Great Britain: A Portrait in Perfumes
It is a thrilling time in British perfumery – indie brands gaining retail spaces, and hosting hugely popular pop-up shops. There’s a huge amount to celebrate, and whereas in times past, it was only France and Italy people traditionally tuned for their fine perfumery, the niche world has shaken that gap wide open and allowed the creativity and beauty of these British brands to truly shine through.
Here are just four of the fragrance houses painting a portrait of Great Britain in perfumed form…
A uniquely Scottish fragrance house established in 2019 by perfumer Euan McCall and designer Chloe Mullen. With a refined sensibility for creative compositions grounded in classical perfumery, the Edinburgh-based Jorum Studio presents a continually evolving interpretation of contemporary scent.
Fragrant Example: Spiritcask £89 for 30ml extrait de parfum jorumstudio.com
Pear, new-make whisky and chamomile glimmer above ylang-ylang and malt, threaded with silky ribbons of cognac and jasmine. As the fragrance deepens, cocoa, maple and smoky caramel curl through oakwood, leather and bourbon vanilla, evoking the comforting warmth and quiet mystery of an ancient Scottish barrel, its spirited history lingering in every golden drop.
With a former career in Scotch whisky, Imogen Russon-Taylor founded the first fully Scottish fragrance house in 2018. Her vision? To ‘bottle Scotland’ – using perfume to share old narratives in new ways, tapping into the rich stories associated with perfume and natural ingredients proudly sourced in Scotland.
Fragrant Example: Botanica £150 for 100ml eau de parfum in the Shop
Crafted in partnership with the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, this pays tribute to the work, passion and pioneering spirit of botanists, scientists and fearless Scottish plant hunters past, present and future. Opening with the brightness of spiced plum blossom and pink pepper, it unfurls lush blackcurrant buds and green botanicals over a warm floral heart and grounding, woody base.
In 2019, Louise Smith set up a dreamy scented scenario of having her perfumery based within ‘a secret walled garden’, after extensive training in France, Italy and London, she felt confident enough in her own abilities, and ‘…eventually started my own perfume workshops here in Monmouth’s beautiful Wye Valley.’
Fragrant Example: The Celts Collection £27-120 walesperfumery.com
This latest selection of scented offerings is ‘an olfactory journey through the ancient Celtic world, celebrating the tribes who shaped the identity of Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Cornwall, and Brittany. Each fragrance in this collection tells the story of a distinct Celtic people; their landscapes, their customs, their spirit…’
Having grown up surrounded by perfumery ingredients – her father an important player in the natural ingredients world, travelling the globe sourcing materials – it was perhaps unsurprising that Amanda Connock founded her own house. The extraordinary kukui oil formed the basis of an initial collection, now blooming into a glorious evocation of botanicals.
Fragrant Example: Connock Verdant £20-85 connockengland.co.uk
A breath of outdoorsy air – green and herbaceous, with notes of English rose and fig, blackcurrant, peppermint and eucalyptus, buffed by amber and sandalwood. Bodycare, haircare, home fragrance and eau de parfum can be layered to the max (and oh how glorious it is to wear in cooler months, now, for bracing freshness!)
Written by Suzy Nightingale