Laboratory Perfumes
© Addie Chinn
© Yeshen Venema
© Addie Chinn
TousXEdits
Written by Tous Mag Editor
A scent is like a good book you can’t put down, with each page you turn - or with every hour it lays on your skin - you discover something new and exciting. A spritz or two - the most simplest of actions - can speak a thousand words or paint a beautiful picture. For some, they may wear their signature perfume for decades and it cements its place as their trusty go-to ‘won’t ever fail me’ scent. For others, a perfume might remind them of a certain stage of their life or each milestone birthday that’s passed. It’s so powerful that, although it can’t be seen, it can evoke a flashback of vivid memories or a heightened sensation of nostalgia.
British scent specialists Laboratory Perfumes was established in 2011 by Aaron Firth as a result of many years working as a menswear retailer and, subsequently, realising how short-term the fashion industry can be. Aaron wanted to create something permanent that could be indefinitely admired for its timeless qualities, so, what better than creating a scent to encourage savouring and a lastingness.
Laboratory perfumes develops each of its 5 gender-free scents to sit outside of trends which allows the fragrances to form their own rhythm and uniqueness. There’s no question that they prioritise quality over quantity; their scents are dynamic and distinct, with complexity full to the brim of each bottle. What’s more is there’s a thoughtful sensitivity to this brand, with each intention of their output carefully considering the bigger picture. Their candle beakers can be reused as milk jugs or flower vases and the packaging tubes - which house their products - can be used as a desk accessory to organise your stationary, ensuring each product has a lasting shelf life. All card and glass used is recyclable and, with regards to animal welfare, everything is cruelty-free which was a choice that was made without a glimmer of hesitation.
Here’s our comments on each scent in their range, all tried and tested by Tous Mag —
“Amber”
We’re a sucker for a tobacco notes base. Slightly harder to detect when first applied, the tobacco is eased gently by trails of fruit. There’s a real sense of age to this fragrance, with an undoubted maturity, like an aged whisky or an ancient oak tree. Mixed with a dash of youth - a sprightly boost of lively citrus - this scent has a totality that’s considerably different to its start line. Enjoy the progression throughout day and night as it develops from an energy boosting fragrance, kick-starting the day, to one that’s mellowed and calming as the day comes to a close.
“Atlas”
Atlas reminds us of the first day of winter when the wood burners are fired up and woody aromas flood your nostrils. Combined with vanilla, rum, ginger and cinnamon notes your mind wanders to picture a family sat sipping hot toddies around the blazing fire. There’s nothing quite like warming the cockles with a cosy blanket inside when there’s a crisp air, out. Atlas reminds us that there’s warmth and joy to be had in the frosty months with an added feeling of luxury and indulgence, something we might all find comfort in over the bleak depths of winter.
“Gorse”
We’re transported to days roaming across Dartmoor, UK, amongst the heathlands and natural beauty that makes the vast moorland so intoxicatingly beautiful. Sunny yellow Gorse is unbridled there, with pockets growing wild and untamed across the craggy landscape. This scent seductively encapsulates the grace of nature - you can almost inhale a breath of fresh summer’s air - and reminds us that there’s endless reasons why we should be kind to our planet, not least to be able to bask in the succulent smells of fresh flowers. The Great Mother at its finest.
“Samphire”
A splash of the life of a sailor, Samphire hooks you with its fresh essence of salty winds and breezy sea air. It’s gritty yet dignified and is a fragrance that shows an aptitude for endurance. Combined with a tang of lemony Verbena and a pinch of aromatic herbs - basil and rosemary - we’re thankful for the small pleasures of life that bring the biggest punches like a garden to table dinner or a windswept walk across the White Cliffs of Dover.
“Tonka”
The Tonka bean is loved for its warm and sweet qualities with vanilla characteristics. For those who steer clear of overly sweet scents, Tonka cuts through the sweetness with a zip of mandarin and pink peppercorn for a well-rounded interesting mix of sweet and musky. There’s an organic aroma to this scent with earthy undertones bursting through the citrus, which makes for a pleasant surprise with every hint you notice throughout the day.
Keep scrolling down to read an interview with Laboratory Perfumes founder, Aaron Firth.
© Yeshen Venema
© Addie Chinn
© Peter Guenzel
© Yeshen Venema
© Addie Chinn
© Yeshen Venema
© Peter Guenzel
An interview with founder Aaron Firth
Tous Mag: Could you tell us the story of Laboratory Perfumes?
Aaron Firth: Our sense of smell is sometimes underrated and I think it plays an important part in our lives and our relationships with others; you might go into a room full of strangers and long before anyone has spoken and, irrespective of whether they are a man or woman, you will be drawn to someone or another. I am sure that this is determined by smell. A fine fragrance will smooth any relationship. Having spent quite a long time in fashion where good ideas are consumed rapaciously and often end up being discounted or discarded, often because of the huge push to consume rather than any flaw with the design, I wanted to make something that you could pick up season after season, year after year. In fact, many people are very loyal to the fragrance they wear so we’re happy to see that more and more people wear Laboratory Perfumes.
At the beginning there was only me and I spent quite a lot of the time packing boxes; happily, I now have people to help!
Tous Mag: Would you describe the process of making perfume a fine art practice?
Aaron Firth: The ideas come from different places but the creation of the fragrance happens in a laboratory - it is actually quite scientific! We carry out all of the traditional processes from conception to final modifications (it’s a long and iterative process to develop each scent) but, from there, it’s all up to the lab to help us capture and bottle it and get it out to our customers. I always want to be clear about the scientific processes that go into making fragrance.
Tous Mag: Does sustainability and looking after the environment/animal welfare play an important role at Laboratory Perfumes?
Aaron Firth: We try to use natural oils wherever we can and some organics too (although these are not always stable so they are more difficult to use); we are 100% manufactured in the UK and the ambition is that our products and packaging can have multiple use where possible. The candle beakers can be reused as milk jugs or flower vases and the packaging tubes can hold any number of pens and paperclips. All of the card we use is recyclable, as is the glass. With regards to animal welfare, everything is cruelty-free and - to be honest - that wasn’t ever a question.
Tous Mag: Your perfumes are inspired by botanicals of Britain, as well as trips to the south of France and the mountains of Morocco, could you tell us a little about the perfume notes in your range?
Aaron Firth: They all have come about randomly. Tonka came to me when we were on a family holiday in Morocco, on a trip to the Ourika Valley, where people were drying leather and the valley was lined with bergamot shrubs. We ran a limited edition blue packaging tube and this referenced Yves Klein blue in the Jardin Majorelle in Marrakech. Samphire came about after lunch at a friend’s house - verbena from the garden that I later crushed with juniper berries at home and this was the basis for the fragrance. Gorse was inspired by my parent’s house in the Vaucluse and Amber was intended as an evolutionary fragrance that would reflect the wearer’s energy and mood throughout the day. Lastly, Atlas is an interpretation of pipe tobacco and winter fruits.
Tous Mag: What distinguishes you as perfume makers?
Aaron Firth: I don’t come from a fragrance background so the ideas that inspired Laboratory Perfumes were not based on industry norms. Some decisions have come about through common sense or necessity and we’ve had to learn a lot along the way; although the brand is growing and the fragrances are a little more widely known, the team is still very small and we are all still involved in every part of the process. But, we like it that way - pick up the phone and you’ll get through to one of three people.
The fragrances are unisex because there has never been a division in my mind between what men and women like. I don’t subscribe to the notion that tastes or fragrances are more appealing to one gender or the other.
We really try not to submit to any commercial pressure to drive out new products; our development process is slow and we embrace that. Each scent is developed to sit outside of trends and its been really lovely to watch the fragrances take on their own rhythms since they were first conceptualised. Atlas, for example, takes me to warm evenings in the Ourika valley - outside Marrakech - but it is also a favourite in deep winter in the UK because its spicy warmth evokes Christmas memories. For me, Gorse is all about the gorse bushes at my parent’s home (in the middle of nowhere) but, for others, it’s summers in the city.
Tous Mag: Where is the best place on the body to wear a fragrance?
Aaron Firth: Anywhere, but avoid your eyes.
Tous Mag: How would you encourage people to find their signature scent?
Aaron Firth: I am not sure I would assume that everyone has a signature scent; I believe that our tastes vary from day to day and week to week and I’ve always leaned into that idea. Fragrance can be more about having fun, mixing different scents and it is a very powerful tool for evoking memories - so you travel through different periods of your life by wearing one or the other. I would encourage exploration and discovery, letting them dry down and noticing how they change with your mood over the course of the day. An individual’s preference is strong and I think it is good to trust your instincts… but then also to give them a challenge every now and then.
I didn’t set out to make a gender-free fragrance but I have never seen the need to suggest that one fragrance is for men and one for women. We all like the same food, films and art, so why not the same fragrance?