‘O absent presence, Stella is not here’
The fifth and final instalment of the Revenants collection draws inspiration from the Elizabethan poet Sir Philip Sidney. In his Sonnet sequence ‘Astrophel and Stella’ Sidney develops and captures the essence of a haunting… the presence of one that is always felt but never seen.
‘Now I, wit-beaten long by hardest fate,
So dull am, that I cannot look into
The ground of this fierce love and lovely hate,
Then some good body tell me how I do,
Whose presence absence, absent presence is;
Blesst in my curse, and cursed in my bliss.’
Character: Dark; enveloping; waves.
Comprising the highest level of natural ingredients of any BeauFort fragrance, Absent Presence explores its themes with typically ‘overdosed’ concentrations of violet leaf absolute, vetiver bourbon oil, smoky leather and black pepper oil. As with all the Revenants family, Absent Presence is presented as 30% Eau De Parfum.
Perfumer: Julie Dunkley
Notes
Top Notes
Bergamot
Galbanum
Black Pepper
Jasmine
Middle Notes
Violet
Leather
Sandalwood
Musk
Base Notes
Amber
Cedarwood
About BEAUFORT LONDON
BeauFort London is a British niche fragrance house founded by musician and writer Leo Crabtree. Inspired by Britain’s maritime history, literature, and raw natural forces, the brand is known for its dark, dramatic, and unapologetically bold perfumes. Each scent explores themes of identity, memory, and heritage, often evoking smoke, gunpowder, ink, and the sea. With its distinctive storytelling and atmospheric intensity, BeauFort London has become a cult name in avant-garde perfumery.
Julie Dunkley is a British perfumer and Senior Perfumer at Sozio UK. She served as President of the British Society of Perfumers for 2023–24 and began her career via a lab apprenticeship at FD&O in 1988. She’s best known for her work with Beaufort London, creating brooding, evocative compositions such as Tonnerre (1805), Vi et Armis, Coeur de Noir, Fathom V, Lignum Vitae, Iron Duke, and Rake & Ruin.