Gucci has opened a beauty boutique at Suria KLCC, with the Italian brand offering its range of lipsticks and perfumes in opulent surroundings.
This includes the newest fragrance line called The Alchemist’s Garden, featuring seven perfumes, four scented oils, three scented water and a scented candle.
Alchemy is the medieval precursor to modern chemistry, where sketchy scientific understanding mingles with the belief of magic and the supernatural. Gucci picked the name to relate to the mysterious way that smells invoke memory.
But instead of turning lead into gold, perfumer Alberto Morillas turns plant extracts into seven distinct scents, with oud, amber, violet, iris, mimosa, rose or wood as the hero ingredient.
The oud perfume is called The Voice of the Snake. The sensual, mysterious aroma is mixed with patchouli and saffron for an intense woody scent.
Amber in the perfume Eyes of the Tiger apparently refers to scented resin such as benzoin and ciste. The perfume also contains the strangely-named tonka bean and vanilla.
The Virgin Violet perfume is named as such because violet is considered the flower of modesty. It is composed of musk, violet leaves and iris petals, along with a deep vanilla note. This is also the scent of the The Alchemist’s Garden’s candle.
Tears of Iris interprets the scent of iris flower, mixing it with sandalwood and notes of angelica seeds and musk.
The mimosa perfume is called Winter’s Spring, invoking the joy of the end of winter and the coming of spring. Sweet-smelling yellow mimosa flowers, said to be the first sign of spring, is used here with pepper and musk.
The perfume A Song for the Rose is an expression of absolute femininity but edged with sweet musk.
The scent of wood is captured in The Last Day of Summer perfume. It has cedar, cypress and nutmeg along with earthy notes of patchouli and vetiver.
From the Press release: “The Last Day of Summer is inspired by (Gucci creative director) Alessandro Michele’s clear vision of a particular moment when walking in a forest in early autumn. The nostalgic feeling at the end of summer coincides with the season change, a symbol of the renewal of life and nature.”
Meanwhile, Gucci’s four perfumed oils are scented with rose, oud, wood or violet. The scented water (or acque profumate) each contains cypress, lavender or wood elements.
“The oils and acque profumate create individual statements,” says Morillas. “Personalise your beloved scent with an oil or a floral water to build a unique sillage. Just play with the scent to find your favourite, as an alchemist would work to find the gold formula.”