Magazine Street, by Strange Invisible Perfumes

Strange Invisible Perfumes is a botanical fragrance house that uses no artificial or animal essences or ingredients. Wherever possible, the ingredients used are certified organic and fair trade. Inspired by the city of New Orleans, 8% of the price of each bottle of Magazine Street sold is donated to the Katrina relief efforts of www.commongroundrelief.org. Strange Invisible describes Magazine Street as Brazen. Sumptuous. Romantic.

On me, Magazine Street starts with a fresh spicy blast (from patchouli, I think, and vetiver) and then soon settles into a warm and sensual blend - I get the fresh floral of magnolia, the vanilla adds warmth but not sweetness to the overall tone, and the botanical musk gives a salty-skin note (but it's clean, fresh sweat, not the Serge Lutens cumin/groin note.) To me, this is a sensual, voluptuous scent, but it isn't overpowering or fluffy. It is romantic, but it's more Gone With the Wind than Romeo & Juliet, and that suits me perfectly.

So, Magazine Street is warm and spicy but also has a freshness to it, I think from the magnolia and vetiver in the blend. I've had a cold recently and after I recover from one of those I often find that my sense of smell is extremely acute (or seems that way, after losing it during the cold.) I'm also at the stage of my hormonal cycle when I'm particularly sensitive to smells and even perfumes that I ordinarily like can make me feel a bit headachey. This one has not bothered me at all; instead I find it comforting and enveloping without being in any way cloying to me.

Another thing I love about this perfume is that it lasts well, but it's intimate; it stays quite close to my body. I get wafts of it through the day, but I don't feel like my scent enters the room before I do.

This is £120 for 50ml. I honestly didn't know if I could spend that much on perfume for myself, but as a guilt-free anniversary gift from Mr London, I adore it. I haven't had such an immediate and personal accord with a fragrance or fragrance house since I first walked into the Ormonde Jayne Royal Arcade Boutique. I'd budget to buy this myself in the future if I run out of it at a time when there is no handy gift-hinting opportunity.

Mr London bought this from www.beingcontent.com. The Strange Invisible website is at www.siperfumes.com.