March editorial - news from our perfume studio
Behind the scenes ...
Good news to share! I've just finalised the formulas for our upcoming launches. Three new parfums on the horizon - each composed around an iconic material of classical perfumery.
I'm especially excited about these; as I've been working with a new sourcing house in Paris - these are the clever people who know all about ingredients and where to find the very best. They give us a chance to play with all sorts of rare, special and sustainable raw materials we've not used before. I don't want to let the cat out of the bag yet, but to tease you all a little: expect an exotic jasmine, orange blossom, a beautiful quality of incense from Oman, and --- a first for us --- we're working with oud.
Now we're into the all-important testing phase - so cross your fingers please. All being well, we'll have them ready to share this summer ...
What I've been wearing...
Britain is famous for its grey skies in winter. So I escape with our sunny, mood-boosting Brooklyn scent. When it's gloomy at 9am, midday and 4pm you need a burst of effervescent, citrus energy.
This fragrance opens with bergamot, squeezed lemon and orange juice -- that's the joyful uplifting part. A lot of you tell me how much you enjoy the fizzy cheerful side - fun fact: that sparkling effect comes from a material most famously used in CHANEL No 5
Armchair escapism
I know some of you are true 'fragheads' (completely passionate and fascinated by everything to do with perfume) - so I'd love to recommend this new book, The Forgotten Sense, all about the science of smell and olfaction by Jonas Olofsson who's a professor of Psychology at Stockholm University.
But don't worry if you're not interested in the science, it's a curious and entertaining read about the least understood of our senses. For instance, did you know that until the 18th century, it was common for doctors to smell their patients to diagnose them
This made me happy
One of my cousins (who normally wears Brooklyn or London) messaged me to say she's been addicted to wearing Nida over this past winter. Every spritz took her back to childhood summer holidays, to simpler times - which is exactly the carefree, happy-go-lucky vibe I was trying to create with that scent.
That's the magic power of perfume: to transport us in time and place. Our sense of smell is an emotional time machine!
Nida, you might remember, is the parfum we made last summer as a special limited edition. All the bottles sold out, but if you're a fan of it and need a top-up, we're still offering some 8ml travel sprays
