Take a Moment to Visit Where the Mermaids Lay

Take a Moment to Visit Where the Mermaids Lay

By Mona Butler

Imagine this: you’re floating along in a little sailboat. The sea is calm and you are basking in the warm sun. You spot something -or someone- laying on the shore. As you sail closer, you see you have happened upon a mythical place you thought only a legend; Where the Mermaids Lay.

Where the Mermaids Lay

Sadly, there are no magical shores for you to float onto to spend the day among the merfolk, at least that we know of. However, Lavender Clouds and Poetry’s latest scent, Where the Mermaids Lay, will make you feel like you have renounced your human life, swapped your legs for a tail, and now are spending your days luxuriating in the waves. This fresh, ethereal fragrance is heavily inspired by owner Akosua’s love of fresh ocean type scents. 

“I tend to be drawn towards water-inspired aromas that are heavy in ocean notes, peppered with citrus and white musk notes.”

Where the Mermaids Lay has top notes which include cucumber, white grapefruit, citron, and melon aldehyde. The latter mimics the aroma of fresh ocean water thanks to the high ozonic fruit notes. At the heart of the fragrance, you will find heliotrope, white rose otto absolute, seaweed absolute, and white tea absolute. It comes to a close with base notes of sandalwood, frankincense, ambergris, and ambrette seed absolute.

The Journey to Mermaids

Akosua embarked on the labour of love that was the creation of Where the Mermaids Lay back in January. It started first with the journey to find the right ingredients, which would complement and balance each other while also encapsulating the delicate and feminine experience she wanted to create. This proved itself to be more tedious than previous scents. It took 25 iterations, all with slightly different concentrations of particular notes. 

“I wanted the perfume to be light, airy, sweet, but not saccharine. Many of the ingredients used such as hay, seaweed, and elemi tend to be quite sweet, therefore they had to be diluted to 10%-15% concentrations.”

Science, Art, and Magic

Perfumery exists at the intersection of science and art. It can also feel a little bit like magic. It takes so many tries to get a fragrance right because when a perfume ages (the process during which the concoction is set aside to age so all the notes may blend), it may not come out smelling like it went in. The addition of alcohol can also vastly impact how ingredients present themselves. 

“What always surprises me to this day is the transformative process the perfume takes once it is aged for a few weeks then decanted in alcohol. The chemical process of ageing the raw oils with ethanol is fascinating because of how the fragrance evolves. Certain notes that were indiscernible before the addition of alcohol all-of-sudden come to life in the most delicate way possible.”

Take the Plunge

If you have been feeling the need for a little escape, let Where the Mermaids Lay transport you to a mythical, sun-soaked bay. Take some time to anchor your boat and join the mermaids on the beach. Let this delicate, fresh, ethereal aroma take you away.