A Rose by Any Other Name Would Smell as Sweet

Can you imagine my delight to find that Diptyque, in celebration of 50 years of artistry and fragrance creation, had opened a pop-up store in Mayfair. As if a pop-up store wasn’t exciting enough, I then discovered that they planned to host a series of sensory experiences and workshops throughout the two weeks.

Keen to join in on the fun I signed up for the ‘Fragrance and Flower Workshop with By Appointment Only Design’. I had no idea what to expect. I assumed that the evening would comprise of a talk by someone at Diptyque with a florist explaining the flowers used in their fragrances. How wrong I was, this event was so much more.

We arrived slightly late (thanks for driving directly into traffic uber driver) and was pleasantly surprised to be led into a room with three other observers, Diptyque’s Commercial Operations Manager, the witty Daniel Dutton and the charismatic Javier Salvador from By Appointment Only Design.

Daniel started by presenting three fragrances that contained roses: Eau Roses, L’Ombre dans L’Eau and Vetyverio.

Eau Rose

Eau Rose contains two types of roses, damascena and centifolia. There are over 150 species of rose but these two have been used in perfumes for centuries at that favoured by Diptyque in their perfume creation.

Regarding the perfume, think pink rose petals and green leaves. The combination of blackcurrant and Litchi top notes create a sweet accord.  Once the top notes have worn off I can smell jasmine and rose, the floral additions. We all talk about the imagery that a fragrance can create and this conjures up more memories than most. It takes me back to Grasse and the vast rose fields, reminds me of past perfumes my mother had as well as the roses at the end of my childhood garden.

I initially thought this fragrance to be too floral for me but the base notes of cedar wood and musk takes this perfume down a different road, they add a woodiness and the depth that I demand from a fragrance.

Every bit the summer fragrance, this is something I would wear during the day. Call me strange but I prefer the scent on my skin once it has had 30 minutes to settle; the sweetness has disappeared by this point and the fresh green shines through.

L’Ombre dans L’Eau

Next is L’Ombre dans L’Eau, translated to ‘The Shadow in the Water’. This profile is completely different to Eau Rose, it is more sensual and flirty. The top note of blackcurrant gives this fragrance its sweetness as so does the citrus notes; sometimes I get grapefruit, others times I get mandarin. The rose provides the floral note and the petitgrain the wood. This is summer in a bottle but one for the evening rather than the day; it contradicts a light and summery day. Please note that the sweetness does not wear off, it is active for the duration and as such, not a fragrance for me as my skin cannot carry such sweet notes, unfortunately.

 

Vetyverio

The last and my favourite of the evening, was Vetyverio. Again, completely different to the two before, this fragrance is not gender specific. The emphasis here is on mystical, sexy and dark woody notes. For balance, there is a freshness and a lift created by a combination of mandarin and grapefruit but once that wears off you are left with a deep smoky scent. Devine!

This is a fierce fragrance whilst being sensual, thank you trusty rose. Whilst rose is not something you would traditionally equate with male scents it is increasingly being used in unisex fragrances to add balance. This fragrance has the strength of an oud without being overpowering, a masterpiece. I had to have it.

 

Each of the three scents are anchored by rose and exemplify the magic of perfumery. Perfume houses never cease to amaze me. A slight addition, tweak in the ingredients and a completely different accord is created.

By Appointment Only Design

Javier then stepped forward to speak about the use of roses in floristry. It was only at this point that I noticed the buckets of roses and bunches of foliage stationed around the room. It then dawned on me, we were about to arrange flowers.

I instantly recognised the roses, they were pink and white O’Hara’s. One of the few roses used in floristry with a scent and a flower that became the foundation of my wedding flowers. Before we knew it, we were on our feet and arranging flowers with Javier’s guidance.

First up, the art of spiralling, placing each stem at an angle to create a balanced bouquet.

 

Poor George. He is the most supportive man I have ever met and happens to be my husband. We are at each other’s side through everything; everything now includes flower arranging. He rolled up his sleeves and was spiralling the stems like a pro.

 

It was so relaxing. It reminded me of why I love to arrange flowers and have spent much of this year studying the art. Javier is a natural teacher and was happy to answer any and all questions. I say he was happy to but he didn’t really have a choice, I was relentless. It is not often that you get to meet someone who has transitioned from fashion to events and then flowers. He has guts and bucket loads of determination. Sixteen-ish years later and he is the Director of one of the most renowned florists in London, if not the country, entrepreneurialism at its best.

Javier stumbled into floristry by chance. He was working an event when he saw a lady frantically trying to arrange the flowers, he walked over offered his help and the rest is history.

Amongst my many questions I asked Javier if he had a favourite flower. His response is in the video below.

 

Throughout the evening Javier shared a number of top tips with us. I unashamedly wrote down as many as I could as floristry is not something you can learn in a day. Like many situations in life, you will not know how to react until you have encountered it and some encounters can take years. Learning from those who are more experienced is key.

Javier’s Top Tips

· If you purchase roses, or any of the most common flowers sold in florists in the UK, and need them to open the next day, place them in warm water and a warm room (not sauna levels, maybe just close the radiators). This does not work for all flowers but will with the majority. Do not try this with hydrangeas and if unsure check with your local florist.

· The shorter the journey that water has to make from vase to petals the better; shorter stems will help prolong your flowers although this is not always possible.

· Ensure that you do not allow leaves to sit in the water as they will rot, cause the water to turn and decrease the life of your flowers.

· You can dip hydrangea heads into cold water or put the stems in warm water to refresh wilting leaves.

· Put 1/3 of a baby sterling tablet in your vase to stop the water from turning too fast. This works with most flowers but not calla lilies. If in doubt ask your local florist.

· Never touch the petals, it damages them and will cause them to turn brown.

One of the most interesting questions posed to Javier was whether he thought Instragram and other social media platforms has increased the purchase of and interest in flowers. Javier stated that he imagined that social media could be the cause of increased flower purchases and added that ‘everyone wants an instagram/social media moment but ultimately one should buy flowers because you like them, not because they are photographic’. I could not agree more. Whether it be a bunch of lilies from Waitrose or an arrangement from my local florist, I always purchase flowers to scent a room and as a form of decoration.

Back to arranging, as you can see, we were let loose on a lot of roses and by the time we had finished our arms were close to falling off.

Time to shop

Flower arranging over, we were presented with a cloth Diptyque bag containing a small bottle of Eau Rose fragrance.

All of this for the princely sum of £15 each: a private rose bouquet workshop, nibbles and bubbles, a small yet substantial bottle of Roses. If this is not a sign that perfume companies are becoming more transparent and approachable, I do not know what is.

 

Also, we were able to deduct the price of our tickets from a purchase in store. Luckily for me my husband allowed me to combine his ticket with mine and I was able to purchase a bottle of Vetyverio.

The night was not yet over. The pop-up contained a wall of Diptyque and perfume inspired postcards which we were able to write on and Diptyque would then post. I decided to collect as many as I could so that I could use them at a later date.

This pop-up finished on the 22^nd October but the team confirmed that they plan to hold more events in the future. Check their website and Eventbrite regularly to avoid disappointment.

This was one of the best pop-ups I have attended, I left knowing so much more about roses than when I arrived.