A New Fragrance by Miller Harris - Vetiver Insolent

by: Juliett Ptoyan

British brand Miller Harris is about to launch a new fragrance, which will be the fourth intheir Editions collection, after Tea Tonique, Rose Silence and L'Eau Magnetique. The official press release describes Vetiver Insolent as spicy with vetiver in its heart; a rebellious and sensual fragrance at the same time.

 

 

The essentials of the new fragrance are Haitian vetiver by Robertet and elemi: we recognize the first by its slightly sweet, fresh, earthy undertones, and the second by its light melancholic character. On the top, there's Italian bergamot and Indian cardamom, while a little later the composition is enriched with nuances of iris and amber. In the sillage of Vetiver Insolent we can distinguish the bittersweet taste of tonka beans and moss.

 

 

Top notes: Italian bergamot, black pepper, elemi, Indian cardamom
Middle notes: iris, lavender, amber
Base notes: vetiver from Haiti, tonka bean, moss

 

The nose behind Vetiver Insolent is Mathieu Nardin:

 

“I wanted to pay homage to such an iconic note. Robertet’s unique Vetiver lends to the fragrance an unmistakable sensuality thanks to its woodiness and precious warmth.    I am honored to continue the very successful relationship between Miller Harris and Robertet that has been bringing to life successes for the past fifteen years.”

 

The new fragrance will be released in bottles of 50 and 100 ml at the price of 65 and 95 £.

 

Rose Silence, Tea Tonique, L'Eau Magnetic by Miller Harris

by: Elena Vosnaki

The British niche brand Miller Harris, founded and run by independent perfumer Lyn Harris, has graced our vanities and bathrooms with their quirky and intelligent scents before. (L'Air de Rien for instance is a personal favorite of mine). Now Lyn Harris presents a trio of new fragrant releases which promises to take us into an exploration of traditional themes with a renewed emphasis on natural extracts. Each of them is aimed at a different personality or a different frame of mind: Rose Silence is for the intimist, a pure, floral fragrance; Tea Tonique is captivating, worldly and slightly unpredictable; and finally L'Eau Magnetic is for the free spirit, a fruity fougère reminiscent of seaside air.

Rose Silence

The week is gone, the room is your own. A beam of light streams in through the curtains and you wake slowly, breathing the scent of a fresh white pillow. An unexpected embrace: faint, fresh rose with undertones of sandalwood and patchouli, untouchable yet crisp, possessing an intoxicating magic. An intimate, thrilling moment. 

Fragrance Notes

Top: mandarin, blackcurrant

Heart: rose

Base: patchouli, cashmere musk

Tea Tonique

Like hearing a captivating story for the first time, Tea Tonique's energy infuses your surroundings without overwhelming them. Beguiling and cultured, it engages its audience with musical tones and an unpredictable nature. With an injection of Italianbergamot and a suggestion of smoky birch tar, it is equally at home in the English countryside or a London café, rejoicing in the many-layered characteristics of an aromatic tea. 

Fragrance Notes

Top: Italian bergamot, petit grain, lemon

Heart: smoky tea, nutmeg, peach blossom

Base: maté absolute, birch tar, musk

L'Eau Magnetic 

A rush of energy embracing the unmitigated chaos of the ocean. Free and unadulterated, this enlightening scent mingles salt with distant evergreen pines, embodying the spirit of a lighthearted shared experience. Notes of Italian bergamot give an instant carefree sensation. Marine air blends with ripe citron and pink pepper,with a hint of Reunion island vanilla bourbon and Venezuelan tonka beans for an exotic, spontaneous feel. 

Fragrance Notes

Top: pink pepper, bergamot, lemon, citron

Heart: petit grain, white cedarwood

Base: tabac accord, Bourbon vanilla 

All three Miller Harris fragrances are an eau de parfum concentration in 100ml/3.4oz bottles, retailing at 135€ each. 

Pics from top to bottom via Miller Harris, minimalisti.com, rivertea.com, travel.aol.co.uk

Alexandria in a Bottle: La Fumee Alexandrie (Niche Perfumes)

by: Elena Vosnaki

The smoky density of incense has been an inspiration for a galaxy of fragrances, especially since the rise of niche brands during the late 1990s and beyond. It is also among the present author's most beloved scents. Miller Harris, the British company founded by perfumer Lynn Harris, has created a small universe of incense scents with the La Fumée line. Beginning in 2011 with the first La Fumée, now packaged as La Fumée Classic eau de parfum, the range took on nuances that reflected specific regions and traditions: La Fumée Arabie (2012) which first expanded the originally small-aim editions of La Fumée and La Pluie, La Fumée Ottoman (2013), La Fumée Maroc (2014) and La Fumée Intense (2014). 

 

 

Now the 6th installment comes in the shape of La Fumée Alexandrie, an eau de parfum presented in the sumptuous square bottles holding 100ml with the graphic illustrations we have come to know and love by Miller Harris. Indeed the bottles are a joy to look at and to hold, heavy and having the unusual feel of at once luxury and artisanal joy. 

 

"This installment in the La Fumée canon is going to pique the interest of the thousands of incense lovers across perfumeland."

 

Inspired by the place where incense gained footing as a means to communicate with the gods, smoke rising upwards, and the port that shone brightly across the ancient world, La Fumée Alexandrie is the next scroll in the incense saga: The sacred flowers dedicated to the Egyptian pantheon, the rich spices of the ancient world, the dry winds of the desert, the western visions of a journey through the exotic lands where civilization bloomed. The fact that like with the MH Ottoman edition, inspired by Constantinople, this one is also inspired by the city rather than the land, makes a difference. 

 

The Library of Alexandria

 

For La Fumée Alexandrie, the note of nell'oud is present as it is in the whole collection of La Fumée fragrances but the focus is shifted to lighter and spicier notes with a dry background. The composition is given a rather modernized vision of how Egyptian scents must have evoked images and feelings rather than replicating any sort of historical accuracy. The top notes of Italian tangerine and that of lychee are characteristic of that, while the presence of incense and Turkishrose absolute (underscored by Egyptian geranium leaf) brings balance. Spicy notes of cinnamon and cumin are felt through the heart of the fragrance.

 

Ancient Egyptian incense burner

 

For the most evocative and interesting segment, the dry-down, perfumer Lynn Harris chose bitterish and specifically dry materials, eschewing the common feel ofwater lotus flowers used in compositions to give an Egyptian flavor. The saturation of dark, smoky birch tar, with its almost leathery connotation, papyrus for a touch of authenticity, sandalwood and a dry amber with hardly any vanillic elements. The feeling is languorous yet also mystical, as befits the cosmopolitan town that was epoch-making with its famous library. A spiritual adventure in the city founded by Alexander the Great .  

 

This installment in the La Fumée canon is going to pique the interest of the thousands of incense lovers across perfumeland. 

 

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Pic credits: wikimedia commons (incense burner), samitris.free.fr (library), Miller Harris

TERRE D'IRIS BY MILLER HARRIS (2005)

Niche still works, sometimes.

Nose: Lyn Harris

Terre d’Iris is easily one of the most compelling and fascinating fragrances by this brand among the ones I have tried so far – a brand which despite its (few) highs and (more frequent) lows, I respect overall. Being a big fan of iris – not necessarily knowledgeable about it, but surely a fan, I am quite picky with iris-based fragrances, and Terre d’Iris, well... it is surely a true keeper for me, for a very reasonable couple of reasons: it smells really good to my nose, and quite unique to my knowledge. It opens in fact as a charming, immediately competent, fascinatingly moody take on iris built on a really inspired, smooth and well-balanced contrast between fresh, tangy herbal notes of lemon, bergamot and sharp, tasty Mediterranean herbs with a fruity drop of orange, and a whole sort of cloudy, damp musky-woody base with patchouli, vetiver and a really subtle, yet perceivable feel of, say, musty mossiness (if you inspire with some strength you get a fantastic distant whiff of bracing, somehow raw yet comforting stale-barn rural nuances provided by – I guess – patchouli infused with oakmoss, that fit marvelously the mood of this composition).

Between these two kind of “opposites” lies her graceful majesty – iris, with a strong accent on its earthy-leafy nuances. Nothing “lipstick”, just a touch of austere yet delicate rooty powder with grassy and “carroty” nuances. The evolution is pleasant and remarkable, albeit closer and closer to skin as minutes pass: the citrus-bergamot freshness evolves slowly into a smooth, slightly creamy, orange-driven nuance blending with herbs, the “cocoa” side of patchouli and the leafier side of iris, which in turn dissolves beautifully among earth, moss, patchouli and herbs. All gets cozier, warmer, a bit sweeter, maybe a bit faint (actually, quite faint) but still showing a consistent, really intriguing contrast between sweet freshness, plushy powderiness and musty-woody earthiness. Quite “whispered”, but it’s all there. It may seem a simple, if not banal composition, but well, the result is great, almost impeccable, and as I said above, quite unique. Or well, I simply can’t think of any other iris fragrance playing these chords, this way, and I’ve never smelled any iris-based scent smelling this earthy, damp, rooty and “rainy” but also bracing, mellow and uplifting. Effortlessly classy and melancholic at once. The drydown reminds me a bit of Prada's Infusion d'Iris drydown, as there's the same bergamot-iris-vetiver vein going on here too, but the mood is quite different here (Prada's all about crisp freshness, here the atmosphere is quite more damp and musty).

Plus (finally!) Lyn Harris’ signature “minimalism” and fondness for dusty-airy notes finds some sense here – the grayish, weightless, almost impalpable texture is just perfect for these notes, taming them down almost to the point of giving them a faded, dream-like substance (so yes, overspraying and frequent reapplications are encouraged). A truly inspired little wonder, maybe a bit too mannered and definitely too light for this concentration, but definitely worthy some attention for me