In the traditional Indian wedding, flower heads are strung together on giant leis, including Jaimala garlands which are exchanged between bride and groom as a token of mutual respect. Couples are often showered with petals by the groom's brother for spiritual protection. Flowers are abundant; from the mandap wedding canopy, which is entirely covered in exotic blooms, to the spiritual pooja rooms and verandahs, the explosion of colour is wildly celebratory and the scent is overwhelming.
Ben Gorham, the visionary behind Byredo, used his impression of a bride in a Traditional Indian wedding as his inspiration for Flowerhead. “The idea of marrying someone you don't know was very interesting. There's anxiety and excitement, and I described this person as a ‘flowerhead', because the bride is completely covered in floral hair arrangements.”
Flowerhead has definitely set our hearts a flutter. It's a bold yet modern white floral; on one hand, it uses the classic combination of sambac jasmine and tuberose for it's floral heart, but without the slightest touch of cream or indole usually associated with white florals. Instead, the dryer aspect of white petals is blended with with a green rose, tart lemon and cranberry. Angelica seed adds a celery-green herbal dimension. Flowerhead doesn't shy away from the the classic white floral silage or volume. In fact we find this to be one of Byredo's most robust compositions yet-- after a slow gorgeous drydown, Flowerhead softens to a lingering wisper of suede and ambergris.
Angelica seeds, cranberries, sicilian lemon, sambac jasmine, rose petals, tuberose, suede and ambergris
Perfume rating 3.54 out of 5 on Fragrantica