Sarah Baker Flame & Fortune: A Tuberose Like No Other

Written by Kristina Kybartaite-Damule

Sarah Baker's fragrances are playful, flirty, and artistic. Flame & Fortune is no exception. It's unexpected, unique, and very addictive.

My first encounter with this brand was at Esxence 2024. It was on my to-try list as it sparked my curiosity with its joyful presentation, intriguing notes lists, and the artistry of the founder of the house, Sarah Baker herself.

She is a storyteller; before founding a fragrance brand, Sarah wrote and directed a short film, ‘Impirioso,’ worked with Versace on the book Baroness x Versace, and curated fragrance-related art exhibitions. It only seems natural that she uses perfumes as one more medium of storytelling.

Creating the fragrances for her brand, Sarah Baker works with well-known perfumers like Miguel Matos, Chris Maurice, and Sarah McCartney, to mention a few. She has also created two perfumes herself, and Flame & Fortune is one of them.

This fragrance tells a tale of passion and danger: a fast getaway car and a burning tuberose field – this is what the brand communicates. And yes, the floral accords in this scent are well-combined with sexy leathery, and oily accords, drawing a picture of a driveway, wind in the hair, and simply freedom.

Now, the opening is a beautiful composition of white flowers, surrounded by orange blossom and lily of the valley. The sweet and juicy dance of almost bubble-gummy tuberose and apricot takes center stage. Even though neither tuberose nor apricot is a rare guest in perfumery, here they take a very unexpected twist. I would call it tuberose like no other.

The innocent flowers on the skin are soon accompanied by the bold accord of Mezcal, a distilled alcoholic beverage made from any type of agave, usually produced in Mexico. And so, the intoxication of the fragrance begins. A note of embers, some labdanum added – and so the scent gets a little darker, more mysterious, yet sparkly and alluring.

The composition is well-rounded, velvety, even oily. It feels like touching the petals of tuberose in the heavy summer heat! This is what makes it so unique and unmistakable.

To me, it smells a little powdery and gets a vintagy vibe. It's a very creative take on tuberose, evoking a sense of nostalgia and freedom.

[bottle generously gifted, opinion is my own]