Monday, 21 November 2022

GOLD SPOT by Sarah Baker Perfumes

Sarah Baker Perfumes Gold Spot Fragrance Bottle
When we read a book or listen to music, we're in control of the images that are conjured in our minds. From putting a face to the dashing hero or visualising a band as they record your favourite song, the freedom of your imagination is as important as the inspiration itself. When it comes to fragrance it can often be a little more constricting. We’re given the inspiration for the scent and pretty much guided as to how we should feel, but it doesn’t always hold firm. Gold Spot from Sarah Baker Perfumes is intended as an homage to Hollywood glamour but, in my mind, it takes you to the dangerously addictive world of adultery.

Sarah Baker has gained a reputation for releasing fragrances that push the boundaries of what is expected and challenge the ideas of what is wearable. By choosing to work with perfumers that sit slightly outside of the mainstream, she always guarantees that her perfumes will be a journey of discovery from the first spray to the final trail. It’s this “story through scent” approach that worked so well as literary inspiration for Charade and Far From The Madding Crowd, but in Gold Spot she has managed to construct a sensual snapshot of sexual danger.

The “gold spot” in the original inspiration refers to the spotlight from the golden age of cinema that the star would be illuminated by for their legendary “I’m ready for my closeup” moment. Perfumer Chris Maurice was tasked with summoning this glamorous cinematic period and conjuring the ghosts of so long ago with a little illumination. The starting point was his previous fragrance Loudo which, in Sarah’s words, should be dipped in gold. Chris has succeeded in creating an evocative fragrance, but there’s more to Gold Spot than first meets the eye.

Sarah Baker Perfumes Gold Spot Fragrance Box
Loudo was a celebration of childhood, and was the scented embodiment of “give me the child and I will show you the man”. However, Gold Spot shows what happens when uncontrolled passion overtakes promise. The fragrance has a dark sexuality to it, which still actually conjures up the secret liaisons that happened regularly during the golden age of Hollywood, but it also carries a warning. The perfume contains both an innocence and a realisation that a line has been crossed. Gold Spot is the perfume of adultery, the scent of betrayal, but it’s an exciting ride that has to be experienced to be believed.

The fragrance opens with a noticeable hit of resinous oud, and we’re instantly in sexual territory. It summons up a post-intimacy skin scent complete with a salted edge, but the aromatic citrus from the bergamot and the petitgrain provide an uplifting breath. The arrival of a butterscotch note is what hints at lost innocence, but it’s tempered with a bitter chocolate to stop it becoming too comfortable. The animalic side of the scent is again supported by an orange blossom aroma but, in contrast, a hint of vetiver and incense then adds a celebratory dryness that adds breadth to the scent. With the musky amber accord creating a final embrace, Gold Spot hints at what life could be like if you took an adulterous plunge.

Gold Spot is available from the Sarah Baker Perfumes website at sarahbakerperfumes.com priced at £145 for 50ml or £6 for a 2ml sample. [Bottle provided by Sarah Baker]

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