Since N moved out I’ve been working through each room in the house to give it a thorough clean and declutter. There are so many things that I’ve found hidden away in drawers and cupboards that have made me think “Why on earth have I held onto this for so long?!” I’ve filled bin bag after bin bag and made countless trips to the tip. As each bag disappears into the skip I’ve felt the weight on my shoulders get a little bit lighter.
However whilst going through all my things and reevaluating what is important, I discovered one collection I could never bear to part with. My perfumes.
I have collated a lot of scents over the years and each one holds it’s own special memories for me.
There’s the first perfume that I ever bought for myself with my own earnings after long nights washing dishes in a restaurant. I remember being so proud of myself for being an independent woman. Then there’s a sweet, fruity summer scent that takes me back to a carefree summer holiday where I spent my days dipping my toes in the sea and my nights dancing with my friends. Then there’s a strong musky night time scent that reminds me of all the wonderful weddings and special events that I’ve been to over the years.
Most recently Harvey Nichols kindly sent me a very special fragrance to add to my collection. Orion by Tiziana Terenzi. If you haven’t heard the name before, Tiziana is an Italian stylist who creates jaw droppingly beautiful couture perfumes and candles.
Orion is from the Luna collection, which has been created by Tiziana as a project dedicated to the “future of memory”, based upon some famous literary works which explain in truly poetic fashion that all lost items or items gone astray end up on the moon.
“The moon is the place where dreams or tears, love or reason, days of idleness or unfinished deeds, are kept in precious glass ampoules.”
Each perfume in the collection contains an “object lost” and the concept is that by opening the perfume and breathing in the scent, you rediscover it. How wonderfully romantic is that?!
…so this brings us back to my perfume – Orion. The object lost in this case is a memory of Tiziana’s trips as a child on her father’s sailboat; which was made entirely of fragrant wood. They would depart at night and once far out amidst the cool night breeze, would look back to see the breathtaking sight of Mount Conero rising from the Mediterranean sea.
Memories of the light breezes trailing the salty scrub are captured in the scent, which has sweet top notes of Bergamot, Red Current, Apple and Pineapple, spicy middle notes of Patchouli, Birch, Jasmine and Thyme and then a heady, musky base of Incense, Amber, Agarwood and Cedar.
For me this scent is about capturing my own memories too as I move on to the next chapter in my life. As a sole homeowner, a career woman and with what I hope is a whole new and exciting future full of possibilities ahead of me, it now feels right to wear such an empowering, evocative scent. I love the way that the initial sweet fruitiness opens up to reveal more complex musky and woody notes underneath as time goes on. Every time I spritz it on it has a transforming effect – I feel confident, sophisticated… maybe even a little bit alluring – all good things right now!
At a whopping £185 a bottle this is most definitely my pick for the ultimate luxury gift for women this Christmas, but let me tell you that if you can afford it, it is worthy of the price tag. Everything from the beautiful presentation box to the booklet explaining the inspiration behind the fragrance, to the bottle itself will make you feel special. The label is a soft leather, the bottle top is celestial and a really solid weighty piece in it’s own right. Every time I look at it I get a little thrill at how privileged I am to own it.
This is pure indulgent decadence, but I can certainly live with that!
Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored but the perfume was provided for review purposes. All thoughts and views expressed are completely honest and my own.
