What I love about being so passionate about Lush, is not only how enthusiastic they are about their products, but also how much they have influenced me over the years, when it comes to my favourite aromas and what I look for in a new scent. Their perfumes in particular, are an area that I have grown to cherish - not only because they offer unique fragrances that you just wouldn't expect to find anywhere else, but because of the stories that go hand-in-hand to bring these smells alive for the wearer.
Rentless is a perfume that initially bowled me over for the simple reason that patchouli was listed as the key ingredient. Over the years, I have come to realise that the much-used plant is one of my favourite smells, and it amazes me that it can present itself so very differently, depending on what accompaniment it has been arranged with.
Sharing its scent with the much sort-after Metamorphosis Bath Bomb, this unique and very beautiful fragrance was, up until recently, only available for those who managed to grab them at the Lush Showcase Event back in September. With the company announcing its release in the Gorilla store this week, it's only a matter of time before this wonderful product makes its presence known across the UK, and hopefully across the globe in the near future as well.
Inspired by a man named Tachowa Covington, Rentless tells a story of the twenty five years he remained homeless on the streets of California. Upon finding an abandoned water tank one day, he decided to convert it into a home - swearing an oath with God that he would begin a new life in the tank and use his time to care for those who needed his help. He filled his tank with an array of wonderful, recycled items that he used to create makeshift shelving and decorations with, and set about on his quest to better the lives of those who needed extra support.His happiness was cut short when the street artist, Banksy, thought his self-made home wasn't to be taken seriously, and scribed the words 'This Looks a Bit Like an Elephant' across the side of the tank. Given the popularity of the artist's work, the tank sparked interest from potential collectors, and ended up being sold by a construction company, thus destroying Tachowa's home and the life he had built up for himself.
What I love about this perfume is that I really get a sense of what his home might have been like, through the use of the ingredients and the carefully constructed layers that read like a story on your skin. Containing patchouli, labdanum, tonka and grapefruit, this fragrance is warming as well as spicy; crisp as well as herbal, and I get a sense of belonging whenever I wear this.
Strangely, in the bottle, Rentless reminds me of a fresh Christmas tree - it has an element of pine to it that initially confused me until I realised that labdanum was the other main ingredient. This note gives the perfume a fresh, crisp edge to it, which smoothens out once it's warmed on your skin, and offers a sort of resinous smell with notes of pepper and leather.
Out of the bottle, the patchouli and labdanum worked together to create a spicy, peppery concoction with just a hint of sweetness from the former ingredient. It's herbal yet equally woody, and reminds me very slightly of the smoky note you find in The Bug, albeit more gentle and not as overpowering.
You'd be mistaken if you thought that the inclusion of the grapefruit would give the perfume a fruity component. Instead, I feel as if it sits towards the back of the smell and supports the patchouli's sweeter side as opposed to offering much of its own aroma. Likewise, the tonka doesn't present much of a smell either - its purpose seems to be in softening the patchouli and labdanum just very slightly so that neither are too harsh on the senses.
If you're expecting something rounded and vanillary, you'll be disappointed. Rentless possesses the warming qualities you might look for in a winter perfume, but it does this through the use of fresh, crisp, peppery layers, that intertwine to create a unique and very exquisite fragrance. If like me, you're a fan of all things patchouli, you will probably appreciate how different this component presents itself in this perfume. However, if you're expecting something in the same realms as Karma, Blue Skies or Lord Of Misrule, you will probably be left feeling a little deflated.
Overall, I feel as if this scent works better in liquid perfume format than it does as a bath bomb. The fragrance is far stronger, more pronounced and it stays on your skin for many hours after initial application. Rentless is a product that I would use to compliment those icy-cold mornings, when your breath is clouding in front of you and the frost is nipping at your face. This fragrance would create a warming barrier around you - that much-needed hug to see you through the day.
Quantitative Ingredients: Patchouli Oil, Labdanum Resinoid, Tonka Absolute, Grapefruit Oil, Anise Alcohol, Citral, Coumarin, Eugenol, Farnesol, Geraniol, Limonene, Linalool.
Vegan?: Yes.
2016 Price: £36 for 30ml.
Year Of Original Release: 2016.
Scent Family:
Metamorphosis Bath Bomb
Rentless Liquid Perfume
