receive this perfume as a gift, and why?
• If you could describe Colette in three words, what would they be? Sensual? Confident? Seductive? Over to you…
JEAN PAUL GAULTIER
SCANDAL POUR HOMME
FRAGRANCE FAMILY: WOODY
TOP NOTES: clary sage, mandarin
HEART NOTES: caramel, tonka bean
BASE NOTES: vetiver, woody notes
JEAN PAUL GAULTIER SCANDAL FOR HOMME
Utilising a trio of incredible noses for this fragrance, the talents of Quentin Bisch, Christophe Raynaud and Natalie Cetto combine to create an utterly addictive scent of an imagined boxing match, or rather a ‘love match’ as he cheekily terms it. The juicy mandarin comes out swinging first of all – fleshy, ripe and pulpy with a sense of ‘seeds and all’, before the head-clearing clary sage swaggers to the sweetness of the heart. Almost a (very grown up) gourmand, the scent then segues to a resolutely handsome dry down, as shady vetiver and smooth woods win the day.
Jean Paul Gaultier ties together his immediately distinctive, slightly subversive fashion sense and fragrance collection so cohesively – everything from the bottles, the brilliant advertising campaigns and, of course, the juices themselves are unmistakably ‘JPG’ in spirit. To be worn with a sense of confidence, but always with a wink, don’t you think?
SMELLING NOTES:
EXPLORE: jean paul gaultier
• What outfit would you wear with this fragrance, and why?
• Do you find yourself addicted to the sweetness in the heart, as we are?
• Does wearing this fragrance make you feel more confident?
• Do you think this is more of a unisex fragrance rather than just for him?
• Which three words best sum up Scandal Pour Homme for you? Cheeky? Self-assured? Delicious? Over to you…
From £57 for 50ml eau de toilette jeanpaulgaultier.com
MAYA NJIE TOBAK
FRAGRANCE FAMILY: WOODY
TOP NOTES: tobacco leaf, vetiver
HEART NOTE: cinnamon
BASE NOTES: musk, leather
MAYA NJIE
TOBAK
In Tobak, your new fragrance love will be ramped up via the beguiling honeyed smokiness of the tobacco leaf, a trail of animalic musks and leather resonating many hours later, meaning our noses (and yours, we are sure) will be firmly glued to your wrists as you wear it. The heat of your skin seems to carry Tobak in a haze around you, a personal cloak of perfumed protection, we feel, which resonates deeply with wafts of the cinnamon spicing the warm air. Both transportive, in that it takes you somewhere else, yet reassuringly familiar, in that Tobak has a sense of assuredness and comfort amidst the simmering sensuality it grants the wearer. A fragrance for abandoning the maps and compasses, and simply following your heart (or where your nose takes you)…
Maya Njie (pronounced ‘N-Jai’) has diverse familial and artistic roots, having been born in Västerås Sweden, with a West African heritage, and moving to London in her teens where she studied at the University of the Arts. Weaving together these threads via the medium of the senses, Maya began experimenting with smell alongside the visual mediums of colour and photography. Using her experience as an artist, Maya also designed the perfumes’ packaging, drawing on ‘the dreamy colour ways’ of her family’s photo album once again. Right from the start, these are scents that have not only sprung from Maya Njie’s imagination but have captured other people’s: when we wear them, our own memories and emotional connection ruins are triggered.
SMELLING NOTES:
EXPLORE: MAYA NJIE TOBAK
• Where in the world does this fragrance take you?
• Do you agree that this is a woody scent?
• Can you smell cinnamon straight away or does it evolve?
• What music springs to mind when wearing this scent?
• Which three words best sum up Tobak for you? Expressive? Comforting? Individual? Over to you…
MONTBLANC
EXPLORER ULTRA BLUE
FRAGRANCE FAMILY: citrus marine woody
TOP NOTES: Italian bergamot, pink pepper
HEART NOTES: marine accord, grey amber
BASE NOTES: patchouli, woods
MONTBLANC
EXPLORER ULTRA BLUE
Who doesn’t enjoy plunging into crystal clear blue water with sunshine warming your back? Well, you really do get to experience this thrill from the comfort of your own home with Explorer Ultra Blue. Built around an airy aquatic note, it’s also been given a saltiness that takes you closer to the ocean. Working in harmony with the vibrant bergamot and pink pepper in the opening, this has that mood-boosting effect that days spent by the sea can bring. With its final notes of patchouli and cedarwood creating a driftwood-like quality, you’re definitely encouraged to beach-bathe a little longer.
From pens to watches, and perfumes to bags, Montblanc is the epitome of quality and craftsmanship. Since its beginnings in 1906, every item that bears its six-pointed snowcap is guaranteed to have been created by the finest makers. From its first fragrance Presénce, through to Legend, and on to Explorer, we’re always treated to perfumes that make lasting memories.
SMELLING NOTES:
EXPLORE: montblanc
explorer ultra blue
• The perfume uses the word 'blue' in the title, but what ingredients do you think give that quality to the fragrance?
• Does this fragrance remind you of any piece of music?
• When would you wear this perfume, and why would you choose it?
• Pink Pepper adds a bright edge to the opening of Explorer Ultra Blue, but how would you describe the ingredient’s aroma?
• If you could describe Explorer Ultra Blue in three words, what would they be? Fresh? Outdoorsy? Adventurous? Over to you…
EXPERIMENTAL PERFUME CLUB
PISTACHIO HAIKU
FRAGRANCE FAMILY: GOuRMAND green
TOP NOTES: fig leaf, pistachio leaf
HEART NOTES: pistachio, hazelnut
BASE NOTES: cedarwood, vetiver, benzoin
EXPERIMENTAL PERFUME CLUB
PISTACHIO HAIKU
Along with the warmth of sunshine and delicate breezes, summer is also about the dry heat that’s a joy after spring. Experimental Perfume Club have created their first gourmand fragrance , Pistachio Haiku. Built around, and opening with, crushed hazelnut, a slightly waxy pistachio sits alongside in this perfume. It’s followed by touches of fig, the textural skin rather than the fruit, and finishes with the earthy blend of cedarwood and vetiver. There is a pinch of sweetness added thanks to a dash of tonka bean, and it definitely made us crave a Ladurée hazelnut macaron.
The Experimental Perfume Club was born out of a realisation that fragrance fans wanted a more hands-on approach to scent. Emmanuelle Moeglin, a graduate of the famous ISIPCA perfume school, developed a way to combine her fragrances into one bottle – so creating a bespoke blend. Now based on London’s historic Monmouth Street, it’s the new 'must visit' for perfume lovers.
SMELLING NOTES:
EXPLORE: Experimental
Perfume Club Pistachio Haiku
• The aroma of fig is very popular in current fragrances, but how would you describe it?
• Where would you wear this perfume, and why?
• What would be your top three ingredients to blend into a perfume, and why?
• Are there any other perfumes in your collection that contain a nut aroma, and how do they compare with Pistachio Haiku?
• If you could describe Pistachio Haiku in three words, what would they be? Daring? Confident? Creamy? Over to you…
BDK
312 SAINT HONORÉ
FRAGRANCE FAMILY: woody musky FLORAL
TOP NOTES: pink peppercorn extract, pink peppercorn leaf, angelica root
HEART NOTES: orange blossom, tonka bean, iris
BASE NOTES: ambroxan, ambery musk, oud wood
BDK is a firm favourite at The Perfume Society, and the fragrance they’ve launched to celebrate the new Paris boutique is exceptional. The bright opening has been created to mirror the glass of the address, with pink pepper leading the charge, before the signature-esque orange blossom and tonka bean add a sensuality that is captivating. Perfumer Alexandra Carlin has then added woody notes with washes of cedarwood, along with hints of a concrete-like accord, to summon up the textures of the store and the company’s modern approach. With a final hint of resinous oud, it’s time to pack for Paris!
The words 'exceptional' and 'exquisite' are freely used in the world of perfumery, but they definitely apply to BDK Parfums. Launched by David Benedek back in 2016, he has developed an outstanding collection of perfumes and candles that are a must for every collection. If you’re looking for a little piece of Paris at home, then look no further.
SMELLING NOTES:
EXPLORE: BDK 312 saint honoré
• How does this fragrance conjure up the aroma of Paris?
• What ingredients would you choose to portray the French city of love?
• Which of your friends would love this perfume, and why?
• Orange blossom is always called a sensuous ingredient, but what other fragrances do you have that contain it?
• If you could describe Saint Honoré in three words, what would they be? Elegant? Feminine? Captivating? Over to you…
YARDLEY LONDON
ENGLISH ROSE HAND CREAM
FRAGRANCE FAMILY: Floral
TOP NOTES: citrus, rose, tea accord
HEART NOTES: rose bud, magnolia, violet, cassis
BASE NOTES: patchouli, musk
YARDLEY LONDON
ENGLISH ROSE HAND CREAM
A light but luxurious nourishing hand cream from one of the most successful and iconic soap and perfumery houses in the UK. Inspired by England’s diverse and varied flowers, and the most classic of all English blooms – the English Rose – a flower associated with beauty, grace and femininity throughout the ages, Yardley London remain committed to discovering fragrances using natural ingredients.
With Vitamin E to fight against ageing English Rose Hand Cream absorbs quickly into the skin, leaving hands feeling soft, smooth and delicately fragranced, whilst conditioning and strengthening the nails. Citrus and a tea accord are used to refresh the scent of rosebuds, along with charmingly green yet softly powdery violet, the perfect creamy waxiness of the magnolia blossoms and a fruity note of cassis. Adding a velvety tone, the base is enhanced with patchouli and musk.
Unmistakeably feminine, calming and comforting notes put us in mind of twilit parties on a summer lawn, floaty dresses and a glass or two of something fizzy, perhaps…
SMELLING NOTES:
EXPLORE: yardley
london english rose hand cream
• What emotion(s) does English Rose evoke in you?
• Which famous English garden does this hand cream remind you of?
• Which rose are you? Classic? Modern? Wild?
• Which three words best sum up English Rose for you? Playful? Welcoming? Airy? Over to you…
