The celestial-themed autumn fragrances to leave you starry-eyed
Coco Chanel always looked to the skies for inspiration. A keen believer in horoscopes (the lion is a house emblem in a nod to her astrological sign, Leo), she created starry constellations in diamonds and platinum for her 1932 Bijoux de Diamants collection.
Its pièce de résistance, the Comète necklace, has now given rise to a namesake scent, the maison’s perfumer Olivier Polge’s latest addition to the Les Exclusifs line. To capture the luminosity of a comet and the airiness of stardust, Polge turned to powdery iris, soft musks and the almondy whisper of heliotrope for a refined composition that sits intimately on the skin – just like jewellery.
Chanel is not the only brand fascinated by the cosmos. As Amy Christiansen, the founder of the sustainable-fragrance line Sana Jardin, tells Bazaar: "The symbolism of astronomy taps into a universal desire for escapism." Travelling to galaxies far, far away sounds mesmerising, but how to bottle such magic? "We do not know what the scent of stars is, so we might as well imagine it," says Clara Molloy, the co-founder of Memo Paris, whose Cassiopeia Rose perfume links its bewitching scent to the constellation named after the mythological queen.
Astronauts have likened the smell of space to seared steak and hot metals, but perfumers are taking a more poetic route, using fragrant notes to capture all things interstellar – from shimmering hits of citrus to white florals, as found in Maison Crivelli’s Tubéreuse Astral. The scent, designed by the perfumer Quentin Bisch, was inspired by the founder Thibaud Crivelli’s childhood memories of looking up at the Milky Way. According to Bisch, its intoxicating tuberose base gains an extra dimension thanks to the addition of "velvety leather and hints of peach skin".
Meanwhile, Les Eaux Primordiales Ambre Supermassive extrait de parfum translates the scale of the infinite universe through the richness of dark vanilla, spicy cardamom and saffron. Those inclined towards something cosier will appreciate the cocooning nature of Maison Martin Margiela Replica Under the Stars, a cosseting blanket of warm oud that’s perfect for a night of stargazing.
There are daytime-ready scents, too. Bulgari and Penhaligon’s look to the sun, the star at the heart of our solar system. Bulgari Allegra Chill & Sole, by the perfumer Jacques Cavallier, is optimistic and radiant, featuring mandarin oil ("the most joyful ingredient," says Cavallier) laced with succulent pomegranate, while Penhaligon’s Solaris eau de parfum pairs creamy blooms with zingy blackcurrant for a truly dazzling effect. Equally uplifting is Sana Jardin’s Air Of Aquarius, which expresses powerful cosmic energy with reviving citruses grounded by rosemary and lavender.
Elsewhere, Tilia, crafted by Bisch for Marc-Antoine Barrois, captures the founder’s memories of happy times under sunlit skies via lemony, honeyed notes of linden blossoms. "The composition reflects the countryside where I lived when I was a kid – it’s like a childhood holiday," says Barrois. All are guaranteed to inspire delight.
Collage by Lily Pichon-Flannery. Additional research by Medina Azaldin.
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