Episode Details

Wowie! So many excellent fragrances to get your noses around in this episode, it was difficult to know where to begin. But with so many to explore we started with a recap of the recent barnstorming success of Barnes Fragrance Fair...

We talked through Suzy’s choices for her sold-out talk with Alice du Parcq (and if you couldn’t go or were there but missed any of the talks: never fear! They were all recorded and will be on the Barnes Fragrance Fair YouTube channel when they’re all edited. We’ll let you know when they’re up, but meanwhile you can watch last year’s talks there, including the ‘Top of the morning’ show we so loved doing.)

Suzy chose:

Shloksha Soapy Heart

Based in Tunbridge Wells, founder Jay says “Moving from India to the UK in my

twenties, I do miss the immersive sensory joys found in everyday Indian culture.

Sourcing and working with traditional Indian materials connects me to my

childhood—scented trips down memory lane!”

Opening notes - red mandarin and grapefruit

Heart notes - jasmine, ylang ylang, green grass and saffron

Base notes – sandalwood, fruity musk, oudh

“You slip on your fine silk robe, gorgeously patterned with tropical birds, and

quietly pad along the hallway to the bathroom. Closing the heavy wooden door

with a sigh of relief, you lean over the sparkling slipper bath, slide the plug in

and turn both taps on full. Glittering beads of water dance in the diffuse light.

You perch your hip on the side of the bath as your ears fill pleasantly with the

roar and tumble of the cascading water. Your life is very busy and demanding,

and you get few opportunities to indulge yourself. But a long, quiet bath is often

what you crave.

Your eyes glance along the rich turquoise tiled shelf as you ponder how to scent

your watery sanctuary. Antique crystal jars hold delicately fragrant floral

salts—you carefully lift their lids- one by one - and their enchanting perfumes

mingle with the steam. But they’re perhaps not exactly what you’re in the mood

for.A waxed paper tablet of old-fashioned, handmade soap sits demurely at the

end of the shelf. Fresh, brand new and unopened. Your fingertips softly caress

the crackling paper as you carefully unwrap it and the dense, creamy pebble

drops into your silken lap.

You dip your hands briefly in the warm bath water and rotate the smooth soap in

your hands. Rich suds fly into the air, dense but light. Airy and iridescent. Yes,

this is what you were looking for.”

Jorum Studio Risso

‘An independent fragrance brand founded in Scotland in 2019 led by Scottish

perfumer Euan McCall. Jorum creates modern, poetic fragrances that capture the

beauty of nature with an unconventional spirit. Designing and manufacturing all

products in-house, Jorum Studio celebrates the craft of perfumery using only the

purest quality materials in truly unique and creative ways.’ (Based in Edinburgh,

now with a store in London, too.)

‘Impression

Douglas fir, Pear, Cypress, Mastic, Petitgrain, Bigarade, Carrot, Angelica seed.

Fade

Nerium Oleander, Pearwood, Olive, Neroli, Orange Flower absolute, Ambrette

seed.

‘Sculptural sunbeams filter through the breaks in gauzy linen, air is cool,

carrying the bittersweet embrace of seasonal citrus and the brightness of soap

on fabric and skin. Crisp, clean and radiant. Risso awakens with the cool

ambience of majestic Douglas Fir and bracing Cypress oils, evoking the hush of

dawn. Pear and Bigarade bring bright clarity, where expressive citrus meets

delicious soft-fruit sweetness. The centrepiece: a gilded rush of vibrant Neroli

and delicate Orange Flower Absolute, bringing a fusion of enduring luminosity.’

NEUNÉRE When All Things Were Divine

Founded in London 2