The idea of using childhood as the inspiration for a fragrance is always going to be fraught with dangers, quite simply because everyone’s childhood is different. What resonates with one person may not be familiar to another. Add into the mix a fashionable ingredient and you also have a second level of preconceived ideas that carries the potential to disappoint. So, when Sarah Baker announced that her latest fragrance would combine childhood memories and oud, there was a definite intake of breath. Could the inspiration and the ingredient really be brought seamlessly together and offer something truly original?
The idea of reconnecting with the past is something that has been at the forefront of many people’s minds over the past twelve months. That feeling of travelling back to simpler times, even experiencing the thoughts and feelings of forgotten generations, anything but the uncertainty of modern life. Perfume companies have tried to tap into this concept many times, with everything from the Pharaohs to World Wars, but one of the most ingenious has to be Neandertal. With a nod to the past both visually and sensorially, but celebrating the world around us, the company have created the sensational Neandertal Light.
How often have you fallen in love with a city and thought, “I wish that I could bottle the way I’m feeling?” Well, this is exactly what perfumers try to do when they use places as the inspiration for fragrances. The success of this style of scent depends upon your having a connection with the city or, if the location is new to you, the perfume simply being fantastic. Many companies have attempted this and unfortunately many of them have been less than successful, but that hasn’t stopped more trying. The latest to pick up their passport is Strada Parfumerie, and it’s time to head to Rome to experience Via Veneto.
The word “animalic” is often used to describe fragrances that are musk-laden, dangerously resinous, or that exude a carnal sensuality. It’s gone far beyond mere ingredients and instead has almost become a subversive trend of its own. The level of animalic-ness varies from company to company but there is one brand that is pushing the limits to breaking point. With fragrances that don’t obey the “rules” and a concept that, six years on, is still extraordinary, Victor Wong has sailed Zoologist right into the eye of the storm and the results are wonderfully challenging. So, from Bat to Beaver, it’s time to “talk to the animals.”
