“A rose is a rose is not a rose” … All is not always as it first appears.
This powerful, hauntingly seductive fragrance is inspired by a 16th century poem by Edmund Spenser. An allegorical epic about Elizabeth I, The Fairie Queene is a tale of chivalry, pageantry and courtly love.
It’s in Book II of the epic poem we are introduced to the evil sorceress Acrasia. In Ancient Greek, Acrasia translates something akin to “lack of self-control” or “weakness of will”… a fitting name for a wicked seductress who delights in corrupting the noblest of knights. She entices her victims with the carnal delights of her Bower of Bliss before turning them into beasts, cursed to roam her glorious gardens evermore.
Acrasia a false enchaunteresse,
That many errant knights hath foule fordonne:
Within a wandring Island, that doth ronne
And stray in perilous gulfe, her dwelling is:
Faire Sir, if euer there ye trauell, shonne
The cursed land where many wend amis,
And know it by the name; it hight the Bowre of Bliss.
NOTES
Top: Sicilian Lemon, Wine, Bergamot
Middle: Jasmine, Rose, Geranium, Cinnamon, Incense
Base: Amber, Vanilla, Musks, Patchouli, Vetiver, Cedarwood
PERFUMER
Julie Dunkley
HOW IT WEARS
In performance, we liken this scent to drinking one of Acrasia’s magic potions. It begins buoyant and optimistic with bright lemon and bergamot, which together flavour a rich red wine. As you take another sip, you realise the wine is flavoured with spices and flowers – the sweetness of jasmine, the earthiness of geranium and the velvety richness of rose coming to the fore. As the scent dries down, the wine turns tanin-y and reveals its resinous aftertaste – amber mingles with patchouli and vetiver, and you begin to realise it’s too late, and you have succumbed to the seductress’s poison. This fragrance will last for 6-8 beguiling hours on the skin, enchanting anyone who walks in your wake.
LORE LOVES
Of course we love the story of this scent, and how the fragrance so brilliantly tells it. This is unlike any other rose/incense combination we’ve ever tried – it’s got a dark, gothic edge that makes you keep going back to smell it over and over again. The rose in Acrasia is velvety, powdery even, its sweetness tempered perfectly by spices and resins. We also love the use of the wine note in this scent (very Beaufort!) which is what makes it so totally unique. Spritz with caution, be prepared to be lured into the Bower of Bliss by Acrasia.
ABOUT THE BRAND
Beaufort London is an incredibly unique English perfume house created by musician and writer Leo Crabtree. Inspired by Crabtree’s lifelong love of fragrance mixed with his fascination with the darker elements of British history, Beaufort London’s first collection of intense, and bold perfumes is titled “Come Hell or High Water”. Coming from a family history of seamen, Crabtree also references the sea throughout this collection. “The sea, its traditions, superstitions and way of life are ingrained in me. The brand’s name Beaufort London (derived from the 1805 wind force scale conjured up by Naval Officer Sir Francis Beaufort) represents a kind of framework within which we can understand ourselves. The wind in consistent, enduring, but ultimately changeable and potentially destructive.”
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