Fragrance and nobility have long enjoyed a close relationship. Perfume has been associated with wealth, ceremony and the art of making an impression, so it's hardly surprising that royalty has inspired special creations. From Guerlain’s Shalimar, with its associations to an Indian emperor’s love story, to Creed’s Royal Princess Oud, inspired by royal elegance, fragrance can capture a world beyond the everyday. Sometimes the inspiration is a person, a place or a moment in history, and the stories we attach to them. For Grossmith, this connection with royalty is part of its own story, and continues with King’s Salute.
There are plenty of ways to find a little scented relaxation during the day, even when life seems determined to keep us busy. A beautifully scented hand wash, a favourite body lotion or a few extra minutes in the shower can turn an everyday routine into something rather more enjoyable. It's a bit like settling down with a good book. For a while, everything else can wait, and you allow yourself to be transported somewhere else. As a book lover, perhaps that's why I find the idea behind Soap Poetry so appealing. It takes two things that have always made me slow down, fragrance and literature, and brings them together perfectly.
There’s a big difference between having your name on a perfume bottle and knowing what goes into it. Celebrity scents have become a familiar sight, although the famous face on the box often has little involvement beyond it. Richard E. Grant had something very different in mind when he created Jack Perfume. He financed the business himself and became involved in everything from fragrance development and testing to packaging and launch. More importantly, he wanted to create something that reflected his lifelong fascination with scent. The result was Jack, a fragrance that was personal from the beginning.
There’s something wonderfully atmospheric about a kitchen in use. Coffee brewing in the morning, herbs being chopped, and something slowly cooking on the hob all bring their own aromas to the room. Scent is naturally part of the experience, so the products we use can add to it too. A beautifully fragranced hand wash and lotion turns an everyday moment into something more luxurious, while lighting a candle as you cook can change the mood. The kitchen may be one of the most practical rooms in the home, but it can still be beautiful. That idea fits perfectly with Heathcote & Ivory’s William Morris At Home Kitchen Garden collection.
Niche perfumery has come a long way from being the slightly eccentric alternative to the big fragrance houses. Fragrance has been one of beauty's great success stories, growing by around 8% a year in recent years, and it’s expected to continue growing by about 6% annually into 2030. High-end niche fragrances are expected to be one of the biggest drivers, and it's easy to see why; smaller houses can take risks, use unusual materials and create perfumes that don't have to appeal to everyone. Luca Turin has enthusiastically said, “I think it's terrific – the more the better,” and Neshama's Ninth Wave is a perfect example.
Fragrance is all around us, often in places we barely give a second thought. It’s in the shower gel we use first thing, the fabric conditioner that makes freshly washed clothes smell so good, and even the hand wash sitting beside the sink. Fine fragrance might get most of the attention, but functional fragrance is just as much a part of our everyday lives. In fact, there’s an argument that one scented product gets closer to our skin, more regularly, than almost anything else. Deodorant is there every day, so why shouldn’t it be something we actually enjoy using? That’s where London-based Rollr comes into the picture.
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.
There's something comforting about keeping things simple. In a world where everything seems to demand more, some of life’s greatest pleasures can be found in the uncomplicated things. A quiet walk, a cup of tea, or simply enjoying a fragrance that doesn’t shout for attention. Perhaps this is why simpler perfumes are finding a place within the new idea of “slow perfumery”, where part of the pleasure comes from taking time to appreciate the materials themselves. There's something refreshingly honest about that approach, and Rosmarinus from Simon Constantine and Careys Secret Garden captures it perfectly.
What makes a modern-day classic? It’s a question that gets asked a lot in perfume, particularly when the shelves are filled with new launches every week. Mitsouko and Chanel No.5 have had decades to earn their legendary status, but a new generation is now beginning to share the spotlight. Creed Aventus is a good example, having become instantly recognisable and hugely influential in a relatively short space of time. For me, a modern classic needs something more than popularity. It needs character, originality and the ability to keep surprising us. Féminité du Bois by Serge Lutens definitely ticks all three boxes.
British heritage brands occupy a unique place in the world of fragrance. They don't rely on passing trends or clever marketing, because their reputations have been built on decades of consistently producing products that people return to time and time again. Citrus has always occupied a special place in that tradition, but few British brands have championed it quite like Bronnley. For more than 140 years, the company has been known for quality, craftsmanship and timeless appeal. Now, with their new alcohol-free Lemon Eau Fraîche, that enduring legacy continues with a fragrance designed for modern living and warm-weather escapes.
Few ingredients capture the feeling of summer quite like citrus. Bright, sparkling and uplifting, notes such as lemon, bergamot and orange have the ability to conjure a burst of sunshine, making them a natural choice for warmer days. However, while citrus fragrances are often associated with freshness and simplicity, adding aromatic herbs and gentle woods can completely transform their character. These deeper notes add texture, warmth and longevity, creating a fragrance that still feels bright and refreshing, but with a complexity that moves beyond the boundaries of a simple summer scent. One such example is Portugal from 4711.
Certain scents have an incredible way of whisking you straight back to your favourite summer holiday. A splash of coconut might remind you of sun cream on a golden beach, while salty sea notes bring back breezy walks along the coast. Juicy citrus can transport you to lazy afternoons in Italy, sipping fresh lemonade beneath orange trees, and tropical fruits instantly evoke poolside cocktails and warm evenings. Fragrance has a unique connection to memory, making it one of the easiest ways to relive those carefree moments. That’s why one spritz of Eau des Vacances from Fragonard can capture the feeling of sunshine and adventure.
When an existing perfume company is looking to extend their fragrance collection, it more than often ends up taking the form of a complex new scent. However, that doesn’t always need to be the case. Many ingredients that are used in perfumery can be thought of as a fragrance in themselves, made up of a multitude of facets, and so the decision to launch a singular floral water can be a welcome change. That is exactly what Jessica Buchanan of 1000 Flowers has done with her L’eau de Rose, and the result is an uplifting scent that is perfect for mind, body and the imminent arrival of the hot weather.
In an increasingly unsettled world, the strains of “all you need is love” have never been more pertinent. From overseas conflict right through to home-grown confusions, finding a way to navigate the everyday seems to have become more difficult. There are many ways to bolster spirits and provide encouragement, such as music and art, but fragrance also has an important part to play. The scents that surround us can give us the strength that we may be missing, or the armour to tackle the day. The latest perfume to offer some scented security is Higher Love from Tessa Williams, and it comes with a large dose of love.
The dramatic growth of independent perfumers and niche brands shows no signs of slowing any time soon. Whilst this offers wonderful choice from which customers can discover new creators and fragrances, it also brings the inevitable “rush to market” scents and “pop-up companies”. These often disappear as quickly as they arrive, and finding a permanent place within the perfume industry becomes harder with each year that passes. One company that has trailblazed British niche perfumery, and continues to be a benchmark for creativity, is 4160 Tuesdays. So, what better way to celebrate this than with A Flame In Your Heart.
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.
There are many claims made in the perfume world that companies are “the original”, “the trendsetter”, “the pioneer”, but these often end up being merely cleverly-created marketing. Making a customer feel as though they're in possession of something that is, or will be, timeless is the goal of every brand when they launch a fragrance. However, when you have a documented history stretching back to 1709 then you really can shout about your achievement. Farina is the originator of the Eau de Cologne and, after too many years of under-appreciation, the company are once again triumphantly shouting about their famous creation.
Changing seasons bring with them scented wants and desires that vary as we move from one to the next. Winter is traditionally ambers and spiced citruses, spring demands the first hint of glorious greens, summer radiates solar florals, and autumn relaxes into comforting woods. However, where two seasons join is the exciting period because there’s an overlap that produces incredible choices and exciting variations. We’re now centrally in spring but, with summer on the horizon, the scent of green aquatic florals is the perfect fit. That means it’s the perfect time to discover the new Dancing Light candle from Told London.
The way that we apply fragrance, and use fragrance, has always been a subject that has divided perfume fans. However, this idea that a true “perfume” is something that is spritzed out of a bottle, rather than something that is contained within a product, has been hotly challenged over the past decade. Scented face care has built on Nivea and Estee Lauder foundations, shower gels transcended the famous offerings from Molton Brown, and perfumed candles have left Jo Malone London in the shade. The newest release to take scent into a new sphere is C.Atherley, and their stunning Geranium No.4 collection.
Every country has their own particular phrases that truly embody the spirit of the inhabitants. The United Kingdom is abundant with them, but the two that instantly spring to mind are “Would you like a cup of tea?” and “It’s about time”. The former is the British answer to whatever catastrophe might occur, while the second is our sarcastic side-eye comment after having to wait for absolutely anything. So it’s wonderfully appropriate that, after what seems like the longest and wettest winter, we can finally welcome the arrival of spring with the gloriously aromatic About Thyme from Lizzie Brooks and Thursday Fragrance.
