‘One’ was released at a time when it felt like everyone around me was going through something really big.
Late February/early March seemed to bring illness, hospital visits, change, loss, stress and chaos as I physically looked around me, received messages from friends living far away – and after checking in on you all on social media.
The tumultuousness of the world was in full swing and I watched on in despair as people’s state changed dramatically. And it reminded me of why I started perfumery. Scent radically changes your state – in an instant. You cannot inhale something like a complex and beautiful scent without it positively affecting your physiology and mood. So ‘One’, and the message behind it, couldn’t have arrived at a more perfect time. Purposefully made for the Autumnal time of year, which conceptually sits alongside my values of authenticity and connection. I believe in supporting an artisanal life in all of us – and each season I create something truly aligning to that time and place. We all need those chapters to the year don’t we?…. Our seasonal scents are always about getting swept up in the moment.
I am thrilled to share with you, behind-the-perfumery door and how ‘One’ was born…………..
Here’s how it started…..
I read with interest, the beautiful Em’s (from @readandhall) journey over the past year and what that looked like for her (by the way, we will be interviewing Em as our artist-in-residence next month). It reminded me of the feeling we get as the Autumn nights descend, that feeling to want to come inside, inside to warmth and comfort. A sense of retreat. Maybe a metaphor for coming back to yourself. If we even remember what this looks like once the world has had it’s way with us, right? We start to look for things that are rich, wholesome and filled with substance; in food, or music, art or scent. At the times when things are most chaotic, the nights chill, the autumn winds pick up, the cold descends, these can be found in moments, and all it takes is just ‘one’ moment for everything to have clarity once again. Which is why I called this scent ‘One”. One moment only ever lasts for a short period of time, but our memory likes to savour in it for far longer… there is power in one.
Can you imagine what this scent smells like?
‘One’ is deeply abundant in richness. A warm gourmand accord to completely transform your state, when the outside world turns to Autumn. An enchanting colour way of deep magenta, sunsets and yellow twinkling stars (are you there yet?) brings it to life visually. It smells like you would imagine a Parisian runway in the late evening to smell like – a mixture of sillage of scents. And it feels like a romantic dinner party for one would, with sounds akin to a giant harp so gently being played. Can you imagine this now?
The inspiration from my Cabinet of Curiosities….
My studio is filled with curiosities. Treasures collected reminding me of moments, landscapes and ideas. To bring this new seasonal scent to life, I drew upon these treasures, along with visual art, colour patterns and literature. Included in my collection for ‘One” was whiskey acetone, one side only of an imperfect clam shell, a rich chocolate coloured ribbon delicately laid with no structure, the number 1 on linen with more negative space than expected and a gold ‘x’ to represent following your instincts to unearth the treasures of ’self’. The deep viva magenta colour represents the richness of the scent and the rose petals, the femininity of the accord. Treasures detailing the story of this scent.
The journey this scent will take you on….
This is my most beautifully complex scent to date. It feels so ironically whole as a ‘One’. The opening notes are beautiful Blackcurrant and Sweet Orange with the heart notes progressing into Plum accord, Tiare and Amber with the dry down notes – the ones you are left with, Vanilla and Whiskey. I get asked this so often, “can I try it?” And the answer is absolutely, I have made you….
10mls here for exactly this reason. Or if you are curious by nature, I have created a
Sample Set, which includes Haze, Scent 2 and Autumnal Breeze from last year too.
How can I use ‘One’ to transform my state?
There is a whole science on how scent can transform your mood. So my best advice is to put it on when you feel you need it. Some of you told me you like a ritual, keeping it on your bedside table ready for when you dress in the mornings, some of you prefer to keep it in your handbag for anytime you may need a pick-me-up. I know there are so many of you that adore a spray on Eau de Parfum and then some that prefer a roll-on Perfume Oil, so I now have both in store. Whichever feels right for you, make sure you keep it out of sunlight and intense heat in both cases. Due to the fragility of the pure ingredients, it will keep better in the coolness. Other ways perfume can be experienced is by spraying your clothing, of course, at a distance as not to dampen or damage the delicate fabrics. This will also help your wardrobe smell amazing by default. And I have been known at times to spritz the perfume in front of me and then walk through it. Actually I prefer to dance through it. That improves my state too. x
What a gift….
As I wrote before, it seems that March has been a tumultuous time for many and it can be hard to watch the people you love, feel pain or unease. So often we send love in the form of words, flowers or gifts but with the way of the modern world, sometimes it can feel disconnected when there is a person in the middle putting it together. I remember years ago, I wanted to buy a gift for a friend and send it but nothing felt quite right. It just didn’t say ‘I know you’ or ‘I see you’. Which is why when you choose a scent from my collection, it will prompt you to provide the name of the person I am making this for. In my studio, I have birdsong on my windowsill as I carefully put together the perfume and then write the person it was made for’s name on the label. I want them to know that this was constructed just for them. A gift and an experience that you knew they would love and that someone thought of them.
Finale.
I am so proud of this seasonal scent. It’s boldness and striking nature, but more so, it’s warm and genuine love. It’s an incredible privilege to put something so personal out into the world and have it met with such grace and admiration. Thank you. Please do take the time to let me know what you think of this aromatic experience. I value you.
A World of Perfumery – The story of ‘One’: with in-house perfumer, Amanda Stevens
Late February/early March seemed to bring illness, hospital visits, change, loss, stress and chaos as I physically looked around me, received messages from friends living far away – and after checking in on you all on social media.
The tumultuousness of the world was in full swing and I watched on in despair as people’s state changed dramatically. And it reminded me of why I started perfumery. Scent radically changes your state – in an instant. You cannot inhale something like a complex and beautiful scent without it positively affecting your physiology and mood. So ‘One’, and the message behind it, couldn’t have arrived at a more perfect time.
Purposefully made for the Autumnal time of year, which conceptually sits alongside my values of authenticity and connection. I believe in supporting an artisanal life in all of us – and each season I create something truly aligning to that time and place. We all need those chapters to the year don’t we?…. Our seasonal scents are always about getting swept up in the moment.
I am thrilled to share with you, behind-the-perfumery door and how ‘One’ was born…………..
Here’s how it started…..
I read with interest, the beautiful Em’s (from @readandhall) journey over the past year and what that looked like for her (by the way, we will be interviewing Em as our artist-in-residence next month). It reminded me of the feeling we get as the Autumn nights descend, that feeling to want to come inside, inside to warmth and comfort. A sense of retreat. Maybe a metaphor for coming back to yourself. If we even remember what this looks like once the world has had it’s way with us, right? We start to look for things that are rich, wholesome and filled with substance; in food, or music, art or scent. At the times when things are most chaotic, the nights chill, the autumn winds pick up, the cold descends, these can be found in moments, and all it takes is just ‘one’ moment for everything to have clarity once again. Which is why I called this scent ‘One”. One moment only ever lasts for a short period of time, but our memory likes to savour in it for far longer… there is power in one.
Can you imagine what this scent smells like?
‘One’ is deeply abundant in richness. A warm gourmand accord to completely transform your state, when the outside world turns to Autumn. An enchanting colour way of deep magenta, sunsets and yellow twinkling stars (are you there yet?) brings it to life visually. It smells like you would imagine a Parisian runway in the late evening to smell like – a mixture of sillage of scents. And it feels like a romantic dinner party for one would, with sounds akin to a giant harp so gently being played. Can you imagine this now?
The inspiration from my Cabinet of Curiosities….
My studio is filled with curiosities. Treasures collected reminding me of moments, landscapes and ideas. To bring this new seasonal scent to life, I drew upon these treasures, along with visual art, colour patterns and literature. Included in my collection for ‘One” was whiskey acetone, one side only of an imperfect clam shell, a rich chocolate coloured ribbon delicately laid with no structure, the number 1 on linen with more negative space than expected and a gold ‘x’ to represent following your instincts to unearth the treasures of ’self’. The deep viva magenta colour represents the richness of the scent and the rose petals, the femininity of the accord. Treasures detailing the story of this scent.
The journey this scent will take you on….
This is my most beautifully complex scent to date. It feels so ironically whole as a ‘One’. The opening notes are beautiful Blackcurrant and Sweet Orange with the heart notes progressing into Plum accord, Tiare and Amber with the dry down notes – the ones you are left with, Vanilla and Whiskey. I get asked this so often, “can I try it?” And the answer is absolutely, I have made you….
10mls here for exactly this reason. Or if you are curious by nature, I have created a
Sample Set, which includes Haze, Scent 2 and Autumnal Breeze from last year too.
How can I use ‘One’ to transform my state?
There is a whole science on how scent can transform your mood. So my best advice is to put it on when you feel you need it. Some of you told me you like a ritual, keeping it on your bedside table ready for when you dress in the mornings, some of you prefer to keep it in your handbag for anytime you may need a pick-me-up. I know there are so many of you that adore a spray on Eau de Parfum and then some that prefer a roll-on Perfume Oil, so I now have both in store. Whichever feels right for you, make sure you keep it out of sunlight and intense heat in both cases. Due to the fragility of the pure ingredients, it will keep better in the coolness. Other ways perfume can be experienced is by spraying your clothing, of course, at a distance as not to dampen or damage the delicate fabrics. This will also help your wardrobe smell amazing by default. And I have been known at times to spritz the perfume in front of me and then walk through it. Actually I prefer to dance through it. That improves my state too. x
What a gift….
As I wrote before, it seems that March has been a tumultuous time for many and it can be hard to watch the people you love, feel pain or unease. So often we send love in the form of words, flowers or gifts but with the way of the modern world, sometimes it can feel disconnected when there is a person in the middle putting it together. I remember years ago, I wanted to buy a gift for a friend and send it but nothing felt quite right. It just didn’t say ‘I know you’ or ‘I see you’. Which is why when you choose a scent from my collection, it will prompt you to provide the name of the person I am making this for. In my studio, I have birdsong on my windowsill as I carefully put together the perfume and then write the person it was made for’s name on the label. I want them to know that this was constructed just for them. A gift and an experience that you knew they would love and that someone thought of them.
Finale.
I am so proud of this seasonal scent. It’s boldness and striking nature, but more so, it’s warm and genuine love. It’s an incredible privilege to put something so personal out into the world and have it met with such grace and admiration. Thank you. Please do take the time to let me know what you think of this aromatic experience. I value you.
Amanda xx