My Fragrance Wardrobe: Rhea Cartwright
Growing up dual-heritage gave me a vivid scent education. My white British family and my Black Guyanese family existed in completely different olfactory worlds – different foods, different beauty rituals, different hair products. Some of my earliest scent memories are rooted in that contrast. My white grandmother practically bathed in L’Oréal Elnett every day, while the Afro hair shops I’d visit with my black grandma were full of warm, sweet, distinctive aromas you could identify a mile off.
Chanel N°5 is pure nostalgia for me. My mum has worn it my entire life but the first fragrance I ever begged for was Clinique Happy. It was the 90s, we were in Fenwick Brent Cross and I was in primary school, convinced that spritzing it made me instantly grown-up. My early teens were filled with deliciously sugary things like Vera Wang Princess and Britney Spears Fantasy. Gucci Rush was part of my late-teen uniform and when I compare its peach-patchouli-vanilla DNA to what I love now, the evolution makes perfect sense.
Over the years I’ve curated a very specific scent identity. I always say I love to smell like a cross between a Parisian bakery at 7am – the moment the almond croissants hit the counter – and a Middle Eastern spice market. Warm, sexy, boozy, cosy notes just work on my skin – think cocoa, tuberose, opoponax, peach, cardamom, amber and oud. Equally, I like many traditionally ‘masculine’ scents as they tend to be richer, more intense and more enveloping. Fragrance hell for me? Aquatics and overly citrus scents. Same with florals. I never want to smell like a bouquet (rose is in everything anyway), though a beautifully done tuberose always wins me over. Tubéreuse Astrale by Maison Crivelli is divine. Iris, too – divisive for some, but addictive for me. Dust by Perfumer H is as close to perfect as you can get.
Don’t buy into fragrance trends. The best scent is the one you love. Part of the magic of perfume is the discovery. It’s like food or wine, you need to experience a lot to truly understand your palate. Niche perfumery has always been my greatest passion. My first niche purchase was 1969 by Histoires de Parfums in Paris when I was 20, and I vividly remember picking up the tester and feeling like I’d stepped into another universe. I always say I like good quality products, wherever they come from, but there is an artistry, craftsmanship and complexity within niche perfumery that makes my heart sing.
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Fragrance and styling are deeply linked for me. When I smell something, I immediately imagine the outfit. An all-white summer look needs peach. À Fleur de Pêche by L’Artisan Parfumeur is pure, nostalgic joy whereas Gossip Night by Gritti is the late-night, sexier version. Winter whites – a cashmere jumper and cream jeans – call for something warm and nurturing like BDK’s Gris Charnel, which blends creamy sandalwood and tonka with fig and tea.
I started layering fragrances long before it became a trend – mainly because I cannot bear to smell like anyone else. I’d rather turn up to an event in the same outfit as someone than the same scent. I’ll layer anywhere between two and four fragrances, plus a hair perfume. Ruka’s hair fragrance is a forever repurchase, as are the Diptyque hair mists, which are great to keep in your bag.
My fragrance wardrobe is extensive but a few are permanent residents. I always reach for 1969 by Histoires de Parfums, Jeux de Peau by Serge Lutens, Slow Dance by Byredo and Petit Fracas by Robert Piguet, an intoxicating blend of pear, chocolate, tuberose and cacao. Tom Ford’s Black Orchid reminds me of university and I’ll always own a bottle. Recently I’ve been loving Delphinus and Oud Zarian by Creed, often worn together. Anything by Matière Première is sublime.
I spent 18 months co-creating The Fragrance Lounge at Liberty, which cemented my love for niche perfumery. I’m also passionate about championing female perfumers. Lyn Harris of Perfumer H is one of the greatest noses. Maya Njie’s Voyeur Verde is earthy, grounding brilliance – and her studio is a must-visit. Phway Su Aye, founder of Gabar, created a masterpiece with No.II Ground. Marissa Zappas, I admire hugely. Her Annabel’s Birthday Cake brings a party into scent with notes of latex balloons, sugary tuberose icing and cacao. Vyrao’s Yasmin Sewell brings a fresh energy to fragrance.
Exploring fragrance when I travel is something I love to do. I like seeking out local perfumeries or boutiques that stock niche, hard-to-find brands you’d never find in the UK. Nose in Paris is my idea of heaven and Italy has some of the best independent perfumeries in the world, filled with brands you’ve never seen before. Discovering fragrance in a different culture, climate or mood makes the experience feel even more intimate and transportive. Another of my favourite nerdy pleasures is to spend hours on Fragrantica following a perfumer’s body of work across completely different brands. If you love a scent, I recommend seeing what else its creator has made.
I love that chic body sprays and lighter mists are having a moment again. Salt & Stone make beautiful ones and Phlur’s Heavy Cream is a cosy skin-scent dream. Right now, I’m loving Chanel Coromandel and Allure Sensuelle, Parfums de Marly Valaya Exclusif and Unspoken Gesture by Scottish brand Jorum Studio – which has just opened its doors in Marylebone – one of the best skin scents I’ve ever tried. I’m also into pretty much anything from Santa Maria Novella – the ultimate cool-girl, quietly luxurious fragrance house.
Scent shapes my entire day. Leaving the house without it feels like forgetting my keys. I wear fragrance to bed, around the house – it’s a ritual that helps me feel grounded and put-together. That extends into home fragrance too, because I view my home as an extension of myself. I always have candles, diffusers or incense burning. Diptyque’s Baies and 34 are my constants. Charlotte Mensah’s candle is incredibly underrated. Cire Trudon and Wildsmith instantly elevate a room, while Oré Mi’s Honey & Tobacco is my cosy month go-to. I recently fell in love with a diffuser from Zara’s Signature Collection Number 2 which actually manages to fill my three-metre-tall living room. Finally, I couldn’t live without incense – Aesop’s and Perfumer H’s are the best. Santa Maria Novella’s Melograno in Scented Terracotta is another favourite. I often light incense after cleaning or before meditating; it creates a moment, a breath, a shift. For me, fragrance, whether on my skin or in my home, is the ultimate accessory, the thing that has the power to transport you to another world entirely.
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