L'Officiel Nose: Michelle Pfeiffer of Henry Rose
Transparency has become an important topic of conversation in areas from food to skincare, but the concern surrounding safe ingredients somehow had yet to achieve the same effect within fragrance. So when Michelle Pfeiffer couldn't find a perfume she felt safe putting on her skin, she started her own brand. The actress had stopped wearing fragrance after having children, but she missed the practice's beautiful experience amidst her search for something better. Ultimately, all the brands Pfeiffer could find fell short of the standards so present in related industries, so she started conceptualizing a new option. The years of development presented some challenges as she worked with the Environmental Working Group, Cradle to Cradle, and IFF to create fine fragrances out of a limited list of safe ingredients, but the result is the first of its kind, earning certification from the two former groups while also holding true to perfume's ability to evoke distinct memories and feelings. Fitting to the life change that started it all, the multihyphenate entrepreneur named her line Henry Rose after her two children's middle names, and each scent celebrates that spirit with connections to her personal experiences.
Jake's House, one of the brand's five inaugural scents, is an homage to Pfeiffer's childhood visits to her grandfather. While it first jumps out with its name, which contrasts more abstract titles like Last Light and Fog, the scent captivates just as powerfully with a vibrant mix of notes including violet, grass, musk, tuberose, and vanilla. Refreshing and clean, and featuring the same sustainable packaging and unisex profile as all of Henry Rose's offerings, it shows the promise of Pfeiffer's new endeavor as a fragrance entrepreneur. To share a bit more about the memories and aesthetic that inspired Jake's House, the actress-turned-beauty guru shared the fragrance's ideal colors, soundtrack, and alternate name.
What color(s) does your fragrance smell like?
Yellow, light blue, white, and celadon green.
Which city/place in the world does your fragrance encapsulate best?
Jake was my grandfather, and the scent brings back memories of his home in North Dakota when I was a child.
If you had to place your fragrance in an iconic decade past, which one would it be?
It truly reminds me very much of the present, but if I had to choose, the 1970s.
What item from your wardrobe would you compare your scent to?
A new white t-shirt. Easy to wear and clean.
If your fragrance had a night out on the town, what drink would it order at the bar?
Tequila and Soda.
If your new fragrance had a soundtrack, what three sounds would play once you spray the scent?
Running water, diving into a pool, and turning on the shower.
If it wasn’t called Jake’s House, what would it be called?
Taverna. My grandparents' last name.