Betrothal

Betrothal by Grossmith is a Floral Woody Musk fragrance for women. Betrothal was launched in 2011. The nose behind this fragrance is Mélanie Carestia. Top note is Citruses; middle notes are Heliotrope, Ylang-Ylang, Rose, African Orange Flower and Jasmine; base notes are Civetta, Vetiver and Vanille. "The original Betrothal perfume was made by the Grossmith perfumery for Princess May, on the occasion of her wedding to King George V. Then the princess became the newly crowned Queen Mary, who happens to be Prince William's great-great grandmother, and those ripples of history resonate in Betrothal’s beautiful revival in time for today’s fairytale royal wedding of William and Kate." "And so to the perfume itself – Betrothal is a floral bouquet with a citrus opening which blooms quickly into the floral heart of Rose de Mai and Jasmine. Incidentally, this precious ingredient can only be called ‘Rose de Mai’ if it is specifically grown in the tiny town of Grasse, in France - the very heart of perfumery itself. Very few perfume houses source their ingredients from here, now, as they are so incredibly expensive to produce. " "There is a wonderfully luxurious powdery note from the Heliotrope mixed with Ylang Ylang and Neroli, clean and lingering, which reminds one of dusting powders applied with swansdown feather puffs with handles entwined in satin. It's not all virginal white, sweetness & light, however. Though delicate, this isn’t some trembling, fragile bouquet of blossoms soon spoiled - there's a definite hint of minxy naughtiness once that billowing veil has been lifted, a suggestion of the final seduction to come." Review by Suzy Nightingale