Beauty The scents of spring

The Wild Flower & Weeds collection from Jo Malone has a mix of ingredients you don’t often hear in the perfume world. Each of the five limited edition scents is inspired by unruly weeds and plants which can also be unexpectedly beautiful. The powdery Hemlock & Bergamot is a stand- out, as are the floral Lupin & Patchouli and tangy Nettle & Wild Achillea (€57, Cologne 30ml) combinations. “In general you don’t hear about ingredients like willow, lupin or wild achillea in perfumery, while hemlock is poisonous and nettles can sting you,” says Celine Roux, Head of Global Product Development at Jo Malone.

Simultaneously green and floral, Herbae Par L’Occitane (€89, EDP 90ml), is inspired by the wild grasses that grow in Provence, and then mixed with notes of bramble, wild rose and white nettle. The citrusy notes of bergamot hits the nose first but when it dries down on the skin you can really smell the heavier rose and cut grass notes, giving it a more rounded scent. I love the simple bottle tied with a raffia bow.

Atelier Cologne has had such success with its citrus stars, Orange Sanguine and Clementine California, that it has added a third zesty star to the mix – Pacific Lime (€165, Cologne Absolue 200ml). The perfume-maker prefers to use raw materials in their natural state, with 91% of natural origin in this perfume. Hence the price tag but a little spritz goes a very, very long way. With vibrant lime from Mexico as the dominant ingredient, mixed with coconut from the Philippines, this manages to smell fresh but also exotic and colourful – like summer but not in an obvious way.