As Autumn knocks at the door, say hello sunshine to this sunny little number from a perfume house who should know a thing or two about catching some solar joy.

Listed notes

Golden mango, Marian plum, pomelo, orange flower, bergamot, passion fruit, tuberose, gardenia, incense, myrrh, rose, amber, sandalwood, mandarin.

Top notes

Aroon Sawat means “good morning” in Thai and it would be a good morning indeed if it started off with the fruity abundance that this scent does. Spray this and a bright, punchy fruity bouquet tumbles on to your skin. The juiciness of mango is discernible as is the sour tang of the grapefruity pomelo and the two work together really nicely, the grapefruit note translating as a little dry, with the mango and plum adding a rounder and more juicy tone. Passion fruit hangs around too giving an almost sweaty, animalic nuance, but it does so really delicately in the background and it isn’t challenging or offensive in how it gentle changes the timbre of the fragrance overall.

At first, Aroon Sawat can come off as a little scratchy from the citrusy opening, but it settles beautifully and rounds off into a polite and glowing scent. The clever thing about it is that it does smell of warm, soft, early morning sun, the type that you can feel soaking into your bones and cheering your very soul. Aroon Sawat is refreshing enough to make you feel all perked up and revitalised without it ever being aggressive or pushy.

Heart notes

There’s a pleasant creaminess that starts to creep into the fragrance as it wears and it makes skin smell as if it has been slathered in a really lovely lotion and some sunshine. Tuberose, gardenia and orange flower announce their presence and the fragrance takes a wonderful lurch from being a predominantly fruity scent to one which is more floral. This change in gear is handled seamlessly as the fragrance flows into its heart and yet the overall tone of warmth and sunshine is never lost.

Aroon Sawat is one of those scents which if you smell it close to the skin you get something different to if you smell it out in the trail or sillage. Up close this smells more fruity than it does if you smell it from further away, where the white flowers hold control. The sway between the two is more of a dance than a conflict and the overall impression is of harmony and contentment.

Base notes

In the final phase of Aroon Sawat, the incense, myrrh and sandalwood show themselves but again, they do so gently and with grace. There’s another flowing shift and a faintly sharp smokey and resinous accord is there, really connecting the different parts of the scent and anchoring it all in place. The incense and myrrh really seem to give Aroon Sawat a structure, without taking away the glorious fruit or the dreamy florals.

The sharpness of the smokey incense is also really nice because its quality mirrors the sharp tang of the pomelo, so we are able to feel that the fragrance is connected throughout but also circular too. It’s a really nice touch in a fragrance which is full of understated nice touches. Strangers Parfumerie have really managed to create a gentle friend out of this scent.

The other stuff

The longevity of Aroon Sawat was about as long as sunshine in Yorkshire, that is to say moderate. It lasted until lunchtime or early afternoon following an early morning application.

The projection of the scent seemed to be fairly low-key, to around hugging distance or a little further, but this is a polite scent, there’s nothing “in your face” about it so even if you overspray like crazy this isn’t going to annoy your co-workers.

We felt that Aroon Sawat sat a little more towards the feminine side of the spectrum, but that it could most certainly be worn by more masculine creatures too. As always, take this with a pinch of salt and if you like it, wear it regardless of any perceived gender conventions.

The brand

Strangers Parfumerie are an interesting brand. Their founder, Prin Lomros, hails from Thailand and also teaches film studies – film then, quite obviously, becoming a huge reference and inspiration in his work. Strangers are great for a couple of reasons, firstly they have an extensive catalogue so you are bound to find something you like, secondly, their scents come in small enough bottles that the don’t make your eyes water at the price, and thirdly, they have a developed sense of brand identity and DNA which means that if you like one, there’s probably going to be another that you enjoy just as much.

We’ve previously reviewed S and M Cafe and Cigar Rum by this brand.

Incidentally, if you are wondering which film this scent would be, it’s clearly Little Miss Sunshine.

Buy it

Aroon Sawat is available from Bloom Perfumery in London where it is priced at £70 for 30ml of EdP. You can also buy Aroon Sawat from the Strangers Parfumerie web boutique.

We were very kindly given a no-strings-attached sample of Aroon Sawat from Prin Lomros when we met him at Esxence earlier in the year. Thank you to Prin for his kindness and generosity.