SICILIAN LIMES by Shay & Blue

There are certain fragrances and styles that have earned a well-deserved place in history as “go to” scents, and this is even more incredible when they stretch across centuries. Tastes have a frustrating habit of changing, and so once-favoured perfumes or ingredients can become lost to time, but there are still some that doggedly hang around and refuse to be pushed into the corner. One such ingredient is the humble lime, and it’s this that is showcased so brilliantly in Shay & Blue Sicilian Limes. Originally launched in 2013, and created by perfumer Julie Massé, the time is definitely ripe for a revisit.

Lime fragrances have a deeply rooted tradition in British perfumery, and were a staple of male grooming for decades. Floris Limes is probably one of the most famous, having originally launched in 1832, but its neighbour Geo. F. Trumper’s 1880 Extract of Limes Cologne also vies for the Jermyn Street citrus crown. The ingredient has continued to be popular thanks to Extract of Limes from Penhaligons, which arrived in 1963, and the more recent Bohemian Lime by Goldfield & Banks. The more gender-neutral approach to perfume is now much more mainstream, and Shay & Blue were a strong advocate from the very beginning.

When Shay & Blue launched its debut collection of six fragrances in 2013, it was in response to the growing demand for gender-neutral and eco-conscious fragrances, which wasn’t being offered widely at the time. The founder, Dom De Vetta was already a seasoned professional, with stints at Chanel and Jo Malone London, but he’d noticed that the trend for overtly-sexualised and stereotypical scents was really beginning to saturate the high street. So, he partnered with perfumer Julie Massé to launch a debut collection that drew on his desire to bottle unique experiences, but always with a healthy dose of “flair, passion and warmth”.

The debut collection comprised Almond Cucumber, Atropa Belladonna, Blood Oranges, Sicilian Limes, Suffolk Lavender, and Amber Rose, but creating fragrances that appealed to all genders was not common in 2013. So, Julie Massé combined masculine and feminine elements in each fragrance, and created formulas that were expansive and mesmerising. It’s worth remembering that Shay & Blue fragrances are 100% natural, yet Julie has realised an airiness within each one that shows real skill. So, while the idea of limes might make you think of Victorian England, let’s head to Sicily for some citrus escape.

The fragrance opens with an interesting accord of lime and rock salt, so from the very beginning there’s a cocktail element to the fragrance, but you also have that expansive quality that I mentioned earlier. This is added to with a hint of blood orange and lemon zest, before being joined by an aromatic hit of rosemary. This adds the first depth to the scent, along with a touch of tea rose, but doesn’t interfere with the star ingredient. The development of Sicilian Limes sees the appearance of a dry moss and cedarwood, which is sweetened by a touch of smooth tonka bean, before a final vetiver-esque earthiness completes an addictive fragrance that conjures elegant tweed, scorched heat, and even a touch of Caipirinha.

Sicilian Limes is available from the Shay & Blue website at shayandblue.com priced at £25 for 10ml, £40 for 30ml, and £70 for 100ml. [Sample provided by Shay & Blue]