The power of perfumes on the human psyche fascinates me. One moment the mind is living in the present reality, and all it takes is the lingering scent of a certain perfume to transport the senses to a special memory.

Mark Constantine, co-founder of Lush, has co-created a number of new fragrances under the ‘Family Memories’ genre with his son Simon. The father-son duo believe that smell is the closest of human senses when it comes to triggering a memory, and their relationship is a backdrop for the creation of this range.

My current favorite from the range is All Good Things.

All Good Things pays tribute to a relationship that was much valued, now ended and celebrated as an irresistible fragrance. The cyclical nature of life is reflected in our connections with other humans. People slip in and out if our orbits, bringing ideas and inspirations into our hemispheres and the joy of collaboration and shared passions. When they must move on and leave us the sadness of the parting of ways is tempered as doors open to new possibilities, opportunities and fresh ideas in their absence. –Lush.

All Good Things represents bittersweet farewell kisses, the trauma of ending a relationship, and the sweetness of hope for new beginnings.

The scent itself is magically deep, robust and woody with a sweet floral aftermath.

Key Notes:

• Cedarwood Oil toning and balancing
• Rose Oil balancing and restorative
• Tonka Absolute a touch of sweetness
• Cade Oil antimicrobial and antiseptic

All Good Things is a unisex scent, and I am in love with the heady musky concoction when freshly applied.

To me, the smokey scent is all at once deep, unexpected and exotic. The complex nature of the spicy scent represents loss, a heavy-hearted farewell.

After a while the scent mellows down to reveal the sweeter, more cheerful side of All Good Things. The floral accents come to play, and the scent represents revival, of accepting the past and moving on. Of hope and excitement for what is to come.

The sweetness of the scent is lined with a subtle bitterness. All Good Things is robust, yet light at the same time. It is emotionally feminine, yet has the grounded sensibilities of masculinity. All Good Things is ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ bottled up.

All Good Things cannot be compared with mainstream perfume scents. I also think the simple, cheerful yellow branding is a sharp contrast to this bottled up mix of emotions. Don’t go by the bright yellow, there’s nothing zesty about this scent.

I’ve been wearing Lush’s All Good Things throughout July. The tiny 10 ml bottle managed to get lost in the clutter of my makeup bag, and I happened to dig it out last night.

One spritz, and the characteristically floral-woody scent transported me back to my carefree trip to Amsterdam with the girls.

I was also wearing it when taking my mother and sister around Dubai. The scent lingers on the paisley-print silk scarf my mother bought me from Meena Bazar.

Wearing All Good Things reminds me of the women in my life; of carefree girly fun, and of the love and warmth of family reunions. The musky notes ignite the senses of bittersweet memories, yet it is playfully all good in the end.

I need to get my hands on a bigger sized bottle of All Good Things.

Dad’s Garden Lemon Tree is another scent from the Lush ‘Family Memories’ series. Read more about it here.