VERDANT by Eau de Boujee

Every industry has its own set of rules that are supposed to be followed without question, and in the perfume industry that relates to which ingredients are suitable for which season. As a general rule of thumb you are supposed to concentrate on vanilla and ambers in winter, woody notes in autumn, citruses in summer, and green notes in spring. Now, if you’ve been following me for any length of time then you’ll know I think this is absolute nonsense. Wear what you like, when you like, for whatever reason you like, it’s as simple as that. So, with this in mind, it’s time to discover Verdant from Eau de Boujee.

The world is made up of many successful double acts such as Morecambe and Wise, French & Saunders, even Tuna ‘n’ Sweetcorn, and the perfume industry is no different. Pia Long and Nick Gilbert both worked in perfume retail, moved up to training and creation, and ultimately set up their own consultation and creation company. Olfiction was founded in 2016, they set out to “tell stories through fragrance and about fragrance”, and that’s exactly what they have done. However, after working with some of the leading niche brands, they decided the time was right to launch their own, and Boujee Bougies was born.

It launched with five candles - Cuir Culture, Succulent, Gilt, Hellflower, and Queen Jam - but very quickly people were asking whether fragrance versions would be following. The thing to remember with perfumes versus candles is that the scent works in a different way. A candle emits all of its scent in one go, so like a scentscape, whereas a fragrance develops over time, slowly revealing its layers. That’s why it wasn’t as simple as just using the same scent and popping it in alcohol rather than wax. Four of the candles were reinterpreted as Eau de Boujee perfumes, but Verdant has to be my favourite.

Verdant partners up with the Succulent candle, and is described as “giant green things, fresh water and air with salty concrete”. Yes, this is definitely a green fragrance, and green fragrances are ideal for spring. However, Verdant really does transcend seasons and is perfect for any moment when you need some sort of scented stimuli. It gives you an instant hit of nature, of the outside environment, but it’s certainly not your regular green grass and ozone. Be patient though because it’s a fragrance of two halves and, after the initial opening, the magic really happens. So is your interest piqued? Let’s discover Verdant.

The fragrance opens with a bracing green citrus quality, like a glorious mix of metallic-edged neroli and lime, but there’s also a saltiness that almost hints at a coastal location. Alongside is a note of tomato leaf, which mixes with an impression of rose to produce a deliciously sappy floral quality that accompanies rather than dominates. However, as this opening subsides you’re treated to a cold vetiver and oakmoss combination that adds an evocatively dry earthiness to the fragrance. Almost as a final treat, a wet flint-like quality (the official notes say concrete accord) again places you on that coastal walk. The beauty of fragrance is that it’s different for everyone - your concrete is my flint, and your cityscape becomes my coastline. Either way, Verdant definitely confirms that a green fragrance is for life, not just for spring.

Verdant is available from the Boujee Bougies website at boujeebougies.com priced at £160 for 100ml or £30 for 7.5ml. [Sample provided by Boujee Bougies]

Posted by Stephan Matthews at 07:00:00

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Labels: Boujee Bougies, Cuir, Cuir Culture, Eau de Boujee, Gilded, Gilt, Hellflower, Independent, Niche, Nick Gilbert, Olfiction, Pia Long, Queen, Queen Jam, Succulent, Verdant