Maya Njie Perfumes

[productsample/affiliate] I’m so glad to have encountered this new and niche fragrance brand that Liberty have fallen so hard for that they’ve given over their windows to it. They’ve got an exceptional buying team that’s open to experiencing the new and exciting rather than the predictable and easy sellers. Maya Njie (say it En-jai) is a brand with soul – you can feel it from the outset. It’s built from memories and experience of a Swedish upbringing and West African heritage – who knew this would be a match made in fragrance heaven?

When a perfumer bottles their own memories, it can often result in a self-indulgent journey that’s relevant to nobody but them – the trick is to widen the scope so that the notes spark a resonance in others using many olfactory paths. Although the imprint of the inspiration for this collection is strong, these are fragrances that, even without their story, can stand on their own two feet. Nordic Cedar, as a good example, is about a Swedish summer house surrounded by forests, and yet it’s a capture of spicy, woody moments that will pique the olfactory memory. Somewhere within you’ll find something familiar.

I’d say the same about all of the fragrances although the one I have fallen for – predictably – is Tropica. The blend of citrus, pineapple, fig and coconut is a smile maker; warm, fruity and full of joy with down notes of musk, ambergris, sandalwood and cedar wood that let you know you it’s a lasting, sophisticated blend. I mean, it’s just lovely. Tobak is the one I thought I would like the least but when I spritzed it, up popped an image of my Grandpa who I honestly haven’t thought about for years. He liked horse racing, pipe smoking and endlessly cutting the lawn with a noisy non-electric mower and somehow Tobak was all of those things.

The best thing to tell you is that there is a discovery set for £17 containing all five of the fragrances – Tropica, Nordic Cedar, Les Fleurs, Vanilj and Tobak, so you can really take your time to enjoy each one. Good luck finding a favourite though – they’re all beautiful. If you buy the discovery set HERE, you get £10 off whatever you decide to supersize. If you feel they’re for you and want to skip the discovery, Liberty has 10% off at the moment, making full size £76.50 instead of £85 HERE non affiliate HERE.