For lovers of unique perfumery, look to new British brand Prosody London – the UK’s first luxury organic fine-fragrance brand. Having launched exclusively at Fortnum & Mason last month, the collection is made up of six evocative scents and a range of six candles.
Seen here are the sample or travel-sized spritzes, which come in beautifully illustrated packages, which seem to merge classic English and whimsical Far Eastern sensibilities. Containing no synthetic chemicals, the perfumes are completely natural and, as far as possible, use organic ingredients. Made with plant-derived materials, essential oils and organic grain alcohol, these are the new generation of natural scents, which give beauty lovers an alternative to the mass-produced synthetic labels saturating the market.
Founder and perfumer Keshen Teo – who studied under natural perfume expert Mandy Aftel – wanted to create a library of natural scents, which had enough complex notes to offer sophistication to the most discerning ‘noses’. Unlike many natural scents – which do not last long on the skin and tend to be simplistic in composition – he also wanted to create something that had the ability to last a long time and to develop on pulse points as the hours wear on.
There’s nothing wishy-washy about Rose Rondeaux – Prosody’s elegant take on a classic rose scent. With its fruit and wood notes, it has a gorgeous, decadent feel. The top notes of iris, bergamot and raspberry gradually reveal a delicate rosy heart with patchouli warmth, and ends with a base of blackcurrant and musky sandalwood. It lingers on the skin for hours and is a deeper, more complex take on what you think of a ‘rose’ aroma. Using it has a transformative effect – like stepping back in time to an altogether more glamorous era.
Neroli Nuance, meanwhile, is light and summery – a fresh combination of bitter orange, grapefruit and neroli with a sandalwood base. I’ll be packing this as a refreshing spritz the next time I take off to warmer climes.
Lovers of the unusual will no doubt opt for Mocha Muscari, with its unique notes of coffee blended with mango, jasmine and lavender, on a base of black agarwood and sandalwood. It’s dark and moody and about as far as you can get from a ‘high-street’ fragrance.
Using sensual Oud, is Oud Octavo, which blends the distinctive note with vanilla, vetiver, almond and walnut for an exotic feast for the senses.
Lissom Linden is wonderfully feminine: the essence of summer. Honeyed hints of rose, fresh linden flowers and jasmine on a base of calming frankincense makes for an uplifting scent. It’s deliciously moorish and will transport you to an English meadow in the height of a summer’s day.
Lastly, comes Jacinth Jonquil – my favourite of the line-up. It’s a modern floral with bursts of hyacinth, heady jasmine and fresh jonquil. It’s sort of like spring in a bottle and I’ve been spritzing it on in the hope of hurrying up the season’s arrival!
Inspired by the beauty and changing nature of plants and the natural world, the brand has a ‘clean beauty’ ethos – aiming for its products to be as unadulterated as possible. That’s not to say they are simple, instead you’ll discover a varied range of well-structured fragrances, which will pique your interest. The only problem is which one to pick.
The fragrances are available either as a 50ml bottle of Eau de Parfum, £135 each, or a smaller 10ml version, at £36
