Amelia

Amelia is named for the daughter of Grossmith's founder, and it behaves like a well-mannered guest: it arrives quietly and stays a long time. The opening is neroli and a hazy, peachy osmanthus, soft rather than sharp, with none of the cologne snap that neroli can bring. Peony, rose and jasmine take over the heart. The peony reads fresh and dewy and keeps that impression to the end, rose is the most obvious flower, and jasmine rounds things off with a clean sweetness. Amber adds a gentle glow rather than sugar. The notes blend more than they develop, so the scent shifts slowly instead of moving through clear stages. The base is where the chypre structure shows. Patchouli stays clean and unobtrusive, vetiver gives a dry, earthy weight, and a soft musk carries everything down to a skin-close finish, with sandalwood barely audible. Wearers describe moderate projection and good staying power: several hours on skin and much longer on clothes. It is at its best in spring and summer but holds up into early autumn, and it is quiet enough for the office. On the shelf it sits near Narciso Rodriguez For Her and Sarah Jessica Parker Lovely, but it is quieter, more transparent and more polished than either. That polish is the appeal. It is also the reason some wearers find it safe, and it is priced as a luxury perfume, so it rewards a skin test before a full bottle.