FOLK ARCHIVE by Ånd Fragrance

Fragrance is something we usually just think of as a product that is spritzed from a bottle, escapes from a diffuser or candle, or is enjoyed in a moisturiser. All of these are firmly anchored in our desire to either smell good or to scent our surroundings. There is another way to enjoy fragrance though, and that’s though experiential scents. These are designed to conjure locations, emotions, or events, but should be experienced in a space rather than worn. This type of scenting is enjoying a real resurgence at the moment, and Simon Constantine is the latest to absolutely nail it with the Folk Archive from Ånd Fragrance.

Simon Constantine is a UK perfumer that is setting the benchmark for creativity and originality in niche perfumery. From his beginnings with LUSH, through to his setting up Gorilla Perfumes, and now his latest Ånd Fragrance venture, Simon has never been afraid to push the limits on what is expected from the customer and achievable by a company. He is a vocal champion of the way that perfumes can truly tread an environmental and sustainable path, from packaging right through to ingredients, which is why he has quite rightly earned his title of the UK’s premier eco-perfumer.

When Simon launched Ånd Fragrance back in 2020, he told me “the idea is to champion an ingredient, or a suite of ingredients, that comes from a particular indigenous community group or ecosystem. The aim is to achieve a direct connection, emotional and financial, between the wearer and the producer.” This ethos has gained the brand a loyal following, along with an impressive nine eco-conscious perfumes, but that wasn’t enough for Simon. Alongside his main range, he has also collaborated on slightly more experimental scents, and the latest is all about the fun of the fayre.

The United Kingdom has a long tradition of regional fairs and, with the help of the renowned folk historian Lally MacBeth, Simon wanted to celebrate this. Many fairs have died out over the years, but Lally’s research has happily resulted in six of these being preserved forever in scent. Stretching from Scotland’s Timmer Fayre down to Cornwall’s Mazzard Fayre, the variety of scents that Simon has created is incredible. It would spoil the fun if I went into too much detail on all six of the fairs that have been captured. So I’m just going to give a scented top-line for each instead, and leave you to make your own discoveries.

Starting in Scotland, Boniface Fayre treats us to a refreshing citrus and honey mead while Timmer Fayre offers a sweetened wood that is delicious. Moving south, Nottingham’s Goosey Fayre summons resinously spiced furs before we move onto London’s Frost Fayre with its mouth-watering gingerbread. Continuing down the country, Devon’s Charter Day is represented by a scorching white floral before we reach Cornwall’s Mazzard Fayre and the perfect pairing of strawberry and sour cherry. These scents are designed to be smelled on the accompanying strips rather than worn, but let’s hope this isn’t the last we see of them.

The limited edition Folk Archive is available from the Ånd Fragrance website at andfragrance.com priced at £35. [Sample provided by Sue Busto]