Best The Time by The House of Oud Alternatives & Similar Perfumes

The Daintree in Australia is the oldest rainforest in the world, whose 180 million years of existence has seen the comings and goings of dinosaurs, ice ages and early humans. It’s a haven for birds, butterflies and bats, and all manner of mosses and ferns — up to 3,000 plant species in all. Daintree Rain Tea pays gentle tribute to this vast nature reserve with a soft and clean blend of balsamic buddha wood, grassy apple-tinged chamomile, and ethereal blue lotus root. An accord of rain-dappled leaves and damp earth lifts up the pleasing rubber nuance supplied by black tea. A haven of a fragrance.

Early morning, October 1175, Calabria

The cool night air dissipates under the sun’s first rays. The ripe citrus in the field has absorbed all the water of the morning dew and the farmers are ready to work on the misty green fields, speckled by the bright yellow of the citron. They leave their woody cabin and take a deep breath…

This is a fantasy interpretation of the long-lost scent of the musk monkeyflower, beloved in Victorian England for its delicate yellow petals and rich musk smell. That is, until the turn of the twentieth century, when the flower suddenly lost its odour. This biological mystery continues to stump botanists and windowbox gardeners alike. So until the monkeyflower rediscovers its mojo, Stora Skuggan has created an imaginary version, a sunny meadow of flowers and herbs. Gently fruity chamomile and fig swirl through a landscape of comforting hay and musk. A sunscreen accord suggests bare skin warming in the late afternoon heat. Mellow and uplifting.

The perfumer: Prin Lomros (also the creator behind PRIN, Prissana and Strangers.)

The story: chillin in a mossy rainforest.

Sloth is beautifully slow green perfume. The formula is lazily climbing from the dark green of moss, hay and in the base – up – towards bright green of marigold and herbs in the top.

A surround sound symphony of uplifting tea and apricotty osmanthus. Frangipani and orange blossom smile in the opening, while oolong tea swirls to the surface in this subtle brew. Osmanthus, the flower that bridges the gap between apricot and tea, joins forces with guaiac wood for a delightfully smooth and happy smellscape.

Perfumer: Kong Dexing 

The Riviera. The Mediterranean fills the horizon. You’re driving along a coastal road with the roof down, feeling free. In this extrait, lemon caviar, zesty ginger and icy cardamom puts jut in your strut, while tomato leaf, neroli and black tea summons an aromatic dance. Frankincense and cypriol offer shade in the sunshine.

Perfumer: Paul Guerlain

Konya Kolonyasi opens with a bright burst of bergamot. Crisply fruity and aromatic, it evokes old Turkish barbershops.

Then there is the juicy technicolour cherry note inspired by the orchards surrounding the city of Konya in the blessed Central Anatolia. 

In the base, black tea settles softly on the skin, recalling the endless glasses of Turkish çay (chai) shared throughout the day. 

Deep, comforting and slightly bitter.

Brocéliande is a bewitching concentrate inspired by the enchanted forest of Arthurian legend. Combining the power of the forest with the magic of the animal world, this extrait’s bergamot and lime opening leads to an unexpected wander through ginger, cinnamon and iris. A whisky sweetness rubs up against the velvet leather of civet and castoreum.

Perfumer: Michèle Saramito

A new addition to Bloom’s portfolio, an elegant cologne with sweet sun kissed citruses, honeyed neroli and amber background.

With classic formulas it’s the quality of the ingredients that matters. Marie Jeanne might be a new perfume house, but it’s founded by a young perfumer from a family connected to Robertet for several generations.

Robertet is a bit like De Beers of the fine natural perfume materials - matières premières, for decades they have been dealing with the finest, purest and most precious stuff a perfumer can dream of.

This is Marcelle, a classic elegant cologne but with highly likely the best bergamot from Italy, grapefruit from Spain, neroli from Tunisia and petigrain from Paraguay among other notes in the formula.

The wild and free spirit of a lost island captured in a fruity and sweet perfume with notes of icy pear, soft iris and creamy vanilla. Happy and juicy, Isla Bohemia slows its roll into a mellow base of sandalwood and musk.