Tessa Williams

United Kingdom Tessa Williams

Clear, wearable colognes built around a theme, such as the elements or Faith, Hope and Love. Warm tonka and caramel in Fire, zesty citrus and galbanum in Hope. Formulated to be worn on skin, fabric and in the air.

About

Tessa Williams is a writer and journalist who has made fragrance for her own small range. She is the author of Cult Perfumes: The World's Most Exclusive Perfumeries, published in 2013, and Hotels of the Stars. Her scented work began with a range of luxury candles inspired by the elements in early 2015, and no perfumery school or apprenticeship is documented, so none is claimed.

Williams studied at Goldsmiths in London and went on to live in France, working for Femme magazine and The Riviera Times. The success of Cult Perfumes, in which she interviewed perfumers and explored twenty-five exclusive perfumeries, led her to launch Elements, a home fragrance range of Earth, Water, Air and Fire. People began wearing them as perfume, so she reworked Earth, Fire and Water as living colognes, made to be used on skin, fabric and in the air.

A second strand followed, built on the New Testament themes of Faith, Hope and Love. Faith is an oriental with a touch of tea, Love is a tuberose and gardenia floral, and Hope is a zesty citrus floral of bergamot, orange, lime, neroli and galbanum. A lockdown collection of three perfumes was made in collaboration with Sarah McCartney of 4160 Tuesdays, and the colognes Higher Love and Tramontana are the latest additions.

Her style is clear, wearable and idea-led: easy colognes with a theme and a story, from the warm tonka and caramel of Fire to the bright citrus of Hope. The aim is a fragrance that works as well in the home as on the skin.