D. R Harris

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Rare is the beauty brand which appears on discerning shelfies, is highly covetable yet doesn’t advertise. D.R Harris is one of the oldest apothecaries in London and I have long admired the brand’s no fuss approach. It is very pure and so unlike other perfumers which are a lot of noise and marketing.   

D.R Harris does things in a very simple way that is highly considered; they are quietly being who they are, just as they have been doing for hundreds of years ever since Henry Harris, a surgeon and his co-founder, Daniel Rotely (the D.R of their name), a pharmaceutical chemist set up shop at 11, St. James’s Street in 1790.

Oscar Wilde, rumour has it, was a fan and D.R Harris quickly established a reputation selling lavender water, classic cologne and English flower perfumes. For the next two centuries, they served the aristocracy and court of St.James’s which came be to known as clubland. 

Arlington is a signature scent which comprises citrus notes melded with fern, and while designed for men, really its freshness and subtlety appeals to everyone.  The store with its faded oak cabinetry suggests nostalgia but its commendable approach to sustainable practices chimes with a modern way of thinking.

For every trade order, 5 trees are planted, nearly all their materials and all waste is recycled while no products are tested on animals. Packing is all made in the UK so there is this focus on doing things locally. Glass bottles can be re-used and wooden bowls can be re-filled and so rather savvily, you will always be coming back for a little bit more. 

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Eva Karayiannis