I’m mad about this new fragrance, Coven, from Reykjavik based perfumer Andrea Maack. I love Andrea, she’s a female artist, ridiculously talented for such a young person and has loads of attitude, not a combination you normally see in a fragrance artist. There are more women perfumers coming through the classic (mostly French) industry routes, but the men still dominate in fragrance.
Coven is Andrea’s seventh fragrance, I’ve liked the previous ones, but not enough to shout about them. Coven is like Andrea’s coming of age for me, she’s got everything right and it’s beautifully different.
First notes are inspired by Icelandic nature; woody, like broken leaves and dry earth, a walk in a pine forest. There’s also a tiny hint of dark, dusty churches, hints of ecclesiastical incense, all gently crushed together so it’s not too overpowering. The story is that Andrea was inspired by her love of the ‘mysterious dark corridors of the supernatural world’, forests and folklore, her Icelandic heritage also brings a fresh new angle to the fragrance that makes it really interesting.
It wont suit everyone, but for those who don’t like the normal florals or citruses, and for perfume geeks, this one is worth seeking out.
Buy at Avery
