Head to Donnybrook salon Skin by Olga (and www.skinbyolga.ie) for another good fragrance find. Yes, there’s a stellar selection of glamorous European skincare – fabulous French Biologique Recherche personalised routines; Swiss luxury by Valmont, and super serums by Oio Lab, a Polish brand that’s a favourite of renowned celeb facialist Joanne Czech.
But we’re most intrigued by Icelandic perfume brand Fischersund. Everything in the range is handmade in Reykjavik, and notes are distinctively local – think Sitka spruce and alpine fir. Some of the scent descriptions on Fischersund’s website are more than a little eccentric – for example, the inspiration for No.23 Fragrance includes tarred telephone poles and dead flowers; “…the feminine fountain pine tickles the top of your skull. A beached whale is about to explode.” I’ve no idea what it all means, but it’s brilliantly atmospheric. Perhaps even genius – this makes me long to smell No.54: “Uprooted moss, wet dirt and vetiver roots. Burnt car tires on hot asphalt and dry patchouli. Heavy slow-drying oil painting. Icelandic alpine fir, footsteps in frozen grass and salt liquorice.”
Anyway, most importantly, the one I’ve tried, No.8, smells lovely – more great Icelandic outdoors than beached whale. A good starting point is the Fragrance Discovery Set, €47. There’s no indication what concentration these are (for example, eau de toilette or parfum) but I find they are less long-lasting than the Matiere Premiere perfumes above; I’d spray these onto clothes, personally, to get longer from them. A perfect gift for someone who loves to discover interesting, under-the-radar scents.
The range also includes hand soaps, natural deodorants (laudable, but slightly messy, in my opinion – Modern Botany’s is far better – also stocked here), and soy wax scented candles. All in all, it’s another good excuse to visit brilliant facialist Olga. www.skinbyolga.ie.
