Sniffing London: a sniffathon under the Big Ben

I was wriggling out of my responsibilities since I didn't publish nothing new in the past days and maybe somebody was wondering why. Somebody else instead already knew I was travelling to London for some days to visit some friends and see some art gallery and of course for a sniffathon downtown.
It was since years I was curious about british perfumery brands almost impossible to find in Italy like Ormonde Jayne and Roja Dove Haute Parfumerie so while I was planning my scented tour I wondered why should I restrict myself to just discover the fragrances? So I thought to try with an interview to better understand also their creators. Fortunately Linda Pilkington and Roja Dove are not only refined perfumers but above all two exquisite persons that instantly accepted my invitation showing to be very helpful in introducing me to their fragrances and telling me a lot of curious things I will tell you very soon.

During the sniffathon aside giving in to Ormonde Jayne and Roja Dove Haute Parfumerie fragrances and scented candles, I could also smell the new Miller Harris fragrances I missed at Pitti Fragranze. La Pluie is a languid aroma, wet as exotic flowers reclined by the rain that exude their almost fruity sweetness to the moist ground. La Fumée on the other hand explores the softness of smoky sandalwood wrapped by an ambery glow with green and gentle spices like coriander and cardamome. Again taking Lyn Harris elegant and understated signature, I could try the Nouvelle Edition, a line exclusively sold  in Miller Harris boutiques. The fragrances develop a main theme (Jasmin Vert, Terre d'Iris, Vetiver Bourbon, Fleurs de Sel, Le Petit Grain) taking advantage on the excellence of the main raw material embellished by touches aimed to emphasize particular facets and plunging it in a beaming natural atmosphere.

Last stop of the tour was Harrods ground floor where I could smell Tom Ford Private Blend's Santal Blush and Jasmin Rouge that will be availabe in Italy by the Christmas period. Santal Blush joins two ongoing trends and perfectly coupling them: the return into favour of sandalwood and the new mood for bases across a body lotion and condensed milk. The new Cartier Baiser Volé and also the new Hermessence Santal Massoïa belong to this neogourmand-cosmetic current winking to some kinds of Spa treatments (milk baths, chocolate baths etc.)  and I can guess we will have a long serie of this kind of fragrances. Santal Blush melts Mysore sandalwood with a milky base made even more yummy by fresh coconut, pulpy and moist to the point of suggesting the lightness of petals. Decidedly less interesting Jasmin Rouge with its even too much plastic and tropical tone smelling even more glossy as it moves away from the woody-aromatic accord with clary sage that fails to balance it.