Scenting Celebrity Traitors – Spoiler Free!

‘The fingerless gloves are ON as Claudia Winkleman returns to The Traitors castle with an all-star cast who are ready to play the ultimate game of deceit and betrayal…’ – The BBC

Arguably the biggest televisual ‘appointment viewing’ in years, certainly in this era of streaming shows whenever we wish and not being beholden to live TV schedules; Celebrity Traitors has debuted the first two episodes to much acclaim (and heated debate). So of course, we’re rolling up our flouncy sleeves to prepare another fragrance-matching opportunity.

There’s a whole series of these ‘scenting’ blogs for The Perfume Society, in which we take a zeitgeist cultural icon of the time and suggest scents to match literature, art, music and movies. In making connections and drawing allusions between characters we may know well and the complexities of attempting to describe an invisible smell, it’s our belief that they serve as a kind of shortcut to a truer understanding of both the perfume and whatever you’re pairing it with.

Now, holding up our promise of being SPOILER FREE (so therefore not revealing who the Traitors are, or which of the first Faithfuls have been bumped off or at risk), we’re delving in to the world of the castle’s current residents, and hoping to provide perfume suggestions that add to the atmosphere, or could help bolster the celebrity contestants during the many trials and various tribulations they will endure.

The full list of celebrities taking part this year, and competing to win money for their chosen charities, are:

Think of each of these recommendations as olfactory cloaks (for Traitors and Faithfuls alike to don). And though we’ve only pulled out a few examples here to perfume-match: which fragrances, we wonder, would YOU pair with your favourite celebrity, and why…?

[P.S: Click on the linked name of each celebrity to be whisked to their interview page on The Traitors Wiki website, BUT: BE WARNED, those pages do contain spoilers, so don’t read until you’ve caught up with the show!]

Clare Balding + Sarah Baker Riders

Obviously we plumped for a perfume that would bring a sense of familiarity and comfort for Clare, and of course (Clare often being found commentating at horse racing tracks and equestrian occasions around the country) it had to be something horsey. So what better than this hay-strewn, grassy-nuzzle from Sarah Baker’s stable? It veritably gallops out the bottle, Sunlit pastures meet leather saddles on verdant fields, ripe peaches drip luscious juices as tobacco and amber sizzle salaciously. We feel this perfume proffers nostalgic assurance alongside a serving of sass – exactly what Clare will need to stay grounded among this lot…

£150 for 50ml eau de parfum in The Perfume Society Shop

Stephen Fry + Penhaligon’s The Cut

Paying homage to the craftsmanship and timelessness of Savile Row tailoring is this creation by Paul Guerlain (yes, he belongs to that fabled bloodline, grandson of Jean-Paul), which we feel befits the inherent British stylishness of Stephen Fry. Fragrance mastery, then, is almost a given, here expressed with a whoosh of basil and mint (perfectly enlivening for the senses) tethered by the woodsiness of cedar and cypress (representing the rugged landscape of the Traitors castle). Fir balsam runs like a thread throughout, for a tailored creation that intelligently marries swagger and style to a wilder terroir.

From £85 for 30ml eau de parfum johnlewis.com

Celia Imrie + FERRAGAMO Fiamma

No spoiler, as she reveals this from the get-go, but Celia says that she has ‘a naughty streak that I find hard to suppress’; so it’s possibly a match made in heaven for her to wear this particular perfume. Radiating ‘luminous energy and timeless elegance’, white pear and wisps of saffron open to a creamy gardenia and jasmine heart, encircled by swags of wild honeysuckle. Warm Ambrox, patchouli and sugared moss linger, making a sensual, woody fusion. Passionate yet refined, classic yet contemporary, just like Celia’s own character, it empowers and envelops, leaving a so-wearable sophisticated trail. Blooming iconic.

£55 for 55ml eau de parfum houseoffraser.co.uk

Nick Mohammed + ARgENTUM Magician 

Paying tribute to transformation and a clever, quicksilver charm, Magician by ARgENTUM is a fragrant sleight-of-hand fitting Nick Mohammed’s ingenious wit (and his magician’s skills). A conjuring of orange flower and black pepper casts the first spell: brisk, surprising, and effervescent. Chilli pepper and clove bud follow with theatrical energy and pace, swirling through secret corridors. The base, drily resonant Atlas cedar, warm labdanum, benzoin and myrrh, evokes magical rituals and smoke trails. Magician is the scent Nick should wear to waft wonderment wherever he goes.

£78 for 30ml eau de parfum in The Perfume Society Shop

Charlotte Church + Wales Perfumery Country Gwlad

Capturing the verdant soul of her homeland, this scent evokes Charlotte Church’s lyricism, her voice as fluid as the rivers this is inspired by, her rebellious spirit rooted in the wild, rolling hills. Fresh green notes and water mingle with narcissus and petitgrain, reminiscent of dew-drenched meadows. Vetiver and woods offer grounding, something Charlotte will certainly need in her time cloistered at the castle. This is the fragrance for a woman who’s at home beneath clear skies, in chorus with song and soil, a sense of freedom perfectly balanced with deep-rootedness in the dry down.

£81 for 50ml eau de parfum in The Perfume Society Shop

Written by Suzy Nightingale