Ånd Fragrance: Meet my Perfume Friends: Beån, Sånd, Måd, Frånk, and Båre
Although they sound like a bunch of friends you made at uni, Beån, Sånd, Måd, Frånk, and Båre are in fact ethical fragrances from Ånd Fragrance by Simon Constantine, formerly of Gorilla Perfumes at LUSH. When you buy these, you give something back to the world.
In a political landscape that feels both dystopian and more than a little Groundhog Day-ish, such feats of kindness are balm to the soul. I’m going to tell you how they smell and how much good you do when you buy one. They’re not very expensive and you are putting money back in the worker’s pocket and keeping the trees alive.
Sånd
Sånd is a rich, creamy sandalwood that changes as you wear it and lasts all day. The money you spend on that is reinvested into the sandalwood plantation and the growers’ community from whence it came. Sustainable means putting your money where your mouth is and nobody can say that Simon Constantine does not deliver.
Beån
The bean is question here is the tonka bean. It looks a bit like a cross between a cocoa bean and a vanilla pod and the aroma falls somewhere between the two. Combine a silky creme brûlée with an almost bitter square of chocolate, then take away any syrupy nonsense. Now you have Beån.
This is a gourmand that will have people’s mouths watering and asking you for recipes that don’t exist. There’s a hint of rich almonds in here too, all wrapped up like a warm hug from someone in a Christmas jumper. The tonka comes from the Amazon, as do many of the oils which enhance it. I noticed a touch of orange and neroli, for example, and there’s lavender in here too, and even fennel! Ingredients are ethically sourced and sustainable. Enjoy with a clean conscience.
Båre
Båre is all about the forest and is named after The Great Bear rainforest. This one was full of surpises and not what I expected. It became lots of different things, like a woodland fairytale. Firstly, there’s that sharp, piny conifer smell. It has a bit of gentleman’s fougère about it, what with the pine going on. The sharp edges are seamlessly sanded down into a warmer cedar accord, where an almost minty edge melts into a creamy base.
At this point, I discerned a touch of posh, manly soap as freshness and warmth combine into an irresistible blend that I want my husband to wear forever. Again, ingredients are ethically sourced and sustainable and help both the environment and the communities who live in this part of the Canadian rainforest. Only branches and needles are used and the trees are left standing ready for their next season, having had a prune.
Måd
This refers to Madagascan vanilla, arguably the world’s finest. The difference is that this Måd gives something back. The brand says “Think of this as an eco system in a bottle.” Again, the ingredients come from a rainforest which is kept going, without being razed to the ground (I’m giving palm oil a hard stare for doing this). Måd is blended with ylang ylang, violets and even a bit of orchid, making it unlike any vanilla I’ve ever smelled. Imagine if vanilla was a flower, not a pod. You’re getting warmer. Here’s how it benefits its farmers:
“Through this fragrance we will work with Madagasgar’s threatened communities to build social, economic and ecological resilience.
Frånk
And now we come to Frånk. This one was the fragrance I anticipated the most. I’m a fool for anything incense-y and this delivered, but from an angle I wasn’t expecting. Frånk is a fruity little number that couldn’t be further away from an old church. Sort of a pity as I love the smell of an old church, but here frankincense plays the adventurous younger brother. It may be related to frankincense’s solemn roots in thuribles, but this one is eating strawberry liquorice and drinking banana milkshake. It’s a rebel with a good cause.
The resin of the Frankincense tree has been harvested for generations in the Marda Mofe area, battered by drought and economic damage. The money from Frånk is ploughed back into the communities, giving them an invaluable lifeline and a livelihood so that the they can sustain the trees, grow more of them and feed heir families.
A final happy note
All of these fragrances are vegan, cruelty free and hand made in England. To find out more, the website is here. Follow them on instagram here. #andfragrance #unstinktheworld
Where to buy them
You can buy all of these fragrances, including a discovery set from the Ånd Fragrance website. The price is £40 for a 10ml EDP spray and when I say a little goes a long way, I mean it both metaphorically and literally.
Disclosure
I was sent samples by the brand for my consideration as a blogger. Opinions and the choice to review them are both my own.