June editorial - news from our perfume studio
Our day at Barnes
We had a fantastic day at the Barnes Fragrance Fair, alongside our fellow indie perfume-makers. People like Maya N'Jie (check out her excellent Vanilj) and a new discovery for me: the clever, inventive ånd fragrance. We'll do it all again next May!
Parfums preview
One of my own highlights was sharing a sneak peek of the three new parfums.
This is the best kind of 'consumer research' - seeing and hearing your reactions first-hand.
We improvised some 8ml travel spray sets for the show - which proved wildly popular - so we're now working on a similar 'discovery set' idea for the launch in July
At the press
And speaking of our new trio ... I was out 'on press' to sign off the packaging production. I love this part of making a tangible product: the machinery, the smells in the workshop, the expertise and attention to detail of the people we work with on a project like this. Plus I'm proud that we're making our products here in the UK, giving work to other small businesses.
Fun fact: we're the very first British brand to be using this beautiful plum-coloured paper - selected specially for this new collection. Who says artisan brands can't be at the forefront of innovation?
What I've been wearing
Our latest release, Buenos Aires, was a real hit at the fair and is now included in our Nomad discovery set. It's definitely a long-lasting fragrance, but with the playfulness, elegance and sophistication I always want you to find in our creations
Did you know that when we talk about 'notes' in perfumes, we're referring to the evolution (and evaporation) of the composition.
Top notes are your first impression - but they're fleeting pleasures. Then comes the heart - typically lasting for the first couple of hours. Then the base, which will last 5-7 hours, depending on the materials we're using.
Buenos Aires tasting notes
Top: grape accord, Paraguayan petitgrain - which is an essential oil from the leaves and twigs of the bitter orange tree
Heart: yerba maté - with its grassy, hay, smoky tobacco-like character
And the base of this scent celebrates the much-loved tonka bean, with its creamy, woody, spicy and nutty facets. With some subtle touches of leather and dulce de leche
Armchair travel. A recommendation
I've long been drawn to Istanbul - and I've just finished this fascinating and colourful book about Suleiman The Magnificent and how Turkey's presence was felt everywhere from the plains of Hungary to the Indian sub-continent. If you think you don't like history books (and interminable lists of names and battles), then this, described as 'Wolf Hall for the Ottoman Empire,' is one for you. It reads like a novel - Ukrainian consorts, eunuchs, perfumes from the island of Chios, the inevitable family feuds - it's a galloping human story
Explore our East meets West Istanbul EdP
