Our house perfumes will not smell like anything that you will have experienced in a department store or duty free shop. If you try our fragrances we think that you will agree that these are special. They have a depth that is lacking in purely synthetic fragrances and they change over time as you wear them. Each one is a different journey. We have deliberately composed these fragrances to represent diverse major categories so there will be one to suit everyone.
We know that the choice of perfume is very personal and you might not wish to buy on-line without having tried the perfume first. For this reason we have created our 1ml perfume miniatures, so that you can order your choice of 5 or the whole collection of 10 perfumes, wear them, see how they merge with your skin and get to know them before deciding which you would like to buy in a full size (56ml) bottle. From time to time we also have limited edition fragrances such as Empress of India available in small (12ml) size bottles, also ideal for trying out the perfume.
Alternatively, if you wish to buy a gift for someone special you can choose 5 or 10 samples with a gift voucher for a full size bottle; they can make their choice from the samples we send and then redeem the voucher for a bottle of Eau de Toilette or Eau de Parfum. (To read more about perfume strengths, click here)
We are often asked if we make fragrances for men. We don't describe any of our fragrances as exclusively "masculine" or "feminine" but we have found that Amber, Chypre and Fauve are less floral and are, perhaps, more like conventional masculine fragrances.
Please enjoy exploring our fragrance collection!
Empress of India
Heart: classical floral
Nuance: warm balsamic
Intrigue: floral citrus accord
Created by Alec Lawless especially for BBC2 TV's "The Victorian Pharmacy", Empress of India invokes the traditions of perfumery from a bygone age. The heart of this classical fragrance is based on absolutes of rose, Indian Jasmines of grandiflorum and sambac, orange blossom and tuberose. The base provides warm balsamic nuances being composed of absolutes of opoponax, vanilla and tonka bean with sandalwood, frankincense and botanical musk. The top notes are a floral citrus accord. Orris, rose Otto and neroli provide the florals with a fresh delicate citrus lift courtesy of green mandarin, bergamot and a hint of coriander.
Amber
Heart: masculine floral
Nuance: balsamic incense
Intrigue: herbs and spice
The first impression is soft, warm and masculine. Subtle hints of spice, mint, caraway and thyme evolve on the skin to reveal a floral heart of jasmine, lavender, rose and clary sage. The base is provided by labdanum, frankincense, sandalwood and myrrh with hints of vanilla and patchouli. Distinctive, subtle and masculine.
Chypre
Heart: linden blossom, wood and tobacco
Nuance: floral citrus
Intrigue: marine and hay
One of the green classics named after Cyprus. A fresh and complex blend of citrus, floral and green notes which obscure the woody floral heart which in turn covers the base of tobacco and oak moss. Top citrus notes of linden blossom, neroli, bergamot, lime and cassis gently obscure hints of lavender and rose. Fresh green notes are provided by violet leaf, mint, cumin and seaweed. Cedarwood and cypress help marry the lighter citrus and floral notes with oak moss and tobacco. Like the best men dead butch but also soft and feminine.
Trade Wind
Heart: cool sea
Nuance: warm earth
Intrigue: warm wind.
A light green day perfume with a citric twist. I wanted to catch the experience of being on an exotic Island. Seaweed absolute with mint and violet leaf conjure up the ocean whilst galbanum resin, sandalwood, and vetivert hint at the soft warm earth. Carried in the breeze are faint impressions of orange flowers, linden blossoms, hay and nutmeg.
Classique
Heart: floral rose
Nuance: citrus
Intrigue: fresh herb and spice.
A classical floral fragrance from yesteryear that whispers elegance. From an era when quality was more important than price. This is timeless, elegant and beautiful. The floral heart is a generous blend of rose otto, and rose de mai, supported by orange blossom with neroli and hints of ylang, geranium Bourbon and jasmine. Bergamot, green mandarin and petitgrain provide a subtle citrus lift. Intrigue is imparted by the freshness of coriander and bay, which is warmed by hints of, clove bud and vetivert Bourbon. I had a card from a lady that wears this perfume it said ‘this must be very good because all the young men are after me’.
La Joupe
Heart: heady floral
Nuance: Oriental
Intrigue: musky.
This is unashamedly musky mysterious and very sexy for the confident woman. Why wait for the young men to chase you? Voluptuous, heady floral notes of tuberose and orange blossoms emerge out of the sultry heart of jasmine, patchouli and ylang. The base is very warm balsamic and musky comprising of vetivert bourbon, frankincense, guaiacwood, labdanum, tonka, oakmoss and vanilla. One for the evening.
Mysore Sandalwood
The best oil is extracted from the roots and the wood at the base of the tree
White Blooms
Heart: delicate white floral
Nuance: soft green balsam
Intrigue: warm woody.
A light delicate feminine floral perfume based on mostly white flowers. White Champac and orange blossoms cover a faint hint of pink lotus and jasmine. Delicacy is maintained by using absolutes of hay and beeswax to impart soft warm green notes, which are, in turn supported by a base of sandalwood, frankincense and a light vanilla courtesy of benzoin resin. A daytime fragrance delicate enough for warm balmy evenings.
Fauve
Heart: Vanilla, jasmine
Nuance: Rose, Sandalwood
Intrigue: Patchouli,oakmoss.
Genuine vanilla has tremendous depth and is very sensual. Here we try and show the depth and sensuality which is continents away from the synthetic flavouring. The exotic side is supported by absolutes of jasmine and ylang whilst rose Otto and rose de Mai marry the floral heart to sandalwood and earthy vetivert Bourbon. Mystery comes from oakmoss and patchouli which is softened by frankincense, beeswax abs and trusty absolute of lavender. Suitable for day or night use.
Souk
Heart: Precious woods
Nuance: rose and spice
Intrigue: Incense.
This was inspired by travelling in the Middle East and India where there is much to celebrate from these ancient cultures. The haunting smells of the spice markets, the Arab love affair with the rose, fragrant gardens, precious woods, resins and incense. Sandalwood, frankincense and Cedar of Lebanon are blended with balsams to provide a complex woody heart. Rose Maroc, jasmine, orris and neroli bring floral tributes from surrounding lands. Citrus fruits, herbs and oriental spices bring nuance from the market stalls and the ancient mysterious opoponax suggests incense with help from frankincense and sandalwood. Deep complex and beguiling - the beauty is in the mystery.
Myrrh Resin
Biter perfume and gathering gloom? We’ll we like it more than that. As with frankincense the resin is a pathological secretion from the tree, which hardens when exposed to the oxygen. The oil or absolute is extracted from the hardened resin.
Tangos
Heart: violet leaf, tobacco
Nuance: Jasmine, rose
Intrigue: guaiacwood.
A bold musky perfume originally made for a friend from Argentina based upon her choices of aromatics. Named after the most popular form of Flamenco. It has turned many heads in Buanos Aries. A deep green sultry forest (oak moss, violet leaf, vetivert Bourbon and tobacco) slowly releases complex floral bursts (jasmine, ylang, rose Otto, geranium Bourbon, vanilla and rose Maroc) with hints of herb and spice (hay, coriander, tonka bean). Probably needs to be worn by a dark haired women day or night if you have the confidence.
Kuan Yin
Heart: Osmanthus floral
Nuance: other florals, green notes, citrus
Intrigue: spices and herbs.
Sophisticated, subtle and unusual floral fragrance. Light enough for daytime use and sexy enough for the evening. The floral heart is made up of Osmanthus with mimosa and is supported by hints of jasmine, pink lotus, white champac, rose and ylang. Nuance and depth are added by usingviolet leaf and citrus fruit. Finally intrigue is provided by fresh green herbs and spicy tobacco leaf. The making of this perfume is described in detail on the page 'A Word About Blending'.