A Pleasantly Scented Proposal at Miller Harris

So a few weeks ago I was in London and the kind people from Miller Harris agreed to meet with me and give me some insight into what they do, why they do it, and what things we should be on the look out for. I’m a huge proponent of fragrance in one’s life. I love walking into a room and catching a faint, familiar aroma and the subtle nuanced aromas of food and drink. Plus the most agonizing decision I make when the seasons change from warm to cold or cold to warm is what fragrance I’ll be wearing that season. For a boutique perfume brand to be overlooked by most men would be easy, especially one who’s most popular and best selling products are intended for women. But then most men would be missing out.

A very kind young lady named Charlotte from the main office and lab in Notting Hill met me at the Bruton Street flagship for a quick tour, tasting, and sampling. Yes, I said tasting, but we’ll get to that later.

Lyn Harris started doing bespoke perfumes under the name Miller Harris ten years ago, and although she still does bespoke the majority of her business is now ready-made personal fragrance, home fragrance, and other scented goodies. Though in ten years, she has managed to both grow the brand and keep its personal touch, which is something most brands have a hard time achieving in the first place, let alone holding on to. Lyn is in the office or meeting bespoke clients most days, and with her sister and friends part of the company as well, it’s a real family affair.

So although the most popular perfumes are Coeur de Fleur and Fleur Oriental, the first definitely feminine and the second a softer unisex option, their offerings for men are anything but scant. I left the shop with a bottle of Feuilles de Tabac, and have worn it every day since. When I step out in the morning I smell like I spent all night lounging in a leather club chair, sipping whisky, smoking cigars, and having very stimulating conversation, but luckily without the accompanying headache.  With woody, smokey, spicy, and citrusy fragrances, Miller Harris has all the bases covered, so if the smokey spicy thing isn’t your bag, don’t worry. If you’re in London I highly recommend you drop by Bruton Street to check out your options.

I mentioned tasting fragrance as well. The Bruton Street shop has a tea room, complete with Lyn’s own personal blends of scented teas. These include takes on English Breakfast, Vanilla Assam, Floral Ceylon, and a smokey blend that had my nostrils tingling all afternoon. And I mean that as a compliment if it wasn’t clear. There were also fragrant olive oils, which if I had not had to worry about them leaking in a suitcase, would have been bought by the case. Just thinking of drizzling some herb-scented oil on a piece of grilled tuna, or some pepper infused oil on a pork chop has my mouth watering as I write this. By the time I got home, they were on back-order on the ecommerce site. I guess I’ll just have to wait until after the holidays.

Again though, with things like olive oil as well as perfumes, it all comes back to quality. During my hour or so with Charlotte, it just seemed to keep coming up. Lyn travels here twice a year to source this ingredient, there every two months to check the quality of such and such. At the end of the day, your product can only be as good as what you put into it, and Lyn Harris only puts in what she thinks is the best.

The holidays are a time for me filled with smells. I love the aromas of autumn and the holiday season. Rich spices, delicious foods, crackling fires, and more importantly the pleasant and familiar aromas of home. So give the fragrance of your world some thought, and if you want to inject something new, I recommend looking to Miller Harris.