SWEET PEA by Heathcote & Ivory

With autumn approaching, it’s nice to hold on to a touch of summer. Autumn is associated with woody scents, and occasionally green notes, so finding a perfume that combines floral aspects with fresh, leafy nuances is a real treat. Sweet pea is a quintessentially British garden flower, bringing memories of sunny days, colourful borders and freshly cut stems. It has a delicacy that feels suited to the changing seasons, when summer is lingering but cooler days are beginning to arrive, and that makes the new fragrance from Heathcote & Ivory such an exciting discovery. Sweet Pea is a beautifully bright floral with a distinctly fresh character.

Heathcote & Ivory has been creating beauty and lifestyle products in London for more than 20 years, and it has developed a reputation for combining fragrance, attractive design and affordable prices. It’s a family-run business, and you can see that personality running through its collections. Rather than concentrating on just one area, the company produces everything from hand creams and body care to candles, home fragrance and Eau de Toilette. There’s also a strong emphasis on British flowers, gardens and botanical ingredients, giving the collections a nostalgic quality that makes them particularly easy to enjoy and perfect to give as gifts.

Sweet pea has been used as a perfume inspiration for well over a century, often appearing under the French name Pois de Senteur. Marshall Field introduced a fragrance of that name in 1908, while Guerlain followed in 1917 with a brighter, more luminous interpretation. Caron’s 1927 version took a greener and more powdery direction, showing just how differently the delicate flower could be interpreted. These early fragrances are fascinating because, as sweet pea itself can’t be extracted naturally, the effect has to be imagined through other ingredients. However, Heathcote & Ivory’s version definitely feels lighter, brighter and closer to the freshness of the flower itself.

The inspiration for Sweet Pea comes from the summer garden, where sweet peas climb around their supports, and fill the air with their soft, unmistakable scent. Heathcote & Ivory has perfectly captured that feeling in the design of the bottle, with delicate illustrations of the flowers winding their way across the packaging. There's also something wonderfully nostalgic about it, recalling afternoons spent in the garden and the simple pleasure of picking a few sweet peas to bring indoors. It sets the scene perfectly for the fragrance itself, promising something floral and pretty, but with the freshness and naturalness of a garden in full bloom.

The fragrance opens with the promised freshness of sweet pea and lemon, creating the impression of a sun-drenched garden rather than a heavy floral perfume. The green character of crushed leaves then becomes noticeable, alongside a delicate tea rose and honeysuckle pairing, and gives the opening a further airy lift that prevents any sweetness from becoming too sugary. A carefully measured jasmine and gardenia add a soft floral richness, but neither overwhelms the central sweet pea accord, which remains delicate and vibrant throughout. As the fragrance settles, gentle musk smooths the edges, while patchouli and vetiver add just enough earthy depth to keep everything grounded. The result is a beautifully uncomplicated floral that keeps summer alive.

Sweet Pea is availabel from the Heathcote & Ivory website, and also Harts of Stur, priced at £16 for 75ml. [Sample provided by Heathcote & Ivory]