One of our favorite perfume brands for affordable and wearable fragrances is the Gorilla Perfumes by Lush’s Simon and Mark Constantine. Nine new scents are introduced in the U.K. And because we know you will ask.. they’re expected in the USA soon.
DEVIL’S NIGHT CAP: One of the most mysterious megaliths stands in the town place of Studland, known as Agglestone or The Devil’s Nightcap. Folklore from 1866 claims his Satanic Majesty threw the stone across the sea, attempting to hit Corfe Castle. To capture this magic, oak moss, clary sage and ylang ylang were used. Featured ingredient Oakmoss
SUN: During the cold winter, Mark Constantine longed for warmth. Mark travelled to the U.S.A in Spring, compiling a soundtrack like Simon and Garfunkel’s ‘America’ to listen to while driving down the New Jersey turnpike to Cape May. Visions came to him of a big orange sun on a lollipop stick…orange, tangerine and sandalwood grace this fresh scent. Featured ingredient Sandalwood Oil
EUPHORIA: Like ‘Sun’, Mark longed for other healing scents, to make one feel a kind of euphoria. Taking cues from books on aromatherapy, euphoric sensations were conjured using clary sage, grapefruit, lime and neroli. Featured ingredient: Rose oil
FLOWER’S BARROW: There are stories about an Iron Age hillfort above Lulworth Cove. It seems to have been taken over by the Romans, who are said to haunt the place known as Pines Hill or Flower’s Barrow. The ancient fort has sunk into the sea and nettles and brambles have taken over the land. To capture the spirit of this place in scent, Gorilla has utilised well-used herbs like sage and thyme, as well as geranium and blackcurrant. Featured ingredient: Geranium oil
HELLSTONE: We find Simon Constantine in cold January, trudging across fields searching for the eerie spot known as Hellstone. The ancient Hellstone megalith was used as a burial mound 4000 years ago! Inspired by the smells of unearthed roots and freshly turned earth, the Hellstone inspired perfume uses vetivert, cumin and beeswax. Featured ingredient: Ambrette Seeds
THE BUG: Also inspired by music, Mark and Simon feel the paranoia of the modern age with The Bug. A disjointed scent for our times steeped in surveillance cameras and dubbed a “Protest perfume” with notes of galbanum and black pepper. Featured Ingredient Sandalwood Oil
SIKKIM GIRLS: Musician and composer Sheema Mukherjee was inspired after she had an experience with the Sikkim Girls. While hanging out in the oddly named ‘Hot Stimulating Café’ in Darjeeling, the café owner warned Sheema to stay away from the dangerous Sikkim Girls. Featured ingredient: Jasmine Oil
THE VOICE: Inspired by the beat generation and the spoken word comes literary figures like; William Burroughs and Neal Cassady and bards like Gil Scott Heron and Leonard Cohen at street corners, basement clubs and claustrophobic coffee shops. With the strong aroma of French Gitane cigarettes and espresso…Featured Ingredient: Sandalwood oil
FURZE: Looking out of the back door of his new home, Simon found inspiration in his own garden with Furze. Furze is a very British plant and the prickly bush is also known as gorse. It even flowers in the winter. Lore has it that the flower was used by the Vikings to brew beer and if grown on your property, Furze could protect from curses or hexes – made into a broom, it could ‘sweep’ away evil influences. Featured ingredient Neroli Oil.
Source: Lush UK