Fragrance notes
For senior beauty editor Alexandra Friend, longer nights bring deeper, darker notes, dream-like scents and hopes for a greener world.
PERFUMES FOR AFTER DARK
The nights haven’t started to draw in quite yet, but when they do, it’s certain we’ll be wearing our perfumes a little richer, a little deeper, a little darker. Yves
Saint Laurent’s warm and elegant Libre was a hit on the GH beauty desk when it launched a year ago. Now, new Libre
Intense, £78, has heady orchid and smokey vetiver, putting additional heat under the original lavender and orange blossom formula. Also remade in slinkier fashion is Givenchy L’interdit, with an
Intense Eau de Parfum, £79.50, created in homage to the colour black. It’s deliciously grown-up, with leather,
vanilla and patchouli joining white floral notes. Serge Lutens Fils de Joie (2), £160, is bursting with night-blooming jasmine (it’s sultry and hypnotic, you’ll know it from hot summer nights here and abroad), while Chanel Coco
Mademoiselle Eau Privée, from £67, was created not just to be worn after dark, but in bed. With shimmering notes of rose, jasmine and musk, it’s soft and silky – as the loveliest nightwear should be.
FANTASY GARDENS
And so to dream. Jo Malone London’s latest collection, Lost In Wonder, takes ancient hanging gardens as its theme; hidden worlds of hazy sunshine, ripe fruits and wandering vines. Try Fig &
Lotus Flower (7), from £50 – it’s green, luminous and lush. From there, step into the tangled, magical gardens of Gucci
Bloom Profumo Di Fiori (1), from £54. Inspired by creative director Alessandro Michele’s vision of a mystical, overgrown world, it has tropical honeysuckle-like creepers, tuberose, syrupy resin and creamy, golden sandalwood (from October). All that is missing is the white peacock… until Lalique steps in with
Plume Blanche (6), £210, which was inspired by just that, and releases a glorious cloud of almond, musk, heliotrope flower, cardamom and vanilla. At that price, it’s a big treat; perhaps one for the Christmas list?
ROSES IN WINTER
Roses aren’t just for summer. In Diptyque Othoniel Rosa
(4), £120, rose is paired with pink and black peppercorns, patchouli and woody vetiver to bring out the flower’s spicy strength; it’s wonderfully cosy. In Chloé
Rose Tangerine, from £45, rose is fresh, bright and not at all blowsy, with blackcurrant, clean citrus notes and soft, woody cedar. Both are perfect for autumn.
SCENTS FOR THE FUTURE
Sustainability is a growing concern in perfumery. New
Colonia Futura (5), from £80, by Italian heritage brand Acqua di Parma is ‘a commitment to preserve nature for the generations to come’, says CEO Laura Burdese. Ingredients are 99% natural (the remaining 1% is alcohol, used to preserve the scent), the glass bottle and plastic cap are fully recycled and recyclable, and the label is made from marble dust sourced from Italian quarries (the most stylish scrap material ever?). It’s crisp and tangy, with bergamot, lavender and sage. Armani My Way (3), from £64, has tuberose, orange blossom and vanilla (it’s as beautifully feminine as it sounds), all carefully sourced to support local communities and minimise environmental impact; whatever carbon footprint can’t be reduced will be offset via reforestation. And Lancôme Idôle (a pioneering project in mindful perfumery), will be joined by
Idôle Intense, from £54. As with the original, the rose and jasmine blooms are handpicked and sustainably sourced in a way that supports and empowers the people who pick them.