The need to explore is something that is instilled in us all from childhood - whether that’s as simple as discovering what lies at the end of the garden or delving into personal heritage. We are all naturally curious by design, and that doesn’t change as we get older. Exploring perfume can also be thought of in that simple or complex way - are you discovering the various types of fragrance or delving into one fragrance family? Electimuss London have combined a few of these ideas in their Explorer Collection, which draws from Roman society and their love of exploration, and it all begins with Spice d’Arno.
Scent and sensuality is a pairing that perfumers often strive to achieve in both niche and mainstream fragrances, but there’s a delicate balance that needs to be struck between the sultry and the slutty. The use of powerful resins within formulas often pushes the final scent to the latter - which isn’t to everyone’s taste. Finding that ideal point where the excitement of a liaison meets the realisation of the everyday, or even the marker that a steamy encounter is over, is the perfumer's sought after Gräfenberg spot. So, to find it in a debut collection is rare, but that’s exactly what you get with Ghost of You from Mythologia Perfumes.
Having an established history and a worldwide reputation is not always a guarantee of success for a perfume house, especially if it’s one that was revived after a period of dormancy. Living up to the memories of customers who may, without actually realising it, be recalling scents in a far-from-true form can often prove difficult to navigate. However, when it’s done right, it can prove to be a diamond in a sea of commercial beige. One such perfume house is Grossmith who, after a period in the wilderness solely surviving on novelty soap, was reborn as the luxury brand that it always was and which it truly deserves to remain.
There is something so autumnal about generously spritzing a scarf with your favourite fragrance and then launching yourself out into an amber-leafed, and frost-encrusted world. Okay, I might be sounding a little over-poetical here, when what we really mean is “a finger-freezing force nine gale”, but you get the idea. Your choice of perfume is always going to be a highly personal decision, but I really do encourage you to think about reaching for the glorious greens during autumn and winter instead of the usual ambers. The perfect starting point for this has to be Venus of Verbena from Sana Jardin.
The continuing pressure from above to categorise and define what makes each of us unique is something that shows no signs of letting up any time soon. It’s our individuality and personal drive that, when combined with others, can truly make an exciting and dynamic environment. Whether it’s gender, sexuality, religion or even music, holding on to your own identity is the only way to guarantee open discussion, and from that a closer understanding of how we can all live side by side. Perfume has always been a form of self-expression, and the latest release from Memoize is the perfect embodiment. It’s time to discover Alte.
