This Mother’s Day, forget about gifting a typical bouquet, and instead opt for one of these long-lasting floral fragrances. Ideal for travel lovers, each one is inspired by a far-away land and one spritz will bring back memories of beautiful destinations spent with loved ones.
Santa Maria Novella Acqua della Regina
Perfect for your own queen, this scent, the oldest from Italian heritage brand Santa Maria Novella, celebrates the perfume that Caterina de Medici commissioned the Dominican monks to create in 1533. Translating as ‘The Queen’s Water’, the fragrance is based on a bouquet she offered to the King of France upon their marriage. With notes of Italian citrus, lavender, neroli, rosemary and musk, the fragrance will transport her on an olfactory journey through the Tuscan countryside.
$100 for 50ml, us.smnovella.com
Diem Lunar Bud.
Luna Bud, from artisan perfumery house Diem, harnesses the magical quality of night-blooming flowers. The intoxicating scent captures the sweet, heady notes of tuberose and jasmine petals, with a warm blackcurrant and the snap of green stems. It’s the perfect evening scent for any glamorous mum.
£40 for 30ml, diemscents.com
Recreation Beauty This Love of Mine
This lingering scent by Recreation Beauty uses sparkling white florals blended with fresh basil and violet. There are also notes of gardenia, jasmine and tuberose, which open to deeper sandalwood and musk. The fragrance is inspired by a gardenia and jasmine-filled piazza at sunset and is the closest thing to gifting a bouquet of flowers. The clean and ethical brand, Recreation Beauty, based in Sydney’s Bondi Beach, will soon launch in the US. Its fragrances pay homage to the natural world and draw olfactive inspiration from Australia’s landscape. Each one is housed in custom glass bottles with sustainable packaging designed to reflect the Bondi sunset.
£87 for 50ml, recreationbeauty.com
SSaint Velvet Bloom.
Also set to launch in the US soon is SSainte, a niche perfumery brand that offers scents based on emotive responses to olfactory travel memories – whether that is the sensory journey through a traditional Asian market or being in the heart of the sun-stricken beauty of the Australian outback. Velvet Bloom is a nostalgic peach scent inspired by slow afternoons by gentle shores. Notes of iris, reminiscent of suede, are mixed with the wistful warmth of old cedar wood. The subtle bite of saffron juxtaposes a fresh hint of musk, reminiscent of blissful pockets of time gone by.
AUD$139 for 50ml, ssaint.com.au
Marc-Antoine Barrois Tilia.
New from French haute designer, Marc-Antoine Barrois, in collaboration with leading perfumer Quentin Bisch, is Tilia, the brand’s first floral scent. Inspired by summer holidays in the French countryside, Tilia has notes of jasmine sambac, Linden tree honey and heliotrope. The result is a spritz that burst with blooms.
$160 for 30ml, neinamnmarcus.com
Thameen Chords.
Like music to her ears—and nose—Thameen’s latest offering, Chords, is inspired by British-German composer George Handel’s residency in London. The green floral scent harnesses notes of orange blossom, ylang ylang and honey. The brand, under the ‘artistic residency’ of Christopher Chong has worked with master perfumer, Nathalie Lorson, to create this contemporary fragrance with a baroque feel, the fourth from the Britologne Collection.
$295 for 100ml, neimanmarcus.com
Officine Universelle Buly Eau Triple Peruvian Heliotrope.
Inspired by spring on the French Riviera, Eau Triple Peruvian Heliotrope is a beguiling perfume of white flowers, with soft and powdery notes. Created by the French historic brand Buly 1803, the fragrance blends sweet heliotrope with romantic violet, while woody notes and flashes of vanilla, sandalwood, Tonka beans and spices combine to round up the fragrance.
€150 for 75 ml, buly1803.com
Jo Malone London Yellow Hibiscus.
Celebrating the carefree lifestyle of Brazil, set against the backdrop of exotic beaches, Yellow Hibiscus by Jo Malone London captures the joyful spirit of the striking hibiscus flower soaked in sunshine. The fragrance is from the limited edition Blossoms collection and is the perfect Mother’s Day gift. Its dewy freshness of rose underpins what is a sparkling floral scent, with a slice of lime adding a burst of juiciness.
£86 for 50ml, jomalone.co.uk
