Strong, smoky eyes are ruling the beauty runways.
Flapper-style shingle bobs are back on the circuit.
The fashion trends are more Brooks Brothers than a Princeton reunion.
And Baz Luhrmann’s much-anticipated The Great Gatsby is all set to open at Cannes tomorrow (finally!).
Now all you need is a fragrance to match the ’20s fever and everything is set for a 21st century revival of the Jazz era, which is all the rage this season.
Enter Penhaligon’s Juniper Sling – both cocktail and eau de toilette, in keeping with the decade of decadence.
Penhaligon’s Juniper Sling: The Fragrance
Penhaligon’s master perfumer, Olivier Cresp (the man who brought Angel into the world), based the unisex fragrance on the scent of London Dry Gin and the “bright young things” who drank gin-based beverages in 1920s Great Britain. Don’t worry though, it won’t leave you smelling like a lush.
In fact, Cresp has come up with an intriguing yet delicate fragrance which blends head notes of orange brandy, cinnamon, angelica, and of course, juniper berry with heart and base notes of cardamom, black pepper, orris, brown sugar and leather. It’s unusual – chilling and bracing at the same time – and quite exhilarating.
I have never ever put on this scent and not had at least one person ask me what I am wearing. And it looks stunning on a dressing room table. A word of warning though: you may feel the need to hunt down a smoking jacket post-application.
Penhaligon’s Juniper Sling: The Cocktail
Penhaligon’s has now teamed up with Hendrick’s Gin and Happiness Forgets to create a Juniper Sling cocktail inspired by the notes of this intoxicating fragrance. Crafted by Bar Manager Geoff Robinson, it combines the bitter notes of lemon juice with the freshness of juniper and sweetness of sugar syrup, to provide a delightfully refreshing tipple for our palettes. Personal experience tells me that you will be making jug after jug for your friends and yourself.
And here’s how to go about doing just that!
Courtesy Penhaligon’s
Who will be trying a Juniper Sling cocktail sometime soon?
and 
have the right balance of poise and sensuality.
or 
.
. Or kick it up a notch with something friskier and sweeter, like the sugary 
and Hermès Santal Massoia.
or 
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and Tom Ford Amber Absolute. These are definitely not for wallflowers!
projects both strength and sophistication in equal measures. Inspired by Prada CEO Patrizio Bertelli’s ardent love of sailing – it is named after his boat, which competes in the America’s Cup – this fragrance plays on lavender’s zest by pairing it with bitter freshness of orange essence, resulting in an invigorating scent. $69 for 50ml
is Tom Ford’s seductive take on the free-spirited ethos and chic elegance that defines California. There are two varieties of lavender in this blend, revealing the flower’s full spectrum – the roasted almond sweetness, the floral softness and the aromatic intensity. It’s like rolling in a field of lavender, indulging in the relaxing scent of the blooms, while also enjoying the herby green essence of the whole plant. The notes are framed with a bright citrus that’s layered with a moist palm leaf accord, clary sage, sensual woods and smooth tonka bean to evoke warm skin, sea breeze and crushed leaves. $249 for 50ml
A Taste of Heaven By Kilian
is richer, darker and warmer than any other lavender fragrance I’ve tried and whilst there are lots of different notes within the composition, the lavender never gets lost. In fact, each of the other notes plays on the many facets of lavender and allows it to stay the centre of attention. The overall effect is richly nuanced, with a delicious interplay of salty darkness and grassy sweetness – like warm, honeyed caramel layered with burnt sugar. It borders on gourmand, with all of its teasing and beguiling sensations. However, the surprising chypre base and earthy notes of patchouli and oak prevent it from becoming overly sweet by adding a dry darkness that brings to mind a fine, full bodied wine drunk on an open veranda, with scents of thyme, wild fennel and the sea hanging in the warm evening air. $235 for 50ml
is as cold and dry as lavender can be. There are no sweet notes, no embellishments, no oriental tendencies. It is austere and ascetic, cold and remote: open air that has remnants of yesterday’s smoke in it, a lavender field after harvest, flowers that are untouched by the sun. Icy lavender pervades the entire composition, saturated with smoky whispers, while a dry note of burned wood, like an aroma of dying bonfire, adds richness to the gentle simplicity of the composition. It is strange, unearthly, entirely unlike any other lavender scent I’ve ever smelled. And it’s the scent I steal from Mr. TBG’s wardrobe on a hot and humid summer day. $85 for 50ml
