Zara Home Perfumes for Him and Her

Zara is the wonderful high street brand that most fashion editors not only love but admit to shopping at out loud.  Stylish, well designed cut and made high fashion for women (rather than 14 year olds) and chic tailored mens clothes to boot!
So when the home side of the company adds personal fragrances to the range you know its going to be decent. What you may not expect is how good it is.
Ok lets start by saying the six fragrances in the new collection are created by two of the great names in modern perfumery: Alberto Morillas and Jérôme Épinette.

Alberto Morillas is one of the most iconic and well respected perfumers of all time. He is the creator of some of today’s biggest perfumes such as Calvin Klein CK One, Kenzo Flower, and Bvlgari Omnia. For Zara, he created the scent “Aqua Bergamota” and “Evitorial Twist” and he also established his own line of scented candles and fragrances, called Mizensir. Morillas was born in Seville, Spain but has lived in Switzerland since he was a child. He joined the company Firmenich in 1970 and describes himself as “mostly self-trained” in perfumery. He says that a large part of his inspiration comes from being surrounded by the ingredients that he works with. He has a very close relationship with the research and development chemists and his knowledge of the history of the perfume has allowed him to combine natural techniques with the most innovative synthetic molecules. The results are creations that are synonymous with success, elegance and luxury.

The other internationally renowned perfumer who is working with Zara Home is Jérôme Épinette. He attended the Grasse Institute of Perfumery and is the creator of Zara’s fragrances “Tonka Wood”, “Floral Mystery”, “Absolutely Sublime” and “Cuir Velvet”. He grew up in the beautiful countryside of Burgundy, France, and there he fell in love with perfume. His mother sold fragrances in local boutiques and he would assist her when he was not in school. He learned about the different notes and was curious to learn more and to understand how a perfume was created. Epinette enjoys putting a great deal of detail into every one of his creations and therefore chooses his projects carefully. He has been responsible for some of the bestselling fragrances for brands such as Victoria’s Secret or L’Occitane en Provence. His perfumery work is inspired by the beauty of nature; the sights, sound and scents of flowers, forests and the sea. In his spare time, Epinette is an accomplished cook and enjoys mixing different types of herbs to create new culinary experiences.

With 30 years of award-winning work, Fabien Baron is behind the packaging and visual language for the Zara Home Perfume Collection. He has been driving the industry forward with fresh thinking and iconic creativity for some of the most celebrated fashion, beauty and luxury brands. His works blend French and American sensibilities and therefore, they are consistently elevated and ahead of the curve.

The new Zara Home fragrances are of course timely, we would expect that of Zara but unlike the usual approach to a perfume collection, what makes this such a timely collection are two things. Firstly, like many of the best modern fragrances, these scents are unisex, yet have been designed with a time of day, a feeling of time if you like.  Some are about the morning light, when you first wake up on a spring morning. While another is about the morning light when coming home from a night out. We all know that early rising sun. Another evokes a meadow at dawn and one more manages to capture that feeling of a steamy day transforming into a breezy night.

One of the perfumes created by Alberto Morillas is “Aqua Bergamota”. This scent reminds one of crisp and cool sheets, downy pillows and morning sun. It makes the wearer think of iced tea with fresh lemon and ripe berries. The top notes are Green Bergamont, Tangerine Aroma, and Primofiore Lemon. The heart notes include Neroli and Blackcurrant and the base note is Pamplewood.

The other perfume by Morillas is “Evitorial Twist”, which is a fragrance for the start of the day. It reminds of early mornings, sunrises, colourful skies and a cup of black coffee. The top notes consist of Sage,and Lavender Flower and the heart notes are made of Ginger and Cedar. The base notes include Cardamon and Musk.

A creation by Jérôme Épinette is the scent “Tonka Wood”. It smells like a mischievous breeze at midnight. It makes one think of silk, leather, shadows, and stars. The top notes are Bergamot, Lemon, Blackcurrant and the heart notes are made of Midnight Violet and Lily of the Valley. The base notes consist of Vetiver, Tonka Bean and Praline Flower.

“Floral Mystery” resembles sunlight that turns the morning dew to shimmer, wildflowers in warm summer breezes, and breathing a new day in. The top notes include Lemon, Blackcurrant and Lotus Flower. The heart notes are Peony, Bamboo and Spring Magnolia and the base notes are made of White Woods, Amber and Pink Peach.

“Absolutely Sublime” is made for days after a vibrant night, when the sun bursts boldly over the horizon, creating reflections in the windows. It is the end of an unforgettable night and the start of a new day. The top notes consist of Bergamot and Mate and the heart notes are made of Violet and Black Tea. The base notes are Brown Sugar and Guaiacum Wood.

The last perfume by Épinette is “Cuir Velvet”. It represents smoky music, husky laughters, and city’s dusk. The top notes include Lemon, Ginger, and Cayenne Pepper. The heart notes are made of Geranium, Provence Lavender, and Elemi and the base notes consist of Patchouli, Australian Sandalwood, and Marine Accords.

This is the modern way to not just wear but experience perfume. Perfumery after all, is about the emotions we feel and associate with people, places and time. One last but important bit of information to know: these perfumes sold as EDT are full bodied and lasting but best off all come in at just under £30 which means buying into the collection, not restricting yourself to only one.  After all which such noses creating them why not be able to come in at this entry point for high end perfumes and have the opportunity to wear designed created by such world renowned perfumers.