OTS2_ISSUU

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16 THE LANDSCAPE, BOTTLED

How perfumers capture meadows, mountains, beaches and more

28 THIS CREATIVE LIFE

Fashion, art and walking in Paris all inspire BDK Parfums founder David Benedek

32 STAYCATION SCENTS

Ways to travel fragrantly without leaving home

36 THE PERFUMER’S GARDEN

Linda Pilkington of Ormonde Jayne invites us on a tour

43 THE SCENTSCAPE

Summer’s key trends and launches

59 THE LAND OF MILK, HONEY AND LAVENDER

Fragrance is having a delicious – and aromatic – moment

64 UP, UP AND A-SPRAY

The coolest, cutest, best-smelling travel atomisers

68 ON THE SCENT OF... HOLIDAYS

Nicola Bonn has the last word

SCENT ON THE

EDITOR

Jo Fairley jo@josephinefairley.com

DESIGNER

Jenny Semple studio@jennysemple design.com

SENIOR WRITER/ PODCAST

Suzy Nightingale suzy.nightingale @gmail.com

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Maggie Alderson

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR/ PODCAST

Nicola Bonn

CONTRIBUTING EDITOR/ EVENTS

Amanda Carr

BUSINESS: ADVERTISING/ BRAND PARTNERSHIPS

Sharon Whiting sw@sharonwhiting.com

SUZY NIGHTINGALE

Suzy is a multi-award-winning fragrance journalist and expert whose work spans leading global titles including Harrods Magazine, Condé Nast Traveller and Stylus. In April, Suzy and co-host Nicola Bonn won a third Jasmine Audio Award for their engaging podcast, ‘On The Scent’, for the episode entitled ‘What Would Marie Antoinette Smell Like?’ This unmissable show also specialises in matching people with their perfect perfumes. Suzy is also an experienced and engaging event host.

@fragrantmaven

LINDA PILKINGTON

Linda (see p.36) developed her passion for perfume and perfume bottles as a teen. Travel took her to South America, where Linda owned a boutique hotel, a soya bean farm and a chain of ice cream parlours. Returning to the UK, she was asked to create ‘the perfect scented candle’ for Chanel’s Fine Jewellery Boutique, and her beautiful perfume range, Ormonde Jayne, was born. Fast-forward, and today Ormonde Jayne’s Royal Arcade boutique is a perfumista must-visit.

@ormondejayne

DAVID BENEDEK

David – who shares his creative inspirations on p.28 – has roots in North Africa and Romania, and grew up surrounded by luxury scents in his grandparents’ Paris perfume boutique. After studying Economics, David entered the Institut Français de la Mode in 2012, specialising in perfumery and cosmetics. After some time at Givaudan, he then trained with Cinquième Sens, going on to launch BDK Parfums in 2016, acclaimed for its elegant, characterful fragrances.

@davidbenedek

Our designer brings a freshness to every single issue, and knows instinctively just what each article needs to make it different and exciting, while retaining the signature identity of the magazine. Formerly Art Director on London glossies, she has a wealth of experience in magazines. Having relocated to Bath, Jenny now designs for clients including The River Group and Harper Collins and is an Associate Lecturer at Bath Spa University, running design workshops with the students.

@jennysemple

NOTES FROM THE EDITOR

Just WOW!

Before I deep-dive into this second issue of On The Scent, I’d like to acknowledge the incredible reception for our launch. Our bright yellow cover went viral on social media, and – evidence of the much talked-about yearning for a return to print –we sold three months’ stock of the magazine in four days and had to get the presses whirring again pronto.

Thank you so much for all your support. With Suzy Nightingale and Nicola Bonn’s podcast, our onthescentmedia.com website and an events programme, it feels like we’re building a real scent community here.

For this issue, we turn our attention to landscape. It is one of the conjuring tricks of perfumers to be able to bottle a sense of place – whether that’s a tropical beach, a gently swaying meadow, or the shadowed cool of a forest. Many of us use scent to transport us back to places we’ve travelled, or imagine somewhere we long to visit.

So, whether you are staycationing, or braving trains, planes and automobiles for a summer break, think of this entire issue as your perfumed passport to amazing olfactory destinations.

I do also have to reference our ‘Landscape’ cover, meanwhile. As a team which shuns the use of AI for magazine and social media content creation, I had the idea for this image after seeing a photo of empty bottles from Pochpac, who provide millions of perfume bottles to brands –from indie to global – every year. Our brilliant designer, Jenny Semple, then ‘bottled’ images of landscapes, using good, old-school Photoshop. We love it – and hope you enjoy the cover (and everything inside this issue), as much as we’ve loved creating it for you.

JO FAIRLEY Editor

THIS SUMMER…

FROM TOP: Jo Malone London car diffuser (and its cute ad.) Scented reading from David George Haskell. Burlington Arcade, visited on ‘Perfume Walks London’ walking tours. LEFT: a Pochpac flacon , Photoshopped.

I’ll be driving more fragrantly. Not only does the new Jo Malone Car Diffuser look super-cool in the car and waft beautifully (I chose Lime, Basil & Mandarin) – but can I recommend that you Google ‘Jo Malone Car Diffuser ad’, to enjoy 30 seconds of fragrant whimsy?

I am burying my nose in a flower-powered book. From David George Haskell, author of the gripping 13 Ways to Smell a Tree , comes How Flowers Made Our World , a fascinating look at why fragrance matters, botanically, culturally and for communication.

I’m planning to take a scented stroll. Fragrance expert Olga Petrouchenko has been organising her ‘Perfume Walks London’ tours for years, and it’s about time I joined one. You can check out all upcoming dates on our EVENTS section on onthescentmedia.com Might see you there!

I’ve another podcast, queued to listen to fortnightly. I wouldn’t miss ‘On The Scent’ with Suzy (Nightingale) and Nicola (Bonn) – but ‘Paperback Perfumes’, hosted by librarian Clare Presser , has become another essential fragrant listen.

COLLECTIONS, BOOKS (AND A GREAT MOVIE) TO SNIFF OUT NOW

FRANCIS KURKDJIAN IN SCENT-SURROUND SPRITZ!

ICON(S) is a must-watch for scent-lovers, documenting 2025’s multi-sensory exhibition around legendary Baccarat Rouge 540 at Paris’s Palais de Tokyo. Think: music (including piano from Katia and Marielle Labèque), kinetic artwork by Elias Crespin and, for the sense of taste, chocolates created by Michelin chef Anne-Sophie Pic with notes of saffron and tagetes (also featured in the iconic fragrance). With footage throughout of Francis himself – who was creatively involved in every step – it is both utterly inspiring and supremely watchable. But we say: bring on smell-o-vision. Watch ICON(S) on Amazon Prime

ABOVE: Francis Kurkdjian tasting chocolates with production designer Cyril Teste and chef Anne-Sophie Pic

The ultimate CHANEL experience

A new, complimentary service at the exquisitely redecorated CHANEL boutique in Harrods’ Salon de Parfums is the most delicious deepdive into their stunning collection of extraits. You’re familiar with No5, maybe No22…? These rich parfums now span everything from white flower-powered Gardénia to meditative, vetiver-rich Sycomore 30 minutes of sensory bliss.

To book, call Harrods Beauty Concierge on 020-7893 8892

When smelling scents, we often ask ourselves: if this was a textile, what would it be? Guerlain L’Art et la Matière take away the guesswork with five ‘Eaux’ inspired by fabric: Cashmere , Popeline , Tulle , Coton and Lingerie , all exquisitely woven by Delphine Jelk. £190 each for 100ml eau de parfum guerlain.com

OLFACTORY SHOCKS

Bertrand Duchaufour describes his L’Entropiste collection as ‘more than a fragrance house – it’s a manifesto.’ With names like White Blood and Dorian’s Spleen, it’s pure theatre, too, evoking aromas from smoky whisky to coffee ashes via saffron-spiked tulips. Must-sniffs, every one. £185 each for 50ml EDP bloomperfume.com

DIPTYQUE’S FAB FIVE

Showcasing a new-look label, Diptyque also just dropped a quintet of sublime scented candles: Ortie (green nettle), Sesame Noir , Shiso , Rhubarbe and Café . A mini set is available, to help you pick a fave – but good luck with that! They’re all exquisite. £82 for 5 x 35g candles/£63 each for 190g libertylondon.com

… AND HAIR FABULOUSNESS

Meanwhile, this beautiful ‘Water Garden’ mosaic design by Mathilde Jonquière is splashed across a wide range of desirable summer editions from Diptyque – including their so-perfect orange blossom-powered Eau des Sens , in EDT concentration. Quite simply, we want everything. £145 for 100ml eau de toilette diptyqueparis.com

LAURA ASHLEY’S FLOWER POWER

Loved for its floral prints, Laura Ashley is back on fashion’s radar, tapping into its romantic roots with four countryside-inspired fragrances, the bottes’ decorative bows drawn from archival prints – and all proudly made in Wales. Such a welcome return.

£89 each for 100ml eau de parfum debenhams.com

Dries’s body talk

Echoing three Dries Van Noten eau de parfums , layerable luxurious loveliness in the form of Liquid Soap, Hand Cream and Body Lotion. Basil & Hinoki pairs with Crazy Basil , Pepper & Rose complements Raving Rose , and Soie & Amber is a nod to Soie Malaquais . Or become your own bodycare mixologist, for extra fun. From £40-85 libertylondon.com

A zoosh of beetroot behind the ears, anyone? Earthy Scarlet Beetroot, luminous Carrot Blossom and creamy, nutty Velvety Butternut have us asking for seconds of the so-wearable Jo Malone London Veggies Collection. (And we really dig the whimsical ad campaign.)

From £59 for 30ml Cologne jomalonelondon.com

DREAMY CREAMS

To complement their scents Maze , Velvet Fig , Zephirine and Mediterranean Breeze, LBTY ’s new hand nourishers feature hyaluronic acid, peptides and bakuchiol, to scent and soften in one. £29 each for 45ml libertylondon.com

Scents of style

Distilling a century of craft and landscape into six new scents – composed by Dominique Ropion, Quentin Bisch and Fabrice Pellegrin –Zegna Memorie VOL I-VI COLLECTION whisks us to Italy, and the luxury brand’s fabled heritage. All truly transporting.

£250 each for 100ml EDP zegna.com

DAYLESFORD’S CLEAN TEAM

Want a house that smells as great as you do? Stock up on Daylesford’s debut cleaning and laundry range: toxin-free, organically-certified and scented with chamomile, neroli, cedarwood and wild blue basil. Fight you for the washing up! From £9-28 daylesford.com

Mist opportunities

There’s a positive miasma of great body mists around right now – but the hearts of BYREDO fans will beat that little bit faster at these more affordable concentrations of Alto Astral, Black Saffron, Gypsy Water, Rose of No Man’s Land and Bal d’Afrique. £68 for 100ml Body Mist Byredo.com

THE SCENTED BOOKSHELF

These may not fit in a beach bag – but they’ll transport you to fragrant destinations via beautiful imagery and fascinating texts

Co-created by Acqua di Parma with ERG Media, Buongiorno: The Art of Living Under the Italian Sun goes beyond fragrance to explore la dolce vita via exquisite imagery, travelling across Italy to explore its culture. Swoon-worthy. £160 acquadiparma.com

The guest book at La Pausa: The Ideal Mediterranean Villa of Gabrielle Chanel (Flammarion) featured Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso, Jean Cocteau and the Duke of Westminster. Now the subject of an exquisite coffee table monograph, packed with never-before-seen photos, it’s another way to travel this summer without leaving home. £130 dauntbooks.com

A mini book, this: a gift with Olfactive O New Earth (see p.53), beautifully illustrated by founder Olivia da Costa, it showcases treasured recipes from fragrance writers including Alice du Parcq, Amanda Carr and On The Scent ’s editor, Jo Fairley. olfactiveo.com

You’re invited to afternoon tea...

… by Floris London, who from July to late September will trumpet the launch of new Celest (see p.48) with a Scented Afternoon Tea experience at Cowdray Park’s Walled Garden, whose chefs have been inspired by the fragrance’s top, heart, and base notes. A treat for all the senses.

From £35.50 per head (£16 for children); for info, visit cowdray.co.uk

SUITS YOU

Translating bespoke tailoring codes into scent, Savile Row Private Collection delivers crisp woods, supple leather and more, promising made-tomeasure sophistication. As shareable as a fabulous tuxedo or a crisp white shirt, with it. £225 for 100ml extrait de parfum savilerowprivatecollection.co.uk

SUNLIT SCENTS

On-theme for this edition, Quentin Bisch captures the wild landscapes of the South of France for Chloe Atelier des Fleurs Les Essences Méditerranéennes : Sable Lavande , Vert Soleil , Plage du Figuier and Sous les Pins , this last a huge hit with fragrance writers (including us), for its vibe of sun-struck pine groves and aromatic, salty woods. From £115 for 50ml eau de parfum cultbeauty.com

WELCOME TO THE SENSORIUM

There’s a trend for mainstream fragrance names to launch upmarket collections – and Maison Margiela are tapping into it with ‘six radical olfactive chapters of life.’ Fit of Folly? Anguish & Awe? Silent Fury? (They’re some of the fragrance names.) Vent, via scent! From £150 for 30ml eau de parfum selfridges.com

Eaux, so fashionable

David Benedek channels his passion for fashion into this stunning BDK Parfums Collection Studio wardrobe of absolus by Jordi Fernández, with Stellar Silk , Oud Paradiso and Silver Ceremony . So, so chic. £230 each for 100ml absolu de parfum harrods.com

WE HAVE SMELLED THE FUTURE

At INITIO ’s new Parfums Privés flagship, check out their FEEL LAB EXPERIENCE, which measures your brain’s electrical activity to help identify the scent that scientifically resonates with you. Alternatively, spritz and sniff your way through their whole collection, the good old-fashioned way. The Market, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 8RB uk.initioparfums.com

TREATS IN STORE

Its roots may be in an 1895 Istanbul apothecary brand, but Atelier Rebul’s Marylebone boutique is state-of-the-fragrance-art, a luxurious showcase of scented treats and bespoke perfume experiences. We say: go, go, go!

67 Marylebone High St, London W1U 5JG atelierrebul.co.uk

POWER, PERFECTED

With so much talk in perfume circles about ‘projection’ and ‘longevity’, this new launch from Fragrance Du Bois heralds a new era of subtle power in fragrance

On TikTok and social feeds, ‘beast mode’ has been the buzz for the past couple of years. More has been more. In content creation circles, much of the conversation has been about fragrances that announce someone’s presence almost before they enter the room –and leave an almost overwhelming sillage , on departure.

We know we’re not alone, though, in feeling that it’s time for something that still offers a fabulous trail – but the kind that people notice when they’re close to you, not three tables away. And from what we’re seeing, that’s very much the direction that luxury masculine fragrance is moving in – where it’s not just about volume and raw strength, but sophistication and presence. (Think of it as the difference between a blaring sound system and a perfectly tuned acoustic set, perhaps.)

Enter Fragrance Du Bois Lucius Maximus , which it doesn’t surprise us to discover has been a huge success from the moment it launched onto the scent scene. It follows in the fragrant footsteps of the original Fragrance Du Bois Lucius , which, as the house puts it, ‘introduced the modern champion – the man who leads with instinct and undeniable presence.’ Now Lucius Maximus looks to the origin of that power – imagined as the authoritative father of the original, wise and revered, quietly blazing a trail for a grown-up notion of masculine impact.

and cypriol for more warmth and richness. We also used strong woody materials like Georgywood and Akigalawood to add structure and power, so it feels fuller and more confident while keeping that Lucius identity.’ (The science bit: structurally related to Iso E Super, Georgywood is a synthetic woody molecule, whilst Akigalawood is a biotech fraction and transformation of patchouli oil. Together, they are the very olfactory definition of soft power.)

‘For me,’ says Jordi, ‘contrast is about connection. If the parts don’t link well, the perfume can feel sharp or disconnected. The bright top with bitter orange and bergamot brings freshness, but the bitter side connects nicely with the warmer base, with tonka, coffee and Madagascan vanilla. So instead of jumping from fresh to heavy, it moves smoothly from one side to the other. To me, that’s what makes Lucius Maximus feel complete and balanced on the skin.’

With Lucius Maximus, I wanted to explore the contrast between energy and control “

”Jordi Fernández, Master Perfumer

For the genius Jordi Fernández , Master Perfumer at Givaudan, it felt natural to revisit the fabulous original, citrus-and-vetiver-driven Lucius, which he created two years ago – but to do things a little differently, this time. As he explains, ‘with Lucius Maximus, I wanted to explore the contrast between energy and control. The brightness of citrus collides with roasted coffee and woods to create a fragrance that feels powerful but disciplined.’

To quote the perfumer (and oh, we do always love to do that), ‘the inspiration was the idea of bold duality, a perfume that feels powerful yet sophisticated. The main difference between Lucius and Lucius Maximus starts with the top notes. Both open with bergamot, mandarin and pink pepper, but Lucius Maximus includes bitter orange to add a touch of contrast and light.’

‘The biggest change happens in the heart and the base,’ Jordi continues. ‘The original Lucius had a lighter style, while Maximus goes deeper with dark-roasted coffee, tonka

If you don’t yet know Fragrance Du Bois , take this woody-coffee-gourmand innovation as your invitation to explore the whole collection. And while Lucius Maximus is essentially pitched at the masculine scent-wearer, at On The Scent we’re all for blurring genders with scents – as Fragrance Du Bois did for many years with their creations, before launching their first explicitly ‘feminine’ fragrance, the delectable cherry, incense and oudhbased Sirène , in the same year as the specifically male-focused Lucius.

Beloved by those-in-the-know, this is a house that was born in Paris, and describes itself as ‘shaped by perfumers’, who remain the key players in everything they do. Layering is most certainly encouraged – but as Fragrance Du Bois put it, ‘We don’t just layer fragrance – we layer attitude. Mix, match and make it yours.’ Rebellious, with a hedonistic side – the Rude Oud Harrods-exclusive launch two years ago attracted huge attention in the niche community (and probably raised a few eyebrows with it) – this is a collection embodying modern opulence, conversation-starting character and (yes) longevity on the skin.

But as the clever ones know – and Lucius Maximus embodies – you don’t necessarily have to shout, to make an unforgettable impression. And that is true power.

£320 for 100ml eau de parfum harrods.com

The landscape BOTTLED

Fragrance is the ultimate passport for the senses, evoking memories of places we’ve visited and treasured moments spent there.

One of the cleverest things that perfumers do is to transform landscapes into something we can spritz. Through the alchemy of carefully anchored notes, they capture places as portable, personal experiences – terrain translated into texture, memory and mood on the skin.

Their formulae become love letters to places real, then re-imagined: a sun-drenched cove or windswept coastline, the towering majesty of a mountain, the protective peace of sunlight dappled through a forest’s tree canopy. It then becomes a symbiotic conversation between perfumer and fragrance-wearer, propelling us through a perfumed portal via the juice within that bottle.

The link between scent and memory is of course profound; today (thanks to neuroscience), it is also proven. With our sense of smell rooted in the limbic system, where memories and emotional responses are also stored, fragrance can immediately and vividly evoke the atmosphere of a place. Each note becomes almost a brushstroke, revealing scenes as vivid as a painting or a holiday postcard – but putting them beyond the canvas into a 3D scentscape we feel we can inhabit. And it’s done so cleverly, anchored in a way that becomes relatable and utterly transporting – rather than a mere mélange of outdoorsy-smelling olfactory materials.

As Master Perfumer Alberto Morillas, who has often been inspired in his creations by the Mediterranean, explains, for him it’s more than a literal interpretation. ‘I’m inspired by seeing somewhere in person,’ he says, ‘but it then is automatically linked to an emotion in my head, and I memorise it. That’s what I then try to create.’

‘IT IS HONESTLY THE MOST SATISFYING EXPERIENCE, WHEN YOU WATCH SOMEONE BE TRANSPORTED BY A SPRITZ’

Pia Long, perfumer

SUZY NIGHTINGALE takes us to the four corners of the earth, via fragrances that turn a sense of place into a wearable journey

Lead perfumer and director of British fragrance creation house Olfiction, Pia Long takes a different approach. Pia likes ‘to study a specific landscape, exploring the place itself and its olfactive culture. Then I put all that into my subconscious. When it emerges as a fragrance, the outcome is never literal – but it still has a connection to somewhere tangible.’ As someone who often meets her customers, seeing their reactions as they try her creations, Pia says: ‘It is honestly the most satisfying experience, when you watch someone be transported by a spritz.’

Sonia Constant is a perfumer well-known for her love of travelling and her ability to conjure landscape; her own Ella K fragrance line is based on her own travels, over the years, inviting us to accompany her to the desert, to waterfalls, monasteries, cities and mountains. Along with her trusty Leica camera and Moleskine notebook, Sonia actually travels with a miniature ‘Headspace Technology’ kit called Scent TrekTM, patented by Givaudan, the perfume house she works for, an incredibly clever gizmo which is opening a whole new world of capturing elusive (and often unextractable) smells to perfumers.

Scent Trek literally analyses the molecules in the air – the snag being that ‘sometimes you can’t find these exact molecules in the perfumer’s palette, so I need my imagination to replace what’s missing,’ she says. For Sonia, it is then about adding nuance, to bring a place alive. ‘It’s like an Impressionist painting, natural but with the prism of vision. Scent Trek may recognise the flower, for instance – but it’s also my vision, the atmosphere. Baudelaire says in his book Les Fleurs du Mal, “Les parfums, les couleurs et les sons se répondent.” That translates as: the smells, the colours, and the sounds answer to each other – and this is how I love to describe my work process.’

Sometimes, it is the memory of a place that is distilled; other times, it is the longing for somewhere never visited, a dream bottled and made wearable.

But over these pages we invite you to journey with us, from beach to meadow, forest to mountain – destinations that require no packing, jet-lag or passports. Only your imagination and a willingness to explore.

‘IMMORTELLE

REMINDS ME OF THE SAND DUNES OF MY CHILDHOOD – SUN-KISSED SKIN, OCEAN BREEZES’

Sophie Labbé

beach

Scents to whisk you to sandy coves – or windswept cliffs

To create a realistic seaside scene, perfumers like to blend atmospheric, oceanic aroma chemicals with notes mimicking warm skin – anchoring us in the picture postcard, with hot sand, and perhaps some tropical flora or wild herbs, depending on the location. Perfumer François Robert recalls ‘my nose being struck by this strong and powerful ocean smell, along with the smell of the herbs and plants and trees in the dunes. Since then, actually, I have always tried to work near a mass of water with tides (New York, Mumbai, and Brighton).’

For the briny air – often simply referred to as ‘marine’ or ‘aquatic’ notes in a perfume pyramid –the core relies on synthetic aroma chemicals evoking the ozonic, salty smell of the ocean. Calone (a.k.a. Methylbenzodioxepinone) is typically the backbone; discovered in 1966, first as a melon flavouring, Calone delivers a powerful, crisp, watery scent with a distinct salty/fruity sea-breeze facet. It creates the illusion of open, humid air and crashing waves.

Ultrazur, a specialty base from Givaudan, might be used to offer an icy freshness, while natural algae and seaweed extracts bring a slightly bitter, iodine-rich and metallic tang to ground airy molecules.

The reality is, however, many of us prefer our beaches sun-soaked, not windswept. To summon that sense of glow and warmth, Amyl and Benzyl salicylate give a dry, faint, floral and solar warmth, adding a distinct aroma of vintage sunscreen and hot sand. And immortelle (a.k.a. ‘everlasting flower’) reminds perfumer Sophie Labbé ‘of the sand dunes of my childhood in the west of France, sun-kissed skin, ocean breezes.’ Mossy notes used in minute doses recreate the texture and smell of salt-crusted rocks, while woody elements like dry cedar will have us dreaming of sun-bleached driftwood.

Finally, perfumers can add a layer of warmth to evoke the feeling of lying on a fluffy beach towel surrounded by coastal vegetation. Creamy lactones such as coconut signal tropical climes, while white florals like frangipani, tiaré, and jasmine feel luxuriously humid. A mixture of synthetic musks or naturally musky ambrette seed can be employed, with ambrette infusing a nutty, powdery top note that melts into a silky, comforting skin-warmth. Moreover, it acts as a fixative, slowing the evaporation of more volatile marine notes, locking in that fleeting ‘fresh out of the ocean’ scent, for a truly escapist, ‘your-skinbut-without-the-tan-lines’ vibe.

GIORGIO ARMANI Acqua di Giò

A modern classic since 1996, Alberto Morillas melds the Mediterranean freshness of bracing citrus with briny Calone, herbaceous wafts of rosemary and coriander mingling with a soft floral heart, warmed by sunbleached woodiness.

MAISON MARGIELA

Replica Beach Walk

Pairing suntan-lotion-like salicylates and coconut milk with bergamot and ylang-ylang, warm, nostalgic summer days spent walking barefoot on a sandy shore feel painted in watercolour, here. A beach of diffused sunlight and fluffy-edged scent memories.

JO MALONE LONDON

Wood Sage & Sea Salt

Inspired by Global Head of Fragrance Céline Roux falling in love with the rugged Cornish coastline, windswept, sea-foamed shores reveal salt-speckled driftwood, ambrette gives cardigan-cocooned comfort, and herbaceous sage adds soul-reviving, verdant depth.

GOLDFIELD & BANKS

Pacific Rock Flower

Australia’s wild coastline shimmers with lemon and eucalyptus sea spray whipped into tousled, sun-highlighted hair. The air breathes a background hush of coastal white flowers, cocowax and coral flower conjuring a blissful escape to paradise.

4160 TUESDAYS

What I Did On My Holidays

It’s kiss-me-quick retro British seaside, here – amusement arcades, mint rock and candy floss stands, delighting in giddy, sunny memories of exploring rock pools, gaudy souvenirs, seagulls stealing salt and vinegar-laden chips. Nostalgic euphoria.

meadows

Swaying grasses and wildflowers, captured in their innocent beauty

Meadows invite us to walk beyond the garden gate into a more untamed, bohemian enjoyment of nature in all its wild beauty. Artists through the ages have attempted to capture the flower-dotted long grasses in all their lush wildness, and renowned Kent-based landscape artist Leanne Hodson observes that ‘No matter the season, our beautiful British countryside is an alluring muse!’ For those whose art is perfumery, it proves equally so – and the harvest of meadowinspired fragrances we’ve chosen here invites languid lolling and gentle, sun-dappled snoozes.

To encapsulate the vast, tranquil sense of a sun-drenched meadow, drying hay and a scattering of flowers – some forcing their way through kneehigh nettles, others delicate as tissue paper, nodding in the breeze – perfumers usually blend highly specific synthetic and naturals, guiding the wearer through a slow, horizontal landscape of grass, hedgerows and drifting pollen.

At the base, they rely on the sweet, rustic aroma of dried grasses and warm earth: coumarin, the classic hay note responsible for the smell of sweet clover and mown fields, is often paired with a note called flouve (sweet vernal grass absolute) to deepen the tobacco-ish, powdery hum of hot, drying stems. Oakmoss or cereal-like bran absolute may then be threaded in, to root the fragrance in the ground beneath the grasses, adding a textured, grainy warmth smelling of sun-baked soil underfoot.

Into this they might weave the cut-green brightness of a British field and hedgerow. Cis-3-hexenol (also known as ‘leaf alcohol’), as well as galbanum, can deliver hits of sap-laden snapped stems and freshly unfurling leaves. To suggest tangles of wild growth along the margins, perfumers call on sharp tomato leaf notes, geranium or rosewood for a bitter, slightly thorny edge that keeps all that hay from tipping too far into cosy comfort.

Blowsy garden blooms are cast aside in meadow scents in favour of chamomile and elderflowers, with their fruity, herbaceous, apple-soft facets, or perhaps airy linden blossom, which naturally smells of honeyed petals and trees humming with bees. Finally, to make the whole composition feel wild and untamed, a whisper of aldehydes can add sky-blue lift while sunny, solar notes capture endless powderblue skies. Utterly dreamy.

NANCY MEILAND

Lupin Meadow

We’re lying on sweetly scented grass gazing upwards at fluffy clouds, bees buzzing, banks of wildflowers waving in an aromatic, eucalyptus-infused breeze. Nearby, mossy herbs, wild carrots and the nostalgic scent of recently rained-on earth.

NOSU Been Trying to Meet You

Nestled on gently steaming, sun-baked hay bales, a perfect pastoral scene emerges. Orchard blossoms and a breeze of herbs drifting through dried grasses; a sweet, honeyed slowness to the air, wind rippling fields of golden wheat.

LIBERTY LBTY Tana Meadow

Inspired by the iconic Thorpe print on Liberty’s Tana Lawn cotton, and ‘a memory of languid summers suspended under an endless sky’, wildflowers dance and mingle with crisp cypress and creamy coconut in softly blowsy reverie.

AERIN Wild Geranium

Recalling Aerin Lauder’s love of places in which wildflowers grow freely, where ‘the sun is always shimmering, and the air is scented with happiness’, this radiantly lit reverie is joyfully gathered blooms, a fuzzy-leafed, rosily verdant daydream.

LAURA ASHLEY

Serene Meadows

Taking its brief from their sopretty archival ‘Swans’ print, picture a perfect afternoon’s stroll along country lanes wearing a swishy summer dress and straw hat. Sunlight streaming, a picnic feast of figs and foraged berries.

‘THESE ARE FRAGRANCES THAT INVITE LANGUID LOLLING AND GENTLE, SUNDAPPLED SNOOZES’

‘PERFUMERS

LAYER COOL, SPINDLY GREEN NEEDLES, DAPPLED SUNLIGHT, DEEP SHADE, WARMLY TEXTURAL TRUNKS AND DAMP, LOAMY EARTH’

forests

Cool at the canopy, warm at the core – and deeply, endlessly restorative

Forests are among the most emotionally complex landscapes a perfumer can bottle: exhilarating to explore, yet supremely comforting, healing and quietly mysterious. To summon that sense of being held beneath a living canopy, they may layer cool, spindly green needles, dappled sunlight, deep shade, warmly textural trunks and damp, loamy earth, building a scent that can feel both nurturing and humbling, as if the forest itself were breathing around you.

To capture the crisp, green air at the top of the forest, perfumers often turn to ingredients rich in terpenes – the natural compounds that give conifers their piquant punchiness. Pine and fir balsam, meanwhile, provide sharp, resinous, powerfully green ‘needle’ effects, while cypress and juniper add drier, more aromatic facets, sometimes with a peppery edge that feels like branches snapping underfoot. They may dial this up with alpha-pinene, a natural aroma chemical found in conifers, rosemary and eucalyptus alike, which smells of those pine needles being freshly crushed beneath our feet, amplifying the sensation of bracingly verdant, chest-filling air.

Moving down, cedarwood gives the dry, clean, pencil-shaving impression of bark, while sandalwood adds a creamy, almost skin-like swaddling that wraps the wearer in comfort. Modern woody molecules such as Iso E Super are often threaded through the heart of a forest scent: smooth, velvety and radiantly diffusive, they add an almost tactile, cocooning hush. Increasingly, perfumers also reach beyond individual trees to the forest’s overall aura using tools like Givaudan’s patented Scent Trek headspace technology (see also p.17), capturing volatile scent molecules from living plants and their surroundings without cutting or distilling them, creating a precise aroma snapshot to be re-built and elaborated on later, in the lab.

Finally, to conjure the forest floor – that mulchy, shaded, literally grounding place – perfumers reach for mosses, roots and the scent of rain-struck earth. Oakmoss, a lichen that naturally grows on trunks and branches, brings inky- green, musk-nestled depth – in small doses, due to restrictions. Patchouli and vetiver add an impression of rain-soaked soil and decomposing leaves, smoky, root-y, resolutely soothing. And like a hug, to wear.

CHLOÉ

Atelier des Fleur Sous les Pins

Quentin Bisch bottled a specific forest on the Isle of Porquerolles, via Scent Trek technology, for a soul-cleansing stroll where sunbaked pine trees radiate solar warmth, the briny eucalyptus breeze reminding us of the nearness of the Med.

BULY 1803

Eau Triple Forêt de Komi

A Russian boreal forest at the edge of the Ural Mountains unfolds its mysteries with raindrops releasing mossy pine tree molecules – a melody of sage, basil and cardamom wrapped in delicate florals and cashmere cobwebs.

WALES PERFUMERY Forest

Subtitled Coedwig , Welsh for a large, natural woodland, the crisp apple and oak-rooted opening signal wild territory –fallen branches blanketed in lichen, a carpet of fir needles muffling footsteps, spiced woods beckoning us onwards.

DS & DURGA Amber Kiso

Honouring rare woods found in Japanese forests used for sacred rituals, plumes of temple incense swirl like mist through steadying cedar, lemon-scented hinoki wood, and equally citrus-like Sawara cypress, both sourced for holy shrines. Heavenly.

FLORIS Ledger Series

Edwardian Bouquet

Urging us to step from stuffy wood-panelled, hyacinthscented rooms outdoors into the heart of an oakmoss-rich, wilder-wooded, amber-flecked forest, this was first launched in 1901, yet still feels jauntily, individually timeless.

mountains

The most humbling of landscapes inspire scents to make the spirits soar

Mountains are perhaps the most elusive of our landscapes to define – for while we can all imagine a snow-crested peak, certainly not all mountainous fragrance briefs reference icy climes. High-altitude scent inspirations must certainly convey a feeling of space and grandeur – but they may variously borrow elements from beach, forest and meadow, using them in differing percentages to coax the specific atmosphere and temperature of whichever mountain, or range of peaks, that a particular perfume brand has been inspired to bottle.

Think of it as zooming in on a painting of a mountain to suddenly see (and smell) that there are trees, streams, waterfalls, wildflowers, moss, soil and stone there, rather than simply ‘snow’.

Perfumers build ‘mountain’ accords by combining airy, ozonic coolness with coniferous woods, herbs and soft florals, perhaps with a dry mineral or mossy base to suggest rock and altitude. When perfumer Andy Tauer sought to capture the fresh, windswept purity of the Swiss Alpine highlands he knows so well, for instance, he focused on ‘treeless mountain summits’ with notes of granite and bitter mountain herbs. Drawing on hikes through steep, wild trails, he bypassed stereotypical snowy tropes, using high-altitude lavender and grounding warmth from amber and woods to bottle a lushly verdant, almost photorealistic mountain atmosphere.

Often, cleverly, mountain-inspired scents can deliver the feeling of a rush of cold air. A perfumer may weave in forest-y notes of camphoraceous fir balsam and pine needle; in conjunction with the ‘cold’ molecules, we then sense snow-speckled trees, rather than foothills of leafy woodland.

Perfumers might alternatively layer fresh florals and herbs – greener-feeling floral notes like lily of the valley, lilac accords or iris for a snow-dusted effect, adding sunny yet crystalline citrus and cut grass notes for a freshness reminiscent of mountain pastures. In the base, oakmoss, earthy patchouli and mineral nuances suggest damp, lichen-mapped rocks, gently guiding us back down the scented slopes again.

In general, the overall impression is usually clean and refreshingly radiant rather than cosy, with transparent materials carefully dosed – so that each breath of your fragrance feels like taking a deep lung-freezing gasp of thin, high air. And the bottom line? Ain’t no mountain high enough, ain’t no valley low enough, to keep us from loving these.

MONCLER Haute Montagne

‘Infused with the essence of the great outdoors’, olfactory adventuring here vibrates with the energy of cool, blonde woods, frost-kissed coriander melting to a mossier snuggle of dry cedar, creamy vanilla and powdered white musk.

CREED Silver Mountain Water

Capturing the crispness of alpine air, an ice-cold blast of bergamot and mandarin is swirled with shards of frozen green tea, blackcurrant, and a crystalline musk base mimicking the slowly melting freshness of mountain streams.

MONTBLANC Explorer Extreme

Paying tribute to the most isolated regions on earth, this intensified version of Explorer feels as rugged as a mountain peak, the radiant bergamot freshness pulsing through with a warm blend of woodiness, patchouli and leathery accords.

TAUER L’Air des Alpes Suisses

From the base of beech and larch wood clambering to clearings miraculously blooming with seemingly spice-dusted red Alpine lilies. Upwards through thinner air, the glacial blast of bitter herbs and ice-glistened granite beckon the summit.

HERMÈS H24

Christine Nagel created one of Hermès’ most abstract scents ever, utilising the synthetic molecule sclarene to suggest the metallic, mineral air of a mountain’s peak. Clary sage is frozen solid, narcissus and rosewood majestically structural.

‘HIGH -ALTITUDE SCENT INSPIRATIONS MUST CONVEY A FEELING OF SPACE AND GRANDEUR’

WHERE THE SUN MEETS THE MOON

It is one of perfume’s magic tricks to create fragrances that feel warm or cool, sunlit or shaded. And for the latest in GHOST’s iconic Moon Collection, a duo of perfumers imagines a magical moment suspended between day and night

Golden hour. The time when we all feel fabulous and look our best. (A billion selfies can’t be wrong!) As the sun goes down, the moon rises – making it the perfect moment to reach for GHOST Lunar Goddess

A collaboration between Givaudan perfumers Leandro Petit and Benoît Lapouza , you are invited to ‘embrace your aura’ with this radiant, second-skin fragrance. The pair explains, ‘We created this together – like an ebb and flow of ideas, to craft a luminous aura that drifts like sea and sky upon the skin. It’s the idea of salted petals whispering against cashmere warmth, creating a scent that travels with you.’

‘For the mood,’ they told On The Scent , ‘we imagined a moment suspended between night and day – that quiet transition when the moon is still visible, but the sun begins to tint the horizon. It’s contemplative but optimistic, sensual but airy. We wanted Lunar Goddess to feel like an embrace of light – both cool and warm, mysterious yet inviting.’

Perfumer collaborations fascinate us. Who does what? ‘As a duo, we both contributed to every part, though naturally we each gravitated toward our strengths. One of us focused more on the luminous floral heart, while the other shaped the enveloping feel. The ongoing dialogue between us kept the scent balanced between lunar calm and solar brightness.’

without being overly bright, a kind of golden serenity.’

For over 25 years, now, we’ve loved watching how Ghost capture this kind of joy in fragrance. Born from the huge success of British fashion label Ghost, founded in 1984 by Tanya Sarne, their fragrances are playful (just look at those crescent moon bottles), showcasing scents exclusively created by the world’s leading perfume houses, and –brilliantly – at prices to put a smile on everyone’s face. Their vision? As Louise Rigley, Global Senior Brand and Marketing Manager, says: ‘In a world that can definitely feel exclusive and intimidating, at times, we offer something for all women – fun, exciting, but still high-performing, luxury fragrances.’ Their guiding watchwords, meanwhile, will surely resonate with all perfume-lovers: individuality, emotion and self-expression.

The dialogue between us kept the scent balanced between lunar calm and solar brightness “ ”

Leandro

Petit and Benoît Lapouza, perfumers

Soft, warm, Lunar Goddess opens with a bright, airy flourish: juicy pink pear and sparkling mandarin are lifted by a sea spray accord, imagining salt-kissed, balmy coastal air. A delicate ‘pink cloud’ accord and iridescent florals lend a dreamy, almost shimmering quality. Then at its heart, Lunar Goddess deepens into something more tactile and intimate. Soft, sueded notes give that second-skin feel, while a transparent bouquet, including frangipani petals, enhances the beachy floralcy, giving luminosity to Lunar Goddess.

It’s in the dry-down, though, that Lunar Goddess reveals its true, addictive depth. Amber cream and Bourbon vanilla offer subtle sweetness, balanced by pale woods and a delicate cashmere accord, with a ‘fluffy musk cloud’ creating an almost halo-like effect: intimate, comforting, absolutely and quietly seductive.

Lunar Goddess certainly taps into the growing trend for solar fragrances. As the perfumers told us, ‘solar fragrances fascinate people because they evoke that sunlit glow on the skin, the feeling of radiance and positivity – uplifting

Ghost Lunar Goddess becomes the radiant, golden hour sister to inky-dark, mysterious Ghost Deep Night and sweetly enveloping Ghost Orb of Night . This Ghost Moon collection also reflects an admirable commitment to responsible design; as well as being Vegan Society-approved and certified cruelty-free, we love to see that each bottle is refillable, with recyclable packaging and a cap created from 30% recycled materials. Sensorial pleasure meets conscious living.

With its pearlescent crescent flacon and its sunlightmeets-moonlight feel, Ghost Lunar Goddess is the one for carefree moments, time spent with friends, far removed from routine. But just as importantly, for bringing that hazy feeling back home, to tap into whenever we want. Golden hour, at any hour. Now, who doesn’t want that?

THIS CREATIVE LIFE

WSince its 2016 launch, BDK Parfums – founded by DAVID BENEDEK when he was just 26 –has become a global success, found in luxury retailers around the world, winning awards along the way. For the hugely creative driving force behind this fragrance house, inspiration is everywhere, he tells JO FAIRLEY Is the space you work in important for creativity? Strangely, the office in Paris is no longer where my creativity is at its strongest. My creativity often emerges when I’m travelling, particularly when I’m cut off from the world on a plane, where ideas tend to flow freely. In those moments, I feel as though I’m in a kind of impermeable bubble that allows me to reflect on what I’ve done and where I want to go with my projects.

ith a Romanian and North African heritage, David Benedek was truly born into the world of Paris perfume. His grandparents began their business by distributing fine French fragrances to the US Army bases, in France –to great success – before opening a perfumery in Paris, in 1959. You may well have visited the store: Benlux, in the plummest of spots at 174 rue de Rivoli, opposite the Louvre, purveyor of all manner of luxury goods and an enduring mecca for scent-lovers from all over the world.

David cites his grandmother, Edith Benedek, as the influential figure who acted as his ‘personal encyclopedia of perfumes. In her bathroom, she had so many beautiful bottles – from Lalique, Révillon, Dior. I grew up surrounded by beautiful fragrances and I have that that inside of me.’ They were immensely close, and he went on to dedicate his fragrance Bouquet de Hongrie to Edith.

After initially studying Economics and Mathematics, David felt the magnetic – maybe genetic? – pull of perfume, taking a course at the French Institute of Fashion. An internship with leading distributor InterParfums followed, before he realised that – as he once told me – ‘I needed to learn to make perfume.’ He studied raw materials with Givaudan, and continued his fragrance education with the [Paris perfume school] Cinquième Sens.

BDK launched with a portfolio of eight fragrances, now numbering more than two dozen, including the just-launched Collection Studio absolus (see p.12). A decade in, BDK Parfums has become an acclaimed global luxury brand.

In Paris, our offices are more about execution –moving projects forward, working with my team, debating ideas. I really enjoy these exchanges, which are essential in helping us progress collectively on our work.

How many times a day might you be struck by ideas? I’ve always had the habit of carrying a notebook with me to write down all my ideas – I really love writing by hand, with a pen; I’m a bit old-school in that sense. I often write stories, or visions I have for fragrance. I imagine collaborations, fragrance names, and I also enjoy drawing. The only issue is that I often lose my notebooks, so I have the feeling that each time I travel, I end up starting a new one. Fortunately, I keep everything in my head – and that’s how eventually I share and communicate my ideas.

‘I NEED A SENSE OF QUIET AND DISTANCE TO LET IDEAS EMERGE NATURALLY, WITHOUT PRESSURE OR NOISE’

LEFT: Inspiration often comes on planes.

ABOVE: David has a passion for fashion magazines.

RIGHT: David Benedek

LEFT: Le Marais, where David likes to walk.

CENTRE: a BDK Parfums trio.

ABOVE: BDK boutique on the rue Saint-Honoré

Does caffeine play a role in your creative mood? I’m one of those rare people who doesn’t really like coffee! So, it plays no role in my creative process –though I do enjoy an occasional affogato.

Does food – and eating out – inspire you? I love it, and food has played a key role in creation. For instance, Velvet Tonka and Velvet Tonka Extrait are my true ‘madeleines de Proust’ – powerful emotional triggers. They take me straight back to childhood, to my maternal grandmother’s apartment, where we would gather every Sunday with my cousins around Moroccan pastries, including cornes de gazelle. Moments of sharing, simple yet deeply meaningful, that these fragrances bring back every time I smell or wear them.

They are built around tonka beans, a very almond-y corne de gazelle accord and, for the extrait version, roasted pistachio. Almost edible notes. While Velvet Tonka is a vibrant tribute to my Moroccan roots, Velvet Tonka Extrait highlights my family’s multi-cultural heritage in a bold and resolutely Parisian vision of perfumery.

Do you like to visit exhibitions? They’re a key part of my creative universe. Paris is already an open-air museum. I particularly enjoy walking through the

LEFT: Rothko is a favourite artist.

BELOW: Corne de gazelle pastries.

BOTTOM: Nothing beats a notebook

Marais or the 6th arrondisement, simply walking, observing, letting myself be carried by the energy of the neighbourhood.

I also really enjoy museums such as the Palais Galliera, for the quality of its fashion exhibitions, and the Centre Pompidou. I’m particularly drawn to abstract contemporary artists such as Rothko or Soulages; their relationship to colour, material and light is naturally connected to perfumery, for me. When I look at a piece of art, I often imagine what it would smell like if it was a fragrance.

I’m inspired by hunting for pieces at the Puces de Saint-Ouen and browsing flea markets. I’m very drawn to objects that tell a story, and at the puces, I found beautiful pieces for the private lounge at the BDK boutique: a nesting acacia table, two armchairs, an Ingo Maurer bedside lamp…

Do you create a moodboard when you’re coming up with the vision for a new scent? It’s either moodboards or a story I want to tell. It can start from a text I’ve written. I like gathering images that resonate with me, which I combine with words, colours, raw materials and emotions. I can share the moodboard with a perfumer, or I might have no moodboard at all, and the conversation with a perfumer (or sometimes with myself) can be the starting point of a new fragrance.

What about the role of nature…? At the beginning, I framed all these inspirations within a very urban universe, but as I’ve grown, I’ve realised that nature brings me a sense of calm and serenity. It’s a real break from the intensity of the city.

Very often, when there’s nothing around me and I find myself facing the sea, the countryside or the mountains, that’s when my mind settles, and new ideas begin to emerge.

Do you ever create in your sleep? No, but sleep is becoming increasingly important for me in order to be creative during the day.

Are there particular authors, books, magazines that are part of your creative landscape?

Fashion magazines are a great source of inspiration, as are books about fashion – in particular, those that retrace the history of the great fashion houses. I like to understand their evolution over time, and how they managed to grow in response to changes in society. Magazines,

too – Vogue, Bazaar; I want to understand the world we live in and how it is evolving.

Certain stories have moved me – one book I especially loved is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, which evokes travel, encounters and life, and also speaks a great deal about love. I enjoy stories about love. With BDK Parfums, I work extensively around sensuality. I firmly believe that we wear fragrance for ourselves and for others: to seduce, to appreciate ourselves, and to be appreciated.

What else in the world inspires you? I’m genuinely passionate about fashion, not as something to wear, but for what it expresses. That was likely passed on to me by my grandmother, who often dressed in Yves Saint Laurent or Courrèges.

I have a particular admiration for Yves Saint Laurent. The mastery of materials, the dialogue of colours, the fluidity of fabrics… I imagined Rouge Smoking as a tribute to a man who remains, for me, one of the great French couturiers.

What’s your ideal state of mind for creating? First and foremost, calm. I need that sense of quiet and distance to let ideas emerge naturally, without

‘EACH RAW MATERIAL CARRIES A COLOUR FOR ME AND EACH SCENT RESONATES WITH A TEXTURE’

pressure or noise. When an idea takes shape, that’s when I move into a kind of happiness – there’s a real excitement and joy in that moment of clarity.

Do you listen to music while you work? I prefer to be in my own bubble. I only really listen to music when I’m travelling, especially on planes.

What are some of the expressions behind your fragrances? At times, it comes from art. Impadia, for instance, draws its inspiration from a Rothko painting that I wanted to translate into a fragrance. We then worked around the raw materials, with rose and citrus notes that echo the tones of the painting. For Rouge Smoking, it was an attitude, an expression of movement, a look, a silhouette that inspired me. But in reality, I don’t have one single source of inspiration. Each fragrance has a place within my universe.

Off-duty, what else do you like to do, creatively? I’m drawn to creative practices such as painting and the plastic arts. I particularly enjoy working with colour, texture and different surfaces –playing with them, layering, exploring new combinations. This is very much part of my

TOP: Yves Saint Laurent gowns.

MIDDLE: BDK’s distinctive flacons . BOTTOM: An afogato , David’s only (occasional) caffeine hit

creative process and closely connected to my synaesthesia. For me, creating a fragrance is about engaging all the senses: touching, seeing smelling. Each raw material carries a colour for me and each scent resonates with a texture.

This brings a pictorial dimension to each fragrance, where the harmony of associations can be reminiscent of the work of a fashion designer or visual artist. These things aren’t a distraction; they truly nourish and enrich my creativity.

BDK Velvet Tonka /£210 for 100ml eau de parfum

BDK Velvet Tonka Extrait /£280 for 100ml extrait de parfum , both at selfridges.com and bdkparfums.com

STAYCATION SCENTS

Travel to the world’s most gorgeous and glamorous landscapes and destinations with these (holiday) home fragrances

WORDS: SUZY NIGHTINGALE/JO FAIRLEY

To travel for a vacation is both a luxury and, let’s face it, a bit of a hassle, if we’re being completely honest. What with check-in stress and delayed flight chaos, the magic of a longed-for getaway can disappear in a flash – faster than our tan fades or we finally shake the sand from our flip-flops.

How fabulous, then, to be able to take our noses on a magical carpet ride to the destination of our choice, simply by using home fragrance to transform our living space, bringing those dreams so immediately and evocatively to life. Conversely, we can also use it to instantly invoke the sense of a place we’ve travelled to.

While browsing for holiday destination-inspired candles, room spays and diffusers for this four-page curation, we discovered that Italy is the home fragrance hot spot – the diverse landscape offering everything from rolling Tuscan hills to idyllic seascapes clearly guiding many perfumers. Their Italianate olfactory creations can whisk us from vineyards, through pine groves, to luxury resorts.

However, we also invite you to jet-set your senses this summer to Spanish orange groves, idyllic coral islands of the Seychelles, the spiffiest hotel in the South of France or the sensorially-thrilling spice markets of Istanbul. Alternatively, you might embark upon olfactory travel to the sun-baked Greek Islands, the so-cool beachy bliss of Miami, or the heady Hawaiian tropics, which feature among our other (holiday) home fragrance destinations.

See this as your inspiration to pull back the curtains, throw open your windows, relax in a sunny spot and perhaps pour yourself an ice-cold glass of something lovely. Spray your space (and linens), light a candle, or simply diffuse the smell of your chosen destination to bring that feeling of a holiday home – a trip that can be conjured whenever you need, and last all-year-round, with no packing or passport required.

‘WE CAN USE HOME FRAGRANCE TO INSTANLY INVOKE THE SENSE OF A PLACE WE’VE TRAVELLED TO AND LOVED’

All BAOBAB COLLECTION candles are travel-inspired, but this Vony Ahitra range –aromatic with mint, vetiver and ylang ylang, ‘reminiscent of the serenity of a path lined with wild grasses’ – supports a women’s co-operative in Madagascar, each taking hours of hand work. From £105 for 500g four-wick candle eu.baobabcollection.com

ACQUA DI PARMA

La Casa Sul Lago

Inspired by a tranquil Italian villa at dawn, with cool morning air stirring luminous flowers.

£71 for 200g escentual.com

JO MALONE LONDON

Cypress & Grapevine

Inspired by the mythical Hanging Gardens of Babylon

– but personally, this takes us straight to sun-drenched Tuscan vineyards.

£70 for 200g jomalone.co.uk

SEYCHELLES

TOLD LONDON Island

Breeze Seychelles

Sunlit frangipani, sea salt and coconut, drifting on a Seychelles breeze.

£80 for 200ml diffuser toldlondon.com

DIPTYQUE Pinède

Sun-warmed umbrella pine needles, resinous bark, jasmine and orange blossom bliss.

£63 for 190g diptyqueparis.com

LORDS FRAGRANCE

HOUSE Positano

Be whisked to a sunny Amalfi terrace, where lemon and herb aromas fuse with warm woods.

£70 for 600g four-wick candle lordsfragrancehouse.com

MEADOWFARM x HONEST

MUM Jasmine and Olive

A gorgeous, Greek-inspired, intoxicating take on white flowers, intriguingly contrasted with bitter olive. From £30 for 180g candle meadowfarmlifestyle.co.uk

EAST AFRICA

EIGHT & BOB

Tanganika L’Afrique

Sparky citruses brighten rose, iris, jasmine and woods, imagining a sunbaked African shoreline.

£65 for 190g lookfantastic.com

MIAMI

ASSOULINE Miami Beach

A vibe of sunscreened skin, pistachio, peaches and beaches, where sandy days mellow into sultry nights.

£75 for 319g Selfridges.com

HAWAII

CONNOCK ENGLAND

Kukui Room & Linen Mist Creamy, dreamy kukui

warmth, bathing sunny Hawaiian florals. Glorious!

£25 for 100ml Room & Linen Mist connockengland.co.uk

EGYPT

OFFICINE UNIVERSELLE

BULY Retour d’Égypte

Warm amber, jasmine, rose and musk, offering exotic transportation to the foot of the pyramids.

£155 or 250g buly1803.com

RIO DE JANEIRO

Granado Carioca

A lime-bright, tropical Rio de Janeiro breeze sambas into powdery musks.

£43 for 180g granado.uk

THE FRENCH RIVIERA

DIOR Eden-Roc

First class olfactory travel to Antibes’ ultra-luxe Hotel du Cap-Eden-Roc via sunlit sea spray, jasmine and pine. £130 for 250g dior.com

SPAIN

ANGELA FLANDERS

Bois de Seville Spritz sun-warmed Seville oranges, which sparkle over spices and sandalwood.

£55 for 100ml Room Spray angelaflanders-perfumer.com

ISTANBUL

ATELIER REBUL Istanbul

Bright bergamot and spiced amber, bathed in an exotic golden hour glow.

£38 for 210g atelierrebul.co.uk

THE PERFUMER’S GARDEN

This summer, you are invited into one of London’s most beautiful scented gardens, as Ormonde Jayne founder LINDA PILKINGTON opens this secret space to a select number of visitors for a unique fragrance experience

WORDS: JO FAIRLEY

GARDEN PHOTOS: JANE HINTON

You might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of Linda Pilkington’s garden from the top of a London bus as it chugs through Regent’s Park, and marvel at it, halfhidden behind trellises, shaded by tall trees, jungly with tree ferns.

However, you really need to step inside to appreciate this space in all its scented glory. Roses, roses and more roses, peonies, jasmine, lily of the valley, philadelphus – and more unusual specimens, like hemlock, osmanthus and a Peruvian pepper tree – flank cool York stone terraces and a snaking gravel path. It’s an astonishing oasis of cool, fragrant calm in the centre of London, and impossible to believe it’s just a mile north of the bustle of Oxford Street.

‘I’d always dreamed of having a spectacular garden,’ says Linda. Indeed, long before she had this sanctuary, which circles the extraordinary cream-painted wedding cake of a house in Regent’s Park that she shares with her husband and two growing sons, Linda kept a fat file of pages torn from magazines like Architectural Digest and House & Garden – some dating back as far as 30 years – of how her dream garden might one day look. ‘I’ve always collected photos that inspire me – for the home, fragrances, any kind of creation, and file them away for use later,’ she says.

The acquisition of the 1820s house (and its now-glorious outdoor space), meanwhile, seems pure kismet. Linda sometimes walked her dog past it from Ormonde Terrace, around the corner – the street which gave Linda’s Ormonde Jayne perfume brand its name, more than 25 years ago, and

‘IT’S A DREAM COME TRUE TO WAKE UP EACH DAY AND SEE (AND SMELL) THIS BEAUTIFUL GARDEN’

where she and her family were now outgrowing their home. An estate agent who knew the family was keen to move offered Linda a preview of a nearby house he had a hunch she would love. During the viewing, in the guest bedroom, Linda spotted a tray of her Ormonde Jayne fragrances. ‘In the bathrooms, there were Ormonde Jayne bath oils. I realised the owner was one of my clients. Then she walked in, just as we were about to leave and said, “Linda, what are you doing here? This is wonderful. You are the only one that can ever really understand this house.”’ And the rest really is history.

In 2011, the family moved in. But for over a decade, those files of tearsheets remained untouched. The garden was little more than lawn for

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Pepper tree; a full-blown peony; some of the essences Linda’s visitors will smell

small boys to play on (as small boys are wont to do), sloping down from the historic house towards what was once a canal that led to the City of London. ‘During World War II,’ Linda says, ‘Winston Churchill ordered that the canal be filled in, lest reflections from the water marked out a route for enemy bombers.’ Navvies did the job, and the towpath became part of what is now Linda’s garden.

For years after she took residence, a huge tree shaded what is now this florabundant space. Most scented plants happen to love warmth and sunlight in order to flourish – but because the tree was subject to a Tree Protection Order, there wasn’t a hope of creating a garden along the lines of the one she has now. On several occasions, Linda actually wrote to Camden Council about the precariousness of the tree, which was old and diseased – but had no joy at having it removed on the basis of safety. As fate would have it, however, as per her anxious predictions, one day the tree simply toppled. (Luckily,

nobody was hurt.) Light immediately flooded this space – and that gave Linda an idea.

‘I’ve always adored scented plants,’ she says. ‘So why not fill a garden with some of the same plants that I use in my fragrances?’ It should be said, you won’t find an ‘NW1 jasmine’ in Linda’s creations, and her roses mostly aren’t the right varieties for perfumery (save for a Damask rose). There’s no way that so much as a drop of essence could be extracted from a back garden – even one as generously proportioned as Linda’s. But for inspiration – and for the fascination of visitors – she has sought to squeeze in as many of the fragrant treasures that go into Ormonde Jayne perfumes as our unpredictable British climate

‘I THOUGHT: WHY NOT FILL A GARDEN WITH SOME OF THE SAME PLANTS THAT I USE IN MY FRAGRANCES?’

will allow. (Last winter, Linda almost lost her pepper tree in the freezing temperatures; to her delight, it’s slowly coming back.)

With the vast fallen tree removed and the area opened up, Linda could finally call in the landscapers – Oxford-based firm Hadingham Kirk, who were a common design thread that ran through many of her magazine cuttings. ‘When I met with the landscapers, they asked if I had any ideas,’ she smiles. Little did they know – and out came those files, with their carefully curated photos of York stone terraces, box hedging, sweeping paths and roses everywhere. ‘So, basically, the design is mine, and they brought it to life,’ Linda explains.

The team from Hadingham Kirk laid the stone terracing, the crunchy white paths and the generous terrace leading off Linda’s kitchen, where she loves to entertain. The Sunday before my visit, she’d had 25 for lunch; the night after, Linda was planning to host the builders who’ve just repainted the house, a job that has to be done every five years – using a unique shade called Regent’s Park Cream, only available from one paint merchant,

to ensure that Nash’s terraces flow seamlessly into one another.

Some elements weren’t possible, among Linda’s plans. ‘I wanted a greenhouse, to be filled with nothing but gardenias, but this is a Conservation Area and the Council wouldn’t allow it.’ She also longed for a pond, with with water lilies – probably her favourite flower, Linda thinks –but that was nixed, too, by planning.

A few plants were already in place, which she allowed to stay, including a deep red rose which stands out against the soft pastels of David Austin roses, foxglove spires and peonies, which are putting on a great show at the time of my visit. She’s happy to let selfseeders romp away, too, within reason, softening the formality. But overall,

10 TOP SCENTED PLANTS

If you’re planning a fragrant garden, here are 10 botanical inspirations from Linda Pilkington’s – all of which would thrive in most British gardens

1 PHILADELPHUS

2 ROSES

3 LILIES

4 PEONIES

5 LILY OF THE VALLEY

6 SARCACOCCA CONFUSA (a.k.a. sweet box)

7 SCENTED NARCISSI

8 OSMANTHUS

9 STAR JASMINE

10 LAVENDER

this fragrant garden has established so quickly, you’d never guess that most of the plants went in less than two years ago.

Last year, Linda invited a group of journalists (I was one of the lucky ones) to spend an afternoon in this cool, green, scented retreat. This summer, she is opening up the space to the public for 90-minute ‘The Perfumer’s Garden Experience’ sessions, maximum four guests at each. The visit begins with Linda leading a tour of the garden, pausing to smell the scented plants – perhaps with a glass of champagne in their hands, if the visitors fancy. (Steeped herbs or osmanthus tea are alternative options – chosen because there happens to be an Ormonde Jayne fragrance, based around that fruity, almost apricot-scented flower, by the name of Osmanthus.)

‘I’M SO HAPPY NOW TO BE ABLE TO SHARE MY GARDEN WITH FRAGRANCE-LOVERS’

Weather permitting, the group will then take their seats at Linda’s vast green garden table, smelling their way through many of the scented essences that make their way into her Ormonde Jayne Signature collection. If it rains, they’ll shelter inside for this fragrant deep-dive into oils chosen from a palette of geranium, orange blossom, vetiver, rose, tolu balsam, pink pepper, magnolia, tiaré (frangipani), among others in her ingredient ‘library’.

They will then be able to choose an eau de parfum from the Signature collection, a rich and opulent portfolio which includes some of her best-known fragrances, including Osmanthus, Champaca, Ta’if, Ormonde Man and Ormonde Woman, as well as the much-loved Frangipani and Isfarkand. ‘Once they’ve chosen their fragrance, we’ll book them a taxi to collect it from our Royal Arcade boutique in Mayfair –where there’ll be another glass of champagne waiting for them,’ Linda says. ‘Or they can simply have

LEFT: Ormonde Jayne

new Room & Linen sprays, in Rosae, Peony, Casablanca Lily and Ambre Royal. BELOW: A rare breather for Linda

it sent to their home.’

This is surely a unique experience, anywhere in the world –and one for anyone’s perfume bucket list. It also feels like an incredibly generous gesture. ‘It’s a dream come true to wake up each day and see (and smell) this beautiful garden,’ Linda says, simply. ‘I’m just happy now to be able to share it with fragrance-lovers.’

So, my advice? Book now – or join the waitlist, for one of the most unique perfume experiences on earth. Because seeing it from the top of a bus really doesn’t come close.

THE PERFUMER’S GARDEN EXPERIENCE takes place on Wednesdays during Summer 2026. It starts at £530 for an exclusive consultation and a full-size bottle of Ormonde Jayne fragrance (£440 each for a party of two). NB Each session may have up to a maximum of four individuals present

• Morning tour 10-11.30pm

• Afternoon tour 2-3.30pm Book via ormondejayne.com 020-7499 1100

(For exclusive one-to-one bookings please contact the boutique direct)

THE SCENT SCAPE

WHAT WE’RE SEEING – AND SNIFFING – FROM SUMMER 2026’S LAUNCHES

Yes, we have some BANANAS! More than a few, in fact, as that fruit is proving particularly appealing for perfumers and fragrance-lovers alike. Why now this shift to banana scents? Market research company Kline & Company reports that ‘the visual motif of a banana, a bright yellow, distinctive icon with a playful and summery association, is perfect to make an impact from afar,’ adding that scent-wise, ‘many link it to their childhood, and more carefree days.’ We’re also seeing a whole fruit stall of PEACH, RASPBERRY, APPLE and wilder bramble notes coming through – the berries, in particular, tapping into whimsical scent memories that many of us cherish, from

growing up – all of which plays into the huge NOSTALGIA trend we highlighted in the first issue of On The Scent , which remains strong as we segue into the warmer months. Beyond the fruits, LAVENDER is making a resurgence, with inspirations both bucolic and boldly contemporary. Woven into the lavender trend, we find complementary soothing notes of HONEY and MILK (see p.60) – another fascinating twist on the ever-evolving gourmand trend which refuses to go away. Above them all, SOLAR scents shine – encompassing freshness, but with an emphasis on scents that make us feel we’re soaring skywards: light, sparkling, joyfilled bottles of hope. Oh, yes, please.

ABEL

Miami Split

MOOD: Expressive

Perfumer Isaac Sinclair explains that the ‘Banana Symtrap’ ingredient in Abel’s on-trend banana scent was actually born out of flavour development. ‘It’s a molecule we literally couldn’t extract until a few years ago. That’s what natural and innovative looks like at the same time,’ he explains. Fusing a top note of natural green banana to a heart of white oudh, all grounded by a deep base trio of labdanum, this adventurous scent is fun, funky, and fundamentally expressive to wear.

£160 for 50ml eau de parfum abelfragrance.com

ALL SAINTS

Naked Woods

MOOD: Magnetic

The bracing crunch of green apple and rhubarb’s fruity tang really get the senses going from first spritz, before a fascinating plunge into the velvet verdancy of geranium leaf and powdery orris, tingled by pink pepper. Hours later, a hypnotic smooch of smooth amber woods, the floaty sensuality of Clearwood® and skin musks provides a mesmerising trail you cannot help but follow, feeling emboldened yet effortless all at once.

£45 for 30ml eau de parfum allsaints.com

AERIN

Mediterranean Honeysuckle Soleil

MOOD: Smile-making

Aerin Lauder has had the softest spot for honeysuckle throughout her fragrance journey – even before she began creating perfumes, her grandmother and mother instilled in her a passion for fragrant plants. Mediterranean Honeysuckle Soleil is a just-for-this-summer solar twist on AERIN’s much-loved original, tangled through with neroli, monoi flower, coconut milk and musk, inspired by Aerin’s ‘memories of sun-drenched beach days,’ and a reminder of sun-kissed skin. Truly radiant and utterly escapist. £110 for 50ml eau de parfum johnlewis.com

AMOUAGE

Love Hibiscus

MOOD: Mouthwatering

Joining Amouage’s Secret Garden collection, Jérôme Épinette leads us into temptation with this tropical floral-gourmand, offering a bouquet of tart, almost berry-like hibiscus and orris, served with passion fruit and a sweet palmier accord, inspired by that slightly salty, caramelised French pastry. These sit alongside generous helpings of frankincense, plus sandalwood, Indian papyrus and vanilla, promising soft, lingering sensuality. Please, monsieur , can we have some more?

£320 for 100ml eau de parfum amouage.com

ALL SAINTS

Sacred Sands

MOOD: Untamed

There’s a real movement towards fragrances that seek to harmonise dramatic contrasts. Here, so-cool fashion house All Saints tap into that trend by marrying a ‘Caviar Smell-the-Taste™’ ingredient (FYI it smells like a fresh, salty breeze) to the inherent sweet addictive qualities of vanilla. Iris and solar blossoms bloom in the heart, while the dry-down beckons endless beaches and wafting about in bohemian attire. Sweet ‘n’ salty, smoothly done.

£45 for 30ml eau de parfum allsaints.com

ASHMOLEAN MUSEUM

Metaphysic

MOOD: Tranquil

Sarah McCartney was recruited to capture the quiet calm and some of the myriad plant specimens which flourish in Oxford’s botanical gardens, some dating back as far as 1648. Think: zingy kumquat, bergamot, rose, lily and magnolia, tethered by frankincense, musk and amber. As Oxford Botanic Garden’s Director Simon Hiscox says: ‘Visitors regularly comment on the incredible aromas they experience… so Metaphysic was an opportunity to capture this sensory experience.’ Elegantly done. £95 for 50ml shop.ashmolean.org

ATKINSONS

Mystic Moonlight ATKINSONS Spice of London

MOOD: Ethereal

Jordi Fernández – one of perfume’s busiest chaps – takes us to ‘an exotic Eden of a sacred forest by the sea, bathed in the tranquil glow of a moonlit sky.’ Even reading that description slows our pulse, a state deepened by slowly, intentionally breathing its Eden Radiance Accord (coconut, tropical fruits, zingy ginger), Mystical Forest Accord (cypriol, cistus and a luminous oudh), and the Moon Embrace Accord: enveloping Ambrofix (amber), with creamy sweet tonka. And chill... £230 for 100ml extrait de parfum selfridges.com

BOADICEA THE VICTORIOUS

Carbon Sapphire Supercharged

MOOD: Mesmerising

Christian Provenzano has literally ‘supercharged’ Boadicea’s hugely popular Carbon Sapphire – an instant hit for its powerful fusion of cognac, baie rose, rosewood, patchouli, guiaiac wood and a triptych of oudh notes (Cambodian, Vietnamese and leather oudhs), among others, composed ‘to get your senses tingling’. For swagger and boldness, the CPL Aromas perfume superstar deployed energetic aldehydes, to turbocharge each note, creating something 100% compelling. From £99.50 for 10ml pure perfume boadiceaperfume.com

MOOD: Magnetic

Sparkle. (Literally: the bottle gleams with silver lacquer handapplied by aritisans.) Energy. Sophistication. Style. Annick Ménardo distils all of London’s buzzy allure into a scent which also unfolds via three accords: Gin Fzz (black pepper, juniper), Day to Night (glowing cardamom, incense and elemi resin) and the Innate Elegance Accord, wrapping the refinement of cedarwood and vetiver in soft musks, for ‘a confident modern trail that moves to the rhythm of London at night.’ £230 for 100ml extrait de parfum fortnumandmason.com

BOSS

The Scent Eau de Parfum Intense

MOOD: Sultry

In the For Him masculine version of this dapper duo, joining BOSS The Scent’s family of bestsellers, the unique note of maninka fruit featured here was crafted exclusively for BOSS, melding with the burnished amber accord to create ‘a seductive liqueur of sweetness and raw intensity.’ In the For Her version, the smouldering sultriness throbs from coffee flower to roasted coffee accord. Together, these make for quite the perfumed power couple.

For Her/£78 for 30ml EDP

For Him/£82 for 50ml EDP lookfantastic.com

BALMAIN

Rose de Soie

MOOD: Pretty

Swirlingly soft, this isn’t some dusty, fusty rose, instead using rosewater and roasted tonka to create a frilly petticoat of a perfume that seems to swish silkily as you wear it. Baie rose adds to the delicate feeling of this petal-powered scent, and combined with the tonka bean’s sweetness, feels like a caramelised Turkish Delight – deliciously refined, with a sweep skywards via sunlit orange blossoms. We defy you not to sing ‘I feel pretty, oh so pretty...!’

£120 for 50ml eau de toilette thefragranceshop.co.uk

BVLGARI

Eau Parfumée Thé Impérial

MOOD: Peaceful

Hurrah! Bulgari have reincarnated their ground-breaking scent collection, bringing back iconic Eau Parfumée au Thé Vert (and Thé Blanc), refreshing the line with new tea extracts – as here, in Jacques Cavallier’s nod to the ancient trade routes. Blending Sri Lankan black tea with sunlit Italian citrus, a precious combination once reserved for the elite teadrinker, it has us imagining a serene, sunlit terrace perched above a glorious garden, with time to pause, sit, breathe.

From £115 for 75ml eau de toilette johnlewis.com

BURBERRY

Her Parfum

MOOD: Sophisticated

Whipped cream with your cherry and pear notes? Those fruity gourmand elements swirl delectably at the heart, alongside freesia, patchouli, vanilla absolute, musk and mosses. On the body, that fruit-laced creaminess soon envelops you in a warm, resinous, ambery base, becoming plush, velvety and subtly flirtatious on skin. A memorable choice for those long summer nights outdoors when the temperature doesn’t dip after sunset, with the laughter of friends providing a joyous soundtrack.

£78 for 30ml parfum theperfumeshop.com

CONNOCK ENGLAND Pelago

MOOD: Fresh

Some fragrances are the olfactory equivalent of a long, cool, citrusy drink, quenching the thirst for freshness on hot, dusty days. Pelago ticks those boxes, the latest from Amanda Connock’s proudly British brand, which she created to evoke the warmth of golden afternoons by the Med, the air filled with bright citrus and aromatic herbs. To be worn on bare skin, with the very minimum of clothing to ensure decency, smiling face firmly turned to the sun.

From £40 for 30ml eau de parfum connocklondon.com

CHANEL

N o 5 Eau de Toilette

MOOD: Modern

The legions of fans faithful to N o 5’s peerless bouquet of ylang ylang, jasmine and rose, powered out of the flacon by those fabled aldehydes, will swoon for this. (Alongside a new generation, we predict.) Says Olivier Polge, CHANEL In-House PerfumerCreator, N o 5 Eau de Toilette ‘is a modern, abstract floral composition, distinguished by its subtly woody facet. The fragrance asserts itself through its elegance and complexity.’ And the new bottle? An instant icon.

From £127 for 75ml eau de toilette chanel.com

DIOR

J’adore Intense

MOOD: Voluptuous

To quote DIOR Perfume Creation Director Francis Kurkdjian, ‘It is rare for me to compose a fragrance with a specific woman in mind. For J’adore Intense, however, I made an exception and created this based on an image of truly contemporary ultra-femininity… It is a “shapely” J’adore that seems rounded out with curvaceous facets.’ Honeyed, almost vibrating with jasmine, rose, ylang ylang and a gourmand violet accord, J’adore scales new heights of floral sensuality.

From £80 for 35ml parfum dior.com

COACH Cherry

MOOD: Mischievous

A pop of cherry veritably bursts from the bottle the moment you spray this. But banish thoughts of too-sweet, syrupy cherry scents and think, instead, of freshly frothed cherryade fizzed through with the solar radiance of sunshine-filled jasmine blossoms. From the gorgeously red-lacquered bottle to the darling gold cherry charm winking from the neck, it’s the perfect scent for summer parties – or any day you simply need scentorially cheering. £64 for 50ml parfum theperfumeshop.com

DIOR

La Collection Privée Dior Paradise

MOOD: Nostalgic

Here, Francis Kurkdjian references the garden as ‘a perennial source of inspiration and idealised paradise for Christian Dior throughout his lifetime.’ We are invited to follow in Monsieur Dior’s footsteps to La Colle Noire, his cheateau in the South of France, where 150 almond trees were the first to flower. The sunlight streaming through almond blossom is freeze-framed here, with creamy tonka and a touch of citrus complete the reverie. Bliss! £175 for 50ml eau de parfum dior.com

DOLCE&GABBANA

Light Blue Eau de Parfums

MOOD: Exhilarating

For Summer 2026, Olivier Cresp squeezes joy into a new, feminine Light Blue EDP via Sicilian lemon, Calabrian bergamot and pink pepper, warmed by cinnamon, ambery woods and benzoin. For chaps, Alberto Morillas pairs mandarin with cardamom, showcasing a unique marine note, created by hydrating cypress in seawater, with a final flourish of juniper berries, cedarwood, Ambrox. Sunshine, bottled. Light Blue from £101 for 50ml EDP Light Blue Pour Homme from £83 for 50ml EDP dolcegabbana.com

ELLA K

Myrrh

K

MOOD: Luminous

Perfumer Sonia Constant’s travels fuel the creativity behind her Ella K brand. This whisks us to Oman for a fragrance that ‘reconciles indulgence with the sacred.’ Good-enough-to-eat notes of Omani halva, honey and toasted sesame meet bitter almond and golden saffron, with fresh, pure Jebel Akhdar rosewater – handharvested in the mountains –running throughout. Ultimately, it’s soft, glowing myrrh that wraps itself around it all, for a caressing warmth.

£254 for 100ml extrait de parfum harveynichols.com

DOLCE&GABBANA

Velvet Crystal Smoke

MOOD: Sumptuous

‘Velvet’ ties this collection to both the plush, fabric-like bottle details (velvet caps, rich colours), and the idea of scents that feel textural and opulent on skin. Now, Velvet Crystal Smoke pays homage to ‘ancient Egypt and the mysticism of Sicily’, leading us on an aromatic journey via spicy star anise, travelling through plumes of incense, our way lit by smouldering mineral woods and salty ambergris, prized as the ocean’s ‘floating gold’. Grandly glorious!

£280 for 100ml eau de parfum harrods.com

ELLIS BROOKLYN Isla Sirena

MOOD: Escapist

We’re going bananas again with the Brooklyn-based house –this time, the Blue Java variety, creamed with papaya pulp, sprinkled with sea salt and lime and softened by coconut water and vanilla orchid. A warming tingle of ginger flower adds gentle heat to the sensationally sun-warmed character. Imagine settling into a hammock at sunset with a long, cool cocktail, with wafts of vetiver, brown sugar and teak wood. A fragrant teleportation to the tropics.

£35 for 10ml eau de parfum spacenk.com

DONNA KARAN

Cashmere Collection

Cashmere & Rose Absolu

MOOD: Dewy

A perfumed paean to ‘the layers of a woman’, this unfurls with luminescent sunlit roses, the fruity facets of the petals pushed foremost with hints of raspberry, creating a joy-filled juicy brightness. Next, creamy sandalwood enfolds that floralcy to coat velvety amber in swirls of gently sensuous comfort. Softly undulating musk cossets the base, a beautifully misty cloud which, frankly, we never want to come down from.

£145 for 100ml eau de parfum escentual.com

ESCENTRIC MOLECULES Cologne One

MOOD: Effervescent

Perfumer-founder Geza Schoen says: ‘Our first Cologne captures the very unique and wonderful freshness of a gin and tonic.’

Imagine the Cologne tradition of aromatic vivaciousness whizzed up in a Sodastream, with lashings of aromatic juniper and cool, cool cucumber. The true joy is spritzing it on a sweltering day for an instantaneous blast of refreshment; way more longerlasting than most Colognes, this will safely and stylishly see you through a heatwave.

£130 for 100ml Cologne selfridges.com

ESSENTIAL PARFUMS

Ambre Latte

MOOD: Indulgent

Jordi Fernández has created the first gourmand-adjacent scent for this brilliantly affordable house. Banish any thought of overt sweetness, because just like the other incredibly refined fragrances in their collection, Ambre Latte is chicly nuanced and cleverly composed. Envisaging a ‘highly addictive overdose of my favourite amber woods wrapped in a delicious swirl of almond milk,’ he says, the creaminess is swirled with a caramelised toasty tonka note for an extra hit of tastiness. £86 for 100ml eau de parfum selfridges.com

FLORIS

Celest

MOOD: Opulent

Imagine English chamomile, stowed in a time machine, catapulted back to a time when resins and incense were sacred – and indeed, the ritual of burning them to produce smoke ( per fumum ) gave us the name for the precious essences we wear on skin today. Masterfully blending modernity and heritage, chamomile’s airiness is warmed by davana, honey and cedarwood, then enfolded in ambergris, musks and tendrils of smoke. Luminous, fabulous – and very wearable. £200 for 100ml eau de parfum florislondon.com

ESTÉE LAUDER

Bronze Goddess Eau de Parfum

MOOD: Glowing

Glow-anywhere Bronze Goddess has been elevated to the ranks of a modern classic – the ultimate, almost cult-ish ‘beach scent’. But if you already love, love, love BG for its easy-going summer vibe, this EDP is one to reach for when you yearn for that same holiday feeling with a little more weight, richness and polish, a creamy solar floral showcasing tiaré flower, coconut, jasmine, magnolia, myrrh, amber and vanilla. The perfect scented sundowner. From £72 for 50ml eau de parfum debenhams.com

GHOST

Lunar Goddess

MOOD: Luminous

Givaudan perfumers Benoît Lapouza and Leandro Petit combined talents on this glowing addition to Ghost’s sustainablyfocused line, which evokes the magic of golden hour through notes of mouthwatering pink pear and mandarin, a breezy sea spray accord and dreamy florals, wrapped in soft suede. But it’s as the sun sets that Lunar Goddess exerts her magnetic pull, via Amber cream, pale woods, cashmere, vanilla and musks. Altogether, utterly dreamy. £125 for 100ml eau de parfum ghostfragrances.com

FINE SCENTS

Maze of Dreams

MOOD: Daydreamy

Turning to the talents of perfumer Frank Voelkl, who joins their retinue of distinguished noses, Fine Scents’ latest captures the contented smile on your face following ‘a sensual slow morning after a hot night’. Violet leaf and waterlily lap at the edges of illicit woodiness, while you ‘tilt your face to the sun, slipping on your sunglasses, and holding onto a moment that hasn’t quite faded.’ It’s both elegant and dreamy, to be worn with an enigmatic smile. £180 for 60ml eau de parfum jovoy.com

GRANADO

Yes, Nós Temos Banana

MOOD: Tropical

There are many facets to banana, fragrance’s quirky ingredient du jour , all explored here by Granado. From the fruit’s creaminess and the irresistible sweetness as it ripens to the almost sharp green jungle-freshness of the leaves, who better than this brand –rooted in Brazil’s nature and its vibrant culture – to take us on that olfactory journey? For the fragrant counterpoint, enjoy fig, hay, musk, cedar and sandalwood, too – all fun, yet super-sophisticated. £135 for 75ml eau de parfum granado.uk

GUERLAIN

Shalimar Millésime Rose

MOOD: Romantic

Grab it while you can – always the story with Guerlain Millésime limited editions, which annually showcase a specific floral ingredient. It is the turn of the queen of flowers for Summer 2026, with Delphine Jelk introducing the almost almond-y, fruity sophistication of Damask rose essence and fresh, dewy rosewater to the classic Shalimar construction, adding a little more va-va-voom to the incense note in the base. Deeply sensual, utterly collectible.

£118 for 50ml eau de parfum guerlain.com

JEAN PAUL GAULTIER

Le Male in Blue

MOOD: Nautical

Attention, Le Male collectors. (And oh, we know how keen you are to snap up every new edition/scented spin on this modern classic.) Summer 2026’s limited edition – marine-inspired, clad in metallic blue, with black stripes – is created for ‘those who face the wave without backing down,’ setting a powerful course with aromatic lavender and an intriguing anise accord coasting alongside metallic lavender, anchored by potent, resinous benzoin. Chic ahoy!

£105 for 125ml eau de parfum johnlewis.com

GUESS

Iconic Sublime

MOOD: Serene

From the minty green bottle to the juice inside, this is sublime in name and nature. Sparkling citrus bursts forth in a fizz of mandarin and orange – but it’s not the frantically energising pop of many fresh fragrances. Here, we get a beautiful sea-breeze of marine notes and blue lotus cooled by cardamom – Iconic Sublime feels like a breath of fresh air, gently lapped in the base by a creamy combo of vanilla, amber and sandalwood. Scented serenity. £40 for 30ml eau de parfum debenhams.com

JIMMY CHOO

Man Parfum

MOOD: Charismatic

There’s a certain brooding character to this latest iteration from Jimmy Choo, a depth that lingers and intrigues, but never feels obvious. Melding a classic fougère (lavender fresh) structure to something altogether saucier, the herbaceous aspect is plied with black pepper, hypnotic waves of orange flower, and a resinous smooch of amber-laden patchouli as it warms. One to wear when words aren’t required, and your smouldering glance (and scent) can say it all.

£74 for 50ml parfum boots.com

HUDA BEAUTY Easy Bake Intense

MOOD: Glam

Inspired by their Easy Bake beauty line, this ripe cherry-forward fragrance is equally dazzling – we’re imagining a perfectly powdered base and lusciously glossed pink lips. The wild cherry opening softly sighs to a white floral heart before being lightly swirled with caramel, dusted by cinnamon and settling within a delicious vanilla Bourbon base. A scent for starlets to spritz and swoon over, to add a glorious touch of glam to even the grimmest of days.

£70 for 50ml eau de parfum intense hudabeauty.com

JORUM

Risso

MOOD: Radiant

Encompassing all the aspects of the bitter orange tree we highlighted in the first issue of On The Scent , Risso glories in the brightness of bigarade, the twiggy verdancy of petitgrain and delectable honeyed sunshine of orange flower absolute. A forest-y breeze filters through gauzy linen curtains, shafts of sunlight chasing away the cool air. Effervescently joyous, like wearing bottled laughter on a perfect summer’s morning, it’s crisp, clean, yet radiant.

£96 for 30ml extrait de parfum jorumstudio.com

JUSBOX

Wave of Freedom

MOOD: Beachy

Don your Hawaiian shirt, open a few extra buttons, order a cocktail poured in a pineapple and spin some Beach Boys vinyl: this is your scented vibe check for summer. Firstly, an incredibly realistic pear note gets juices flowing, with Sri Lankan cinnamon-sprinkled pineapple lapped by creamy coconut for beach-readiness, before Bruno Jovanovic fuses rich patchouli, toasty tonka and longlasting Amberever, amplifying the 1960s feel. Surf’s up.

£180 for 75ml eau de parfum selfridges.com

LE MONDE GOURMANDE

Banana Délice

MOOD: Playful

Promising ‘a beach holiday in a bottle’, this is sun-drenched from first spritz, its creamy sweetness washing us ashore among swaying palm trees, gentle waves and piña coladas. (We all need a summer fragrance that pulls off that olfactory trick.) Banana milk, orange and pineapple feel instantly sunny, amplified by the solar coconut and sugar accord, while whipped vanilla and sugared musks linger on skin, delivering pure bottled escapism.

£28 for 30ml eau de parfum sephora.com

L’ARTISAN PARFUMEUR

L’Amant

MOOD: Sultry

Patchouli-lovers (and we count ourselves among them), gather round. None other than Nathalie Lorson has created this latest for L’Artisan Parfumeur –which you can sniff out in person at The Fragrance Lounge in Liberty – bringing us an inkily dark and delicious tapestry of smouldering spices and woods, sparked by pimento for brightness, like a firefly in the dark. Deeply compelling, we’re told ‘L’Amant comes alive in the stillness of night.’ We are poised, in the shadows.

£180 for 100ml eau de parfum libertylondon.com

LOUIS VUITTON

Ambre Levant

MOOD: Warm

‘The Amber of the Thousand and One Nights.’ Fragrance pitches don’t get more romantic than that. Undaunted, Jacques Cavallier Belletrud explains: ‘Amber has been with me since the very beginning. It was one of the first notes I discovered as a child in my father’s laboratory and has never stopped guiding my writing.’ Here, amber is bathed in a golden glow, via the warmth of spices and labdanum, white incense, ambergris and oudh, for a story, expertly told.

£325 for 100ml eau de parfum louisvuitton.com

LACOSTE

L.12.12 Bleu

MOOD: Sporty

We recently visited perfumer Yann Vasnier’s Givaudan office and admired an astonishing ‘wall of trophies’, showcasing his myriad creations. Here’s a new, dark blue flacon to grace the shelves, an aromatic woody-fougère that opens energetically with yuzu and ginger, with a classic lavender/ geranium heart and an enduring base of vetiver and cedarwood. Equally sportif on the polo field, the tennis court – or while faking it on the sofa in front of the World Cup, frankly.

From £37 for 50ml eau de parfum theperfumeshop.com

LUSH Fresh As

MOOD: Hushed

They describe it as walking through a forest. We get more of a ‘Honey I Shrunk the Kids’ backyard vibe, with piles of freshly mown grass and just-clipped hedges creating the feeling of towering trees. The verdancy wafts in via fir needle absolute and tagetes, resting on a mellow base of benzoin. Using organic ethanol made from regeneratively farmed sugar cane, produced with renewable energy in Brazil, those seeking ethically framed freshness will adore.

£30 for 30ml eau de parfum lush.com

MAISON CRIVELLI

Musc Nurāsana

MOOD: Serene

The launch – on the 8th-floor Helideck at Harrods – was a multi-sensory affair, with Thibaud Crivelli and perfumer Gaël Montero gradually revealing ingredients, sharing a sensory puzzle to be pieced together. We explored bergamot, Turkish damask rose, frankincense and tonka bean, which nestle softly beside ginger, cardamom and musks. Like a quiet moment, transformed into scent, the fragrance – Nūr means ‘light’, Āsana is a Sanskrit term for posture – is soothing, intimate, divine. £205 for 50ml eau de parfum harrods.com

MAISON NOIR Icarus 967

MOOD: Ultra-fresh

Stronger yet fresher makes for a fascinating exploration of what ‘ extrait ’ can mean. Here the chlorophyll gasp of greenery we found in the 347 eau de parfum has been lifted and intensified. The green apple of the original is crisper still, almost iced, with piquant raspberry ramped up for further freshness. Lavender enhances the feeling of gliding on a cool breeze, while Akigalawood grants a wonderfully long-lasting woody dry-down.

£245 for 100ml extrait de parfum maison-noir.com

MAISON FRANCIS KURKDJIAN

Oud Velvet Mood Extrait de Parfum

MOOD: Gilded

One of Francis Kurkdjian’s all-time bestsellers has been rendered even more sumptuous in the form of a rich extrait de parfum , offering a lingering skin embrace of supersoft suede, luscious peach skin and enough oudh for depth, but never to overwhelm. All burnished gold and honeyed richness, it’s so plush that it’s almost tactile. We say: this is one for your most special, dressed-up occasions, to turn heads and kindle smiles. £360 for 70ml extrait de parfum selfridges.com

MARC-ANTOINE BARROIS B87.135

MOOD: Opulent

This extravagant composition conjures visions of scented treasures stored in dark wooden boxes – precious ingredients like pink peppercorns, saffron, iris butter and myrrh. It’s the vibrancy of a bustling market rendered in the ultra-refined nuances one expects from this couture designer, collaborating once again with perfumer Quentin Bisch – bringing the heart of a souk to Harrods, as reflected in the name: 87–135 is the store’s address on Brompton Road. £295 for 50ml extrait de parfum harrods.com

MAISON MARGIELA

Replica: Up At Dawn

MOOD: Dreamy

We’re asked to imagine an English rose garden just as the sun is rising and the morning light makes the landscape appear in watercolours, dew drops still sparkling on petals. We’re tempted to take the dream further, picturing Mr. Darcy, striding across misty meadows to the walled garden, finally to declare his love. A traditionally tender, uncomplicated rose beckoning romantic reveries – marking fragrance’s return to scents that, well, just smell truly lovely. £62 for 30ml eau de toilette spacenk.com

MARC JACOBS

Daisy Marc Jacobs Murakami

MOOD: Celebratory

Summer 2026’s collectible Daisies have paintbox-simple names: Daisy Murakami Pink Blue, Yellow and Green – chromatic crushes which riff on different moods of this perennially fave fragrance. Pink is all coconut and white peony over praline; blue drizzles juicy pear and petalicious rose over amber woods and musk. For fruity fizz – citrus, raspberry and strawberry – go Yellow, while Green taps into the banana trend, creating a mischievous accord with jasmine and vanilla. Pop art perfection! £90 each for 50ml eau de parfum boots.com

MATIÈRE PREMIÈRE

Metal Lavender

MOOD: Cool

Lavender is having a moment, and nobody has made it more modern than Matière Première. Streamlined, almost steely cool at first, it’s laid-back as a freshlypressed pristine white t-shirt. As it warms, lavandin softens to a marvellously clean musky base, with a dry-iced touch of vanilla. We were present at perfumer/ founder Aurélien Guichard’s farm when they first planted lavender, so this feels rather moving to wear – like witnessing 360 degrees of olfactive accomplishment. £170 for 50ml eau de parfum matiere-premiere.com

MIZENSIR

Chiffre Royal

MOOD: Elegance

There is much chatter about fragrance’s shift towards quieter, more nuanced and textured expressions of luxury – embodied here by Alberto Morillas’s Chiffre Royal, for his own perfume house. The velvet smoke of incense wafts through oudh, damask rose and Dreamwood, a creamy, skin-like next-gen molecule. ‘It is a sense of silent power and natural elegance that does not seek to shine, but to endure,’ says Morillas. He could equally have been talking about himself.

£285 for 100ml eau de parfum harrods.com

MILLER HARRIS

Tea Tonique Extrait

MOOD: Uplifted

Refreshing, yet long-lasting; it’s the goal of perfumers to create a scent that delivers those twin virtues. That trick is pulled off here by Émilie Bouge as she revisits one of Miller Harris’s best-loved fragrances with a higher concentration and ingredients – bergamot, maté tea, peach blossom – that are essentially ‘steeped longer’, for a deeper tea impression than the beloved, airy EDT. Quietly polished rather than shouty, this beguiles without overwhelming. Boardroom-perfect. £120 for 50ml extrait de parfum millerharris.com

MOSCHINO

Toy 2 Gummy and Toy 2 Yummy

MOOD: Cute

Instant collectibles, Gummies join the playful Toy 2 collection, taking their inspiration from 1980s candy culture. The so-fun packaging shouldn’t distract from the scents inside, however, with Toy 2 Gummy offering up a delectable gourmand fusion of golden hazelnut, velvety praline, milk cream, resins, myrrh and vanilla, and its colourful (nonidentical) Toy 2 Yummy ‘twin’ bright with citrus, incense, rose, Timut and black peppers, caressed by soft Serenolide. Too, too adorbs. From £49 each for 30ml EDP escentual.com

MIU MIU Fleur de Lait

MOOD: Dreamy

Daniela Andrier – who’s steered the Miu Miu scent journey from Day One – whips up a fruity-solar, this time, which is airily light and yet deliciously indulgent. ‘The juicy freshness of mango and the coconut milk convey the idea of escapism and bliss,’ says the Master Perfumer, who ripples these good-enough-to-eat gourmand elements through apricot-like osmanthus flower. This ‘reimagined florality’ conjures sunshine on skin, white cotton frocks, at once innocent and sophisticated. A delight. £72 for 30ml eau de parfum lookfantastic.com

NASOMATTO Micodelirio

MOOD: Surrealistic

Opening with the most photorealistic depiction of petrichor – cool rain-soaked earth – that we’ve smelled, this perfume paean to the mysterious realms of the mushroom is both ultraunusual and fantastically wearable. Along with leaf-mulchy earthiness we get wafts of vetiver, creamy fungi, and a Chypre-like, background beetrooty fruitiness. Nasomatto eschew lists of notes, but we sense patchouli glimmering throughout. A magical mixture: grounding yet glamorous. £130 for 30ml extrait de parfum pinkmary.co.uk

NYITA

Yuzu Noir

MOOD: Sparkling

Harvesting the world’s finest yuzu from Japan, founder Rebecca Jaquest explains the unique polarised temperatures of the terrain means ‘our yuzu has a superior, complex aroma, combining hints of grapefruit, clementine, wild lemon, and floral undertones.’

Combined with the ‘”green gold” bergamot, sun-soaked mandarin, and sublime neroli’ this scent veritably dances on the skin – joyfilled.’ And (according to Japanese yuzu folklore), maybe, just maybe, bringing a little good fortune. £85 for 5ml extrait de parfum nyitacollection.com

RABANNE

1 Million Night Elixir

MOOD: Addictive

This limited-edition smoulders from the get-go, and was created, so Rabanne say, for the man who ‘has no curfew when it comes to partying.’ As happy matinée-goers ideally home by 10pm, ourselves, we marvel appreciatively from afar as mandarin’s freshness gleams to a club’s gilded interior, where a deliciously addictive maple syrup accord evokes cocktail glasses clinked, and amber conjures a spotlight’s warm glow, seducing the senses until the wee small hours.

£80 for 50ml parfum elixir rabanne.com

OLFACTIVE O

New Earth

MOOD: Nurturing

From Olivia da Costa’s personalitydriven perfume house, this hotly anticipated launch doesn’t disappoint. Bright green with the scent of freshly podded peas and savoury shiso leaf, rain-soaked petrichor’s verdancy and an intense, loamy comfort, it transports us to a walled vegetable garden, where we’re encouraged to breathe in, take delight in simple rituals, slow down while chopping the herbs... If you’re stressed to bursting, this feels like an immediate head-clearing sigh of relief. £65 for 30ml eau de parfum olfactiveo.com

RNDL Circus

MOOD: Thrilling

Matthieu Maneuvrier creates a seductive scene – so, banish thoughts of clowns and elephants. Imagine, instead, an artistic Cirque du Soleil-type venue – for the name refers to life itself, with its ‘twists and turns, dazzles and delights.’ Succulent cherry is the lasciviously ripe standout fruit, juicily surrounded by peach and strawberry. Plumes of tobacco and maté with smoked Greek saffron make for an adults-only atmosphere, and we’re here for performances on repeat. £95 for 50ml eau de parfum rndl.co.uk

PHLUR

Honey Moon

MOOD: Dreamy

Softly grounding, this has a touch of sweetness via manuka honey-drenched orange blossom, buoying the honeyed scent of that hypnotic blossom, but gently – on a breeze. Mandarin and lavender glimmer tenderly, swirled with vanilla and tonka bean, wrapped in the soothing creamy hug of sandalwood for a touchdown that evokes quiet reflection, and a sense of scentemboldened renewal. We envisage this accessorising a twirling gauzy gown, somewhere utterly gorgeous. £99 for 50ml eau de parfum spacenk.com

SERGE LUTENS

La Nuit Tombée

MOOD: Shadowed

Night falls. Perhaps somewhere in Marrakech, where Serge Lutens bases himself. Imagining the moment when day fades and night swoops in, this is dark and almost sombre, with cedarwood, frankincense, patchouli and an overdose of the mystery which Monsieur Lutens likes to swirl through his compositions. We’re imagining watching the stars come out, cooled by the greenery in a secret garden, the sounds of the city outside, contemplating the scents within.

From £150 for 50ml eau de parfum harrods.com

MOOD: Rebellious

Fusing the luminous beauty (and supposed fragility) of the peony to a buoyant heart of pear, raspberry and quince, this feels resolutely of the moment, created to ‘capture quiet strength and modern femininity.’ We’re leaning into Taylor Swift’s spangled bodysuit version of Ophelia, here, rather than Waterhouse’s swooning maiden; the glittering fruitiness flowing to an aquatic dry-down, as though we’ve been floral crowned while dancing at a festival, rather than floating in rivers.

£79 for 50ml eau de parfum theperfumeshop.com

TOM FORD

Private Blend Soleil Blanc Parfum

MOOD: Sultry

Soliel Blanc has long been elevated to summer classic status. Originally intended to give the feel of a luxe, private island escape, we suggest you make room on the double sunbed for this parfum intensity, shimmering with amber-floral warmth. The armfuls of white florals seem gorgeously familiar; the vanilla absolute in the base glows. Bright bergamot basks alongside pink peppercorn, cardamom and a pistachio accord, delivering an amplified smooch factor.

£330 for 50ml parfum selfridges.com

THE LAB CO. Forbidden Bloom

MOOD: Audacious

Launched at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show at The Lady Garden Foundation stand, this defiant floral – pitched as ‘radically clean’ and ‘hormone-kind’ – was designed to spark conversations around the five gynaecological cancers, to ‘turn shame into power.’ Important stuff. But you’ll also want to know that it smells blooming gorgeous, dusting chocolate onto mimosa, pink pepper, jasmine, rose, vanilla, tonka and sandalwood. A boldly beautiful move, as this home care brand moves into fragrance.

£75 for 60ml eau de parfum thelabco.com

TOM FORD

Eau de Grey Vetiver

MOOD: Suave

Giving the impression of a deftly tailored suit (designed by Tom Ford, obvs), imagine the cool drape of palest grey linen, perfectly pressed, effortlessly suave. Made ‘to be worn with relaxed confidence and modern elegance’, there’s an enviable olfactive nonchalance about this scent – bergamot tingles brightly, but never vaingloriously, while iris softens the edges of vetiver’s shadow. A go-to throughout the summer, and beyond, we feel, for anyone seeking aromatic urbanity. £95 for 50ml eau de toilette theperfumeshop.com

TOM FORD

Taormina Orange

MOOD: Effervescent

The Tom Ford team has been super-busy – this is the first of three new additions to the line-up. Mediterranean sunshine has been squeezed by Anne Flipo into this bottle in the form of Sicilian blood oranges, which she describes as ‘hypnotic, yet uplifting at the same time. You want to bite into it – it is so enticing.’ Wrapped in sophisticated musks, the ultimate impression is sun-warmed skin, at the day’s close. Bliss.

£220for 50ml eau de parfum selfridges.com

VÉRONIQUE GABAI

Rose Première by Kelly Rutherford

MOOD: Loved-up

The earth in the South of France is said to vibrate at the same frequency as the human heart. And, says Véronique Gabai, ‘the natural power of rose is to bring you the feeling of love, whatever kind of love you need.’ In this tribute to Grasse rose de Mai, zesty citrus is sweetened by praline, tethered by amber, musk and cedarwood, a collaboration with Véronique’s friend/ neighbour Kelly Rutherford. Definitely a love thing, for us.

£260 for 85ml eau de parfum harrods.com

Nelly Hachem-Ruiz captures the essence of Marrakesh’s vibrant souk. Delicate spices, combined with leather and amber notes, create a powerful and opulent trail that evokes its magic. Exclusively distributed by Glorious Brands Ltd The

MEET YOUR SCENT SOMMELIER

How will you discover your next scent? Let us introduce you to Kaorium, an innovative, intuitive (and award-winning) way to match you to your next scent love

There is a moment most of us will recognise. We are standing in front of a fragrance counter, with dozens of beautiful bottles lined up, each one promising something different. But with so much choice, we have absolutely no clue where to begin. We might know that we want something that feels like a walk in a city after rain, or the quiet warmth of a Sunday morning – but those feelings are remarkably hard to translate into notes, ingredients or names.

HOW KAORIUM WAS BORN

This is precisely the problem that Toshiharu ‘Toshi’ Kurisu set out to solve when he founded SCENTMATIC Inc. in Tokyo in 2019. And it is the challenge that his AI-powered fragrance discovery platform, Kaorium, was built to answer. Kaorium – recently recognised as ‘Best Digital Innovation’ Award in 2026’s Fragrance Foundation Awards – is now acknowledged as the olfactory equivalent of a ‘scent sommelier’, holding our hands, using a so-clever combination of AI and instinct to help us find our next signature scent.

Toshi’s original insight was simple, but really resonates with us, because scent is one of the most deeply personal of all our senses – yet remains frustratingly difficult to articulate. We tend to reach for metaphors, rather than chemistry – and fragrance families don’t tell us enough about a perfume’s ‘mood’.

HOW IT WORKS

The Kaorium experience begins not with ingredients or top notes, but with how you want to feel. Each bottle on the sleek Kaorium installation (pictured below) contains a preselected fragrance that has been analysed and mapped to a specific ‘word profile’ in the AI system, with those bottles chosen to represent a broad spread of olfactive styles, moods and intensities, rather than specific brands on shelf.

So, unstopper the vial. Smell. React, instinctively, to a series of scent and word cues. With each tap, AI adapts. Through this simple, immersive and interactive journey, you respond to words, moods and contexts – perhaps ‘nostalgia’, ‘confidence’, ‘a quiet evening at home’ – and the system interprets those preferences, guiding you toward fragrances that genuinely resonate with your emotional landscape.

Kaorium doesn’t diminish the poetry of perfume, but finds new words for it “ ”

Traditional scent discovery often starts with the language of the perfumer – ingredients, accords, families (and we know the words ‘Chypre’ and ‘fougère’, for instance, still baffle many people). But as customers and perfume-lovers, we actually think in feelings, memories and occasions.

Your responses to the scents in these Kaorium bottles are the clue to finding your match

BEYOND THE BOTTLE

Kaorium isn’t a replacement for human expertise; it arms a consultant with the insights to help you take a short-cut to the fragrances on their shelves that are most likely to push your perfume buttons, offering a completely novel approach in the fragrance world.

And as Kaorium’s first official brand ambassador, Thomas Dunckley – the multi-award-winning fragrance expert, educator and ‘Making Scents Make Sense’ podcaster – told On The Scent , ‘Every time I’ve used Kaorium, I’ve been struck by how it breaks down any barriers. We all enter into a fragrance boutique with our biases and preconceptions. I like how Kaorium removes those, so that one is simply led by their nose and emotions to find a new fragrance. I’ve found that it has helped me discover fragrances from brands I wouldn’t have otherwise tried. Becoming an ambassador felt like a natural progression because of my genuine belief in Kaorium’s vision — to make fragrance more accessible, more intelligent and ultimately more human. I am excited to help more people experience that shift in how they explore scent.’

And so are we. We believe that Kaorium represents a genuine advance in how people discover and engage with scent, as demonstrated at a recent Selfridges installation and at shows such as the Barnes Fragrance Fair. Quietly, yet beautifully revolutionary, it’s a technology that doesn’t diminish the poetry of perfume but finds new words for it.

Helping us to fall in love with fragrance, all over again.

To find out where to try Kaorium next or explore this ground-breaking technology more deeply, visit kaorium.com

THE LAND OF

MILK, HONEY & LAVENDER

Is there anything more comforting than a glass of milk? A spritz of lavender? Or a spoonful of honey, to make life’s medicine go down?

SUZY NIGHTINGALE explores how perfumers are now turning to these ingredients to soothe (and delight) our senses

The fragrance landscape has been particularly fascinating to study over the last year or so, because as with any trendwatch, it reveals a map of our own emotional needs. When we’re seeking to make sense of why certain notes are proving so popular in perfumery, it’s the ‘micro-trends’ we’re looking at, here – materials that perfumers turn to, to flesh out the inspirations behind their formulae, and which help to shape the scented landscape.

For example, more broadly, it’s clear that many consumers are seeking sensory self-care and emotional sanctuary in a high-stress world. As we’ve previously noted, this ‘comfort fragrance’ movement indicates our collective need for nostalgia, security, and nervous system regulation, with perfume-lovers increasingly using scent as an olfactory ‘wellness’ offshoot, to soothe anxiety and feel nurtured, rather than simply smell nice.

PERFUME

LOVERS INCREASINGLY USE SCENT AS AN OLFACTORY

in a number of creations, such as BORNTOSTANDOUT Naked Laundry and Parfums Dusita Tonka Latte. Some scents manage to mix all three. DedCool launched its signature, skin-like and so-reassuring Milk perfume in 2020, at a time when we were all craving comfort. Building on their collection, the latest in the lactonic (milky) line-up, DedCool Mineral Milk, exemplifies all three scent strands we’re focusing on here, entwining honeyed notes of nectar and lavender in the milky base. Founder Carina Chaz said at the time of launch this spring, ‘Mineral Milk is a playful extension of our Milk franchise, with a subtle nod to the time I spent living by the seaside and falling in love. … I already know it’s going to be one of our bestselling fragrances.’

‘WELLNESS’ OFFSHOOT, TO SOOTHE ANXIETY, RATHER THAN SIMPLY SMELL NICE

Taking our metaphorical telescope and zooming in, we keep seeing three materials trending: milk, honey and lavender. Used as standout notes or woven in harmony, they might appear to have little in common – but we’re sensing a collective shift to scents incorporating one, some, or all, of these.

Many of the recent examples we’ve seen and smelled actually encompass two or more of these trends together, with lavender in particular popping up alongside honey in Jean Paul Gaultier Le Male Elixir Parfum, Phlur Honey Moon, Roberto Cavali Uomo and YSL Libre Le Parfum, among many others.

Milk, meanwhile, has been swirled with honey

Overall, the rise in these ‘lactonic’, honey and lavender notes reflects a return to more intimatefeeling skin scents, and fragrances that feel emotionally grounding in a chaotic world – that desire for self-care.

With perfume lovers actively seeking nurturing, restorative aromas that offer familiar safety and emotional respite, these offer a sensorial counterpoint to the hugely extroverted and entirely fantasy-driven fragrances we have witnessed in recent years, while still developing and elevating the gourmand and nostalgia trends we’ve previously highlighted. Think of fragrances incorporating these micro-trends as ways to add a soft-focus blur to everyday stresses each time you spritz them –wearable daydreams that allow you to be lulled, by lingering in them awhile.

MILK

Quietly moving from nursery nostalgia to one of perfumery’s most closely watched comfort signals, we’re becoming obsessed with creamy, lactonic scents

Milk is having more than a ‘moment’ in perfumery. With milk perfume searches apparently up 320% on TikTok, there were around 340 launches in 2025 with milk or lactonic notes.

There are, of course, few more nostalgic sources of nourishment than milk, our very first food, and its rising popularity in fragrance is mirrored by that in the grocery arena. Rachel Kyllo, Dairy Farmers of America’s chief marketing officer, comments, ‘I think as people are looking for a beverage that harkens back to a simpler time, and also a product that isn’t ultra-processed, it just takes them to milk.’ In the US, traditional whole milk consumption has increased 3.2% in a year.

In fragrance compositions, milk brings a cool creaminess that harmonises with other ingredients so well. Real milk, of course, can’t be used in a fragrance formula. So, to give structure to a milk accord, perfumers turn to a class of organic molecules called lactones, which evoke differing facets of creaminess depending on which are used and what they’re paired with. Delta-lactones –buttery, coconut-creamy, skin-like – for example, generally give a softer, more natural effect than their gamma-lactone counterparts, which offer a fruitier and more tropical vibe. Milkiness can also be conjured using the sensual silkiness of sandalwood, a subtle, more liquid-seeming vanilla and softly whipped white musks.

Christelle Laprade, of fragrance house Symrise, is the nose behind the virally popular Commodity Milk fragrances, including their new Milk Orchid. As she explains, these are “fantasy” accords, constructed from a range of different materials that give the impression of milk as a texture or atmosphere, not a bottled dairy ingredient.

The milky profile which is such a strong trend in scent at the moment is actually a natural evolution from gourmand perfumes’ vanilla pudding-like appeal. Less sweet – but as Christelle Laprade comments, ‘As with vanilla, they feel creamy and incredibly comforting.’

The smell of milk, she continues, is ‘universally nurturing, and a scent people all over the world instinctively respond positively to.’ So, from skin-like and soothing to something altogether more subversive, it’s time to ask: ‘Do you want milk with that...?’

DEDCOOL Mineral Milk

Creamy, dreamy, immediately soul-soothing, we find coastal lavender coalescing with an ocean breeze, eyes fixed on the horizon as sun-warmed, salty skin sighs with sudden calm, foamfrothed wavelets lapping sandy toes with marine milkiness.

COMMODITY Milk Orchid

Co-created with influencer

Emma @perfumerism (known for her adoration of milky scents), the lactones bathe in fig milk, coconut cream and almond blossom up top, before soft cotton and vanilla-infused macadamia milk cosily cocoons.

ESSENTIAL PARFUMS

Ambre Latte

Clouds of almond milk foamily embrace the rich, nuttiness of roasted tonka bean, Jordi Fernández coaxing a warmly woody/amber alchemy from the frothiness, settling on skin as a deliciously long-lasting amber trail.

FISCHERSUND Faux Flora No. 1

Encompassing the life cycles of plants and humans alike, this scent ‘springs from universal experiences.’ A sparkle of bergamot’s brightness is swathed by ‘mountain milk’, cool, pristine and porcelain-like, warming to salty iris’s mortal muskiness.

ERIS PARFUMS Mothers Milk

Antoine Lee blends orris and vanilla with hyper-realistic warm milk, subverting the familiar softfocus kiss of comfort, as ‘good’ mother (rosily nurturing) turns ‘bad’ (suede-like, sultry).

Think: fairytale mother turned Joan Crawford.

MOLTON BROWN

Milk Musk Eau de Toilette

Milk gently laps at luscious notes of pear, delicate florals and sheer white musk, while Ambroxan and cashmere add skin-on-skin warmth. Scented contentment awaits, tender as a fluttery kiss, softly embracing rather than swaddling.

HONEY

According to cave paintings discovered in Valencia, we began harvesting honey from bees over 15,000 years ago, with ancient Arab perfumers being the first to capture its sweetness in scent form

More recently, our noses have been atwitch to the honey buzz in perfumery, with Google searches for ‘honey fragrances’ surging an astonishing 187% between 21st January and 2nd April this year alone. Obviously, the inherent sweetness of honey dips into the still-evolving gourmand trend, but along with milk and lavender (see over), it links us directly back to the land in a reassuringly familiar way.

Honey is inherently infused with the landscape that the bees forage in, raw honey taking its taste, colour and scent directly from whatever the bees have feasted on, spanning woody, floral, intensely herbal or even hay like and tobacco-y. Being composed of sugar and water, it cannot be extracted to be used in modern perfumery, though ‘headspace technology’ (see Sonia Constant’s explanation on page 17) can help a perfumer to recreate the aroma, often via the use of phenylacetic acid, an organic compound which smells and tastes naturally honey-like, along with wild flowers, vanilla, tobacco, deep woods, and even notes of supple leather.

Witnessing the foodie fragrance trend evolve and mature, Ashlee Posner, CEO of fragrance creation platform Lucént Laboratories, explains, ‘The honey coming through now is less ‘dessert’ and more nectar, beeswax, pollen, skin, resin and sun-warmed floral richness – and that is what makes it feel current.’

Perfumer Christine Nagel highlights the duality of honey, however, noting that ‘Honey has two facets –half angel, half devil. In ambrée structures, it has a sweet, comforting effect, taking you back to childhood. But a small touch in a feminine structure can be extremely sexy...’

So, while many honeyed scents can help embrace us in a cosy hug, when the animalic warmth is dialled up, we can seek out some naughtiness amidst the nurturing. Ready to delve into the deliciousness?

‘HONEY HAS TWO FACETS –HALF ANGEL, HALF DEVIL... A SMALL TOUCH IN A FEMININE STRUCTURE

CAN BE EXTREMELY SEXY’

Christine Nagel, Perfumer

WALES PERFUMERY

Celt Parfum

Inspired by the ancient Celtic spirit of Brittany, a mead blend imbues rich honey, resins and tobacco with a grounding ‘standing stone accord’ – rooting us in the landscape’s most emotionally resonant legends.

GUERLAIN L’Art et

PHLUR Honey Moon

Quietly reassuring and unashamedly pretty, it dreamily drapes the skin in orange blossom and a hug of Manuka honey. The brightness of mandarin gently fizzes through the floralcy to a saffron-sprinkled, creamy sandalwood dry-down.

La Matière Tobacco Honey

Delphine Jelk had ‘long wanted to combine honey and tobacco,’ swathing the powdery, hay-like nuances of tobacco leaves in ‘a delicious, enveloping nectar. Golden, glowing, glorious, this elixir leaves a mesmerising trail.

ROBERTO CAVALI

Uomo Verde Assoluto

While the original bathed skin in honey and lavender, here we have bergamot’s brightness beckoning honeysuckle, with tuberose’s honeyed temptations. As it settles praline is balanced by a deep, woody thrum.

JEAN PAUL GAULTIER Le Male

Elixir Parfum

Honey’s never been hotter paired with the warm, muscled flesh imbued by tonka and vanilla, the fresh lavender buccaneeresque as it slashes through the sweetness, the benzoin in the base feeling marvellously molten.

BORNTOSTANDOUT

Naked Laundry

With a strapline of ‘Starts clean, finishes dirty’, we know those steamed white cotton sheets aren’t remaining pristine. From freshly showered to seriously naughty, we segue from nectarlike sweetness to carnal heat.

LAVENDER

MATIÈRE PREMIÈRE

Metal Lavender

Old-fashioned? Not a bit of it. In the hands of today’s perfumers, lavender has become an olfactory passport to clarity, texture and a more nuanced kind of comfort

Once relegated to drawer-scenting sachets or aromatherapy blends, more recently lavender has been revived as the coolest note du jour, with perfumers –and former lavender naysayers among us – reaching for these familiar purple blooms, delivered in a fresh style.

An ancient natural remedy, lavender is a flowering member of the mint family, and depending on the variety, even the altitude it is grown, can smell cool and marine like, greenly herbaceous or deeply peppery. Deftly bridging the gap between the ‘clean’ aesthetic and scent’s new role as a functional wellness tool, lavender has been re-framed through contemporary compositions, with perfumers variously leaning into its cool, aromatic clarity and feather-soft floralcy to create gender-neutral ‘personal clouds’ that feel more like a deep breath than a room-rocking statement spritz.

The quintessential example of these ‘new lavenders’ is Matière Première Metal Lavender. Founder/ perfumer Aurélien Guichard admits that when he first planted lavender on the family farm, ‘It was partly for aesthetic reasons. I had always dreamed of having a field of lavender, which is an iconic ingredient of the region, as well as an essential for a perfumer. Lavender has actually been referred to as “the soul of Provence.”’

From the simple yearning for postcard-prettiness, however, a desire grew to create a modern lavender fragrance. Combining ‘a fidelity to the olfactory characteristics, but a fragrance that’s easy to wear, effortless and modern,’ as Aurélien describes it, took time. He achieved it by pairing two specific extracts. The first, he says, is ‘an organic lavandin essence that we produce ourselves, and which is therefore extremely pure and almost metallic, hence the name of the fragrance: “Metal Lavender”. By combining this with a soft, enveloping lavender absolute,’ Aurélien successfully created the comfortable feeling of ‘wearing an oversized cotton t-shirt.’

The modernity, he explains, ‘is in the prominence of the lavender absolute and the lavandin – but also in the extremely minimalist formulation. There are only about 10–12 ingredients altogether, including musks that provide the sillage and envelop the lavender.’

So, through hay-tinted meadow-y serenity and fragrances that smell like clear spaces, open skies and freshly laundered sheets, a contemporary lavender can feel reassuring rather than cold or aloof. Billowy musks or gourmand touches of vanilla and caramel soften its barbershop backbone into something more cocooning – and infinitely more wearable than lavenders of yore.

Almost icily cool, this is a lavender whose t-shirt remains pristine, and for whom the crisply pressed white linen suit never wrinkles. As it warms, a sense of steamy musks billow to become fluffy white clouds.

FLORIS

Purple Memoire

Think of this as a modern lavender with a nostalgic tilt. Cool aromatics and dewily fresh bergamot are draped over violet and orris, melting to sandalwood, labdanum, tonka and cacao, glowing like treasured, sepia -tinted memories.

CHLOÉ ATELIER DES FLEURS

Sable Lavender

With a solar polish that feels clean, uplifting yet softly sensual, daydream of eating sun-warmed figs on a wild lavender and herbbordered beach. Ambroxan’s warmth wafts sunsets and sweet scent memories, endlessly.

MONTBLANC Legend Elixir

This deeper take on the Legend theme slices lavender with citrus and pink pepper, then sinks into shadowy cardamom, iris, and clary sage over a dense dry-down that’s vanilla - laced, woody, resinous and moodily magnetic.

HUGO BOSS Boss Bottle

Striking Lavender

Cool blue and soft white facets feel freshly laundered, rendering the lavender mineralic in this limited edition. Grounded by moss-covered woods that keep everything cosy yet elegant, wear for suave assurance.

AKRO Awake

Born from the brief of a ‘perfect encapsulation of nature’s power: escape, serenity, splendour and simplicity,’ Olivier Cresp’s vision of ‘a breath of fresh air’ bathes wild lavender in lemon juice, mountain streams and musk.

On The Scent ’s round-up of fabulous, hand luggage-friendly fragrances, for creating beautiful scent memories on your travels. Happy trails!

Acqua di Parma Buongiorno Collection (Buona Notte , Amore Mio , Dolce Far Niente , Gioco del Destino , Al Bacio) / £165 for 5 x 10ml eau de parfum johnlewis.com

Boadicea the Victorious (most fragrances avaialble as travel sprays)/ £37 for 10ml eau de parfum boadiceathevictorious.com

Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Travel Spray / £22 for 10ml eau de parfum esteelauder.co.uk

Montblanc Travel Collection ( Vetiver Glacier , Patchouli Ink , Incense , Extreme Leather )/ £98 for 4 x 15ml eau de parfum johnlewis.com

Diptyque Do Son Solid Perfume / £56 for 3g diptyqueparis.com

Atelier Rebul Artisanal Nomad Travel Case / £67; £30 for the 10ml extrait de parfum atelierrebul.com

Sabrina Carpenter Bite Size Collection / £42 for 4 x 10ml eau de parfum theperfumeshop.com

Tom Ford Neroli Portofino Travel Spray / £69 for 10ml harveynichols.com

Balmain Destin Travel Spray / £25 for 10ml eau de parfum lookfantastic.com

Ormonde Jayne Four Corners of the Earth Travel Lab Set (4 x 10ml Verano eau de parfum )/ £130 ormondejayne.com

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Grand Soir Mood Globe Trotter / £275 with 5 x 11ml EDP selfridges.com

Glossier You Soie Travel Spray / £32 for 8ml eau de parfum spacenk.com

Summer Fridays Sunlit Vanilla Travel Spray / £29 for 10ml eau de parfum cultbeauty.co.uk

Fill ’em up

If your favourite fragrances aren’t featured here, no need to make a perfumed compromise. We are huge fans of refillable atomisers, into which you pump the scent of your choice. (Our best tip: use a Sharpie to write the initials of the fragrance on the bottom of the container – it’s easy to forget what’s what.) We’ve three fabulous (empty) options to decant into, below.

Left to right: LBTY Liberty Travel Merchant Refillable Travel Atomiser / £40 libertylondon.com Creed Refillable Travel Atomiser / £59 creedfragrances.co.uk Travalo Milano (a wide range of colours available)/ £31 johnlewis.com

SCENT ON THE THE PERFUME PORTFOLIO

To join our Portfolio of brands and stores, please contact sw@sharonwhiting.com for more info

ETHICAL FINE FRAGRANCE

FIND YOUR ESSENCE

Located in the heart of Brighton, Wild Iris is a meticulously curated fragrance shop founded by an ex-art curator with a passion for the unique and extraordinary. A haven for scent enthusiasts, Wild Iris offers an exquisite selection of rare and intriguing fragrance brands, including BORNTOSTANDOUT , Zoologist , ERIS and Stora Skuggan . You are invited to explore the world of olfactory artistry in a warm and welcoming atmosphere – and whether you’re a seasoned fragrance aficionado or a curious newcomer, Wild Iris promises an illuminating experience.

33 North Road, Brighton/01273-435732

Instagram: @wild_iris_perfumerie

ON THE SCENT

of Holidays

The blissful French interlude enjoyed by ‘On The Scent’ podcast star NICOLA BONN is the olfactory highlight of each summer

DAVID BECKHAM

INSTINCT: Our holiday’s signature scent does double-duty – it smells fantastic and gets pine sap off the pool tiles

As I sit on the TGV, racing towards our home near Biarritz, I am so hungry to encounter its richness of scents that if my nose could rumble, it would. This little part of France manages to be so many things to so many people, but the way that I navigate everything it has to offer is with my nose.

Our little house nestles amongst the tallest pine trees. Hot sap drips from falling pinecones, wooden shutters and doors smell sweet and inviting in the sun, chlorine from the pool drifts through the air and melds with toasty pine needles. The children drop blobs of sun cream; it, too, heats up, adding to the undeniable scent of summer joy.

We discovered our ‘secret beach’ a few years ago, only reached via the forest and approached via hidden, sandy paths. Roasted pine needles underfoot are like the forest’s own incense. The cool, green shade lends a wet earthiness that contrasts with the heat so beautifully – and then, as if out of nowhere, the almost mountainous sand dune appears. The children race up it. (I crawl.) The sand smells intensely hot and comforting, baked sea grass and thistle-y plants giving off a subtle whiff of dry tobacco, as the salty freshness from the Atlantic beckons to us. Just a few more steps and we’ll be bobbing in the waves.

Hot, damp and sandy we return to the (boiling) car and roll into town for the best ice-creams in the world. Men and women chat and laugh in the Café de Paris, infusing the air with smoke, rich coffee and ambery fragrances.

As we finally get to front of the queue, we encounter every parfum of ice cream you can imagine. Which to choose this time? Tarte tartin? Rocher? Lemon Meringue pie? Their incredible aromas are amplified as they start to melt slightly in the heat. We lick our ice creams and walk to the lagoon. Crabs and seaweed provide a briny tang. We sit on the warm, mineralic rock and take in the view as we finish our cones.

And I think: life doesn’t get better than this.

LE PETIT MARSEILLAIS

SHOWER GEL: A heaven-scented, orange blossomy French pharmacy treasure. CZECK & SPEAKE

ANSONIA: It was actually inspired by France’s southwest