The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Simon Constantine dreamed of a permaculture plot. After a few failed attempts at growing, he made peace with the soil and turned his experience into a fragrance. Secret Garden pairs osmanthus absolute with sticky apricot notes, blending immortelle absolute and myrrh to capture the richness of soil and bloom. Dedicated to the friend who taught him about permaculture. A scent inspired by the garden, not a literal one.
Four materials. Osmanthus absolute for the sticky fruit warmth. Immortelle absolute for the honey-herbal complexity. Myrrh for resinous depth. Herbaceous notes for green. The blend opens with apricot sweetness before the herbs arrive, green and cutting through the florals. Osmanthus brings thick, almost suffocating sweetness. The honey-tobacco facet of immortelle adds warmth and complexity. Myrrh anchors both into something earthy and balsamic. The result is a fragrance that saturates without being sweet, resinous, warm, and unapologetically dense.
The evolution
The opening arrives with apricot sweetness, immediate and assertive. Herbs follow quickly, green and almost weedy, cutting through before the florals fully establish themselves. As the fragrance develops, osmanthus dominates, thick in its sweetness. The honey-tobacco facet of immortelle begins to surface, adding warmth. Myrrh eventually takes over, the floral sweetness fading to leave resinous earthiness, animalic, slightly dirty, undeniably present. The scent lingers on skin and fabric, holding its presence long after application.
Cultural impact
Secret Garden belongs to Lush's more challenging side. It sits apart from conventional floral fragrances, offering something bolder. A Gorilla Gallery Tour exclusive in 2017. The release featured an unconventional osmanthus-myrrh pairing that stands out in floral perfumery.
The House
LushLush is a British cosmetics company founded in Poole, England, in 1994 by trichologist Mark Constantine, his wife Mo Constantine, and five additional co-founders. The brand gained international recognition for its hand-pressed bath bombs, which Mo Constantine invented in her garden shed in 1989. Now operating in 49 countries, Lush has evolved from a single High Street shop into a global retailer while maintaining its commitment to ethical manufacturing and cruelty-free products. In-house perfumers Mark Constantine OBE, Emma Vincent, and Alina Gliwinska create the brand's fine fragrances, which are presented through the Perfume Library concept stores in Liverpool, Florence, and London. The fragrance collection spans over 230 perfumes dating back to 1989, organized into thematic volumes that serve as milestones in the brand's perfumery history.
The Creator
Simon ConstantineSimon favors single‑note focus, often building a composition around a pure absolute or essential oil. He pairs a dominant material with subtle supporting accents, allowing the star ingredient to breathe.
