Peregrine Heathcote©
Since 2012 London perfume house Shay & Blue have been perfectly poised when it comes to “timing is everything”, always managing to release scents that are spot-on of the moment. Their newest release Kings Wood is an aromatic fougere that straddles the butch/femme border and will be loved by all genders, fluid or fixed. Shay and Blue Kings Wood, (a “Fragrance Concentrée” equivalent to pure parfum) will have its wide release on September 1st on the Shay & Blue website and retailers worldwide.
“I want to persuade you not to be one of the crowd. Our scents are different. With Shay & Blue change the way you feel by choosing a modern unique fragrance. Be true, be you.” – Dom De Vetta, Founder Shay & Blue
Julie Massé and Dom De Vetta courtesy of Shay and Blue
The Shay & Blue range under the creative direction of Dom De Vetta (previously Senior Executive at both Jo Malone and of CHANEL) and in- house perfumer Julie Massé (Armani Si Le Parfum, Pivoine Suzhou and Giovanna Antonelli’s 411 Intenso among others) always manages to surprise me in the best way possible. I can read a notes list and think “well, maybe not for me” but then I try the fragrance and become immediately obsessed. It occurred with their Atropa Belladonna, Black Tulip, and the now iconic Salt Caramel. All three were scents I almost passed over only to end up buying bottles, I loved them so much! This newest release is a textbook reference in how to take seemingly disparate ingredients and create bottled perfection.
British Colonial Pineapple Print (pineapples were scarce in Great Britian in the 1700s and a sign of status, costing up to $8,000 in today’s market value) wiki
Pineapple is the star of Kings Wood, but not a sweet fruit hit, nor reminiscent of the over-hyped Aventus by Creed. Rather Shay and Blue Kings Wood plays up the bitter and sweet acidic nature of pineapple, spicing it up with nose-tingling pepper and the forest-undergrowth green of fern all set against a deep warm background of aged leather and an almost fumed oak; that scent that greets you if you open a 1910 armoire in an antique furniture shop. Kings Wood feels like stumbling into a turn-of-the-century British gentlemen’s club; perhaps one that caters to the upper echelon of the East Indies Trading Company.
Michael Connors Vintage West Indies leather chair and veranda©
The air is redolent of polished wood gleaming brightly, old Persian carpets underfoot, and bowls of fresh fruit which have been carefully and lovingly carried over the seas in the hold of a trade clipper. The dominant pineapple note creates a fragrance that works and wears extremely well in warm weather, and I am anxious to try it in the dead of winter as well, when I suspect the fruit note will take a back seat to the leather and oak, creating a scintilla of sweetness to the overall vibe.
Shay and Blue Kings Wood is the perfect perfume for those “take-no-prisoners” days when you need to feel at the top of your game, both confident and empirical.
Notes: Pineapple, Fern leaves, Sichuan pepper, leather, Oak, English woods.
Disclosure: Many thanks to Shay & Blue for my bottle of Shay and Blue Kings Wood .The opinions are my own.
–Robert Herrmann, Senior Editor
-Art Direction: Michelyn Camen, Editor-in-Chief
Dom De Vetta was one of seven founders of independent perfumeries that were recently featured in my round table “Independent Perfumery Growth in an Increasingly Consolidated Market”
Thanks to Shay & Blue, we have a 100 ml Avant Premier bottle of Shay and Blue Kings Wood for one registered reader in the EU, USA, and Canada so be sure to register if you have not done so. To be eligible please let us know what appeals to you about Shay and Blue Kings Wood based on Robert’s review, where you live in and your favorite Shay and Blue Fragrance Draw closes 7/27/2018
We announce the winners only on our website so like Cafleurebon and use our Blog feed…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.