I can’t do without...

An exquisite Irish scent that will have you hooked for years

£130

cloonkeen.com

When you think of the origins of amazing fragrances, you immediately think France. Understandable. France has a long perfumery history and the most well regarded ‘noses’ – the genius perfumers

– are French. But that is evolving and our mindset should shift accordingly, because beautiful fragrance brands are everywhere. In Ireland, for instance. Cloon Kleen, an artisan fragrance brand based in Galway, was founded by Margaret Mangan and Julian Checkley more than 20 years ago. They met working in film production, so their scents are inspired by storytelling. I stumbled upon the brand a decade ago and fell in love with La Bealtaine. A mix of bergamot, mandarin, jasmine and rose , it is a rich romantic scent with a dash of pink pepper and cedarwood. I found it grownup and sexy, but also comforting. And then I misplaced the bottle, couldn’t find where the brand was from and begrudgingly moved on. I recently rediscovered it – the brand is now more easily available – and unlike many scents I loved years ago, which fell foul of my changing tastes, La Bealtaine stands the test of time. It’s as sensual as ever. Some brands have an odd ‘dry down’ – not this. It smells exquisite when you put it on – and just as exquisite hours later. Which is a sign of true perfumery craftsmanship. Right there in Ireland.