Gorilla Perfumes and More: Lots Going On at LUSH

With their roots planted firmly in the 1970's, UK cosmetic outfitters LUSH are today a globally recognised brand. Perhaps first known for their eye-catching soaps sold by the pound, LUSH have since expanded their inventory to include (amongst other things) exciting handmade cosmetics, innovative hair-care products, jiggly shower jellies and precious perfume oils.
Seriously people! In 2015, no fully-fledged perfumisto should be recoiling from LUSH shopfronts, deterred by the pungent odours that spill from the door! In fact, any serious fragophile worth their salt might actually like to spend a little time in there.

Gorilla Perfume is an arm of the company that produces blended perfume oils sourced from all corners of the earth. In 2010, Sorcery of Scent blogged about Icon - a scent which truly won me over, but alas, was discontinued shortly thereafter. As it turns out, Icon was only one of a number of Gorilla Perfumes that enjoyed its 15 minutes of glory before being retired forever. In that regard, Gorilla Perfumes feels a bit renegade - a bit non-conformist... releasing perfumes in finite little 'volumes'... a "get-it-while-its-hot" approach to perfumery. This in itself can prove both frustrating and exhilarating: favourites can be suddenly pulled, but new editions come that beg to be explored.

In recent 'Volumes', yours truly has been swept away by two scents in particular; namely Sikkim Girls and Hellstone. The former is wanton blend of tuberose, frangipani, tea and jasmine... it feels devoutly heady and carnal, and is (at the time of posting) still a mainstay in the line. The latter, Hellstone, is a punchy, brawny blend of earthy vetiver, resinous opoponax and animalic cumin... it resides in a register of gruff masculine virility, and challenges the nose much in the same way other cumin-laiden favourites like Rochas Femme might. Alas, the latter has recently been retired, but not before yours truly panic-bought a bunch of bottles! The magic that ensues when this pair is layered must be experienced to be believed... we're talking Va-va-voom! With many perfumes to explore (and seemingly endless layering combinations), even a novice perfumista would find much to love in the current Gorilla Perfume inventory.

But the fun doesn't end with the perfume oils. LUSH, I've discovered, are being incredibly crafty with their product lines, creating perfumed products that truly innovate: chewable toothpaste tabs in a cornucopia of flavours, bronzing bars that you rub on skin, and shampoo solids for your hair. Perhaps one of my most favourite products to date is the fascinating "Copperhead" solid shampoo... a macaroon-sized disc that - if it weren't for its tremendously appealing perfume of earthy, smokey vetiver - might look a bit like a puck-sized cowpat. Its magic however, lies in it's composition... a blend of melted henna, arabica coffee grounds,vanilla absolute and roasted cocoa extract. These ingredients work together to produce a surprisingly generous lather, and add conditioning and lustre to the hair. With each disc lasting approximately 80 washes, I've resigned myself to buying a handful of these as gifts to give to friends.

Throwback time: I distinctly recall the first time I ever walked into a LUSH store... it was in Piraeus, Greece circa 1998 and Mrs Sorcery of Scent and I were lured through the doors the smell of soap cartwheeling on the air. Back then the store inventory comprised chiefly of their soaps - enormous rounds of the stuff that looked like iced cakes and amethyst stones and frozen water from the Aegean. Today, LUSH still produce exceptional handmade soaps, and my my most recent sample was their zesty "Sexy Peel" soap... a sun-coloured slice that smells of limoncello and citrus sorbet... arguably THE most appropriate thing to use in the heart of the West Australian summer. After rinsing with it, I found the top layer of peel acted as a gentle exfoliant, and my skin stayed perfumed with the pleasing odours of a delectable lemon curd or scrummy marmalade jam.

Suffice to say, LUSH are making quite a flutter. I can't help but tip my hat at a company that are pushing the limits of convention, and are offering a range of products that span from vegan to those that are ethically sourced. In this day and age, its refreshing to see a global entity return to time-honoured values whilst still staying relevant today.

LUSH have stores in most major cities and a comprehensive online presence. Visitors in Australia can visit lush.com.au or drop into a local Lush boutique. (If you're in Perth, the team in Plaza Arcade in the central CBD are knowledgable, genuine and attentive). For international visitors, visit: www.lush.com

Gorilla Perfumes: ICON

My wife and I are hagiographers. Having both grown up immersed in Orthodoxy, we have come to appreciate the depiction of saints and angels in history through the ecclesiastic icons of the Byzantine age - and we are now painting them ourselves, using time-honoured materials and preserving ancient tools and techniques. Hagiography is an art form which has entire schools dedicated to its methodology and teachings. It is no surprise then, that our noses were twitching with anticipation when we learned of the fragrance named ICON launched by British firm LUSH under their Gorilla Perfumes guise. Co-founder of Lush Handmade Cosmetics, Mark Constantine is the perfumer behind this particular scent... just one of 21 creations in their current perfume portfolio.

Icon is a standout scent to me, because I am familiar with its inspiration. And I feel it does justice. Anyone who has ever stepped inside an orthodox church or monastery dating from the 15th century can't help but feel overwhelmed. Centuries-old wood carvings and ornamentation embellish every shadowy corner, where the air is thick with the perfume of old wood and precious resins smoking in concealed censers. The air shimmers with amber light as even the tiniest of flames from beeswax candles that have been lit in prayer, pick out the exquisite icons from the gloom. Icon (the perfume) seems to embrace much of this... there is a strong sense of chairoscuro in its composition, where dappled lights and deep shadows butt against one another. The perfume is relatively uncomplicated... and I might say "naive", but this is to it's merit - the Byzantine painting style is also often unsophisticated. Whilst an icon may be beautifully ornate and inspire awe, these were first painted in an age where perspective was still unheard of; and where natural biological proportions were as yet unexplored.

Icon deftly interprets the aroma of gold and old wood... its opening of sharp bergamot, mandarin and neroli create a glinting metallic accord. It is crisp, radiant and somewhat fragile... like the impossibly thin gold leaf that is used to glorify depictions of the saints... gold sheets that will turn to powder at the slightest touch, or be whisked away to cartwheel on the air with just a whisper of breath. Resinous myrrh lends a slightly bitter quality, but also summons images of smoke-filled churches where the valuable stones are burnt over coal discs. An aromatic base of sandalwood imbues the perfume with a sense of antiquity, representing wooden pews and ornately carved arches. Icon triumphs with its contradictory facets of golden radiance and dusky solemnity.

Mark Constantine has noted that he'd like to revisit Icon and tweak it some more, but I would prefer he leave it be. I celebrate its naivety as much as I celebrate its gloriousness.

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