Continuing our Scents of Occasion series celebrating late spring and early summer events in fragrant form, our focus now is for Epsom Derby Ladies Day. A spectacle of elegance, colour, and tradition – a day where the air is charged with excitement and the senses are awakened by the theatre of racing and fashion. What better way to mark the occasion than with a fragrance that evokes the very spirit of the occasion?
Here, we explore scents inspired by the leather of saddles, the lush green turf, and the shimmering silks of both jockeys and racegoers. Why not let your scent be even more memorable than your hat – and may your day at the Derby be a fragrant triumph…
Leather – The Saddles
Maison Crivelli Oud Stallion
A gallop of saffron and cardamom, smoky oud and supple leather – the thrill of the race, the warmth of sunlit saddles, and a whisper of rose in the wind.
£220 for 50ml extrait de parfum harrods.com
Ojar Stallion Soul
Incense and pink pepper crackle above a heart of leather and oud, with rose and carnation lending a velvet touch, musky and magnetic as the winning stride.
£195 for 100ml eau de parfum harrods.com
Sarah Baker Riders
Hay and grass, leather reins, a ripe peach savoured mid-ride; vetiver and tobacco smoulder as the stables echo with laughter and the promise of adventure.
£125 for 50ml extrait de parfum in our shop
Turf – The ‘Going’
Wales Perfumery Country
Daffodil and fig leaf drift on a breeze of cut grass, water and vetiver; a green, dewy morning on emerald turf, soft woods grounding the wild, open air.
£81 for 50ml eau de parfum in our shop
Vyrao Mamajuju
Red clay and rum seep through saffron and cardamom, sandalwood and vetiver anchoring the scent of rain-soaked earth beneath racing hooves.
£165 for 50 ml eau de parfum selfridges.com
Vallense Spirit
Mitcham mint and geranium awaken the senses, while fir balsam, cedar, and holy grass conjure petrichor and the magnetic hush just before the race begins.
Try in their Discovery Set (all three Vallense fragrance samples for £21) in our shop
Silks – The Gowns and Colours
Creed Queen of Silk
Osmanthus and magnolia shimmer over tuberose and passion fruit; vanilla and incense trail like the swish of a silk gown, regal and irresistibly soft.
£265 for 75ml eau de parfum libertylondon.com
Angela Flanders Shantung Dream
Neroli and petitgrain float above gardenia, jasmine, and fig; a sunlit silk scarf fluttering in the breeze, warm amber and sandalwood glowing gently on the skin.
From £85 for 30ml eau de parfum angelaflanders-perfumer.com
Floris Tuberose in Silk
Green tuberose, iris, and orange blossom open to a heart of jasmine; benzoin and musk enfold you in a veil of silk – pure, sensual, and luminous.
£180 for 100ml eau de parfum florislondon.com
Written by Suzy Nightingale