Monday 14 June 2021

LX LAB CANDLES by Laurent Guinci

How you describe a fragrance can often be just as important as the actual product itself. Aiming it at your audience with playful mischief, as opposed to gratuitous sexualisation, can form a connection to the customer that draws them in rather than pushes them away. Add in the discussion around what makes a fragrance masculine or feminine and you’ll appreciate that it’s a complicated road to navigate. One company that has achieved it effortlessly is LX Lab Candles. With a new range of scents inspired by liaisons, both adventurous and innocent, your only choice is whether you want to celebrate the chase or the conquest.

The idea of starting a candle range was not a new one for Laurent Guinci, although the events of 2020 definitely played a huge part in the collection being pushed forward in the schedule. Laurent is a French designer and founder of LOLO Creative. They design bespoke costumes and also uniforms for many industries, including film, and so creativity has always been a part of his life. With credits including Bridget Jones, Hercules and James Bond, his attention to detail also saw him become Creative Director for the Harry Potter Tour in London. So, it was time for him to work some magic of his own.

Laurent wanted to creative a series of predominantly “masculine” candles that would also appeal to a female audience. Male scents have steered towards woods, resins and citruses in more recent decades, so the idea was to deliberately dial down the florals. The concept developed into an AM and PM collection, with the latter being decidedly more sensual than the former, and playful scent stories were seamlessly paired with comic-style graphics. Within the descriptions there’s no reference to gender and so all eight can happily be enjoyed by everyone. So, which daytime and evening fragrances made me hot under the collar?

The AM collection comes in grey and has a cherry red interior with white wax, which is designed to fit into your “daytime agenda.” The four scents all have a naughty effervescence about them, although Men In Suits is a little naughtier than the others. Inspired by the scent of your partner returning from the office, you get the whisper of a faded aromatic cologne with its crisp touches of mandarin, cedarwood and clove. Alongside this though is a soft skin scent, heated by the journey home, and the combination of cypress and oakmoss hints at the texture of the suit jacket that is about to come off. Men In Suits is definitely naughty but nice.

The PM collection comes in matt black, has hot magenta inside with black wax, and focuses on evening pleasure. Again with four scents, we’re into richer territory, and I couldn’t resist the memorable Walk of Shame. Following on from the infamous “morning after” situation, you’re treated to early morning touches of dewy green vegetation and citrus hedgerow blossom, but with a black pepper reminding you of the previous night’s excitement. An iris note almost conjures the stillness as you make your way home but there’s also a muskiness that hints at the remains of a passionate embrace. You’re never too old for a Walk of Shame.

The complete collection of candles are available from the LX Lab website at lxlab.london and are priced at £44 for 220g. You can currently receive 10% off your first order with the code WELCOME10. [Samples provided by Laurent Guinci]

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