Gorilla Perfume at Lush, a new label introduced earlier this year with Tuca Tuca, has introduced five new fragrances, and a number of older Lush perfumes have now been folded into the Gorilla Perfume line. All of the fragrances were created by Mark Constantine, founder of Lush, and/or his son, Simon.
Older Lush perfumes now under the Gorilla Perfume name include Ginger, Flower Market, Icon, Vanillary and Karma. Eleven perfumes from the defunct B Never Too Busy line are also included in the new effort: Dirty, Ladyboy, 1000 Kisses Deep, Dear John, Cocktail, Breath of God, Inhale & Exhale, B Scent, Superworld Unknown and Love.
The five new fragrances are The Smell of Freedom, Imogen Rose, Orange Blossom, Lust and The Smell of Weather Turning:
The Smell of Freedom ~ “Simon’s [Constantine's] first fine fragrance, Breath of God, was formed of two distinct scents, which, when combined, became a mesmerising and powerful perfume. In The Smell of Freedom, he continues this style and combines three beautiful fragrances to a wonderful effect. This perfume is based on Simon’s experiences of meeting three survivors of hardship. The common factor was freedom. He used local materials and created a lasting triptych portrait. The Smell of Freedom opens with a fresh, herbal accord and reveals its complex, spicy and woody nature as it warms on your skin. It’s a masterpiece.” The notes include lemongrass, lemon myrtle, neroli, jasmine, ginger, fire tree, clove, black pepper, sandalwood, oudh and orris.
Imogen Rose ~ “Real rose oil and absolute in amounts that nobody in their right mind would use; a soft, exquisite, powdery amber accord and the dry, woody vetivert notes make this eponymous homage to Simon’s young daughter a beautiful, romantic, one-of-a-kind perfume. Shakespeare might have written a sonnet.” With notes of rose, bergamot, vetivert, ambrette seed, tonka and orris.
Orange Blossom ~ “Fresh orange blossom absolute and neroli oil burst out of the bottle like a distilled Mediterranean moment. Over time, the honeyed and woody tones develop on your skin and you’re left with a warm glow. Orange Blossom was going to be used in a candle, but when we smelled it, we couldn’t get enough. It’s difficult to get orange blossom scents right – they can turn too thin, too soapy or too harsh. Simon’s version is just right.” Featuring orange blossom, neroli, rosewood, ylang ylang, sandalwood and beeswax.
Lust ~ “Unashamedly carnal jasmine. Wear it if you want to get lucky. Mark [Constantine] is particularly fond of working with jasmine absolute and he’s gone all the way. The indolic character of the white flower is in full bloom, accented by rich florals and a soft, woody base.” With notes of jasmine, ylang ylang, rose, vanilla and sandalwood.
The Smell of Weather Turning ~ “The fragrance plays a trick of staging a thunderstorm in reverse. It opens with the fresh feeling of rain on greenery after the clouds have passed and develops a darker, smokier character as it warms on your skin. In the final stages, the smell of sweet hay and woods comes through. It feels like walking on sun-baked fields and through an ancient, summery forest.” The notes include oakwood, hay, beeswax, nettle, English peppermint, mint and Roman chamomile.
The Gorilla Perfume at Lush line up includes 27 g spray (above left, 20% fragrance concentration), 9 g travel spray (above second to left, 15% concentration), 12 g solid perfume (second to right, 10% concentration) and 2 gr spray sample (far right, 15% concentration); prices vary. Most of the new products are available now at Lush in the UK, although some are not yet in stock. No sign of them as yet on the US website. (via press release, additional information via lush.co.uk)
Update: Imogen Rose, Orange Blossom, The Smell of Freedom, Tuca Tuca, Lust, Karma and Vanillary will launch in the US in late September; Dirty and Breath of God at a later date. The rest can be shipped internationally from the UK Lush website.
Another update: see reviews of Imogen Rose, B Scent and Lust.
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I want to try these! The solid perfume looks cool and I like the black packaging.
I’ve ordered the sample pack of the new ones and a couple of the resurrected B Never’s. They should be arriving early this week. I’m really excited.
I do too, they sound wonderful, and so glad to see the twist-up solids — so much easier to use than the tins.
I. Can’t. Freakin’. WAIT!! Lust and The Smell of Weather Turning are calling my name loudly. Plus it will be interesting to see if Karma and Icon have changed at all.
But wait I must. I just hit the 1K mark on my Q3 damage list, which I am very very sorry I made.
Oh dear. At least you’re most of the way through the quarter.
I’m with ya Tama! Those are the two I’m most looking forward to sampling. And I really wish I hadn’t started a spreadsheet this quarterm
These do sound good… trying to resist any more samples until I get a little caught up/settled, though. (Dear industry: please slow down!)
Ditto on the “slow down”!
Dang, not in the US yet? Pity.
I really want to try that Smell of Weather Turning. I may start haunting the very scary Lush store here until they have them in.
Or maybe they’re here and not online yet? I am trying to find out.
The gorilla perfumes website says NYC September, 2010 in a banner on the upper left corner.
I’m in the US and I’ve ordered from the UK website many times with no problems. I think the 7 samples for 7 pounds is still available. I was close to ordering it but a swap opportunity came up with a friend in the UK. She generously picked these up for me. Can’t wait to give these a try.
Lust sounds interesting and I look forward to trying them in general. I must say, though, Breath of God is hoooooorrrrrrible on me…oily gasoline!
Breath of God is a nightmare for me, too. There is something in there that literally makes me gag.
I really need to stop by my local Lush. I think it’s been there awhile, but I’m so clueless and so rarely in the middle of our downtown “mall,” that I didn’t realize it was there until just recently.
“Weather Turning” and “Freedom” sound interesting. I also like the sizes and travel spray, though I don’t know how to equate the sizes in grams.
You’re ahead of me then, Joe. I didn’t even know we had Lush stores in the US. I order a couple of their products through Amazon, and they come from Canada.
I’ve been a Lush girl since way before they came to the US – I had to order from Canada. Their Dream Cream is one of the few body products that I have purchased repeatedly. I also use it on my face, which it isn’t really for, but it helps when I get all scaly.
I just took a look at their UK site and the older, relaunched scents sounds intriguing too. “Ladyboy” has a banana note in it, and someone and Basenotes described it as “ambery & foamed bananas” which could turn out to be Too Much or Just Delicious.
I won a Lush draw on Basenotes so I will get samples of 7 new & relaunched scents, I hope it includes Ladyboy and Weather Turning.
You have to report back to us when you try them! I really want to smell Ladyboy, too. The banana intrigued me as well.
Will do! I’ll find a weekend threat, I mean thread, and report back.
I received a surprise set of these samples at the weekend, and am looking forward to trying the new ones especially – they have such great names! Also, had I had a daughter, I would have called her Imogen Rose, so I am particulaly curious about that one.
I agree about the names, and the fragrances sound really interesting!
Very happy to see the Be Never Too Busy line back in a different guise….
It might be that I am not a native english speaker, but the names both of the fragrance house and of the fragrances themselves are a huge turnoff to me
I’ve been dying to to sniff the Breath of God for the looooongest time.
I’m looking forward to sampling “The Smell of Weather Turning”. It sounds so interesting. I’ve never tried any of the BNTB line, and too be honest I’m now turned off “Breath of God” after reading the comments here. It figures that it would stink, since Luca Turin classes it as a masterpiece! Almost everything he loves smells fetid on me (I’m looking at you “Tocade”!) Has anyone tried BNTB “Superworldunknown”?
I would like to jump on the “needs to sniff the Smell of Weather Turning” bandwagon. I’ve never been lush store in the US, and when i was in one in the UK years ago they were just starting out. Then it was all soap and bath bombs. Didn’t even know they carried, let alone made sprayable scents.
One more for the backlogged wishlist.
Gosh, I feel weird as I think I might be the odd one out here. I got my Gorilla samples and (I don’t know how to say this, so I’ll just come straight out) I hate them! I’ve loved previous perfumes (in Lush’s previous life as Cosmetics to Go they produced wonderful Ginger and yummie Pansy), but these turned my stomach. And I have to say that they immediately brought to nose that distinctive smell that wafts out of Lush’s stores, which I can’t stand. But then we’re all different, I suppose – just imagine if everyone liked the same fragrance, it would be so boring.
Tried a couple of these today, loving The Smell of Freedom which is reminiscent of SSS Jour Ensoleille. FBs of both will be mine once I have spare cash. The one which has the “Lush Store Aroma” in spades is Lust, and I recoiled on sniffing the solid tester. The Jasmine is completely OTT and I usually like me some jasmine. The solids have a different base to the usual Lush version – much better imho, not grainy. Purchased solids of the Smell of Freedom and Orange Blossom, but Lust extinguished my sniffing capacity so will have to return at some point to try the rest.
You’re not alone, Jillie. You and I may simply be the minority. I’m sorry to say I find all of the samples I received rate as varying degrees of repulsive — not just “meh,” but actually offensive. My guess is that it’s something about the alcohol carrier. Would really like to be able to understand this.