When a brand boasts of having Napoleon Bonaparte, the Tsar of Russia, the King of Italy and more notable and, sometimes, fear-inducing-titles as clients, one has to at least check the brand out. British perfume house Atkinsons finally made its way this side of Asia and the recent launch, though far, was worth trekking to.
I am a sucker for perfumes. Testing different scents is therapeutic (although at times dizzying) and discovering surprising biases is always fun. As a person, I’m also a loyalist and tend to stick to favorites replenishing bottles as needed. I recently hoarded two new ones for stock because they were my top two on rotation and on sale.
Naturally, I attended the launch of the newest perfume brand to infiltrate the Filipino market and, very soon I forecast-their wardrobes. Of course, being a Brit brand, the event at Pangaea, City of Dreams was capped off with tea and both saccharine and savory pastries for good British measure.
It’s interesting to note that the brand is a legacy—scents have been formulated since the early 1900s withstanding the test of time. Some of the heritage scents were created during the war while some of the other fragrances were requests by the most notable names in history such as Prince Mohammed Ali of Egypt. I mean, I guess if you’re royalty you could definitely be a diva and demand whatever it is that you want. Kidding, if I had a retail brand and the Duchess of Cambridge wanted to wear my designs I’d definitely give her all the pieces I’ve ever made.
From The Emblematic Collection stars the scent 24 Old Bond Street, which according to the press release is “a cocktail of juniper, rose and black tea, and smoky, oak-casked whisky accord.” In very reductive layman’s terms, it’s a pretty masculine scent. Dapper and purportedly unisex, the fragrance is a little too masculine for a petite girl’s daily spritzes (read: mine). I wouldn’t mind smelling it on a significant other though or rubbing a spritz or two on myself on days when I’m feeling the testosterone (or arrogance, the two are interchangeable). Again, I kid.
I would suggest it though for those who do enjoy a masculine flair, or those who aren’t as feminine and partial to sweet scents. For those like myself who basically live in dresses and pinks, I would suggest trying Atkinsons’ floral variants. They have an array of floral inspirations and fragrances from lavender to jasmine, rose and more. My personal favorites are The Nuptial Bouquet and Jasmine in Tangerine, must-tries for olfactory girly-girls.
To test and get your own Atkinsons bottles, do make your way to Art of Scent, a luxury fragrance boutique at the East Wing of Shangri-la Plaza for a curated array of luxurious scents. Everybody needs an olfactory ride from time to time.
Atkinsons is also available in Art of Scent in shops at City of Dreams and Resorts World Manila.
