Blasted Heath – aquatic and herbaceous and woody - SOLD OUT

Photo: perfumeniche 

“This September, Penhaligon’s unveils two new perfumes inspired by the extreme, wild and passionate British landscape; that moment where the Land meets the Sea and untamed energy explodes.

Where dramatic landscape meets the restless ocean in an eternal caress; the pure, wild elements are infinitely inspiring and have thrilled painters, poets and lovers throughout history.

Composed by Master Perfumer Alberto Morillas, these two unexpected fragrances explore an olfactory palette reminiscent of the colors, textures and sensations of the wild coast. Cold neutrals, earthy browns, navy blues, textures inspired by rock, bark or earth, two fragrances of contrast, of freedom.”

                 Penhaligon’s Press Release for Blasted Heath and Blasted Bloom

Reading about Blasted Heath and Blasted Bloom excited me. With Blasted Heath, there was a moment of recognition, even before I smelled it. I know this place. I know this smell.

An autumnal family holiday in a rented cottage in Dorset. Thomas Hardy country. Days spent on walks along magnificent coastal paths of the Jurassic Coast, so narrow in places we have to walk single file. Breathtaking views of sea and shore, the sound of the waves a constant in the background – sometimes a gentle lapping at other times pounding, wild and feral. Long, lazy, pub lunches.  Evenings spent in that cozy cottage, talking, laughing, sharing, drinking, cooking and eating in the dining room warmed by a big, crackling fire. Then, finally, to bed.

This is the mood, the memories, down to the colour palette, that’s in my bottle of Blasted Heath.

It opens with the smell of the sea – an aquatic accord deepened with the smell of seaweed bolstered with herbaceous clary sage. It smells like the salty spray from a roiling sea when the seaweed has been churned to the surface. The green herbaceous opening is carried into the heart with the smell of green leaves and marks a shift from sea to land. Then, it gets woody with a light, clean and sheer woody note that just belongs here. This is from Clearwood™, a material created by Firmenich, which has the woodiness of patchouli without the dirty earthiness. If I miss my dirty patchouli, I don’t mind because what comes next is a delicious whiff of tobacco and boozy whiskey – nothing harsh or loud, just a gentlemanly declaration of masculinity. The woodiness of the heart becomes the backbone of the base, which is made of dark, earthy, woody patchouli, cedarwood, gaiacwood, and vetiver.

On me, the drydown is a woody, warm skin scent with whiffs of salty sea air, smoke, and an elegant earthiness that’s so smooth and refined that a woman could carry it off easily.

I love the way Blasted Heath takes me back to happy memories and lets me weave them into my day-to-day life. 

Check out Blasted Heath in our Shop.