Mary Shelley

Whilst there are no records of what perfume Mary Shelley wore, delicate florals of rose and violet were popular choices for women of the time. We've included dark whispers of incense and woody musk to suggest the deepest depths of her gothic mind that created the tale of Frankenstein at 21 years old.

Mary Shelley was born in London in 1797 into a family that stood at the heart of Enlightenment thought. Her mother was the philosopher and writer Mary Wollstonecraft, whose influential work argued for women’s intellectual equality and educational rights. Her father was the political thinker William Godwin, a prominent advocate of radical political reform.

Tragically, Wollstonecraft died shortly after Mary’s birth, leaving the infant to be raised by her father. Though Mary grew up without knowing her mother personally, Wollstonecraft’s intellectual legacy loomed large within the household. Godwin maintained a circle of writers, philosophers, and political thinkers who frequently visited their home, exposing young Mary to ideas and debates that would profoundly shape her imagination.

Unlike many girls of the early nineteenth century, Mary received an unconventional education. Her father encouraged intellectual curiosity and allowed her access to his extensive library. She read widely, exploring literature, philosophy, and history while developing her own emerging voice as a writer.

The most dramatic turning point in Mary’s early life came in 1814 when she met the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. Percy Shelley was already an established figure within literary and radical political circles, though he was also married at the time. Despite the social controversy surrounding their relationship, Mary and Percy formed a powerful intellectual partnership.

Together they travelled through Europe, absorbing new landscapes, ideas, and experiences that would influence Mary’s later work. Their journeys exposed her to the dramatic natural environments of the continent, from alpine mountains to vast lakes, settings that would later find echoes within her fiction.

One of the most famous moments in literary history occurred during the summer of 1816. Mary and Percy were staying near Lake Geneva with the poet Lord Byron and Byron’s physician John Polidori. The group spent long evenings discussing philosophy, science, and the mysterious nature of life itself.

During one stormy night Byron proposed a challenge. Each guest would attempt to write a ghost story. What began as a simple literary game soon produced one of the most influential novels ever written.

Mary Shelley later described how the idea for her story came to her in a waking dream. She imagined a scientist who discovered the secret of life and brought a lifeless body into animation. From this haunting vision emerged the story that would become Frankenstein, first published in 1818.

The novel tells the story of Victor Frankenstein, a scientist driven by ambition to create life through scientific experiment. When the creature he brings into existence awakens, Victor recoils in horror at what he has done. The abandoned being, intelligent yet rejected by society, seeks understanding and companionship but is met only with fear.

What makes Frankenstein remarkable is not simply its dark and dramatic narrative. Shelley’s novel explores complex philosophical questions about knowledge, responsibility, and the ethical limits of scientific discovery. At a time when scientific innovation was rapidly advancing, her story asked whether humanity truly understood the consequences of its own inventions.

Because of these themes, the novel is often regarded as one of the earliest works of science fiction. Shelley imagined a future shaped by scientific experimentation and warned of the dangers that might arise when ambition outpaces wisdom.

Although Frankenstein became her most famous work, Mary Shelley continued writing throughout her life. She produced additional novels, essays, travel writings, and biographies. Her later works reveal a writer deeply engaged with questions of society, politics, and human emotion.

Mary’s life, however, was marked by profound personal loss. Several of her children died in infancy, and in 1822 Percy Shelley drowned in a boating accident off the coast of Italy. Widowed at the age of twenty four, Mary faced the challenge of continuing her life and career alone.

Despite these hardships she demonstrated remarkable resilience. Mary returned to England with her surviving son and dedicated herself to preserving Percy Shelley’s literary legacy while continuing her own writing. She edited and published collections of his poetry, ensuring that his work would be remembered.

At the same time she remained an active author in her own right. Her novels and essays explored themes of memory, society, and the emotional complexities of human relationships. Though none achieved the same level of fame as Frankenstein, they reveal a thoughtful and reflective literary voice.

Over time Mary Shelley’s reputation has grown far beyond that of a single famous novel. Scholars now recognise her as a significant figure in nineteenth century literature, a writer whose ideas anticipated many of the scientific and ethical debates that shape the modern world.

rose, incense, cedarwood & musk

Rose:
Roses have held enduring significance throughout history. In ancient civilizations like Egypt and Greece, they symbolized love and beauty, often used in perfumes and associated with deities like Aphrodite and Venus. Romans extensively cultivated roses for ornamental and religious purposes. Medieval Europe saw roses as emblems of royal houses, notably in the "War of the Roses" between Lancaster (red rose) and York (white rose). Rose cultivation continued to evolve in the Renaissance, resulting in the diverse rose varieties we have today, including tea roses and hybrid perpetuals in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Incense:
The history of incense dates back thousands of years to ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, and China, where it was used in religious rituals, purification, and healing. Made from aromatic resins, herbs, and woods such as frankincense and myrrh, incense spread along trade routes like the Silk Road and eventually reached Europe. In Britain, its use began with the rise of Christianity, becoming a key element in Roman Catholic and Anglo-Catholic worship, symbolizing purification and the ascent of prayers. Monasteries and cathedrals burned costly imported resins, but the practice declined during the Reformation when Protestant reformers rejected ritual incense. It reemerged in the 19th century through the Oxford Movement, which revived traditional Catholic liturgical elements within the Church of England. During the Victorian era, incense also gained popularity in homes for its exotic fragrance and aesthetic appeal. In the 20th century, it spread further through the influence of Eastern spiritual traditions, becoming associated with meditation, relaxation, and domestic comfort. Today, incense in Britain holds both sacred and secular significance, linking ancient ritual with modern sensory and spiritual practices.

Cedarwood:
Cedarwood boasts a rich history spanning millennia, utilized by ancient civilizations like the Sumerians and Egyptians for construction and even embalming due to its durability and natural resistance to decay. It held biblical significance in the construction of Jerusalem's Temples, symbolizing strength and longevity. Native American tribes, especially in the Pacific Northwest, valued cedar for crafting canoes, totem poles, and longhouses. Cedar chests gained popularity in the 20th century for their ability to repel insects. Today, cedar remains cherished for its aroma, durability, and resistance to decay, serving as a valuable resource in construction, furniture, and woodworking, while its historical importance endures worldwide.

Musk:
Musk has a captivating history in the world of perfumes, with a significant link to Queen Elizabeth I of England. During her reign in the 16th century, she was a perfume enthusiast, even having a personal perfumer, Charles L'Écluse, who created custom scents for her. One renowned perfume of the era, "Eau de Cypre," a musk-based fragrance, was believed to be her favorite. This perfume combined musk with botanical ingredients to create a luxurious scent. Musk, originally obtained from musk deer, was a vital component in perfumes of the time, albeit at the cost of endangering these animals. In later centuries, the development of synthetic musk offered a more sustainable option for creating musky fragrances.

Contains 1-(1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-Octahydro-2,3,8,8-tetramethyl-2-naphthalenyl)ethanone, 1-(2,6,6 Trimethylcyclohexa-1,3-dienyl)-2-buten-1-one, 6,7-Dihydro-1,1,2,3,3-pentamethyl-4(5H)-indanone, Geraniol, Geranyl acetate, Linalool, Methyl atrarate, alpha-Methyl-1,3-benzodioxole-5-propionaldehyde, decahydro heptamethyl indenofuran, dl-Citronellol. May produce an allergic reaction.