London, 1919: a performance of the Sanskrit myth of Sakuntala inspired Atkinsons to create a perfume that became legend. More than a century later, Mystic Moonlight brings that story back to life — a secret Eden bathed in moonlight, where a tropical accord slowly drifts towards oud and amber. The turquoise bottle, hand-painted in Florence, has just arrived at Olara.
1London 1799, Sakuntala 1919: the story behind the perfume
Founded in London in 1799, Atkinsons is one of the oldest perfume houses in the world. In 1919, a London performance of Sakuntala — the masterpiece of the Sanskrit poet Kalidasa, the story of a maiden of divine and earthly origins, raised in a hidden forest beneath the moon — inspired the house to create a perfume that is now the stuff of myth. Mystic Moonlight, launched in 2026, is its contemporary rebirth: a reinterpretation entrusted to master perfumer Jordi Fernández, one of Givaudan's great oud specialists, whose credits include Montblanc Explorer. The whole house is gathered in our Atkinsons collection.
2The pyramid: tropical Eden, smoky oud, amber
Mystic Moonlight opens like a secret garden at nightfall: a juicy tropical accord, brightened by coconut absolute and red ginger. Then the forest darkens — the oud accord wraps itself in cedarwood, smoky cypriol and labdanum cistus, like the silent magic of a woodland at dusk. In the base, tonka bean and amber resin leave a warm, sensual trail that lingers on the skin for hours.
Did you know?
The Atkinsons emblem is a bear. House legend has it that James Atkinson travelled down from his native Cumberland to London in 1799 with a tame bear that stood guard outside his shop. Twenty-seven years later, in 1826, the house became official perfumer to the English royal court — and the bear still adorns every bottle.
3A hand-painted bottle — and how to wear it
Lacquered in a vivid turquoise, finished with gold leaf and a medallion inspired by the moon of the original myth, the Mystic Moonlight bottle is hand-decorated by Florentine artisans: every piece is one of a kind. The perfume itself is worn without gender — its intense concentration makes it an evening and cool-season signature, superb on a scarf or a coat collar. If its oud facet wins you over, carry on with Oud Oud Save The King, the most dandyish oud in the house, or Her Majesty the Oud, where the English rose meets precious wood. Find them among our women's fragrances and our men's fragrances.
Your questions, answered
What does Atkinsons Mystic Moonlight smell like?
A luminous woody oriental: an exotic, fruity opening (tropical accord, coconut, red ginger), a heart of oud, cedar and cypriol, and a base of tonka bean and amber resin. Exotic without being solar — more moonlight than beach.
Who created Mystic Moonlight?
Spanish master perfumer Jordi Fernández of Givaudan, one of the most renowned oud specialists in the profession. Here he signs the reinterpretation of a perfume Atkinsons created in 1919, after a London performance of the Sakuntala myth.
Is Mystic Moonlight a men's or a women's fragrance?
Both: like most Atkinsons creations, it is designed without gender. Its tropical opening keeps it luminous, its oud-amber base gives it depth — it is yours to make your own signature.
Is Mystic Moonlight already available?
Yes — launched in 2026, it is available at Olara as a 100 ml intense parfum. As every bottle is decorated by hand, quantities are very limited.
