It was not so long ago that two creations by Thameen were guests here in the Duft-Tagebuch – namely Patiala and Blue Heart – and these are followed today by the new launch Insignia. We remember very briefly, the London brand was founded in 2013 by Basel Bin Jabr and revolves around the love of fragrant treasures. Two collections comprise Thameen’s portfolio, namely the Sovereign Collection and the Treasure Collection.
While the previously featured fragrances (review read here) belonged to the Treasure Collection, which revolves around special gems and impressive pieces of jewelry around the world, the Sovereign Collection is a tribute to the crown jewels of the British royal family.
At the same time, I have to claim a certain restriction from this classification in the case of Insignia. Because the fragrance is actually not about a piece of jewelry from the collection of the Crown Jewels, but rather pays tribute to the elite Order of the Garter and its insignia. But what exactly is this about?
Short and sweet: The Most Noble Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter dates back to the 14th century and the then reigning King Edward III. In the past it belonged to the court orders, of which there were only three in number. The purpose of this order at that time was to “bind the most important knights of the kingdom more firmly to himself, the king” (source: Wikipedia). Various insignia
distinguish the bearers of the order, including a chain, badges, a costume for special occasions, a blue ribbon that is placed over the shoulder and, in addition, a breast star set with numerous precious stones – the Garter Star – in the centre of which is emblazoned in red and white the George Cross. By the way, the motto of the Order of the Garter is “A villain who thinks evil of it”. The motto is also found – in French – on some insignia, including the breast star.
The Most Noble Order of the Garter is the most important order of knighthood today, and only a select number of individuals are given the honour of being inducted into the illustrious circle. The supreme seat of the Order is, of course, held by the British King or, until recently, the British Queen. In addition to numerous members of the English royal family as well as international royals, “ordinary people” who have served the kingdom or the king/queen in a special way are always included.
Insignia – star shape medal
But now finally to the fragrance itself, which bears the name Insignia and thus takes direct reference to the Garter Star, the jewelled breast star of The Most Noble Order of the Garter. The fragrance notes of bitter orange, whiskey, fig, Damask rose, geranium, laurel, vetiver, sandalwood and suede are the ingredients of choice here.
This extrait de parfum from the Sovereign Collection is inspired by the Garter Star, presented to the British King George VI by the Royal Navy in 1923. Queen Elizabeth II was inducted into the Order of the Garter in 1947 by her father, who presented her with the same star.
Honi soit qui mal y pense
Lush and fruity, Insignia starts the fragrance with tart hesperidic freshness and greenish fig creaminess that is clearly perceptible. The latter immediately makes my heart beat faster, because I am a big fan of figs. Underpinning this, I perceive certain boozy nuances, that I would attribute to the whiskey.
Aromatic spicy laurel underscores the greenish accents, accompanied by cool geranium. Its rosy mint freshness is refined by the creamy sweetness of Damask rose, which drops into a bed of equally creamy vetiver and velvety suede. With warm and soft woody notes, Insignia by Thameen slowly fades out.
Thanks to the gorgeous creamy, woody fig notes, Insignia is in my good books from the first sniff. A certain joy and pleasure in the Mediterranean fruit should therefore have to be able to take the extrait de parfum by the house of Thameen to the heart. Even independent of the figlet, the creation convinces with an elegant and finely balanced composition, which is rather quiet than loud, but has excellent longevity. The rose is not overly dominant, it’s more of a greenish-fruity scent with a woody-suede base. Perfect for spring and summer as well as everyday life and office, and moreover absolutely unisex. ☺️
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