Natural Fragrances
The lowdown on perfume
The lead-packed lipsticks have been ditched, your shampoo is free of sulfate and your moisturiser is so pure it’s practically food grade. So what about that last remaining toxin Trojan lurking out of direct sunlight in the corner of your bedroom? Perfume. Smell is one of our most emotive senses and has been linked with memory more strongly than any other. But if you, like so many, have set about detoxing your bathroom cabinet of all things allergenic and unpronounceable, it only makes sense that you take a long, hard look at your fragrance, too.
The chemical cocktails used to produce the delicate, long-lasting scents to which we are accustomed can cause allergic reactions in those with sensitive skin, and bring on headaches, nausea and asthmatic symptoms in others. For many, this has meant abstaining from that last-minute burst of fragrant confidence as they head out the door, or suffering a 9am sneezing fit when walking into an office full of freshly fumed colleagues. Luckily, there’s a new wave of all-natural blends sweeping the marketplace – sumptuous, sophisticated and ripe for the spritzing. Pick your favourite and wear with abandon; you’ll smell so good that with any luck your workmates will follow suit.
Raha by Trilogy, $24.90. Raha translates as “joy” in Swahili. The scent followed Trilogy’s first natural perfume Jua and, like its predecessor, $2 from every bottle goes to charity So They Can. Cold-pressed sunflower oil forms the fragrance’s base, while vanilla, blue iris, green galbanum and citrus account for the scent, which has been designed to emulate the smell of African rains in the heat of the day. The result is raw and refreshing while wholly delicate, developing into a sweeter scent as the day progresses.
Vetyver Bergamot by Ingrid Starnes, $160. The Ingrid Starnes team spent two years developing this perfume. After grappling with powdery and floral notes – then realising many of them had been spoiled by starring too prevalently in air fresheners – they turned to a clash of raw, smoky vetyver and fresh, grassy citrus. A whiff of this scent is like walking into a temple filled with freshly cut flower stems: a mix of musky incense made refreshing by a crisp hit of botanics. Made from essential oils, a spritz lasts longer than synthetic alternatives, warming on the skin to release a melody of notes throughout the day.
Pink Grapefruit and Rose by Nellie Tier, $24.90. Ann Porter and Sara Sadd made their first fragrance for a friend undergoing medical treatment with a blend of pure essential oils encased in a roll-on bottle. Since then, six more scents have been created, including May Chang and Mandarin – a citrusy number so tangy you can almost taste it. The mandarin flavour comes from cold-pressed mandarin rind, and its zesty aroma is a known mood-lifter.
Weleda Natural Perfume Rose, $39.90. Weleda is a cornerstone of the organic cosmetics marketplace, with the addition of fragrance to the product line-up spelling even more good news for devotees. Inspired by the rose scent already used in Weleda’s skincare range, the fragrance is made from essential oils – a bouquet of damask rose, rose geranium and ylang ylang. Accounting for the variances in oil harvests (caused year to year by sun, rain and wind) – and without the help of synthetic scents – a team of perfumers checks each fragrance from batch to batch to ensure consistency and quality.
Kai Eau de Parfum from Mecca Cosmetica, $138. Free of parabens, sulfate, phthalate and phosphate, this blend was created to mimic the scent of Kai’s wildly popular perfume oil, but in spray form. Characterised by gardenia and white exotic flower notes, it presents in a way that’s clean, simple and fresh. A scent to evoke the bright, breezy feeling of a summer afternoon – the kind that makes you want to slip on a sundress and whip up a fruit salad – even if it’s only three degrees outside.
Sia by The Herb Farm, $24.90. A mix of essential oils, once again bottled in roll-on form, Sia blends ylang ylang, geranium and jasmine with base layers of warm vanilla and cedar. Almost lolly-like, it’s sweet and youthful without being overpowering. An ideal gift for younger ladies, and a sound introduction to the world of natural perfumes.
My Moment by Purity Fragrances, $129. Founder Debbie Cope began blending essential oils for perfume after, like many, discovering traditional fragrances left her with migraines. Her second blend, My Moment, is akin to having a trip to Raro tucked away in your handbag: a transporting wave of beachside coconut and oriental floral, making the day feel that bit sunnier for you and anyone within sniffing distance.
Pacific Goddess by Pacific Perfumes, $28. Pressed into a palm-sized wooden orb and wax-like in texture, this solid perfume emits a sweet scent complete with a subtle, musky undertone. With a base blended from jojoba and sweet almond oil and beeswax (there are non-beeswax options available), the formula melts upon contact with pulse points. Packaging is sourced from sustainable New Zealand beech forests, so is completely resistant to the bumps and bruises inevitable from life spent in a handbag.
“Smell is one of our most emotive senses and has been linked with memory more strongly than any other."