The last year or so has had a lot of economic shifts, most of them uncomfortable. Like most people, I’ve tightened my belt, and thought more than usual before making purchases. Somewhere during those months, I started thinking about the nature of luxury, which used to be something that took time to acquire, and required not only money, but taste and thought to achieve. In recent years, it’s been pretty easy to snatch up a piece of perceived luxury. Designer sunglasses abound, the latest “it” bag is only a click away, and the pursuit of luxury has been mostly defined by the acquisition of expensive goods.
Perhaps this is a good time to remember that luxury is defined as a condition of great ease and comfort, something hard to obtain. After all, anything easily obtained becomes less desirable and less treasured. These days I want to spend my money wisely, on things of true luxury and taste—like my featured scents this month—that I will appreciate for years to come.
Tiare, by Ormonde Jayne
Tiare is the latest release from Ormonde Jayne, the London-based perfumery that recently celebrated its seventh anniversary. Listed top notes are mandarin, orange flower, and sicilian lime, with heart notes of tiare (Tahitian gardenia) freesia, water lilies, jasmine, orris, and ylang and base notes of cedar, vetiver, sandalwood, patchouli, moss, and musk.
Winter may seem an odd time to release a white floral fragrance, but Linda Pilkington, founder of Ormonde Jayne, created Tiare to be a perfume you can wear anytime, anywhere. Very often that sort of description means non-descript but, as usual, Ormonde Jayne has come up with a fragrance that is anything but ordinary.
Tiare opens with big citrus bang that moves quickly into the bright, sun-drenched floral notes. One of the things I like about the citrus is that’s it actually smells like a citrus fruit rather than that jarring floor-cleaner smell that frequently passes for citrus in perfumes.
Unfortunately for me, I’ve never smelled a Tahitian gardenia so I have no idea what they smell like, but this is not a creamy, heavy, gardenia. It’s sharp and green, and you can smell a hint of the oakmoss almost immediately. The drydown retains a memory of the crisp opening notes, which is wonderful alongside the woody notes, which is what came through most on my skin. I don’t really smell much patchouli but I think that and the vetiver are what give the drydown such an interesting combination of warm woods and tingly greenery.
I’ve been wearing Tiare ever since I got a sample, including on days when it was really cold, and discovered there’s something perfect about wearing it on a brisk day. I’ve also had loads of compliments while wearing Tiare, which is always a plus. I realized pretty soon I would be out of my sample, so I ordered a bottle of the EDP, and I don’t regret my splurge at all. In fact, once I’ve used up that bottle, I may have to buy the parfum, because having a bottle of Tiare with my initials engraved on the crystal stopper really is my definition of luxury. The lasting power is excellent, as with all Ormonde Jayne fragrances.
After a recent redesign, the bottles are square, heavy crystal with frosted glass swirls on the back and are utterly elegant.
Eau de parfum and parfum, £69 to £210 (about $111 to about $340). Ormonde Jayne has reasonable shipping rates and your bottle will arrive fast.
Interested in learning more about Ormonde Jayne? Read my interview with Linda Pilkington.
Bond No. 9 Signature Perfume by Bond No. 9
Bond No. 9 has just released Bond No. 9 Perfume, with listed notes of oud, rose, tonka beans, and musk.
This scent is named for its downtown address in New York and is a parfum rather than an eau de parfum.
The description of Bond No. 9 Perfume led me to believe I would get a blast of resinous smoky incense in the opening, so I was surprised to smell something quite different. It opens with a pretty, fairly strong rose scent, tempered by wisps of oud trailing through it. If you love an earthy almost animalic oud, this is not for you, but if your preference is for something subtle, but still rich and smooth, this will catch your attention. The top notes move quickly into the vanilla-smelling tonka beans and combine with the musk for a sweet, warm fragrance that’s perfect for cooler weather. I usually don’t care for the sweeter scents, but this is not at all cloying or “foody” and I really enjoyed wearing it. The lasting power is very good; beware of overspraying because a little really does go a long way.
The bottle is all gold magnificence. Stamped with the Bond No. 9 tokens, it’s as bright as New York itself. My only wish is that it came in a 50-milliliter bottle as well as a 100-milliliter bottle.
Parfum, $300, available at Bond No. 9 and Saks Fifth Avenue.
Harrods Limited Edition Oud by Bond No. 9
Also recently released, this limited edition is definitely for the oud lover. Listed top notes are black pepper and cumin. Middle notes are amber and myrrh and base notes are oud and vetiver. I fall firmly in the love-the-earthy-smoky-oud camp, so the peppery, spicy opening of Harrods’ Limited Edition is made-to-order for me. The oud makes its presence known right from beginning, getting smoother and warmer in the middle, but still retaining a hint of pepper. The drydown is heaven: sweet, smoky oud offset by spiky greenness, and the lasting power is excellent.
Harrods Limited Edition is one of my favorite Bond No. 9 fragrances but, again, I wish it also came in a 50-milliliter bottle. Still, the nature of luxury is that it’s hard to obtain, and that includes having to save for bottles of perfume!
The bottle is green and gold, the Harrods colors, and comes in two versions: one with Swarovski crystals in the outline of the famous Harrods department store in London, which looks like the store when it’s all lit up for Christmas and one without Swarovski crystals. The crystal bottle is a heart stopping $625; the other version is $330. Available at Bond No. 9 and Harrods.
Parting note: We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about.—Charles Kingsley
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