Zephyr by Ruth Mastenbroek 2022

From the archives: I always look forward to a Ruth Mastenbroek launch and I was privileged to be part of a consumer panel that gave feedback on her latest trio.

My favourite of the three (and it was a hard choice!) was Zephyr and so the team kindly sent me a bottle. The trio, which also includes Marlin and Gaia, are all eaux de toilettes, but don’t think these are weaklings, because they have, to use the technical term, Ooomph. Here’s my verdict on Zephyr by Ruth Mastenbroek.

To me, Zephyr is the scent of a slightly posh gardener. It has a pleasing earthiness and a cool piquancy that lifts it above many other summer fragrances. It might be an EDT strength but the essential oils and the quality of the ingredients give it real staying power. The notes read like a trug full of produce collected early in the morning, and they smell like it too. Mint stem, Galbanum and English peppermint particularly stand out and the touch of blackcurrant really makes it pop. Many of our scent memories were formed as children, and if you had gardening grandparents like I did, then you’ll delight in the purity and vividness of Zephyr.

Can you remember the smell of a greenhouse? Of tomato leaf and the sap from herbs crushed between fingers? If you’re happily reminiscing at these images then this collection is very much up your garden path. I often find that some summer fragrances are a little sanitised and by that I mean clean and pretty and inoffensive ( and nothing wrong with that!). Zephyr is a real garden, with dirt under your fingernails and bees buzzing nearby. It is the perfect idyllic English Country Garden: leaves, sap, furry stems and all. I love it.

Where to buy it

You can buy Zephyr, Marin and Gaia from the Ruth Mastenbroek website. There’s also a cute Discovery Set for £24.

Disclosure

As a floating member of the RM “Very Important Perfume team” I was reading about this as it was being developed and was lucky enough to smell all three before the launch. I would like to thank Ruth, Nic and Claire (it’s a family business) for my bottle. My opinions and my decision to review are my own, as always.

Update

Since this article was first published, Zephyr won the prestigious Fragrance Foundation Award in the Perfume Extraordinaire category.