Her & Here Eau de Parfum

Rose twice over, once in the opening and once in the heart, is the structural trick behind Scalpers Her & Here Eau de Parfum, and it gives the fragrance a continuity that most florals of this type lack. Mandarin orange starts it sweet and juicy, pink pepper adds a dry rosy crackle rather than real heat, and the first rose appears almost immediately, light and clean. The heart then opens the same flower out properly, deeper and fuller, and surrounds it with orange blossom, jasmine and apricot blossom. That last one is the unusual inclusion: apricot blossom is softer and more powdery than the fruit it comes from, with only a suggestion of sweetness, and it keeps the white flowers from becoming a solid wall.

The base is warmer and more resinous than the opening suggests. Peru balsam is the material that does it, sweet and slightly smoky with a soft balsamic warmth, and it sits over vetiver and patchouli, both dry and earthy, with musk softening the join. It is a grown up finish for a fragrance that begins so brightly, and it is the reason this one survives a second wearing. Delphine Lebeau and Jean-Christophe Hérault composed it. The eau de parfum concentration gives it decent staying power, and it sits moderately close after the first hour, which makes it usable at work as well as in the evening, and the balsam gives it enough warmth for autumn without ruling out a spring day.

Scalpers is a Spanish brand founded in Seville in 2007, which began with suits, shirts and accessories and became known for an embroidered skull on its slippers and ties. Its fragrances are developed under licence by Perfumes y Diseno.