With Oscar fever ruling the hashtags today, it feels appropriate to dive into some LA glamour, so here’s my verdict on Global Beauty Award Winner, Gallivant Los Angeles, first launched in 2019.
I can’t help but like Gallivant. It’s the Lonely Planet of the perfume world, showing you the fabulous underbelly of a city that you might only know from postcards or tourist trips.
Since its launch in 2017, Nick Steward’s fragrance house has touched down in Berlin, Amsterdam, London, Brooklyn, Istanbul, Gdansk, Bukhara, Tokyo, Abu Dhabi, Accra, Istanbul, Buenos Aires, Tel Aviv and of course, Los Angeles. There are also some rather fabulous Gulf inspired fragrances too, which you can find on the website.
My brief experience of LA itself (the city not the perfume) was a mixed bag, but I do remember Sunset Boulevard. That was where I needed a quarter so I could use the unprepossessing toilet in Popeye’s Chicken. After that, I had a cocktail in the Regent Beverley Wilshire, succinctly proving in one afternoon, that Los Angeles is truly a city of contrasts.
Los Angeles eau de parfum is like a fruity cocktail that matches the backdrop of a pink and orange neon sunset. My favourite floral notes of tuberose and narcissus are straight in there, either because they’re dominant or because my nose is seeking them out. Your nose can kind of do that to you. My cocktail has a slice of pineapple on the rim, to add to the holiday feeling. A sensual woody finish hints at a distant shadow of mountains and a hum of traffic. That nuance of nagarmotha adds a touch of hippie chic. Wear with giant sunglasses, even at night.
Ready? Fabulous! Let’s do lunch. Who are you wearing?
Where to buy it
You can buy Gallivant Los Angeles from the Gallivant website. I recommend the Nomad Discovery for £35, which comes with a £30 voucher off your next purchase. The travel size 30ml bottles are around £70, putting quality niche in accessible reach. (Poetry!)
Disclosure
My sample was kindly sent to me by Gallivant, for which warm thanks. Opinions are mine. This article has been updated since its first publication in 2019.
Leave a Reply