Now that the first frosts have really fallen on the British countryside there are two things that are forefront in everyone's minds. Firstly, the sprouts that you buy will be slightly sweeter in taste (my mother always swore that the frosts did this to these divisive greens) and secondly, people will begin reaching for their “winter” scents in ernest. However, for those ladies that prefer a fresher scent during the colder months, because they long for the warmth that Spring promised, help is at hand in the form of this year's release from Bronnley, in collaboration with the Royal Horticultural Society. Say hello to Orchard Blossom.
A company’s follow up fragrance is always a bit of an unknown quantity in the perfume market. They desperately try to work out what made the first one so popular and how that information can be translated into number two. Bronnley found themselves in just this position after last year’s successful Pink Peony & Rhubarb and their approach is refreshingly “old fashioned”. Rather than create a variant on the first fragrance they have taken the original idea and applied it to a new combination of ingredients. Keeping the fruity floral pairing, but adding a contemporary twist, it’s time to welcome Iris & Wild Cassis.
The constant challenge for companies to create the latest blockbusting fragrance is one that many now approach with a reserved optimism. They often stay firmly within an olfactory style or even reinvent past favourites in an effort to hold onto an existing brand loyalty. The idea that past triumphs can again become the latest fashion is not as crazy as it sounds. After all, we can only reinvent the wheel so many times. It was with all of this in mind that I approached Bronnley's latest release, Pink Peony & Rhubarb. The name sounds like Jo Malone, the ingredients sound like Bronnley, but where will the scent take us?
