Beauty News
Part of the ongoing pursuit of filling that travel-shaped void in our hearts, these fragrances tell stories of lengthy drives down the coast and a longing for faraway destinations
The latest beauty releases
1 CHLOÉ ATELIER DES FLEURS, PAPYRUS
Chloé senior perfumer Alexis Dadier remembers the day his fascination with Egypt began. His grandparents had returned from a trip to the northeast African country, bringing him papyrus covered with hieroglyphics as a souvenir.
Years later, Dadier himself was sailing down the Nile, where papyrus grows its roots in the river’s waters, when he noticed its smoky and woody, yet refreshing, scent.
His fragrance for Chloé’s Atelier des Fleurs fragrance series captures this beautiful duality.
2 VILHELM PARFUMERIE, CHICAGO HIGH
Chicago High by New York brand Vilhelm Parfumerie takes inspiration from the Roaring Twenties, a time of hedonistic celebration of life and a no-holdsbarred approach to luxury and pleasure.
The scent is described by the brand as “a sparkling cocktail of champagne and pineapple infused with honey and tobacco that leaves a leather, patchouli amber whisper behind”.
With bars and restaurants operating with restrictions, take a spritz and transport yourself to rowdy evenings gone by. Not for internal consumption.
3 TIMOTHY HAN EDITION, ON THE ROAD
Taking a page from Jack Kerouac’s 1951 novel of the same name, On the Road
by London-based perfumer Timothy Han traces a journey “from the hot July streets of a New York City summer to the whiskey bars and wheat fields of Middle America, before finally ending up amongst the cedar forests and citrus trees of the Pacific Coast.”
The 100 per cent natural perfume is set in an organic alcohol base and carries top notes of lemon, bergamot and lavandin, with hints of patchouli, cedarwood and birch. Road trip!
4 5 MAISON FRANCIS KURKDJIAN PARIS, PETIT MATIN
What does the soft, gentle glow of a sunrise in Paris smell like? According to Maison Francis Kurkdjian, it’s like lemon from Calabria paired with floral notes of hawthorn and lavandin from Provence, complemented by sleepy notes of musk and amber. Well, ooh la la.
Spritz yourself with this fresh daytime fragrance, make yourself a coffee, read some Marcel Proust and simulate the perfect Parisian morning—wherever you are in the world.
5 AESOP, HWYL
Have you ever wondered what the ethereal, moss-covered forests featured in Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli movies might smell like? To be honest, me neither. But thanks to Aesop, we might just find out.
At the heart of Hwyl by Aesop is the scent of hinoki, a Japanese cypress, with vetiver bourbon grown in vanilla fields in Madagascar and frankincense to capture the enigmatic essence of Japan’s ancient woodlands. Hope we don’t get, um, spirited away.