Come, Mister tally man, tally me banana...

Washington Tremlett Royals Heroes 1805

Washington Tremlett, was once a famous shirt tailor and inventor of the tie in 1870s Paris. Now the name fronts for a small perfume house. Washington Tremlett Royals Heroes 1805, a scent designed by the perfumer for men, is described as "a strong, definite and authentic burst of dark bergamot with exotic deep spices, precious cedar, a hint of dark patchouli and mild tonka to create a surprising blend." Like the house name, the scent is given a historical spin as Washington Tremlett says its intended to “remind of Horatio Nelson and his "Bootnecks." For those in need of a little history lesson, the perfumer says,

Horatio Nelson had a passionate belief in his ability to become a hero. His famous naval career began in 1771 when he was only 12 years old, and ended with his death at the Battle of Trafalgar on 21 October 1805. His victories and great courage caught the public imagination, and he was indeed considered a hero, both in his own lifetime and in the Victorian period following his death.

The notes given for Royals Heroes 1805 are mandarin, bergamot, clove, anise, cedarwood, patchouli, tonka.

LuckyScent says that Royals Heroes "makes us dream of old libraries in titled English mansions, of fire burning cozily in big fireplaces, of whiskey and cigars." My Royals Heroes-colored dreams are less English nobility and more warm and delicious smells I associate with southern kitchens. On me, the anise is very strong at first but within the first few minutes quickly balances itself against the sweetness of the tonka and the spiciness of the clove. All together, the effect reminds of me of the smell of banana bread loaded with sweet spices, baking. It’s a smell I have loved since I was a little girl, one that I associate along with a few other dishes as the key to comfort in sickness or in health.

You might think it's weird to want to smell like a southern sweet bread made with the ripest bananas you can find, but it's not foodie in the way you think. It's not foodie in the way that gourmands are foodie; I don't really think of it as gourmand. But it has a lovely comforting quality to it that banana bread evokes in me, while at the same time manages to be far more sophisticated than I could ever really call a gourmand. That's no knock on gourmands. I love foodie scents. But it is rare to find a scent that smells like a comforting dessert food that anyone raised by the knee of a woman in a southern kitchen can replicate and at the same time seems appropriate to wear to a black tie event. I think Royals Heroes 1805 is a lovely scent for a woman and the kind of scent that a guy like Chuck Bass wears with sincerity and a man like George Clooney wears with a wry smile and and a dash of irony. Either way, it's a lovely experience.

To buy Royals Heroes 1805, which comes in 3.3oz/100ml bottles for $160, shop BeautyEncounter, LuckyScent, and First in Fragrance.

Work all night on a drink of rum!
Daylight come and me wan' go home.
Stock banana till de mornin' come!
Daylight come and me wan' go home.
- "Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)," Harry Belafonte

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~ This review from Perfume-Smellin' Things.

Images courtesy of Washington Tremlett.