Summer Spice

After all, the history of perfume is also the history of the global spice trade: cinnamon was used by ancient Egyptians in embalming for thousands of years, a spice that had made it to the region from China. The establishment of the Silk Road meant that spicy ingredients could travel beyond their native lands, enjoyed by millions across the Eurasian plain. But it’s not just spices: perfumed woods and fragrant resins also see ubiquitous use in oils from Sudan to Singapore.

Thankfully, in present day, getting your nose on some spiced ingredients no longer requires a year-long journey by horse and boat: all it takes is the click of a button. Check out Because’s spicy recommendations below!

Boy of June
Bibbi

Like the Gemini guy of its title, Bibbi’s romantic Boy of June does double duty, with fresh bergamot and zippy green apple in perfect balance with urgent leathery base notes, and, at its open heart, smouldering Somalian incense. Get you a boy who can do both.

Encens Cuivre
OJAR

Omani brand Ojar look to find fusion between Western and Middle Eastern perfumery traditions, and their heady Encens Cuivre is an ode to this cross-cultural pollination. Frankincense and myrrh, both native to the region make a harmonious pairing with that most coveted Western ingredient, ambergris.

Oud Superfluide
Les Eaux Primordiales

Picture a quiet back alley of a bazaar, stalls heaving with halva and the warm waft of incense, and you’ll get the vision of Oud Superfluide. Saffron, roasty sesame and a particularly potent Laotian oud make up the full-bodied fragrance.

Solo Cedro
LOEWE

The nutmeg note at the heart of Loewe’s Cedro, part of their ever-popular Solo line, is not one of rice pudding or bechamel sauce, but the nutmeg tree from which the spice grows. Fresh with piquant pink pepper and romantic lavender, Cedro is the very essence of genteel, gentlemanly ease.

Tambour Sacré
RUBINI

Inspired by the drumming traditions of Ethiopia, Italian brand Rubini marries earthy white pepper, roasty coffee notes and Somalian myrrh in their fragrance Tambour Sacre. The result is enigmatic and deeply intoxicating.

Indian Wood
Perfumer H

Forget the cloying vanilla of cheap candles and body spray: the bourbon vanilla of Perfumer H’s Indian Wood is intense and complex. The citrussy zing of cardamom adds a welcome levity to the sandalwood and papyrus-based perfume.

No 02 L'Air du Desert Marocain
TAUER

The atmosphere of L'Air du Desert Marocain is all dusky, sandy dunes and nighttime possibilities. An opening blast of coriander and cumin gives way to a gorgeous oakmoss and vetiver unfurling. A classic for a reason.