Glass reviews the gender-free fragrance-brand Laboratory Perfumes

WE live in an age which defies and questions conventions of gender. It’s a time to challenge the separate identities of male and female, and with the gap between masculine and feminine blurring, why shouldn’t this be reflected in our choice of fragrances?

Founded in 2011, the UK brand Laboratory Perfumes is one of the leading pioneers of gender-free fragrances. Described as a new method of making perfume the old fashion way, the brand prides itself on its collection of candles and scents made from all-natural oils, scientifically formulated to evolve to the wearer over the course of the day.

Founder Aaron Firth states, “I don’t subscribe to the notion that tastes or fragrances are more appealing to one gender or the other. There has never been a division in my mind between what men and women like, which is why I classify Laboratory Perfumes as gender-free.” Also environmentally friendly and cruelty-free, Laboratory is not only innovative through its approach to fragrance-making, but through its code of ethics.

Selection of Laboratory Perfumes

Packaged in beautifully minimalist glass beaker-like bottles, the exterior echoes the perfume house’s clean and simple approach to perfume-making. Five fragrances are available to date, often beginning from a single aroma. For example, Samphire stems from a leaf of verbena plucked from a friend’s garden, multi-layered with juniper and lavender, basil and rosemary, with undertones of white amber. A perfect scent for the summer-time, Samphire is incredibly fresh, sweet and herbal, reminiscent of the open seaside. An incredibly addictive scent, if Samphire could be summarised in one word, I would say zesty.

Amber Eau De Toilette, photographer: Arved Colvin Smith

My favourite scent of the entire collection, Amber is comprised of spicy and woody notes, with undertones of ambergris. Beautifully spiced and alluring, this fragrance is maybe the sexiest of all the scents. Designed to evolve on the wearer’s skin throughout the day, the scent is complexly earthy and warm, a wonderful every-day perfume to be worn all year round. Beautifully grassy and layered with different depths of fragrance, this is a scent I will not be putting down anytime soon. The perfume is also extremely long-wear, no need to re-apply a dozen times throughout the day.

The scent Gorse is wonderfully fragranced with the sweet coconut-scent of the yellow flowers from Gorse bushes, a crispy and citrusy perfume, with some spiced undertones. The sweetest of all the scents, Gorse is a perfect fragrance for  those who adore a floral summery perfume. A fantastic scent to wear during the day, there is almost a fresh-laundry feel to the fragrance.

Tonka, named after the tonka variety of vanilla bean, infuses pink peppercorns, mandarin, and woodland aromatics into one sweetly floral and clean fragrance. Less citrusy than Gorse, the use of dried berries from the Peruvian pepper tree brings beautiful fruit notes to the scent. Combining the best of both sweet and woody undertones, there is a distinct earthiness to this scent which is simply intoxicating.

Atlas, Laboratory Perfumes

Inspired by the Moroccan Atlas mountains, Atlas is infused with the signature scents of North Africa, including cinnamon, ginger, and black pepper. With its tobacco and rum notes, the fragrance is wonderfully complex and layered, unlike any perfume I have ever sampled. Spiced and woody with aromatics of cognac, the scent is designed for any man or woman who desire a scent which will leave an impression.

by Emma Hart

The discovery set of fragrances is available at £15 for 1.5ml bottles of each scent. Full-sized bottles retail for £65 for 100ml bottle. For more information click here