by Wellbeing Editor Jamie Rosen

“I was having a period of being at home with my family,” says Lyn Harris, the British perfumer known for scents that cut through the ordinary yet are drawn from life. “And I couldn’t believe this new freedom and creativity that came to my work.” To create her new line Perfumer H, she worked with ingredient supplier Robertet and samples coming back and forth from Grasse for two years. But before she opened her shop in London, with a library of her other pieces on the wall, there were a few non-negotiables.

First, she was sick of brands all looking the same, so she wanted to create bottles and vessels that could be refilled and used for life.

Second, she wanted to control every step of the process, from the wax to the wicks to how the fragrances are made. “Also I wanted to work with artist friends and that’s exactly what we did and are doing,” she adds. The Conservatory carries five of her Utility Candles, so named because of its recyclable nature, and “utility” grey color. Each one has a place in her life, with scents that elevate every moment. Harris says she loves Marmalade while cooking, Ivy is great in the bathroom, and Ink burns when she’s working on new creations. Dandelion goes in the living space and naturally, Smoke gets lit in the evenings. The Marmalade Utility candle contains eau de brouts, a note associated closely with Harris and her unconventional approach to scent. Eau de brout, also known as petitgrain water absolute, is one of her favorite materials, coming not from a flower but from its tiny branches.

 “It brings an interesting zesty, rough, green and almost vegetable note,” she says. “The brouts (twigs) are pruned from the bitter orange tree, then solvent extracted which produces eau de brouts absolute.” A little bit of the roughness of nature, filtered through her exquisite lens.

Discover + Shop Perfumer H online and at our galleries.