The importance of gorse in the natural history of Britain has been forgotten as our personal dependence on the land waned. Providing abundant fuel, fodder for animals and almost uniquely in the United Kingdom flowering almost all year round offering a food supply for bees and in turn their keepers. Gorse blossom has an aroma reminiscent of coconut but such is its chemical structure no two people will smell it in exactly the same way. It was this strange anomaly and fascinating scientific fact that drew Christopher Perry to the plant, as much as its association with the Hardy heaths of literature and the south west of England. Growing alongside gorse one will often see Lemon Balm, brought to Britain by the Romans, this important herb relishes the heath land habitat, where it thrives in the wild. Lemon Balm is not overtly citrusy but has a distinct fresh green, lemon smell that perfectly complements the sweetness of the gorse.
Fragrance Notes
Top: Fresh Green, Citrus
Middle: Gorse Flower
Base: Cardamom
Fragrance House
Elegant English brand Laboratory Perfumes is a fragrance house to watch. Brainchild of British perfumer Christopher Perry, his first solo foray into fragrance, the carefully conceived collection is literally one to stop you in your tracks. Inspired by Perry’s fascination with the natural history of the British Isles and their landscape, the resulting fragrances are unexpected and surprising. Eschewing the obvious in favour of the unknown or the forgotten, Laboratory Perfumes evoke a Britain not of country cottages and babbling books but vast heaths and expansive coastlines. Laboratory Perfumes fragrances are clean and modern, perfectly echoed by their minimalist packaging. As complex as the tableaux around which they were conceived, Laboratory Perfumes’ notes are designed to evolve on the skin subtly changing just as a slight shift in the direction of the wind changes the olfactory landscape during a hike across the moors or a stroll by the sea. Roullier White urges you to try this amazing collection of distinctively dynamic fine fragrances.
