Travelling Fragrances by Scent of Finland

We are all about discovering new niche perfume brands, and the Finnish fragrance specialists from Scent of Finland are certainly spoiling us. Scent of Finland have launched four unisex eau du perfume fragrances, capturing the essence of unspoiled Finnish nature – the clean, fresh breeze that brings you the lakes and the forests in one breath, the delicate white blossoms, the refreshing crisp snow and spring water, as well as the captivating magic of the midnight sun and Northern Lights. 

The fragrances evolved from the concept that scent and emotions are deeply linked, and that a certain scent has the power of evoking the most vivid of memories. Scent of Finland fragrances were created with an urge to capture the memory of the spirit of Finland’s unique nature and most iconic places. 

Finland allures people from big, hectic cities to escape the pollution and business of everyday life, retreat to nature and breathe in the calm of forests, while resting your eyes admiring the peaceful landscape. But how do you keep the calm and the memory of all the adventures and small wonderful moments after you return home? You have your pictures, and most likely a bottle of Finnish vodka and salmiakki – but what is the component strongest in preserving a memory, which can convey emotions or feelings better than objects? Scent.

“It is known that the brain stores memories through a network of neurons connected with one another. The more bonds are built among them, the stronger the memory is. In the similar vein, the perfume is a representation of connections made between molecules which, when linked together, make up something that is more remarkable than when they are considered apart … a perfume is already a memory in itself, just waiting to be unveiled by someone.”

When developing their unique fragrances, Scent of Finland invited the French perfumer Maud Chabains to explore the essence of Finnish nature. The formulas are therefore her reflections on personal memories and experiences about Finland; bottled in four different flasks with a minimalistic, Nordic design, each holding intriguing scent components of Finnish landscape. We put them to a test, and here is our review.

Korpi  (Finnish for deep forest)

TOP: bergamot, grapefruit, green notes | HEART: cardamom, fougere, clary sage | BASE: amber, moss, musk, sandalwood

Korpi illustrates the aromatic warmth of Finnish saunas, alluring you with notes of warm woody birch, cardamom, sage and incense – a scent representing the spirit and renewal of body and soul. 

The first spritz takes you from energizing grapefruit to soft green notes that wash over you with a soothing feeling – like the fresh breath of forest air. The fragrance then brings forth a certain familiarity with the hint of wooden, masculine scent it develops into. A fresh scent with soft, spicy warmth underneath it takes you to the cabin sauna in the middle of deep forest.

Kajo (Finnish for shimmer)

TOP: lemon,  grapefruit | HEART: lotus, peach, ylang ylang | BASE: amber, aquatic notes, musk

Kajo represents the floral fields of Finland, and takes you on a romantic journey, illuminated by the midsummer sun.

Kajo allures at first touch, gently caressing you with a delicious breeze of light citrus notes, lily of the valley, and a blend of aquatic musk. This too is so familiar and comfortable that I had to stop for a few minutes to try catch the memory lurking in the back of my head. It’s like a childhood memory, summertime and the nature blossoming, completely alluring. I’m amazed how much I can relate to this scent!

*Even though all the scents are unisex, I would say that Korpi strikes as more masculine, whereas Kajo makse you think of a more feminine fragrance.  

 Vire  (Finnish for breeze)

TOP: aldehyde, green notes |HEART: jasmine, tonka bean, rose | BASE: solar notes, powdery notes, musk

As Finland has the world’s cleanest air, one of the fragrances had to represent that purity. Capturing silence and softness, untouched snow and the magical power of Northern Lights, this fragrance brings Lapland’s wonderful landscapes to life.

A delicate, soft scent of fresh laundry, powdery petals that develops into delicate musk. Like the wind, hard to catch at first glance, allures with its light and soft first notes, which then develop to a deep, strong scent of powdery cleanliness.

Kaltio (Finnish for spring)

TOP: bergamot, lemon, mandarin | HEART: aquatic notes, coriander,  white flowers | BASE: cedarwood, moss, musk, amber, patchouli

Kaltio treasures the 180 000 lakes of Finland. It evokes the memory of the cool, fresh natural springs, illustrates Lapland liches and permafrost tundra covered in snow.

Kaltio washes over you with elegant, aquatic notes that feel like that first breath of crisp snow. The light first notes resemble the cooling splash of springwater on a long hike, the sweetness of taking a sip of fresh water. A hint of light blossoms swirl is also present. This fragrance leaves you sniffing for quite a while, as the scent continuously develops into alluring notes. The two latter fragrances lack the typically masculine nor feminine fragrance resemblances, and I would suggest they are very literal unisex fragrances.   

Scent is a subjective topic, as it revolves around memory. As a Finn, I have to say the familiarity of the notes in these fragrances, as well as the memories awoken by the scent universes, speak of successfully ‘captured’ Finnish nature. Through the art of fragrance, you may share your emotions and memories experienced in Finland. Scent of Finland fragrances bear the Key Flag, recognising that they have been manufactured in Finland, and they are are available to buy online and via stockmann.com.

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