Tuberose is my poison of choice. And yes, it is actually poisonous, I wasn’t just using an adage. This notorious flower has a wonderfully illustrious history. From women being forbidden throughout the renaissance to smell it while it bloomed at night for fear it would instantly turn them into wanton women, to adorning the headboards of the beds of royal mistresses centuries ago, to a short stint of being banned as a fragrance during world war 2 as it was so provocative, to its intoxicating scent causing some people to experience dizziness.
There’s a lot going on with this innocent and exquisitely scented flower!
As you probably already know, I (Jess) am a BIG tuberose fan. It’s right up there (with daphne) in my favourite flowers and lord knows I’d grow in my garden if I bloody could! Here are my top 5 (my goodness it was hard to pick only 5….) at Lore –
1. Nasomatto Narcotic V
Ok, so this is probably no surprise to anyone that Narcotic V is number 1 here. I really do wax lyrical about this fragrance, but for very good reason! Its hypnotic floral intensity is perfectly balanced to ensure it never becomes overpowering. While the perfumer Allessandro Gaultieri does not release the notes of the Nasomatto collection, we’d hazard a guess that this is tuberose, gardenia and jasmine in one heavenly bunch of white floral nirvana. Inspired by the power of female sensuality, this fragrance has a classic floral feel with perhaps a hint of citrus to brighten the heady floral notes (but is not a dated version in any way). Narcotic V is proudly pretty and powerfully gentle with a little grunt in the base to cover all angles of the beautiful feminine energy it exudes.
2. Matiere Premier French Flower
This fragrance uses the tuberose that Aurelien grows in his own fields, so we get a mega dose of tuberose in French Flower. While the tuberose is strong, it is spectacularly balanced with crisp and fresh notes to recreate the memories of light break on a warm spring morning spent in a garden, barefoot, taking in the scents that surround. The voluptuousness of the star of the show – tuberose, is in full bloom. However, French Flower manages to recreate the greenery of the stem, the leaves, the freshness of the earth that the tuberose is escaping. With sprinkles of green pear, ginger and bergamot, French Flower is an ode to the tuberose in its entirety as it sits nobly in the flower bed of the picturesque garden.
3. Penhaligon’s Heartless Helen
Heartless Helen is a powerful and alluring woman, much like this scent. She takes whoever she wants and then disposes of them when she is ready to move. Some say heartless, I’d call her a woman who knows what she wants and puts her own needs before others. Strong, independent, razor smart and a take-no-prisoners kinda woman. Pretty fabulous if you ask me. Obviously she is also impeccably dressed in her power suit as she gallivants with various members of English aristocracy (most notably The Portraits Duke and Teddy). A woman of the world, she’s moved onto the next adventure in a moment and all that is left is her lingering scent. A sexy, smooth tuberose with a hint of citrus and a compelling base of creamy, decadent woods.
4. Juliette has a Gun White Spirit
When fire meets ice – this is the fragrance of contradictions yet seamless blending, to ensure nothing clashes (not in a bad way anyway). This is a sensual interpretation that also feels innocent yet naughty at the same time. LIke a yin and yang. The whiteness – the purity of these pretty and seemingly pure flowers, then the slightly dirty and animalic ambroxan that makes its way in. There is a muddying of the purity of the tuberose with a skin-like animalic feel, however it is just under the surface and never overpowers the virtue of the florals. We get two worlds colliding with White Spirit and in true Juliette has a Gun fashion, White Spirit depicts Juliette as naughty but nice, pretty but dangerous, all is not as it first appears. And this is what makes her all the more alluring…
5. Costume National So Nude
So this was a really tough one deciding on just 5!! And it was a VERY tight race between Robert Piguet’s Fracas (a CLASSIC – the very first tuberose! But for more on that read this fabulous blog…), some modern interpretations like Eight & Bob’s Annicke 2 and Lubin’s Magda. But I have settled at the beginning (for me). My first fragrance that I began this love affair with tuberose with – So Nude. My very first fragrance from our lovely little perfumery. And it’s still a goodie to this day.
Inspired by naked skin, the body as the muse, being accepting of our true selves – the essence of our spirit, which is so much more than our physical body. So Nude is a really exquisite interpretation of tuberose with a kick of spice and the beautiful depth of woods in the base. It sits close to the skin, so it almost smells like a second skin (not in a creepy way). The cardamom creates a delicious warmth while the cedar and sandalwood notes ground the fragrance with an understated sexy, earthy comfort. Balancing the floral, spices and woods in magical harmony, So Nude has many subtle facets to it that are there for the wearer to enjoy, because when you love yourself fully, you also want to enjoy smelling yourself fully!
