Aqualis London

Aqualis London produces fragrances in the perfume category and is sold in one of the world's most elegant and expensive department stores, Harrods. Owner and creator Stein Grobler, born and raised in South Africa, worked in perfumery and the luxury industry, and decided he had something to say to the world. He was assisted in this by perfumers from Robertet. What's the result? In my opinion, Aqualis is a balanced, commercial line of easy-to-perceive fragrances. At times recognizable, at times surprising, because the creator shares olfactory experience from a corner of the globe few of us have visited.

Brenton is a popular seaside resort on the southernmost tip of the African continent. Beyond that, life is lost; on the other side of the turquoise sea, somewhere far beyond the horizon, lies only icy Antarctica. And you're in your underwear, sipping Chardonnay, basking in the gentle sun, breathing in the fresh, salty breeze. Beyond South African specialties, Brenton is a classic, perfectly balanced marine scent with lemon, amber, and a touch of greenery. Clingy, not flashy, and always appropriate.

Brenton Aqualis London, perfume

Jean Charles Mignon

Mandarin, bergamot, sea salt, orange blossom, geranium, vanilla, tonka bean, cedar, amber, musk.

The picture that Canvas paints would be perfect for any girl's Instagram: white linen sheets, a bouquet of yellow flowers scattering their pollen everywhere, and a sleek gray cat curled up like a donut. Canvas is pleasant and relaxing. It contains freshness and powder, yellow iris and fluffy mimosa, a fresh breeze from blooming orange trees, the bitterness of balsamic resinous vanilla, and, somewhere in the background, gray suede. To fully reveal its beauty, it requires warmth and time.

Canvas Aqualis London, perfume

Amandine Galliano

Bergamot, pink pepper, ylang-ylang, freesia, iris, mimosa, jasmine, rose, white musk, tobacco, vanilla, tonka bean, vetiver.

Blom is a flower to Africans, and musk to me. A fresh, cool musky mist, through which a still life with a pitcher of cold water, a currant leaf, pink apples, and a freshly cut sugar watermelon can be seen as a blur. From the very first second, Blom evokes a familiar aquatic scent from the 90s, playing with quotes from In Love Again by Yves Saint Laurent and L'Eau by Kenzo.

Blom Aqualis London, perfume

Jean Charles Mignon

Bergamot, grapefruit, blackcurrant, neroli, green notes, gardenia, rose, geranium, powdery accord, jasmine, magnolia, white musk, cashmere, cedar, amber, vetiver, vanilla.

Coda is the final accord, the final phrase at the end of a sentence. Aqualis imagines coda as the Middle East with its love of oud, saffron, roses, and sweet Turkish delight. The rose is beautiful here, presented in all its nuances of the velvety bitterness of tobacco and plum jam. Turkish delight is strawberry and pomegranate, candied lemon, and dried figs with black flesh on a slender gold tray. Beautiful. It's not new, but it's irresistible every time.

Coda Aqualis London, perfume

Amandine Galliano

Bergamot, cinnamon, blackcurrant, green accord, red berries, geranium, jasmine, patchouli, saffron, labdanum, musk, amber, oud.

The designer envisioned Namaqualand as smelling like a desert that sits like stone for 11 months, but comes alive during the rainy season and is covered in a carpet of flowers. For me, Namaqualand isn't a landscape, but a white still life: white flowers with a prominent snow-white tuberose, a spoonful of strawberry jam for tea on white porcelain, and fresh, mineral- and creamy-toned remedies for, against, and instead of the sun in white sprays and tubes. The result is feminine, elegant, and reminiscent of many things.

Namaqualand Aqualis London, perfume

Florian Gallo

Mandarin, bergamot, orange blossom, jasmine, tuberose, ylang-ylang, sandalwood, cedar, vetiver, tonka bean, benzoin, vanilla, musk.

Kalahari should take us through the blazing red sands of Namibia's most terrifying desert. I find the scent calm and gourmand, with its aroma of roasted nuts in honey, smoked black tea, gingerbread, vanilla, and raspberry jam. The strange notes here include a bit of ash at the bottom and the smoldering, slightly damp wood of an old fireplace.

Kalahari Aqualis London, perfume

Florian Gallo

Saffron, raspberry, rum, vetiver, rose, cedar, labdanum, benzoin, tonka bean, leather, vanilla.

I didn't get along with Utopia at all. Instead of the promised explosion of citrus notes, freshness, and light, I smelled woody-ambery aromatics over apricot soap. And nothing else. I chalk it up to my perception.

Utopia Aqualis London, perfume

Jean Charles Mignon

Blood orange, dried apricot, clary sage, pink pepper, osmanthus, rose, jasmine, papyrus, Iso E Super, patchouli, sandalwood, vetiver, vanilla, amber.

I would happily wear two of the Aqualis fragrances I've tried. The iris and mimosa in Canvas smell like a harbinger of spring, and the rose and saffron in Coda are always a favorite. I'd happily smell Brenton on the men around me. Such lively, fresh scents are rare, despite the genre's popularity.