SUSTAINABLE SCENTS
C. JoyBell C. once said, “You are never fully dressed without perfume,” so during lockdown, in the absence of getting dressed (I’m sure we’ve all been guilty of it at some point during the last few weeks!), a spritz of a delicious scent is sometimes all that’s needed to feel a bit more “done.” Natural fragrances have thankfully become more widely available thanks to a number of indie brands noticing the wide gap in the perfume market, so here are some of my favourite discoveries both for their scents, and for the stories behind them.
SANA JARDIN - £95
Founded by Amy Christiansen Si-Ahmed, who’s on a mission to harness the power of commerce for social good. Prior to the brand’s conception, the female harvesters from the rural flower-growing region in Morocco had limited access to work — just a few times a year, during the harvest. In addition, 900 tonnes of natural and organic orange blossom waste by-product was created from the region. Sana Jardin addressed these problems by empowering the floral harvesters with the skills and materials they need to increase their wages through commerce by offering business skills training to the local women, so they could develop and sell their own range of products; candles and orange blossom water — all of which came from the waste of perfume production. They receive 100% of the proceeds. In terms of the brand’s perfumes, my favourites are a toss-up between Tiger By Her Side, a spicy yet sweet scent, and Savage Jasmine, which has more obvious floral notes.
FFERN - £69
Focusing on small batches of artisanal scents, Ffern blends a bespoke blend each equinox and solstice. To secure your 32ml bottle, sign up to the brand’s production ledger — each season, based on the number of sign-ups, the brand calculates batch volume to ensure limited waste. Every bottle ships with a sample of the fragrance so you can decide whether you’d like to keep that season’s scent. If not, simply return your bottle using the free postage label and you’ll be fully refunded. Spring 2020 featured ferula gummosa, basil grand vert and gran chaco guaiac wood. The ledger for summer 2020 is closed, but join the waiting list on the brand’s site here.
FLORAL STREET - £60
Floral Street is passionate about 360-degree sustainability, and its scents come tucked inside a ground-breaking biodegradable pulp carton with an embossed lid, made from recyclable paper packaging and held together with a reusable brightly-coloured band — a first for the world of fragrance. Whilst we are in rhubarb season, I’ve been enjoying Electric Rhubarb, which features a combination of white florals, powdery sandalwood and the scent of English rhubarb.
CLEAN RESERVE - £82
Simplicity and sustainability are the lifeblood of niche scent brand Clean Reserve. Clean, raw ingredients are blended to create a collection of unique, anti-mainstream fragrances that focus on individuality.
ROMILLY WILDE - £95
The skincare’s brand sole eau de parfum, Idle, is a good ‘un. The mixed-media fragrance has an addictive, velvety musk and woody character with a floral veil. The formulation features a combination of CO2 extracts, natural isolates as well as more modern molecules. The deconstructed formulation also means that the scent smells slightly different on everyone as it works with the natural rhythms of the body to create a perfume that’s unique to each who wears it.
EDITION - £120
Created by Timothy Han to fill a niche in the luxury perfume market, Edition’s perfumes are designed not not only to minimise negative impact upon our health, the environment and society as a whole, but also to create positive change where possible. They are crafted using natural materials set in a certified organic base of grape alcohol. I’ve been lusting after On The Road, a unisex scent inspired by a road trip — perhaps there’s a hidden meaning in that somewhere!
SAINT RITA PARLOR - from £42
Available in the UK at Neighbourhood Botanicals
Unisex fragrances, hand blended, using rare and organic essential oils, in Los Angeles, California. A homage to the brand’s grandmother Rita — the notes are reminiscent of, and inspired by, the things she enjoyed in life including whisky, hand-rolled cigarettes and roses, which have combined to create the brand’s signature subtle smoky scents with a slight sweet finish.
ABEL - From £58
Following a failed search for a natural perfume that was chic, modern and long lasting, Abel was founded in Amsterdam by New Zealander Frances Shoemack with a simple goal — to create the world’s best natural perfume. Thanks to the beauty of all natural ingredients, the brand’s scents evolve on your skin, working with your natural body chemistry to create a unique scent, one that will continually evolve throughout the day. My favourite might just be Pink Iris, which features notes of Sichuan pepper and fresh basil alongside its namesake iris, amongst a lineup of rose, jasmine, and natural musk.