LUSH Sappho by Emma Vincent

I’ve become a big fan of perfumer Emma Vincent ever since I tried LUSH Confetti and LUSH Frangipani. Emma is a hugely talented perfumer and I urge you to try her work which includes: (all for LUSH) Shade, Grassroots, Junk, Avocado Carwash, Fresh As, Salty, Nero and today’s choice, Sappho.

Being a fan of both orris and violet, Sappho, part of the 2019 Renaissance Collection, immediately appealed and I couldn’t wait to try it. Once on my skin I had the peculiar and welcome feel that I was among cold white porcelain and flowers. In my head that translates to a classical garden of silent white statues and an abundance of greenery and purple flowers. So far, so fantastic. It has the audacity of jasmine that’s taken over your garden without a blush and the sobriety of orris, always the quiet, elegant one that sits alone. Put them together and you have a fragrance of contrasts.

What pleases me most is that the flowers are allowed to shine unadorned. So often the temptation to drown a decent floral in swathes of syrup results in an instant turnoff for me, but with Sappho, there is a coolness, a seriousness and (maybe it’s just me) a feeling of sanctuary. Orris has a faintly leather/suede/powdery accord and like iris (which is further up the stem) always makes me picture expensive dove grey suede.

Inspired by poetry and the Goddess Sappho, this is a fragrance that takes you to a place where your thoughts matter, where you can contemplate the world and your place in it without having to unload the dishwasher or defrost a chicken. At the age of fifty five, and feeling a bit jaded right now, this one has surfaced from my collection to be loved once more.

Where to buy it

You can buy LUSH Sappho from LUSH online or in store. Unfortunately the 30ml is no longer available. This is now £150 for 100ml, and you can try it in store before you buy.

Disclosure

I was given this bottle by LUSH a few years ago. There was no fiscal incentive for a review. Opinions, and my choice to review it are my own.