Top Fragrance Picks

Fragrances are an essential part of my personality, allowing me to express how I feel daily. I find it captivating that with just one spray, a fragrance has the power to change our mood, boost the spirit and conjure up old memories. I especially love seeking out unique and unusual scents and often spend numerous hours pursuing the next up and coming scent. According to Statistica.com, the fragrance market in the UK is estimated at a value of 1.8 billion British pounds in 2017. Therefore, there is no doubt how popular they are in this country alone. In my opinion, fragrances are the perfect gift for that special someone. As we fast approach the season of giving, I thought I would give you some of my top fragrance picks.

Mr Vanguard (Launched 2017)

I first tried this as it launched in 2017 and I was immediately fascinated by it. The refined bottle houses a fragrance that really takes you by surprise and truly exudes a contemporary masculine scent. Created by a small London-based team, it was evident that they have gone above and beyond to create a unique brand that truly captures the essence of a modern man; stylish, polished and distinctive. The top notes contain a captivating blend of Bergamot, Grapefruit and Coconut, transcending into a floral heart of Jasmine, Lily of the Valley and Rose. This fragrance ends on the warm base notes of Amber, Vanilla, Cedarwood and Patchouli. What makes this fragrance more appealing is its longevity, lasting on the skin for hours on end.

50ml – £64.99 mrvanguard.com

Rook Perfumes – Neroli (Launched 2018)

One of my all-time favourite notes in a fragrance is orange blossom, mostly because it reminds me of a time walking along tree-lined streets of Morocco.  As the intense sun penetrated the orange trees, its leaves exuded an earthy, citrusy and sweet aroma. I had spent a long time trying to find a scent that mimicked this. After a lot of research, I came across the niche fragrance brand Rook Perfumes. Rook Perfumes was created by Nadeem Crowe, who made it his aim to launch his own fragrance house to capture what he thought was missing in the fragrance market. Their Neroli scent manages to encapsulate what I had been looking for and its now a firm favourite of mine. Its top notes contain a beautiful blend of Neroli, Orange Blossom, Tagetes, Bergamot with middle notes of White Narcissus, Dry woods settling into its base notes of Ambergris, Vetiver and Musk. I especially love to spray this fragrance on a rainy grey day as it reminds me of warmer climes.

30ml £49.50  rookperfumes.co.uk

Modernist Fragrance – geist (Launched 2018)

Formulated in London, Modernist Fragrance describe themselves as a collection using twisted classics to replace the normalcy of over-marketed, under-powered conglomerate scent. This is certainly what you get with their new fragrance; geist. After sampling a few of their fragrances, geist really stood out for me and emanated a unique scent that I hadn’t experienced before. I could try and explain it myself, but I couldn’t find anything better than what the founder of Modernist Fragrance, John Evans said himself, “geist is a fascinating construction for me. I spent a lot of time mixing and remixing the head notes, trying to find the citrus pitch I wanted. Mandarin, Lemon, Sweet and Bitter Orange form a core that gently combines with the heart of honeysuckle, one of my favourite florals. When the base of Amber and various Musks begin to exude, echoes of honeysuckle and citrus still haunt the fragrance.”

50ml – £150   modernistfragrance.com

Teatro Fragranza Unique – Tobacco 1815

Teatro Fragranza Unique is a home fragrance range from Italy of which I have previously written a post. They have become so prevalent, that they have now released a perfume based on their most popular fragrance, Tobacco 1815.  This fragrance exudes a luxury and depth that is very appealing and so perfect for this time of the year. This elegant fragrance contains top notes of Cinnamon, Cloves and Wormwood, heart notes of Tabacco, Vetiver and Coconut and base notes of Vanilla and Amber. This stunningly created blend creates a smoky yet sweet aroma that delicately wraps you in an aura of warmth.

100ml – £90  boutiqueofscents.com

Jo Loves – Green Orange & Coriander (Launched 2011)

After visiting the beautiful flagship store in London, I was immediately captivated by Jo Malone’s new range of fragrance products; Jo Loves. I was lucky enough to speak with her on her recent visit to Edinburgh’s Space NK store. Her passion and enthusiasm made me fall in love with this brand further. It was here I discovered the Green Orange & Coriander fragrance, which was created to emulate her memory of lazy days in New York.

I completely adore this blend of bitter Green Orange, Black Pepper and Oakmoss notes. As it settles on the skin it softens into a warm and citrusy aroma which delicately radiates from the skin throughout the day. I have had many compliments with this scent and I feel this fragrance is perfect for the autumn and winter but also translates beautifully throughout each season due to its varied notes.

100ml – £115 50ml – £70  Joloves.com