There are certain names that have become synonymous with particular products, whether that’s fragrance or homeware, because they are acknowledged to be the experts in their fields. This expertise is often the result of spending years honing their craft, but can also include the act of sidestepping from one similar career to the next. One of the biggest examples of this is surely the Queen of Layering, Jo Malone. She built her empire on the basic foundation of providing beautiful scents in a variety of forms, and one of the most popular of these must surely be her famous shower gels and body lotions.
The subject of gender in fragrance is something that is still being discussed at length, and it’s just as vocal in the niche sector as it is in the high street. The fragrances that you’ll find in the department stores are clearly split into masculine, feminine and unisex because this helps to guide customers to their “safe” choice. The more independent boutiques will split by fragrance family or style, but this does mean that the customer has to take a much bigger journey of discovery. It’s very hard for established companies to break this cycle, but that is exactly what Fragonard have done with Beau de Provence.
Jonathan Ward has built his reputation on being the finest candle maker in the United Kingdom, and so it’s no surprise that his fragrances can be found burning brightly in the lobby of Britain’s iconic Claridge’s Hotel. With a spectacular attention to detail, from the packaging right through to the scent, he truly is a master of his craft. His candles eventually spawned his equally amazing diffusers and, in a final touch of artistic ambience, matching room mists also arrived. With summer not always about citrus, it’s time to discover Jonathan’s newest pocket-sized trio of his ever-popular Abode Mist Intense collection.
When a new niche perfume company launches it’s often off the back of a single successful fragrance that has grabbed the public’s attention. While his can guarantee an initial flurry of orders and reviews, the inevitable follow up fragrance is often the make or break for the brand. Will it stand up to the promise shown by the first release? Launching instead with a small curated collection can minimise some of these fears, and allow customers to find their own favourite, and that is exactly what Mladen Dragic did with Momento Perfumery. So, with five fragrances in the range, why was I drawn to the delicious Tea Road?
The world of natural fragrances is one that increases every year as more companies try to carve out a little piece of the market. With quantity comes choice, but it doesn’t always equate to quality. Natural fragrances can easily veer into heavy and overbearing territory due to the complexity and richness of the ingredients, with the result being a dense fragrance that lacks a feeling of space. However, there are perfumers that have managed to combine both the natural and expansive aspects. One such perfumer is Laurie Arbuthnot of Wild Coast Perfumery, and her tuberose-focused Whistler is a springtime delight.
There can’t be many people that haven’t, at some point in their lives, wished that they could momentarily escape from the world by disappearing into their own private space. That wonderful thought of tranquillity and nature rubbing along with each other hand in hand. This idea of an undisturbed place was immortalised in Frances Hodgson Burnett‘s famous 1911 book, the Secret Garden. Now, Simon Constantine’s discovery of his “secret garden” was just as exciting, although a little less manicured, and he’s chosen to immortalise it in a strictly limited edition perfume release. So, are you ready to hunt out the green door in the ivy?
The words “niche”, “wearable” and “fragrance” are not always found in the same sentence. Many fragrance fans delight in hunting out a perfume that isn’t on the high street but, in doing so, occasionally end up purchasing something that will rarely be worn. Yes, the craftsmanship will be appreciated and discussed at length with likeminded fans, but it may struggle to find its place in the purchaser’s everyday line-up. There’s nothing wrong with a niche fragrance being wearable, and it doesn’t always have to pack a boxer’s punch, so it was great to find exactly this combination in the recently launched DŪMBO from THE 5TH.
One of the industries that has seen phenomenal growth in recent years has been candles. This was partly driven by individuals starting up during the pandemic as a way of earning extra money but, even with this now behind us, there doesn’t seem to be any sign of a slowdown. However, from expensive luxury brands to the more modest home kitchen ones, the selection of scents and their performance varies dramatically. This is why hunting out a truly excellent and versatile candle is always a challenge. Cottage Garden by Karen Timson is the latest to join an already saturated marketplace, but this one is pretty special.
The perfume industry is a fast paced environment where the focus is usually on the future rather than the past. Companies race to find the latest trend or the newest ingredient, and so perfumes from history are often relegated to the archives. Barry Gibson is a name that's familiar to vintage scent lovers as the man who brought back The Crown Perfumery, which later became Clive Christian. He breathed new life into the company’s forgotten fragrances but, once it was sold to Clive, they were forgotten once more. However, Barry Gibson is back with The Art of the Perfumer, and vintage perfume lovers are once again about to go wild.
