The making of Paradiso del Sole

When LUMIRA founder and creative director Almira Armstrong set about creating Paradiso del Sole in early 2019, she had a very specific memory in mind. “I was thinking about sailing along the Amalfi Coast in the height of summer,” she says. “The Mediterranean is so clear and blue that it’s quite literally dazzling, and the brisk scent of the ocean spray is unmistakable. Summer holidays always have that delicious feeling of escapism, but nothing compares to the freedom of being on a boat in the middle of the ocean, as the coastline drifts in and out of sight.”

The scent’s opening notes of camphor and aromatic herbs epitomise the invigorating blast of ocean spray as it erupts against the side of the boat. The effect is immediate and quite arresting; a signal to pay attention because memories will be made here.

But Paradiso del Sole is not an aquatic scent; while it captures the ocean’s distinctive tang, this is countered by a distinct, sunbaked earthiness. For Armstrong, one of the great joys of sailing the Amalfi Coastline is the chance to explore different ports along the way. “Some beaches will be teeming with people, others are more secluded but everywhere, there’s a freshness and beauty here that comes from being sunkissed and surrounded by nature. The ocean stretches out to the horizon on one side of you but on the other, the citrus groves and wild lavender are just as intoxicating.”

For many of us – Armstrong included – a sailing holiday along the Amalfi Coast seems an impossible dream in 2020. But through the creation of this scent, we can all experience this paradise of the sun in our own way. 

Written by Michelle Bateman