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Roses take centre stage with more intense perfumes inspired by past and present

Clockwise from top left: Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire Eau de Parfum (HK$790/50ml), Elie Saab Eau de Parfum Intense (HK$700/50ml), Tom Ford Shanghai Lily (HK$1,700/50ml), Emporio Armani Diamonds Rose (HK$550/50ml), Teo Cabanel Eau de Parfum Oha (HK$980/50ml), Lyn Harris La Fleur Eau de Parfum (HK$350/50ml) and Anna Sui La Vie de Bohème (HK$545/50ml). Styling: Christie Simpson. Photo: Red Dog Studio

The end of summer typically calls for a return to heavier, more intense fragrances, and the latest launches don't disappoint. Roses from Turkey, Bulgaria and Morocco take centre stage this season, enhanced with a range of ingredients from tonka beans to tuberose.

Inspiration comes from all over, whether it's Asia's exotic past or the elegant streets of Paris.

Bohemian fashion designer Anna Sui captures her modern aesthetic with La Vie de Bohème, a flirty blend of Turkish rose, pear, dragon fruit, black vanilla and sandalwood. The eye-catching flacon is made up of carved roses topped with a butterfly in antique gold.

Tom Ford takes his inspiration from the beauty of Asia for his Atelier d'Orient collection, four new fragrances showcasing some of the region's most treasured ingredients.

Fleur de Chine, a "romantic and haunting" floral, captures Asia's cinematic past. Rive d'Ambre showcases citrus fruits with a warm amber background, while Plum Japonais blends the tartness of ume with saffron and other exotic ingredients. Shanghai Lily, a floral oriental scent, was inspired by the historic Silk Road and spice trading routes.

Esteemed perfumer Francis Kurkdjian captured "the magic of dusk" for the latest addition to Elie Saab's Le Parfum collection. Eau de Parfum Intense features a blend of orange blossom, ylang-ylang and rose honey for sweetness, with patchouli and ambery accord providing a sensuous touch.

On a more classical note, Lyn Harris' La Fleur Eau de Parfum combines white gardenia, Indian tuberose, vanilla bourbon and musk. It's one of six scents created by the British perfumer for Marks & Spencer.

Emporio Armani's Diamonds Rose is a fresh and feminine eau de toilette, its heart of Bulgarian rose mixing with raspberry, blackcurrant, freesia and patchouli. The scent and bottle are designed to evoke the brilliance of pink diamonds.

Also showcasing Bulgarian rose essence, Guerlain's new La Petite Robe Noire is a multilayered eau de parfum with notes of black cherry, Turkish rose absolute, tonka bean and smoked black tea. The Thierry Wasser creation offers a reinvention of the popular Parisian perfume series, inspired by the elegance of a little black dress.

Fine fragrance house Teo Cabanel - favourite of the Duchess of Windsor - rounds out our picks of the season's freshest scents with Oha, a floral chypre bursting with Bulgarian and Moroccan roses, jasmine, cardamom, vanilla and white musk. It's one of only six timeless scents by the French perfumer.

 

This article appeared in the South China Morning Post print edition as: Garden of delights
Fragrances

Inspiration comes from all over, whether it's Asia's exotic past or the elegant streets of Paris