Hatter, a perfume by Redolescent:
Step into the whimsical world of Wonderland with Hatter. Inspired by the enigmatic character from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, this perfume captures the essence of the Mad Hatter's iconic tea party, and invites you to get to know the Hatter even more.
Picture a chaotic tea table, adorned with Earl Grey tea, brown sugar, and the lingering aroma of crisp cucumber sandwiches. But, there's more to the Hatter's story than meets the eye. With a nod to his artisan background, the fragrance incorporates the subtle allure of leather and suede, echoing the Hatter's artisan background and style.
The Hatter's eccentricity and slightly darker undertones can also be uncovered through the narrative woven into the fragrance; the Hatter's speculated madness, perhaps caused by mercury poisoning, becomes a source of inspiration for this fragrance, creating a captivating extra dimension.
Now, CHANGE PLACES!
Hatter, had the most ‘direct’ vision of the first 3 from the Alice collection.
You immediately think of a tea party, right?
Strangely, though never mentioned in the books, Earl Grey Tea felt like the choice. The addition of the bergamot is quite forgiving, too – it fills in some space at the start of the perfume, and helps build the blank space around the tea note, making it feel more real.
A tea party without food isn’t much of a party. That’s when cucumber sandwiches appeared! Delightfully twee, I thought it would fit quite well. The problem was, we now have dry, hay-like tea with wet and squelchy cucumber. Texturally there is a clash there, so work needed to be done to help them not feel too much at odds with each other...
Why was the Hatter mad? Probably mercury poisoning…
I love a bit of ‘darkness’ in perfume, the extra layer to the narrative.
I always saw the Hatter as a well-meaning, but slightly troubled character, and I wanted that to show with the choice of notes. That meant not shying away from the macabre, and building in a ‘nod’ to the reality of the situation. Rose Oxide is notoriously metallic. It also has a wetness to it, even a ‘green’ edge. It turns out this astringent beast worked quite well to add a metallic screech (either of the mercury, or the Hatter’s shrill cries, you decide…). The contrast between the conventional and unconventional was growing, and the wet and dry halves of the fragrance were becoming further divided.
To finish rounding out the composition, the fabric/leather was required. I was imagining bolts of cloth; animalic felt with a leather edge. This actually sat quite nicely with the tea too, back on the drier ‘hay-like’ side of the fragrance. Safraleine added warmth, and even a bit of tobacco absolute to keep pushing right through into the base of the fragrance.
The perfume's initial metallic and cucumber-laden opening may seem abrupt, akin to the Hatter's peculiar manners. However, just like the character's underlying warmth, "Hatter" quickly reveals a much softer heart—a warmth that defies conventions yet remains undeniably comforting.
A fitting tribute, I hope, to a character who sparked a love for the entire story.
Size: 15ml
Strength: Eau de Parfum
Notes: Tea party (Earl Grey & Cucumber Sandwiches), Mercury poisoning, Leather
Hatter does not contain actual mercury and is designed for olfactory madness only.
Our naturally coloured fragrances may stain clothing.
INGREDIENTS: Alcohol Denat, Parfum (Fragrance), Isopropyl myristate, Propylene glycol, Tetramethyl Acetyloctahydronaphthalenes, Citrus Bergamia (Bergamot) peel oil expressed, Limonene, Linalyl Acetate, Linalool, Citral, Coumarin, Geraniol
