[unpaid/sample] I think we’ve got more adventurous with fragrance over lock-down. I attended a Zoom fragrance launch yesterday and the host said that perfumes gave us the intimacy and connection to loved ones and memories that were not attainable at the time. And I think she’s right. I know there is a section of fragrance lovers who are open to anything – the more challenging the better – because they view it as an experience, often wearing divisive scents just to taste the world with them. My nearest (very boringly) to a challenging wear that I’m both drawn to and repelled by is Lost Cherry.
The Experimental Perfume Club is an exciting concept which appeals to both the adventurer and the not-quite-found-the-one wanderer because part of their remit is education in the most fragrant sense. You can book half day work shops to learn the perfume basics, a full day for all-in immersion or a one to one with a perfumer to hone down what you really love and really don’t. I think it’s about guiding your instincts – you will already have them but just need to find your confidence to follow them. There are also on-line courses as well as the in-lab experience (in Covent Garden) that you can gift or attend yourself.
I’ve got one of the limited edition signature blends (which you can rename or personalise) here and I knew I’d love it as soon as I saw the name. Jasmine Sour has all the headiness of jasmine at full bloom with a twist of lemon and juniper to cut through the fullness. It’s quite uncomplicated in that what you think you will get, you do, but I noticed the juniper come out more as the day wore on. It’s £32 for 8ml – which I feel is plenty if you chop and change – and there is a sampler set for £30. To fully understand everything that EPC does, you need to set aside half an hour or so and browse through the website – it’s full of possibilities and learnings. It would not at all surprise me if various beauty houses have a covetous eyes on EPC. The lab only opened in April so it’s at early stages – if you’re ready to venture out, this might be a good place to start. EPC is HERE.
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