Aroma Borealis

Love this perfume! It's so sophisticated and warm, yet floral. I always receive compliments when I wear it!

A lovely big rose/jasmine that lasts extremely well - esp. for a natural perfume. One of my all time favs.

It makes me feel like the spring is here in the middle of the winter!

Love it - very rich rose, jasmine and deep fruit.

Aroma Borealis is one that simply grew on me. I initially got it as a sample, part of the sampler set, but, after a subsequent purchase, the lovely owner, Andrea, threw in a sample of its reformulation. I do enjoy v2! So so natural, like all other Scents of Man fragrances. V1 was much more rosy, soapier and wilder, but v2 is elegant, softer and less rosy or soapy. I have not tested it enough to judge its longevity but the composition is clearly a win in my book. The tuberose is very noticeable and smooth, giving me the impression of a garden at twilight. The rose is very clean, lacking any earthiness or animalic tendencies. I cannot recommend it more if you enjoy a natural-smelling, beautiful and elegant floral.

I am lucky enough to be friends with Andrea Byrne, a very talented perfumer, who gave me a sample of her reformulated “Aroma Borealis” to review. It’s a rose perfume, which is brave, considering just how many of those there are. Mostly, however, whether they channel French fin de siecle boudoirs (YSL Paris) or Turkish sweets (hello Habit Rouge), their rose is generic. So, trying to find a new expression that isn’t immediately hackneyed is, ahem, “challenging”. This is exactly the kind of challenge that Andrea’s novel approach to perfume formulation can meet. Being independent, she isn’t required to use the imposing accords large companies need to assert their “brand” but can focus her creativity on creating no more than the scent she wants. In “Aroma Borealis”, she has created the olfactory signature of a real rose we might actually smell in our gardens. That individuality comes, in nature, from all the aromas released by the plant that don’t smell of “rose” and may not even be contained in the harvested flower petals. This took 102 ingredients, which is why I'm not discussing what went into the top, heart and base notes. Many of them would only be apparent if they weren't there. Suffice it to say it is largely linear in how it dries down (it’s a rose!). It should last most, if not all, of a working day (or evening) with some sillage, but not so much that going to the staff canteen or fine dining restaurant while wearing it deserves an ASBO (for non-Brits, that’s an antisocial behaviour order). Men and women can end up smelling of roses if they spend long enough in a garden or are sufficiently clever in hiding their villainy. This is well enough balanced in sweetness to be apt for both, though its complexity may be a bit too much for boys and girls. If you choose to wear it, you won’t smell of Dior, YSL or Creed, but simply some rose that you might have chosen for yourself because it smelt the best in your garden.