Gallivant has never disappointed me, and that’s rare in a brand. Of course, I have favourites and non-favourites, but all in all, it’s a high-quality perfume house that always innovates and never tries to follow the tourist crowds. One thing I enjoy about Nick Steward’s brand is that I have never yet guessed correctly where the next fragrance will be inspired by. Nick makes no secret of being a travel junkie and takes you down the alleyways and hidden courtyards of a place. In June 2023, we find ourselves in Accra, Ghana’s coastal capital at the gulf of Guinea.

Accra has a heritage of Portuguese, English, Dutch and Danish influences. It’s a city with a beach and the air is both Saharan and Tropical. What a mixture! Where do you start when creating a fragrance that captures such a place?

Perfumer Stephanie Bakouche, working with Gallivant for the first time, excelled at the challenge. Accra, like its chequered history, is a mish mash of notes that are seemingly random, but actually come together beautifully as a hot, Ghanian breeze.

There is an abundance of gourmand notes, yet this does not smell like a gourmand. You’ll find carrot seed, chili, papaya, mango, passion fruit, saffron, cacao (native to Ghana), coffee and cognac. Sounds like an exotic three course feast, doesn’t it? But when you add in leather, patchouli, tobacco and vinyl (Girl, put your records on), the result is unexpected.

Accra is an aromatic woody fragrance that smells surprisingly clean, even astringent (eucalyptus?). It reminds me of incense and has a high soprano note of spice, as opposed to a deep velvety bass note. The carrot seed made me think I was smelling iris and gives this a brief clean paper/clean linen nuance. Miraculously, it smells like hot, dry weather with a sandy backdrop and an ever-changing heart of fruits and spice that make you feel like you’re walking past a souk. It’s an imaginative and assured encapsulation of a city that I can only imagine. Brava Stephanie and Bravo Nick for the concept and direction. Definitely did not have Ghana on my perfume bingo card, but now we’re very happy together.

Where to buy it

You can buy all Gallivant fragrances, including a discovery set, from the Gallivant website. Prices start at £30 for a travel spray.

Disclosure

I was kindly sent a sample by the brand for my consideration as a blogger. My decision to review it and my opinion of it are both my own. The photo of Accra city is from DiscoverGhana.net.