Fragrance Friday: Curionoir unveils two new scents - and a new form

We all have different reasons for stopping to add that spritz of perfume before leaving the house – it’s a tool for seduction, can evoke happy memories and just add an extra element of individualism to the way you approach your day.

The new season doesn't just invite the opportunity to overhaul your wardrobe. With a bounty of new fragrance releases, it's also a good time to reconsider your scent. From the bottles to the base notes, winter's best new fragrances are a celebration of the bold, and I am all for a statement scent.

Coco Chanel once said that a woman should apply perfume in the areas where she would like to be kissed, but the experts generally agree that the "pulse points" are the optimal spot. These are locations on the body where the blood vessels are closest to the skin, and as these spots emanate heat, they help fragrance to travel from your skin into the air.

Experts say to apply your perfume to these points - namely, the inner wrists, the base of the throat, behind ear lobes, in the cleavage, behind knees, and the inner elbows – and this is where I am wearing my latest discovery, the truly enchanting Irtiu Nefertiti from the always-surprising, preternaturally creative Tiffany Jeans at Curionoir. 

The fragrance is inspired by the sacred, primordial and fragrant Nymphaea Caerulea or Blue Lotus, which was reportedly applied to the body of legendary Egyptian Queen Nefertiti. Available as a hypnotic extrait de parfum and candle, and includes notes of Blue Lotus, Fig Wood, Osmanthus Flower, Passionflower, Gaiac Wood, Sandalwood and Musk. It is an intoxicating, heady blend as befitting its namesake, who ruled Egypt alongside her husband, Pharaoh Akhenaten during the 18th dynasty. Nefertiti means ‘the beauty has arrived’, and lift  Tiffany, founder and creative director of Curionoir says, “working on a parfum while using Queen Nefertiti as muse meant using Blue Lotus was important to be included in this creation. Osmanthus Flower has also been added in to this heady floral fragrance to represent the opulent and rare life she lived.” 

Never one to rest on her stylish laurels, Tiffany has also released a second fragrance for the new season called 415AD. I’m yet to have a play with this one, but it is a new extrait de parfum inspired by Hypatia, who was the first known female Egyptian philosopher, mathematician and astronomer and also a Platonist. Tiffany says she has been fascinated and inspired by the story of Hypatia since she was a teenager, and “I challenged myself to create a parfum that is made of ingredients from that time. I only used plants and resins that were found in Hypatia’s homeland and era,” and the end result is another intoxicating, unisex scent.
Also new to the brand is a new medium in the form of Curionoir Clay Relics. Inspired by Ancient Egyptian works of the New Kingdom Period, Curionoir Clay Relics are a range of individually hand crafted carriers for the two new parfums, each made using clay sourced from the South Island of New Zealand.  Curionoir enlisted the skills of Auckland self-trained potter Kirsten Dryburgh to produce these new creations, with Tiffany explaining that “itwas time for Curionoir to delve into working with a new medium. Working with clay on a unique parfum bottle and candle vessel whilst staying true to Curionoir’s ethos of offering an interesting and uncommon experience was a challenge. After two years of development, I am so proud of the outcome. The clay relics are beautifully sculptural and truly rare offerings.” 

The new offerings are available right now at the Curionoir perfumery on Ponsonby Road, which carries Curionoir Parfum and candles alongside jewellery by Zora Bell Boyd and Hera Saabi.

www.curionoir.com