Launched in 2014 from Italian niche line Maison Gabriella Chieffo, Ragù is a standout for me because it not only smells great, but because it links fragrance to a food related memory. The inspiration for the fragrance was:

'Sunday. An open window to a still world. Resounding laughter is the background to the gentle chatter of women with warm lovingly caring hands. A perfume runs through the house, seeping into every little bit of life on the festive day. Care and patience creates the goodness that is savored with all the senses: the red of caramelised tomato, the intrigue of black pepper that tickles the nose and the mind, the tactile freshness of basil leaves. And when the taste has been assuaged, that mixing of festive flavors, that have now become light and gentle, lingers in the air.'

Ragù opens with bright orange and bitter bergamot and pink pepper. The pink pepper adds warmth and a floral aspect to the fruits. Body heat releases the potent spices – black pepper, nutmeg, clove and cardamom and saffron. The spicy mix is a little sweet and so heady and it makes me smile every time I catch a whiff of it. There’s an herbaceous facet here too – probably from elemi – and a little saltiness. I smell leather at the base, which is predominately woody from cedar, Cashmere wood, patchouli and cypriol. The patchouli and cypriol also add an earthy, dirty aspect to it, while musk softens it all.

The drydown is rich, spicy and aromatic and so well-balanced, it is perfectly unisex. For the record: Ragù does not smell like tomato sauce. For that effect you would have to open a tin of Mama Bravo’s spaghetti sauce and dab it behind your ears. What Ragù does is evoke memories of people - the mingling of their scents, the smell of food, the sound of it cooking - gathered together sharing a task, sharing time with each other. It is the smell of love in the air.

Cooking is about transformation of ingredients into something new. It’s a sensual process that involves all five senses. The beauty, and magic, of Ragù EdP is that it transforms ingredients into a fragrance that revives all five senses.Notes: orange, bergamot, pink pepper, black pepper, clove, nutmeg,cardamom, saffron, elemi, leather, cedarwood, Cashmere wood, patchouli, cypriol, musk.