Inside my Perfume Collection

Estée Lauder once said, ‘Perfume is like a new dress. It makes you quite simply marvellous’.

Despite wearing it very rarely since having a baby, I’ve always loved finishing the ritual of getting ready for the day with a few spritzes of perfume. Fragrance has this uncanny ability to evoke strong memories and feelings, and I love being able to tie milestones and holidays to a perfume; it adds to the joy of wearing it.

Rather than share my beauty edit this month, I instead thought I’d give a look into my (rather extensive…) fragrance collection.

I tend to like fresh, floral fragrances for the spring, and musky, vanilla scented fragrances for the evening. So, you’ll probably notice a bit of a theme…

Vilhelm Parfumerie ‘Black Citrus’ | Top notes of Calabrian bergamot and cardamom; middle notes of mate and violet; base notes of birch and patchouli.
This is the ultimate unisex fragrance to me. It’s spicy, bitter, and a little smokey. The newest addition to my fragrance “wardrobe”, I’ve only had an opportunity to wear it a handful of times, but I love it as an evening option.

Tom Ford ‘Black Orchid’ | Top notes of truffle, gardenia, blackcurrant, Ylang-Ylang, jasmine, bergamot, mandarin orange and Amalfi lemon; middle notes of orchid, spices, gardenia, Fruity Notes, Ylang-Ylang, jasmine and lotus; base notes of Mexican chocolate, patchouli, vanille, incense, amber, sandalwood, vetiver and white musk.
This is such a divine fragrance. It’s sexy, rich, heady and intoxicating. The kind of perfume you put on for a date, or in the thick of winter. I love the way that this makes me feel. It’s a luxury, but well worth it, and the fragrance lingers.(sexy, rich, heady, intoxicating)

Byredo ‘Mojave Ghost’ | Top notes of sapodilla and ambrette; middle notes of magnolia, violet and sandalwood; base notes of ambergris and cedar.
If you think the name is indicative of the fragrance, you’d be wrong. It’s soft, sweet, and fresh. For me the aromatic that truly shines is the sapodilla, which has a pear-like fragrance. Very bright; one of my favourite spring time perfumes, and the one I wore on my wedding day.

Sylvaine Delacourte ‘Vangelis’ | Top note of clementine; middle note of almond; base notes of cloves, vanilla, cardamom and cinnamon.
The base note of vanilla – which this fragrance is founded on – is enhanced with spicy accents of cardamom and cinnamon. It’s warm, and inviting. 

Tory Burch ‘Jolie Fleur Lavande’ | Top notes of lavender, freesia, peony and bergamot; middles notes of iris, violet, magnolia and mate; base notes of lavender, tonka bean and musk.
This is such a beautiful, and soft lavender perfume. There’s subtlety in the lavender notes – despite being both a top and base note – and it feels very fresh. The abundance of floral aromatics gives it a freshness.

Salvatore Ferragamo ‘Amo by Ferragamo’ | Top notes of blackcurrant, rosemary and Campari; middle notes of jasmine, rhubarb and mate; base notes of vanilla, amber and sandalwood.
This is a rich perfume – one I like to wear in the evening during the warmer months. What really shines through for me is the sweetness of the fruit and vanilla combined.

Maison Margiela Replica in ‘Bubble Bath’ | Top notes of soap and bergamot; middle notes of lavender, jasmine and rose; base notes of white musk, coconut and patchouli.
Such a pretty fragrance for spring. It has a fresh, clean and soapy scent to it. Very light and develops in a beautiful way.

Rochas ‘Mademoiselle Rochas’ | Top notes of candy apple, blackcurrant, orange and lemon; middle notes of rose and Egyptian jasmine; base notes of sandalwood, vanilla, musk and ambergris.
Two words come to mind when I spritz this on my wrists: sweet and fruity. It’s clear why, when you look at the notes. The vanilla, must and sandalwood add some complexity to the sweet aromatics – the perfect blend of the two. I love this as a light spring or summer fragrance.

Viktor&Rolf ‘Flowerbomb’ | Top notes of tea, bergamot and osmanthus; middle notes of orchid, jasmine, rose, freesia and African orange flower; base notes of patchouli and musk.
My first perfume, and one I have such fond memories of. It was a fragrance that not only I wore, but also, many of my friends. It’s pungent (in a good way), with a musky, sweet floral bouquet. 

Jo Malone ‘Osmanthus Blossom’ | Top note of petitgrain; middle note of osmanthus; base note of cashmere Wood.
This was a limited release, and such a beautiful spring fragrance if you’re able to get your hands on it. It has a fresh feeling, with largely crisp florals shining through.

Jo Malone ‘Nectarine Blossom & Honey’ | Top notes of blackcurrant and petitgrain; middle notes of nectarine and black locust; base notes of peach, plum and vetiver.
Another perfect spring fragrance, and will be a winner with you love the sweet scents of nectarine and honey, as they really shine through. Overall, it’s soft, sweet and fruity – a real mood booster!

Jo Malone ‘Rose & Magnolia’ | Top notes of magnolia and black pepper; middle notes of Damask rose, May rose and geranium; base notes of patchouli, moss and amberwood.
This is a classic scent. Very creamy, and on the nose seems to have equal parts rose and magnolia, which both shine through. 

Jo Malone ‘Vetiver & Golden Vanilla’ | Top note of cardamom; middle note of vetiver bourbon; base note of vanilla bourbon.
This is a super intense unisex fragrance. It’s intoxicating, heavy and has a very musky aroma. I put that down to the vanilla bourbon. The kind of fragrance I like to put on for a night out.

Jo Malone ‘Silver Birch & Lavender’ | Top note of jasmine petals; Middle note of frangipani; base note of sandalwood.
Part of the Lavenderland collection, this is creamy and rich. The sandalwood note comes through loud and strong, especially on the dry down. 

Jo Malone ‘Lavender & Coriander’ | Top note of sage; middle notes of lavender and coriander; base note of tonka bean.
Another from the Lavenderland collection, this opens with a fresh and bright aroma. The lavender is very subtle, and even on dry down, it pulls more soapy in a herby way. Unusual but brilliant.

Jo Malone ‘Wood Sage & Sea Salt’ | Top note of ambrette seeds; middle note of sea salt; base note of sage.
A cult classic from Jo Malone, and one I love layering with other scents. There’s also a hint of grapefruit in there, which gives it a slightly citrus aroma. A good all rounder, and very inoffensive.

Jo Malone ‘Fig & Lotus Flower’ | Top note of fig leaf; middle note of lotus flower; base note of vetiver.
It’s bright and floral. When I wear this, I feel like the figgy scent develops on the dry down rather than shining through the opening bouquet. 

Jo Malone ‘Willow & Amber’ | Top note of pink pepper; middle note of willow; base note of amber.
Another limited edition fragrance, probably from my favourite collection. This is such a soft, autumn scent; there’s a bit of spiciness from the pink pepper and a gentle woodiness from the wood.

Jo Malone ‘Cade & Cedarwood’ | Top note of cade; middle note of cedar wood; base note of caste labdanum
From the same collection as ‘Willow and Amber’, I love to layer the two. I find that this has a sweet smokiness to it – attributed by the cade – drying down to a soft sensual musk. A favourite autumn fragrance.

Jo Malone ‘English Pear & Freesia’ | Top notes of pear and melon; middle notes of freesia and rose; base notes of musk, patchouli, rhubarb and amber.
If you could bottle an English pear as a fragrance, this would be it. The fruity pear notes are apparent as the fragrance opens, which softens down as the beautiful freesia and rose notes shine through.