I am writing this post in the midst of my
sixth day of an unfeasibly aggressive skin rash. This is odd as I’m not an
allergic type, in fact I could probably shower in Swarfega and powder myself
with Vim scourer without so much of a pimple arising. I can only assume that
it’s viral. My chest and back have gained the prestigious status of ‘rash
worthy of a photo on Google’. I won’t be posting one, but I’ve seen some
corkers in the last few days that defy believability.
This please
An outcome of the rash has been a self-imposed
perfume ban. Although it’s been interesting, from the point of view that I
didn’t miss it after the first few days (eh?), I found myself today craving
something obscenely ‘perfumey’.
And so I reached for the floral Armageddon
that is Byredo’s latest creation - Flowerhead.
Curiously, the only part of my body that
isn’t peppered with scarlet anger is my left wrist. Perhaps it’s developed a
feisty blockade against any form of soppy skin type behaviour from the many
years of being soaked in aroma chemicals at least 3 times a day. I figured it
could cope.
After the tender watercolour fragility of Byredo’s
2013 release – Inflorescence, this years floral – Flowerhead, is the absolute
opposite. It’s an enormous tuberose and jasmine madam that makes Robert Piguet’s
notorious Fracas seem like a wuss. Which is quite an achievement.
The words ‘tuberose and jasmine’ are rarely
uttered on Odiferess. I dislike this pairing as much as I dislike smoked
salmon. It’s possible that my hatred of the slippery fishy dreadfulness stems
from my sisters wedding banquet, where as a child bridesmaid I ran to my mum in
terror at the fact that the waiters appeared to be delivering plates of dead
goldfish to our tables. It doesn’t smell very pleasant either, which is exactly
how I feel about a gargantuan dose of tuberose and jasmine.
So why am I writing about it? Because I
think it’s brilliant.
Byredo’s website describes it thus:
“IN THE TRADITIONAL INDIAN WEDDING FLOWER HEADS ARE
STRUNG TOGETHER ON GIANT LEIS, INCLUDING JAIMALA GARLANDS WHICH ARE EXCHANGED
BETWEEN BRIDE AND GROOM AS A TOKEN OF MUTUAL RESPECT. COUPLES ARE OFTEN
SHOWERED WITH PETALS BY THE GROOM'S BROTHER FOR SPIRITUAL PROTECTION. FLOWERS
ARE ABUNDANT; FROM THE MANDAP WEDDING CANOPY, WHICH IS ENTIRELY COVERED IN
EXOTIC BLOOMS, TO THE SPIRITUAL POOJA ROOMS AND VERANDAHS, THE EXPLOSION OF
COLOUR IS WILDLY CELEBRATORY AND THE SCENT IS OVERWHELMING.”
Overwhelming indeed. It echoes it’s name in
it’s atmosphere. The suffix of ‘head’ emphasizes whatever it follows. E.g. in
expletives, we refer to someone who is a complete shit as a ‘shithead’, someone
who lives primarily for the pursuit of wealth is a ‘breadhead’. In ‘Flowerhead’
we find a sense of extremism, an excessive slap in the face of white floral
hedonism. Flowerhead does not have a complex structure, it’s simply a whopping
great unapologetic dose of tuberose, jasmine and spikey wood. I can’t describe it’s precise scent any further than that, it is what it is.
There’s been a trend in recent months for
barely perceptible fragrances where subtlety is favoured over character. It’s
affected both the niche and mainstream market and has resulted in many perfume
lovers being dissatisfied with poor longevity and the fact that they actually
have to put nose to wrist to smell their own perfume. As the main point of
perfume is it’s ability to scent the air around us, this is a bit rubbish. Flowerhead is capable of bombasting all noses within a 10 foot radius, for that reason, it will be received with great pleasure by those bored of fragrant will-o'-the-wisps.
Beth Ditto - lead singer of The Gossip
Flowerhead will be greatly loved by those
seeking a perfume that has the mettle and noisiness of a pre-reform Estee
Lauder. In personality, it reminds me of the indie scene darling - Beth Ditto.
She’s brash, strident, enormous and boisterous, loved and loathed in equal
measures, and she’s in possession of an army of enchanted fans. I imagine that
Flowerhead, alike Beth, will become a cult classic.
It was the ideal choice with which to break
my fast, abstinence must be followed with excess.
