Season 8, Episode 17: Golden Light, Velvet Flowers & a Warrior-Goddess’ Garden

Fancy a scented tour through unexpected florals (via toasted seeds and cool green leaves), autumnal sunsets in California, walled gardens where a warrior goddess might stroll, impeccably tailored heritage, and a gloriously gilded pop fantasy? Step right this way, because this week Suzy & Nicola are discussing perfumes for taking a calm breath, for making an entrance, for leaning into your own glow, and the pleasure of simply choosing the perfect scent to suit the moment.They’re also asking whether fragrance can influence mood, considering solid perfume in a new jelly-like form, and finding plenty to discuss in a line-up that moves from poised and polished to maximalist, sensual and gloriously escapist…Let’s dive in!Dries Van Noten Velvet VioletViolet is so often treated as a sugary, powdery floral that it is genuinely refreshing to find it approached from a greener, more fashion-conscious angle. Here, the leaf is the real focus, giving a cool, woody freshness that feels crisp and modern rather than cosmetic. Pink pepper adds a fizzy brightness, then the texture shifts. Toasted sesame is nutty and savoury, barley brings a softly cereal-like warmth, and vetiver with tonka bean leaves a smooth, earthy-gourmand glow on skin.The effect is tactile and surprisingly chic, with a lovely tension between freshly crushed green leaves and the almost skin-like warmth of toasted seeds. This is violet for those who usually avoid violet, and a quietly unusual choice for anyone who likes their florals with a little friction.Notes: Violet leaf, pink pepper, sesame, barley, vetiver, tonka bean.L’Objet AlentoNamed for a word that can mean breath, spirit, encouragement and vital energy, this is a perfume conceived as an olfactory pause. The opening is bright with juicy orange, though aldehydes give it a sparkling, airy lift that stops it from becoming too obviously fruity. Orange blossom flows through the heart with a fresh, creamy radiance, before lactones, vanilla, ambergris and white musks soften into a cocooning, close-to-skin finish.It feels less like a perfume that announces itself and more like a gentle return to oneself. There is a luminous cleanliness to it, but enough milkiness, warmth and musk to make it feel sensual rather than merely fresh. A lovely choice for anyone craving comfort that still has a little glow about it.Notes: Top: Orange, aldehydes Heart: Orange blossom, fresh floral notes, lactones Base: Vanilla, ambergris, white musksL’Objet OjaiThis begins with the imagined warmth of a California afternoon, when the air is bright with citrus and green things, and the earth has started to hold onto the day’s heat. Bergamot, a green note and cardamom have a breezy, aromatic freshness, before the mango comes through with a rich, softly tropical glow. Bulgarian rose and saffron lend colour and texture, making the fruit feel more nuanced than merely juicy.As it settles, patchouli, frankincense and vanilla bring a dusky, ambery depth that is far more soulful than a straightforward fruity floral. It smells like sun on skin, fruit warmed on the branch, and a trace of incense carried through an open window. This is for days when a perfume needs to offer an instant sense of escape, while still feeling grounded and wearable.Notes: Top: Bergamot, green note, cardamom Heart: Mango, Bulgarian rose, saffron Base: Patchouli, frankincense, vanillaBoadicea the Victorious AndrasteThis is a full, dramatic walled garden scent, where hot brick, flowering vines, crushed greenery and aromatic herbs all seem to release their perfume at once. It has the kind of lavish, maximalist construction that Boadicea the Victorious does so well, combining cool eucalyptus and smoky Lapsang Souchong tea with saffron, thyme and a cascade of flowers. Honeysuckle, wisteria, jasmine and rose create an all-consuming floral richness, while powdered orris, ambrette, leather, fumed woods and vetiver darken the edges.There is a sense of strength to it, but it does not feel remotely austere. This is floral drama with a leather-lined, resinous, slightly feral undercurrent. It has the atmosphere of a garden after a storm, when everything smells wetter, greener, hotter and more alive. Wear it when you want perfume to feel like a form of armour, a flourish of theatricality, and a reminder to take up rather more space.Notes: Eucalyptus, Lapsang Souchong tea, saffron, thyme, honeysuckle, wisteria, jasmine, Lady Emma Hamilton rose, citrus notes, orris, ambrette, leather, fumed woods, vetiver.Huntsman x Truefitt & Hill CologneThe idea here is understated luxury, and it does that most convincingly by avoiding the kind of brash, traditional barbershop clic