ESTEE LAUDER

2021

Scarlet Poppy takes you to the wild steppes of Asia, home to Oriental Poppies (Papaver orientale) that are oversized with eight-inch flowers sitting on top of metre-high stems. These particular poppies are potent symbols of love. This ravishing scent has been inspired by its exotic blooms and amplified by velvety iris. Barley and tonka bean add a double hit of sweet decadence while a burst of succulent fig draws us into this opulent and moreish fragrance.

“Years ago, the perfumer Mathilde Bijaoui shared an accord with me that was so addictive that I couldn’t stop smelling it. There was no project that it could fit into at the time, but every few months I would take the accord out of the cupboard just to smell it. That’s one of the luxuries of working for Jo Malone London: that we have the time to find the right place to bring exciting new stories and olfactives to life. We had just launched Poppy & Barley a few months before and we heard about another poppy coming from Asia, which inspired an idea to create a Cologne Intense version of Poppy & Barley. It became clear that this special accord should be at the heart of this fragrance.” Explains Celine Roux, Head of Fragrance Development. 

“The accord I started with was velvety and powerful, so it was all about building on that. Like with a painting, you start with a central idea and you expand around it.” Says Perfumer Mathilde Bijaoui. “The scarlet poppy accord is very voluptuous and floral, with blooms that bring a rich intensity at the heart of the scent. This is complemented by orris, for that very soft velour touch and an accord of heliotrope for a deep, powdery feeling, with a top note of ambrette so that the fragrance is rich right from the beginning.” 

The result: A ravishing, moreish and sweetly decadent scent. According to Celine “it’s a larger-than-life fragrance but still very sophisticated and refined.” And with that we’ll be spritzing away with dreams of the exotic and faraway lands.