Yesterday, I was invited to a very special afternoon tea with Leighton Meester and Vera Wang at the Corinthia Hotel London to celebrate the launch of her new fragrance, Vera Wang Lovestruck.
We took tea in the elegant, beautifully scented ballroom among a sea of peony roses – a perfect afternoon treat.
Then the moment we were all waiting for…Leighton and Vera arrived for the launch presentation, introducing Lovestruck and the inspiration behind the fragrance and campaign.
Leighton was unsurprisingly stunning in the flesh – fresh-faced, radiant and ever so charming. It was a surreal experience meeting Vera Wang, who despite being a highly-regarded fashion legend was outgoing, irreverent and a tiny ball of energy.
Vera regaled us with tales of shooting all day in freezing temperatures on an NYC fire escape, with Leighton wearing little more than ‘a whisper of tulle’ and being ‘a good sport’.
Lovestruck is inspired by a modern day twist on Romeo & Juliet and captures the first magical moments of falling in love – the passion, romance and the excitement.
Vera looked to her love of vanilla and grapefruit and then focused on the elegant, freshness of peony to create modern, youthful scent. Lovestruck includes top notes of pink guava and angelica flower, a heart of tuberose and a dry down of precious woods.
Lovestruck is an absolute joy to wear if you love feminine, contemporary rose scents and there’s nothing vintage about the fragrance, it’s all about the here and now. It begins with a rush of fresh, soft peony and then develops a warm yet sparkling citrus fruit scent with a subtle hint of sticky candy.
Vera insisted that the bottle would be a visual treat and the cap really does impress, with a deep magenta blooming bouquet inspired by Murano glass and a tulle and organza tie. The trend for ‘work of art’ 3D bottles could be down to the ‘Marc Jacobs effect’ – just see the floral explosions on the tops of Lola and Daisy.
The Corinthia Hotel London ballroom was a perfect match for the prettiness of the fragrance and it felt like we were somewhere in between Vera Wang’s cool New York and a debutate ball in Paris – Blair Waldorf would have approved.
Our afternoon tea included a tiered stand full of finger sandwiches, mini scones with clotted cream and jam and delicate cakes – the Lavender éclair was simply divine! I chose a pot of English Rose tea by Tea Palace, which seemed fitting when surrounded by roses.
The only thing that could come close to having tea with Leighton Meester and Vera Wang was leaving with a bottle of Lovestruck and a handful of those lovely peonies – what a dreamy day!
Vera Wang Lovestruck is available exclusively at Harrods now and then nationwide from 26 June.