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Smells like Brit spirit

ALTHOUGH its pedigree may have been overpowered by that of the French, the British perfumery industry in fact boasts an ambrosial history. From Grossmith, one of England's oldest perfume houses, to the successfully revived house of Penhaligon's, which has set up shop here at ION Orchard and Marina Bay Sands, British fragrance institutions are as highly regarded for their fine scents as they are for their storied heritage. Now, Atkinsons is another fragrance brand hoping to draw upon its 200 years of English eccentricity, style and impeccable manners to entice new devotees to its unique concoctions.

And while Queen Victoria and Kate Middleton were said to have been inspired by The Nuptial Bouquet scent for their own wedding bouquets, why not try the house's signature blend, 24 Old Bond Street, as a primer to the marque? A cocktail of juniper, rose and black tea, deepened with an eccentric note of oak-casked whisky, this is as close to English elegance as you can get, short of a night's stay at Claridge's.