Caswell-Massey Marem Perfume

Marem Perfume is an undeniably sensual chypre floral, opening with notes of juicy red currant and delicate neroli. The heart balances fresh wild eucalyptus with lush Crimean Rose. An irresistible base of liquid amber and cedarwood brings a warm finish to this exquisite, intoxicating and enigmatic blend.

Fragrance Family: Chypre Floral
Top: Red Currant & Neroli
Middle: Wild Eucalyptus & Crimean Rose
Base: Liquid Amber & Cedarwood

In a creative collaboration with the master gardeners at the New York Botanical Garden and renowned perfumer Laurent Le Guernec, Caswell-Massey has been able to capture the authentic scent of the living Heritage Rose that blooms in the Garden’s Peggy Rockefeller Rose Garden. Named after Beatrix Jones Farrand, the most accomplished landscape architect of her time, Beatrix created the gardens at the White House and was the original designer of the rose garden at the New York Botanical Garden.

Marem unfolds like a tale of passion and intrigue, each note weaving its story into the composition. The scent begins with a burst of juicy red currant and the gentle touch of neroli. At its heart, Marem harmonizes the freshness of wild eucalyptus with the opulence of the Crimean Rose. This dynamic interplay evokes the untamed beauty of nature, capturing the essence of a lush and vibrant garden.

A leather-bound book in the Caswell-Massey archives revealed we originally created this bespoke fragrance in 1914 for the actress Marem Levanton, known best by her stage name Alla Nazimova. An extraordinary creature who was not content just to dream, she had a pulsating, innate desire to escape convention. Through her passionate work as an actress and filmmaker, she created a world for herself so exhilarating and thrilling that it made her one of the most heralded and celebrated women of the beginning years of Hollywood—and one of the most important early trailblazers of female power and independence. This remarkable scent—kept secret for over one hundred years—is shared today to inspire our twenty-first-century customers with the same creative drive and ambition to change the world pioneered by its original namesake a century ago.