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.
With October firmly on the horizon, it’s definitely time to reach for the jumpers, scarves and woollen coats. Wrapping up warm becomes a morning ritual as you step out into the crisp air, and we often think more about getting to our destination rather than enjoying the journey. That’s why adding an additional layer of perfume before you leave the house can make battling the elements a little less of an ordeal. Counteracting the coldness of the season has traditionally been done by reaching for a gourmand or amber fragrance, and so finding the combination of both in Tramontana by Tessa Williams is perfect timing.
A New Year always brings with it the usual set of resolutions, which honestly have very little chance of being achieved, the excitement of a whole twelve months of new perfume releases, and also a little bit of tradition. Before heading into the ever-expanding world of fragrance, many people look forward to switching out their festive home scents in favour of some January newness. It’s a relatively inexpensive treat after the excesses of the holiday season, and one that you can easily achieve with the last of the Christmas money. This January I’ve plumped for the comforting Pinede Candle from Tessa Williams.
Simplicity is a word that seems to be rarely used in the world of fragrance, and is almost seen as a negative concept that should be avoided at all costs. Perfumes and aromas need to be complex, they need to have a structure that fascinates and astounds the wearer, but is it starting to become exhausting? Fragrances have always been experimental, but more and more they’re becoming an assault on the senses. Thankfully, in amongst the explosions, there’s someone that continues to strip back their scents and present the beauty of simplicity. I’m talking about Tessa Williams, and specifically her Lemon Candle.
As the weather begins to warm up after months of snow, sleet and rain, many people’s thoughts turn to the climates of their favourite holiday destinations or even new ones that are waiting to be discovered. This is regularly mirrored in the perfume releases that begin to appear in early spring, with a multitude of aquatic citruses champing at the bit to escape from the warehouses, but there are already some fantastic travel-inspired fragrances ready to be worn straight away. Marrakech from Tessa Williams launched in May 2022 but, in the rush to “get back to normal”, you might have missed it. So, fancy a little scented travel?
The constant search for new ways to enjoy perfume is one that fragrance fans have become masters at. Every conceivable way of delivering that scented hit has been tried, from shower gels to hair mists, and it’s certainly no longer just a case of spritzing your favourite perfume and then heading out of the door - I wish life was still that simple. The last twelve months saw the very public appearance of a new way to utilise fragrance, and it truly was a life saver. Hand sanitisers became an important subcategory of fragrance in 2020 and, with no let-up to restrictions, it’s time to welcome the new Earth Hand Sanitiser Spray by Tessa Williams.
There have been many occasions where the original direction of a product has taken a different route because of events that are out of a company’s control. This isn't always a bad thing, in fact it's a compliment when it becomes a source of comfort. In unsettling times it often feels reassuring to reach for a product that affirms a positive message, and this is what has happened with the most recent launch from Tessa Williams. Always intended as the conclusion to her scented trilogy, Hope has recently become a fragranced wish that many have chosen to turn to in these challenging times.
One of the constant pressures on fragrance companies is whether to release a new scent each year or rework an existing one by adding a flower here or a woody note there. The public’s constant demand for newness often sees a rapid succession of similarity, but one company has chosen to go in a different direction by reintroducing a truly adaptive product instead of a new scent. Tessa Williams has launched a “living cologne” version of her successful Fire home fragrance and it makes you wonder why this style ever fell out of fashion. With this in mind, let me show you a new way to beat the January blues.
One of the problems with writing about fragrance is that it can very easily become dry and dusty. Long lists of ingredients, technical terminology, and descriptive language that would make even Shakespeare roll his eyes are commonplace when the subject of perfumery is discussed. This means that truly successful books on the subject are few are far between and, with the exception of Lizzie Ostrom’s Perfume: A Century Of Scent, there is only one other book that I regularly recommend to fragrance fans. For the perfect gift, or a treat for yourself, let me introduce you to the 2013 Cult Perfumes by Tessa Williams.
With bonfire night fast approaching and Halloween on the doorstep my thoughts always turn to the gloriously smokey scents of autumn. The crispness in the air and the first frosts on the ground always make me reach for my Penhaligon's matches so that I can set light to the pile of kiln-dried logs that are permanently sitting in the fireplace. The scent of an open fire is one of my favourite smells, which is why I’ve also been known to have one in height of summer, so I was intrigued to find that Tessa Williams had released a home spray simply called Fire. So, would it really smell like my wood-smoke scented sitting room?
Tessa Williams is the author of Cult Perfumes, which looks at the releases and history of the boutique perfumeries. Alongside launching her own fragrance range, Tessa is a journalist who was written for Vogue and The Times, amongst others. At home with being the interviewer, I thought it was time the tables were turned as I asked her “Stephan’s Six”?
