What has been keeping you entertained during the lockdown? Reading, cooking, endless binge-watching of tv series? For me undeniably has been all of the above plus fragrance of course and mainly reading about the inspiration behind many fragrances old and new. With the new way of the world and re-evaluating our priorities, many of our previous shopping habits will undoubtedly change. A shift to buying things and especially perfume that "speaks" to us will be the new norm rather than blindly following the trends or ads we used to see and drove us to mass consumpion. Don't get me wrong the visual aspect is still very important however it will need to be accompanied by a good story.
This is what initially drew me to LEN fragrances; a brand that combines thoughtful packaging with beautiful imagery that gives clues of the story that it wants to tell you with equally gorgeous scents. LEN Fragrance is a brand that has been created by bringing together beautiful artisan scents with special love stories and engaging creative elements; the result of a collaboration between Jelena von Olnhausen, and many experts plus French perfumer Michel Almairac, is a collection of six olfactory love stories that may or may not have been based on actual events!
I was kindly sent 3 out of the six fragrances to review and I am very impressed by their quality ; they are beautifully created and express masterfully the story they want to tell through their ingredients. An added bonus is their longevity; all of them lingered on my skin untl the next day, just like the sweet memory of a story well told.
She & Male tells the story of "An unforgettable encounter in a legendary London club. He and She or She and Me. Which of the two beings who met that night at the so-chic Mahiki Club in London could have recognized themselves? Nobody knows. It is the surprising alchemy of nature. To discover the soulmate, with whom the masculine and feminine parts are attracted to each other. The attraction of opposites is charismatic, spiritual, and unusual. It is the perfect harmony of souls and bodies in a voluptuous sensuality."
A fluid fragrance containing iris, vetiver, neroli, and moss. A perfect juxtaposition between materials that are considered masculine and feminine blended together without overlapping, just enhancing each others power and entwined in a sensual dance. My favourite of the three, I love it for its duality and perfect balance of all my favourite notes put together in a bottle.
Privarot tells "the personal story of a sorceress from Brazil with the melodious name Maria de Solsa, who took a very personal path to find love. Have you ever heard of this bewitching Brazilian, Maria de Solsa? A modern and beautiful witch you would die for… nothing to do with scary old stories. On the contrary, without doubt, all men would be damned for this dream creature. I met her in Moscow one night in one of the most select clubs. She sold her irresistible love philtres. Mind yourself, one of my friends fell in love with an unsavory man."
Privarot is a love elixir, with captivating floral notes of ylang-ylang and jasmine, magically blended with sandalwood and orange blossom. Fresh and carefree at the beginning it draws you in before it releases it's seductive heart of lush flowers and creamy sandalwood that cast a spell and leave you no choice but to surrender to its charms. An ultimate weapon of seduction.
Just Roulette tells "the story of an Italian actor, his wife, their small daughter, and their nanny on their yacht. My dad was like a god to me. A great actor known all over the world. We lived in the Bosconi Palace in Milan, near the Duomo. I was 12 years old when I spent the most beautiful vacation on my family’s yacht in this sea so blue, the Mediterranean."
Gorgeous woody fragrance with a sweet grapefruit bite, a lovely refined powdery iris that lingers on and a poweful mix of cedar wood, vetiver and moss to wrap it up. My husband loved it and has been wearing it non stop; it's beautiful in the warm weather and it suits him very much!
The other 3 fragrances have equally interesting stories as their inspiration:
Jeux Dangereux tells the story of a secret agent with a legendary butterfly tattoo on her delicate shoulder blade and has won a Duftstars award last year, Crystal Bomb was inspired by the personal story of an Arabian princess whose life was an eternal beginning until she found true love and lastly Try To Follow Me tells the story of a professional poker player from New York who found true love on a flight to Monaco.
LEN fragrances are available at their website where they offer a lovely discovery set as well and in the UK you can also find them at The Shop At Bluebird.