Abel Perfume: Which Scents Are Worth It?

Abel Perfume: Which Scents Are Worth It?

Abel is a natural perfume house that began with one winemaker's frustration and now works out of a Wellington factory. I like how narrow and thoughtful it stays, and this edit is about finding the right bottle.

Collage of campaign images, textures and rituals that capture the Abel mood

The winemaker who wanted better natural perfume

I trust a brand more when it starts with a complaint, and Abel started with a good one. Frances Shoemack was a former winemaker living in Amsterdam, hunting for a natural perfume that felt as layered as the conventional kind, and came up empty. So in 2013 she made her own, launching with Vintage ’13, a spicy, woody scent. The name nods to Abel Tasman, a quiet reminder of her New Zealand roots.

 

What I like is how deliberately narrow the house stays. Shoemack still leads it, working with master perfumer Isaac Sinclair and Dr. Fanny Grau, and the story on their own site is about pairing natural ingredients with real perfume craft instead of asking natural scent to feel like a compromise. Today it all happens in Wellington, in a former bakery that is now the shop, office and factory (I love that detail). It makes the bottles feel less like a mood board and more like a continuing experiment.

Founder Frances Shoemack seated in a black jacket and olive trousers.

One house, many moods

Abel's best trick is that no bottle sounds like the last one. Double Scoop Eau De Parfum is toasted, milky vanilla, Pink Iris Eau de Parfum is a fresh, classic floral, and Laundry Day Eau De Parfum is crisp and sunny citrus. I would treat those as a starting point, since scent always lands differently on skin.

 

Picture her reaching for Cyan Nori Eau De Parfum before a long walk, then switching to Coat Check Eau De Parfum when the evening cools. Green Cedar Eau De Parfum, Cobalt Amber Eau De Parfum and Pause Eau De Parfum make this a real choice set, not one signature repeated in new bottles.

 

If you are still deciding, start small with Pink Iris Eau de Parfum 15ml, Mini Cyan Nori Eau De Parfum or Mini Green Cedar Eau De Parfum. What I would skip: the Fresh Gift Set, if you already know which scent you reach for. A sampler earns its place only while the favorite is undecided.

Woman preparing a meal outdoors beside Abel fragrance bottles
Founder Frances Shoemack in a black leather coat against a pale background
Kate Owen and Julia Platt Hepworth sharing a moment at dinner

A house with a point of view

I keep coming back to the founder's original question: whether natural perfume can have real depth and still feel current. Abel's answer is a working relationship between Shoemack, two perfumers and a scientist, plus a collection where every blend has its own personality.

 

In my daydream, one of the small bottles lives in a bag for the days when a scent should change with the pace of the afternoon. When I want to compare these natural blends with other scents, I turn to the perfumes I keep coming back to. Although I suspect Abel would win a few of them over.