They say ‘age before beauty’, but in Clive Christian’s 1872, the two come together exquisitely. Christian acquired the prestigious Crown Perfumery Company two decades ago, and this pairing is named for the year of its birth. The bottle’s apothecary aesthetic evokes the perfume’s rich past – Queen Victoria granted use of her crown for the very regal lid – but the scents speak to modern tastes. The feminine version is a fruity citrus bouquet, with zesty top notes of bergamot, tangerine and lemon, and middle notes of rose de mai containing the distilled absolute of 170 rose heads. The masculine version is a handsome match, wonderfully rich and spicy, with a heart of cyclamen, freesia, jasmine and Tagetes oil that woos like a Victorian gentleman, and a top note of clary sage. Both are part of a collection of three pairings.
Founded by film-makers Sarah Blair and Jeffrey Darling, Map of the Heart fragrances draw on their passion for storytelling and are proof of their shared belief that scent can takes us to places as powerfully as words, images and film. White Heart is an olfactory narrative that has love at its core, a big-screen romance distilled into a white, heart-shaped bottle. Ethereal lavender, accompanied by aldehyde and cardamom, offer a cool welcome. As you venture deeper into this beautiful yet potentially dangerous terrain, you’re seized by umeboshi (Japanese salt plums) and Somalian frankincense, and you begin to yield to its power. Then the intense, vibrant rush of gardenia and the sweet, woody scent of oud usher in the grand, romantic finale. This truly is a scent to fall in love with.
From the House of Lubin, a Parisian perfumery that has been performing its beautiful alchemy since 1798, comes a flurry of floral, fruity and musky notes. Scarlet oaks, American holly and raspberry canes have earned this fragrance its name. With top notes of bergamot, pink peppercorn and blackcurrant, and middle notes of magnolia, wallflower, raspberry and rose, it’s a stroll through a spring garden bursting into flower. The unisex scent is one of two new additions to ‘Evocations de Lubin’, a series characterised by simplicity, with only two or three natural ingredients at the heart of each fragrance. Think outdoor scents that are both fresh and immediate, but which also linger, like a poignant recollection of a special place.
Get your warrior princess or prince on with this bold, unisex scent from the British perfume house launched in 2015 by sailor and musician Leo Crabtree. It’s part of the Revenants collection, which celebrates figures from history whose reputations – like these scents – linger on. Iron Duke is named for the Duke of Wellington, aka Arthur Wellesley: epic horseman (hence the image on the bottle), mighty general (who forced Napoleon to finally face his Waterloo), celebrated politician and trendsetter who first popularised ‘Wellington’ boots. Created by perfumer Julie Dunkley, it’s woody, spicy and powerful, with notes of tobacco, snuff, gunpowder, leather and hay. Arm yourself with Iron Duke and you’re making a statement: Underestimate me at your peril. Available at worldbrand.co.nz
Available at WORLD | Paintings by Anieszka Banks
