ÅND X CAREYS SECRET GARDEN by Simon Constantine

One of the interesting aspects of “niche” or “independent” perfumery is its ability to adapt and evolve in directions that are specific to the company. Mainstream brands often feel more pressure to conform to trends and fashions, whereas the smaller companies can take advantage of the situation by pivoting based on their customers’ demands. I’m not talking about the usual “flankers” or “limited editions”, but more the idea of offering variations based on feedback received. One company that has fully embraced this idea is ånd fragrance, with their voyage-of-discovery collaboration with Careys Secret Garden.

Having a perfume that has a bespoke quality to it is a purchase that many committed fragrance fans long to have in their collection, but it often comes at a price. Usually it’s a tinkered-with, already released scent that has a mainstream following. However, allowing your customers to dictate the outcome of the final perfume is something that is much rarer in the fragrance industry. It was this desire that Simon Constantine was interested in exploring, as an addition to his already established ånd fragrance collection. It’s a bold move to give up creative control, but it’s worked wonders on this occasion.

Simon Constantine is a name that has become synonymous with eco-niche perfumery. From his beginnings with LUSH through to Gorilla Perfumes, and finally now with his own range of ånd fragrances, he has championed the combining of originality with ecological concerns. Careys Secret Garden is Simon’s latest venture and has a very personal family connection. The garden had lain undiscovered and undisturbed for over 40 years, but it was decided to restore this walled garden to its former glory. A mammoth task, Careys Secret Garden is now finally open to the public, and this is where the idea for the fragrance came from.

Simon decided to create a “deconstructed” perfume that had a core fragrance and two “adaptors” alongside it. The main focus of the fragrance was called The Orangery, and was inspired by the Victorian love of having citrus fruits in their greenhouses. The “heart” adaptor was The Rose Wheel, based on the central architectural floral feature at the heart of the garden, while the “base” adaptor was called Veteran Oak, which represented the majestic tree that’s in the garden. Subscription customers received all three and voted on their favourite combinations, and the finished result is Ånd X Careys Secret Garden.

The fragrance opens brightly with a sherbety lemon that is shot with a piercingly green galbanum, before a touch of herbaceous lavender drifts into view. This vibrant glasshouse beginning is then added to by a bold blend of dense rose and geranium, so you are left in little doubt that you are smack bang in the centre of Careys Secret Garden. However, a delicate note of plum then takes you down to the majestic realisation of the vintage oak with a rum-barrel aroma mixing beautifully with a chocolatey patchouli. The final trail sees a dry vetiver and tonka-laden labdanum hinting at the sun-scorched ground of the garden, and completes a fragrance that combines all of the seasons... but which is ideal for autumn!

Ånd X Careys Secret Garden is available from the Careys Secret Garden at careyssecretgarden.co.uk priced at £35 for 10ml. It also comes with 2ml samples of The Orangery and The Veteran Oak. [Sample provided by the company]