by Daniel Lennard
Sometimes a perfume comes along that bucks the trend and lives up to the hype laid out in the press release. I like fragrances that dare to stand out from the crowd and do something a little different and Undergreen White and Black certainly does that.
It comes in two versions, one white – female and one black – male but of course if you want to stick to those rules or break them that is up to you. This duo of scents from Undergreen have been touted as “rebellious, urban and edgy new luxury niche perfumes” but I’d go further than that. The Black is deep, timeless and unique. It comes across as very masculine with smoky wood undertones, hints of Birch bark and a little touch of Oud (apparently the most expense ad rarest wood in the world). This is the intensity of a wood from an ancient pew in a centuries old church. Then there’s a middle layer of Liquorice, Coffee and maybe even some Vanilla. The top notes are a dizzying blend of spices such as Ginger, Cinnamon, Black Pepper with a hint of Marzipan hidden away in there. But worn by a girl some fresher grassier notes appear into the mix to brighten the effect.
To fit with the uniqueness of the scent Undergreen White and Black come in a suitably simple but elegant bottle. The whole ethos behind the scent is carried through from the scent itself to the bottle design. The method of production is unique too combining the best practices of traditional French perfumery with a modern desire to harness the essences found in nature. It has been designed in collaboration with visionary perfumer Fabrice Olivieri. He has used a groudbreaking technique known as Chimie Naturelle to create the intense aromas present in nature and blended into his perfumes.
Overall, Undergreen is a truly characterful new scent. This is luxury of an intense, natural kind and as it lingers on your skin you catch delightful hints of its distinctive notes throughout the day.
Undergreen White and Black perfumes are available exclusively at Harvey Nichols, Knightsbridge and online at www.harveynichols.com
Undergreen fragrances article by Daniel Lennard
