Immense; Boxed and Beautiful
By Jo Phillips
The foremost reason for buying perfume is of course because we love the smell. Scent is such a personal experience that often it is about how we emotionally respond to a particular set of ingredients, do they remind us of our mother or father, of christmas or a one off event? However, there is definitely something to be said for an exquisitely designed bottle. Not just about a crystal carved bottle or something that sits well in the hand (or even handbag) but something that looks just as divine as it seems whilst sitting on the perfume shelf or dressing table.
Perfumes come in all kinds of shapes, sizes and packaging, in colourful or plain boxes and in matte or shiny bottles. Even the feeling of opening a beautifully wrapped-up box is an experience, made more exciting by luxurious packaging. Let’s face it, what we are buying into is the whole sensual experience of scent from smell to sight to tactile feel as well as of course the experience of luxury that comes with all good fragrances.
A few new releases below arrive not just in beautiful packages but also the three below are boxed, so when opened they reveal the inner joy of the bottle and fragrance.
Dear Rose was established by mother and daughter Chantel and Alexandra Roos. Chantel, a perfumer, and Alexandra, a singer, created the brand to celebrate femininity throughout the ages. Beautifully packaged, in a box of rose gold, Oud Vibration by Dear Rose checked rose god flask bottle, making it an item that will surely stand out on your dressing table.
Oud Vibration tells the story of exciting, exotic journeys to the East, with its vibrant, woody quality, reminiscent of mosaic tiled buildings in the colours of the rainbow, and the warm, heady air of a moonlit night. With fruity and spicy notes of cardamom and raspberry, with a core of rose bulgare, with the oud heightened by subtle tones. Oud is one of the mostly perfume ingredients in the world, originating from tropical Agar wood, from India. When a particular mould infects the wood of this tree it results in the production of a valuable, dark substance, which is known as oud. Oud is priceless to perfumers due to its woody, sugary scent. Oud is sometimes called “liquid gold” because of its uncommonness, and the high demand for it. The traces of liquid gold in Oud Vibration make it truly special, carrying the heady, sweet scent of the Orient.
By Terry’s Delectation Splendide
Another delectable perfume which comes in beautiful packaging is By Terry’s Delectation Splendide. Delectation Splendid is a floral, spicy perfume influenced by spices of the Orient, part of the Olfactive Fantasies Collection. The signature purple of the box which encases the square glass bottle topped with a silver styled pebble shaped lid. Founder of By Terry, Terry de Gunzburg, is a star of the industry, breaking boundaries in the world of beauty. Terry began her label in 1998, and in 2012 launched her own range of perfumes. Understanding the time constraints faced by women of our time, Terry has designed easy to use beauty products of exceptionally high quality, and Delectation Splendide is no exception. The perfume is a blend of luscious vanilla, exotic tonka bean and striking patchouli. Its also her first perfume to bring together all her make up and perfume collections under the one name By Terry.
Lola James Harper’s Do what you love with people you love
Also featuring luxurious packaging is Lola James Harper’s perfume Do what you love with people you love. Nestled neatly in a box the perfume is lovingly packaged in its own paper bag. This fragrance is part of Lola James Harper’s EDT collection, which was launched this July.The collection of scents is inspired by relationships formed by Rami Mekdachi, founder and creative director of Lola James Harper, when travelling with his family.
“We love to travel and to gather memories while globe-trotting …we always have our guitar, camera, recorder and fragrances with us…our travel size eau de toilette is only natural don’t you think?”-Rami Mekdachi
Do what you love is a fresh and sophisticated fragrance which contains orris root and iris. Certain memories are reminiscent of particular scents. With Lola James Harper’s perfume, you can ensure that all your best memories are associated with a gorgeous, floral fragrance. As Rami explains, “This fragrance is all about roots. The name was inspired by the strong roots and earthiness of the iris flower, resembling the roots between the people you love.”
As mentioned above bottle design goes on from strength to strength From the start Jean Paul Gaultier bottles of perfume for both women and men were quite a departure from the usual dainty glass container but now with the launch of Scandal we see the master of naughty go one step further, are the legs kicking up from an upside down woman? Or of course Marc Jacobs humour which has been at the forefront of each of his scents updates the Decadence fragrance bottle and scent with Oh So decadent. What about Elizabeth and James Nirvana? Holding one is like holding on to a weighty gold ST Dupont lighter, or what about Annick Goutal Nuit et Confidences with its tiny little rose pom pom in of course midnight blue.
Elizabeth and James Nirvana Bourbon and Amethyst
Elizabeth and James’s line of fragrances allow women to visualise and define their own style. Mary-Kate Olsen, co-founder of Elizabeth and James, describes the Elizabeth and James customer as a modern woman who wants options, the fragrance collection offering her a palette to explore and find her nirvana. Nirvana Bourbon is a blend of vanilla bourbon with undertones of oakwood and tuberose, while Amethyst is a rich, sweet scent with refined tobacco, honeysuckle and cedar wood.
Scandal, created by Jean Paul Gaultier, the renowned name in fashion who is used to breaking fashion and beauty barriers, is for the woman who knows how to enjoy herself and have a riotous time.
This is reflected in the fabulous rose coloured bottle, capped with a pair of golden women’s legs wearing high heels in a celebratory pose, creating the impression of a woman who truly knows how to kick back and revel in a night out. The perfume is a blend of blood orange and honey, with undertones of patchouli and gardenia. In an interview with Daphné Bugey, the perfumer, she explained that when she created this perfume, she had in mind a woman who has charisma and a strong personality. Like the perfume, she is about excess and originality, whilst remaining elegant. So the bottle design is a perfect fit!
A lighter evolution of the original Decadence fragrance, the Decadence Eau So Decadent its fresh opulent with a fruity floral scent. The fragrance has top notes of Nashi pear following on with wild floral core of magnolia and jasmine. This sets off of green ivy roots, notes of amber shine their light on the raspberry gloss. The handbag bottle is updated as well for the new take on the fragrance.
Annick Goutal Nuit et Confidences
The bottle Nuit et Confidences is shaded a beautiful blue, blending from midnight blue to the transparence of glass. The pompom is a standout feature of the perfume container, and is reminiscent of the Milky Way, reflecting the eccentric characters part of the night of elegance that is the essence of the perfume. Capturing the elegance of a Parisian night where the elite are gathered including renowned writers, painters, actresses and filmmakers, Nuit et Confidences tells the story of glamour and refined company. Created by Camille Goutal and the perfumer Mathieu Nardin, Nuit et Confidences is beautifully oriental and contains notes of bergamot and spicy pepper, with hints of enchanting frankincense and tonka bean. The sweet and refreshing undertone of vanilla musk compete this wonderfully elegant and feminine scent.
However if its all about simplicity then why not stick to Prada for clean elegant classic design? Rose by Prada is the newest edition.
Imagine an elegant vase with a cluster of exquisite pink roses…inhale their sweet fragrance, be transfixed by their beauty. Surround yourself with this gorgeous fragrance every moment of the day with Rose, the latest addition to Prada’s Les Infusions de Prada Collection, which includes Iris, Iris Cèdre, Fleurd’Oranger, Amande, OEillet, Vétiver and Mimosa. A fragrance containing the essence of fragrant roses gently caresses the skin. The fragrance is eternally feminine with notes of African neroli, Italian mandarin, Bulgarian rose and Turkish rose. Les infusions de Prada embody the dual, poetic nature of Prada, the combination of old refinement and modern glamour encased in a modernist glass bottle.
