A La Lune — A Complete Guide to the London Avant-Garde Perfume House
A La Lune is a relatively new niche perfume house from London that positions itself as avant-garde, sensory-driven, and visually oriented. Launched in the early 2020s, the brand has focused on small collections of distinctive scents, presented with an artful aesthetic and a narrative approach rather than strictly technical “note lists.” This guide collects what’s publicly known about the brand, its fragrances, its distribution and reception, and how it fits into the broader niche-perfume scene.
Quick snapshot
- Origin: London (brand built around a small creative atelier model).
- First launches: Fragrances first appeared on fragrance databases in 2021.
- Known products: Moonlight Cypress, Santal Extreme, Trinity Blood (solid and EDT/liquid formats), plus related scented home goods in some press material.
- Positioning: Niche / avant-garde, visual storytelling, limited editions and multisensory marketing.
Who (or what) is A La Lune?
Public information indicates A La Lune is run as an avant-garde perfume atelier founded around 2021 in London; some early pages describe a core founding team across multiple countries and a boutique, art-forward approach to scent creation. The brand emphasizes visual storytelling for each fragrance and, according to press, experiments with some unusual natural ingredients and multi-format products (liquid perfumes, solids, candles, reed diffusers). That positioning places A La Lune among smaller niche houses that use design and concept as much as olfactory composition to build identity.
Note: I did not find detailed corporate filings or widely published interviews naming a single founder or perfumer; most public references are brand pages, press releases, social channels and fragrance-database entries. I therefore avoid asserting founder names or corporate structure beyond what the brand channels state.
The fragrances — what exists and what they smell like
A La Lune’s catalog is small but conceptually bold. The best documented releases (appearing in fragrance databases and press) include:
Santal Extreme — described as an oriental/spicy, sandalwood-led composition with saffron, amber, olibanum (frankincense), agarwood (oud) and benzoin in the base. Reviews on fragrance aggregation sites show positive ratings for the more woody-oriental temperament of this scent.
Moonlight Cypress — appears as a signature (and available as a solid perfume); the name suggests a green-woody, Mediterranean or forest-like impression. Listings show Moonlight Cypress among the brand’s early core fragrances.
Trinity Blood — marketed as an aromatic-spicy unisex scent with unusual top accords reported on databases (including “blood” and metallic accents on some descriptive pages), plus blackberry, vetiver, myrtle, frankincense and patchouli in the structure. Note: Trinity Blood has attracted more mixed reactions from the fragrance community (more below).
Because the brand favors a visual and experiential description style in marketing, some press pieces emphasize mood, memory, and visual cues rather than only technical note lists. For technical note breakdowns and user ratings, fragrance databases (Fragrantica, Parfumo, Parfumo/Fragrantica entries) are the primary public sources available.
Packaging, formats and additional products
A La Lune has released fragrances in both liquid and solid formats and, according to press releases, also offers scented candles and reed diffusers. The brand has used limited runs and visually striking packaging to underline its avant-garde identity. Small luxury houses often expand into home fragrance and solids as lower-friction entry points for customers; A La Lune has followed this path.
Where to buy and how they sell
A La Lune maintains an official online presence on social media (Instagram, Facebook) and has been featured on niche fragrance platforms and press outlets. For direct purchases, the brand’s own storefront (when available) and specialized niche retailers are the most common channels cited in listings. Because the house is small and leans toward limited editions, availability can vary by market and over time. Always prefer the brand’s official channels for launch information and authorized retailers to avoid counterfeit or grey-market issues.
Reception — what reviewers and buyers say
- Positive: Some of A La Lune’s releases, especially Santal Extreme, show favorable ratings on fragrance aggregators and receive praise for being warm, spicy and well-constructed for its niche.
- Mixed/negative: Community threads and some listing pages include complaints about order delays and mixed user experiences—particularly surrounding Trinity Blood—so there are signals that customer service and fulfillment have been concerns for some buyers. Fragrance community discussions (Reddit, fragrance-forum comments) and lower ratings on some fragrance pages reflect this mixed feedback. This is not uncommon for small niche brands scaling direct-to-consumer sales.
Because niche houses can have small runs and sometimes experimental business models, user experience (shipping, responsiveness, returns) can vary more than for larger houses. If you plan to recommend purchase links to readers, link to official brand pages or reputable niche retailers and, if possible, highlight their shipping/return policy to avoid surprises.
Ingredient claims and “functional” language
Some press around A La Lune highlighted a creative angle in which specific scents were marketed with functional claims such as “calming” or memory-evoking qualities, tied to the sensory design of the compositions. This approach is artistic and experiential; any specific health or therapeutic claim should be treated cautiously unless backed by clinical evidence. For editorial content, it’s best to quote the brand’s marketing language verbatim and add a clear editorial note that such sensory or memory claims are experiential rather than clinically proven.
How A La Lune fits into the niche perfume market
A La Lune fits a recognizable niche template: small-batch, concept-led fragrances that prioritize storytelling and design. Its London base, avant-garde stance and use of solids and home goods align it with other boutique brands that position themselves as collectible and visually distinct. For US readers, the brand will appeal to collectors who value artistic presentation, limited runs, and scents that aim for an evocative mood rather than mainstream crowd-pleasing profiles.
Buying tips for US customers
- Check official channels first: Buy from the brand site or verified retailers to ensure authenticity. Social channels and press releases are good for launch announcements.
- Sample before committing: Small niche perfumes can be polarizing; seek samples or travel sprays where available. Solid perfumes are a lower-commitment way to test a scent profile.
- Watch shipping and returns: Small producers sometimes have longer processing times; read shipping estimates and return policies before ordering. Community threads note occasional order delays.
- Read several reviews: Combine fragrance-database notes with community feedback to get a full picture of longevity, projection and how the scent evolves.
A La Lune is an interesting London-based niche brand with a small but distinct catalog and a strong visual and conceptual identity. For scent enthusiasts who collect niche launches, A La Lune offers a curated, art-driven experience and unusual scent ideas; for mainstream shoppers, the brand’s small scale and occasional community concerns about availability and shipping suggest a cautious, sample-first approach. Wherever you fall on that spectrum, rely on official channels and community reviews to decide whether a particular A La Lune release is a match for you.
