Jo’s Scent Notes: Perfumer H x Nigel Slater A Feast
Nigel Slater is a long-time aficionado of Perfumer H, Lyn Harris’s new, post-Miller Harris fragrant venture. (Or, more accurately, I’d call it a glorious ‘adventure’.) When her newest, beautiful shop had an opening party on Clifford Street, just off Bond Street – a store unlike any other in London, showcasing Lyn’s brilliantly-composed creations in their exquisite flacons and vessels – I found him chatting to the perfumer in a corner, tucked away at the back of the shop downstairs.
We caught up a little, with me telling Nigel (who was an early and kind adopter of the chocolate brand that I co-founded with my husband) that Craig and I actually have a framed cover of Observer Food Monthly on the wall of our loo, licking a spoon he’d dipped into Green & Black’s Chocolate Ice Cream. (RIP. Sob.)
That aside, in common surely with everyone in this country, I am a fan. I have a library of Nigel’s cookbooks, and have torn out more of his recipes from The Observer Sunday mag than any other food writer’s. Quite simply, there is nobody who conjures up ‘cosy’ like Nigel. It’s his absolute signature. And as an equally huge fan of Perfumer H, a collaboration between these two was like an olfactory marriage made in heaven.
It absolutely doesn’t disappoint. I had the A Feast candle flickering in the hallway while we made Christmas puddings last Sunday, and it was perfect: warm, spicy, enveloping, homely. There are notes of bergamot, for a little tiny shaft of winter sunlight, lightly spiced by clove and cardamom, with sandalwood for softness and just enough birch tar for a crackling wood fire vibe.
‘A Feast’ is described as ‘A celebration for the senses’ – and that just sums it up. There are several products in the line, currently showcased in the windows of all the Perfumer H stores. Greedily, so greedily, I pretty much want it all, but so far am making do with the candle, building up to the fragrance itself – which I’ve tried several times on my skin, and am swooning over – while dropping heavy hints to Santa.
In the line-up there is Incense; Perfumer H’s are made in Japan, to a traditional Japanese recipe: slim sticks that are a quick and delightful way to fill the air with this cocooning scent. There’s a tea, which won’t do for me as it’s green tea (which I don’t get on with), mixed with lemon. (Quite a relief to have something I DON’T want to buy, actually.) The Soap is delish, the candle – as I’ve already explained – is exquisite; I have the ‘basic’ 175g version, and am building up to treating myself to the Michael Ruh hand-blown candle, at £180. (A heck of a price for a candle, but with an incredibly lengthy burn-time.) Sadly (or fortuitously), it was out of stock when I popped into Clifford Street yesterday, but they are apparently waiting for replenishments.
It's the eau de parfum collab which is haunting me, though. It’s a little different to the rest of the collection, being a reimagining of another Perfumer H fragrance that I own and love, INK – they’re calling it ‘INK Rewritten by Nigel Slater’, and it certainly feels like an incredibly appropriate scent for any journalist to wear, whether beauty or food writer, because it smells like… well, sexy ink.
There’s dry, pencil-ish juniper and cedar, with rose and black pepper, plus papyrus for a papery, library-esque note. To me, Nigel’s version has an extra softness, a sort of cuddlesome quality that’s completely irresistible. I’ve liberally sprayed twice, gone out into the world and had to keep sniffing myself – as well as having strangers tell me I smell nice, which is the greatest sign of all that something works well on your skin. (I honestly do always believe in trying before buying fragrance, ideally several times, and allowing it to develop through its full life-cycle. Perfume shouldn’t be rushed, and great sales consultants – like Gaye and Ting, in Perfumer H on Clifford Street, who really are great – know that.)
I really enjoy having fragrances like this on my wishlist (and not just at Christmas). I sometimes think that anticipation is almost half the fun, with perfume: the little flirtatious dance, reminiscent of the first stages of any relationship (and we do have relationships, with our scents). Do I like it? Is it a keeper? Maybe, what do my friends think? Is it ‘me’? I have a hunch I’m going to have to make up my mind fast, on this one, and maybe not wait for Santa – because it’s selling so fast and I’m scared of missing the boat on a limited edition.
If Lyn’s clever, though, even when it inevitably sells out in 2024 she’ll bring it back each festive season. I look forward to A Feast becoming the olfactory equivalent of reaching for Nigel’s The Christmas Chronicles, which is the moment that it all really starts for me, with brandy soaking of the dried fruit, the nose-tingling hit from grating a nutmeg, the shake of some mixed spice – and ‘Christmas with The Rat Pack’ playing on Bluetooth.
And now, with a Nigel Slater candle burning in the hall, its snugglesome scent drifting into my kitchen, the very beating heart of my home, making me feel: all’s well with the world…
INK Rewritten/£130 for 50ml eau de parfum – buy here
A Feast Candle/from £55 for 175g – buy here
A Feast Incense/£35 for 30 sticks – buy here
A Feast Soap Bar/£25 for 100g – buy here
