The Danish Inspirations of Verden
Co-founder Charlotte Semler takes Liberty back to where it all began...
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The Danish Inspirations of Verden
Co-founder Charlotte Semler takes Liberty back to where it all began...
Charlotte Semler’s affection for nature lies at the heart of every Verden creation. Specifically, the pine scented, salt-tinged environs of one particular beach in northern Denmark, which played a formative role in her childhood. With many a summer whiled away encompassed by nature, the residual soothing power of these environments were what inspired the creation of Verden may years later.
Now based in London, Verden was co-founded by Semler and Arabella Preston, following on from the launch of beloved skincare brand Votary. With natural inspirations at the core of each product, Verden focuses on crafting scents that re-establish an oft missing connection the outside world – equal parts grounding, soothing and escapist.
To find out more, Liberty joined Semler on the beach where it all began in Denmark, to more about the childhood stories and explorations that lie behind Verden’s botanical creations, including one brand new discovery that’s waiting in the Men’s Advent Calendar 2025.
Tell us about Verden, what does it mean and what inspired the brand?
Verden means "the earth" in Danish. The brand was created on the beach where I grew up in northern Denmark, where I spent my childhood summers. It has a really distinctive smell – partly pine, partly seaweed, partly salt from the ocean, partly heather. It’s my favourite place in the whole world.
How do you feel when you smell that scent?
I feel happy. I feel part of nature. I feel really grounded in a way that I don’t feel anywhere else. Verden is an attempt to literally bottle that emotion – for myself and for everyone else who feels like they need to be connected to nature in day-to-day life in order to feel better.
Do you have a lot of childhood memories of this beach and the surrounding area?
Yes, this is probably the place where I was happiest as a child, and it’s definitely the place where I’m happiest now as a fully grown adult. There’s something about the wind, the nature – the unchanging nature of it. I could show you an ant nest and an ant highway that hasn’t moved since I experienced my first ever summer here.
How do you go about bottling that feeling? What’s the process?
Fragrance is incredibly personal. I’m not a professional perfumer, but I know what makes me feel good, and that’s what we create. They’re not always the most accessible fragrances – some people don’t love all of them – but there are enough people who love at least one. We’re not trying to make the same fragrance as everyone else. We’re trying to create something that captures the emotion of being connected with nature.
Do you see Verden’s use of fragrance as different from traditional perfume?
Yes. Instead of spraying a fragrance that enters the room before you and imposes on other people, Verden is about a more intimate, individual ritual. It’s fragrance for you – for your body, your health, your emotions. It’s not about how others perceive you. It’s about how you feel about yourself.
VERDEN
D’Orangerie Hand and Body Wash 500ml
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
VERDEN
Herbanum Scented Candle 220g
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
VERDEN
Nocturne Night Balm 75ml
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
VERDEN
Arborealist Hand and Body Balm 500ml
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
VERDEN
D’Orangerie Hand Cream 75ml
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
How important is scent as a tool for relaxation?
I think fragrance and emotion are inextricably linked. When we connect with natural fragrance, it really connects us to the earth in a way that is healing for all human beings. There’s a stack of scientific research that shows one of the key things that makes us feel happier is being in nature. If you can bring those natural fragrances into your home and into your life, to reconnect you with the earth, I think it just makes you feel much happier
Why do you think you're so drawn to nature?
I’m drawn to nature because it makes me feel better. If I’m going through a phase of feeling anxious – and sometimes, for me at least, I can’t even pin down where that comes from – I immerse myself in nature and I just feel better. The best advice when someone’s upset is, "Get outside, reconnect with the natural world." It works.
Verden is a way of carrying a piece of nature with you – to reconnect you with the earth and help you feel better, calmer, more like yourself, and stronger in your day-to-day routines.
Do you have a favourite Verden product?
The archetypal Verden product is something really simple: the hand wash. You wash your hands five, six, even ten times a day. And if, in each of those moments, you stop and let the fragrance remind you to breathe deeply – it makes a real difference to how you feel. It’s a moment when you can’t be on your screen, and you’re usually alone. So take that moment to reconnect with your breath and with nature through fragrance.
Tell us about your product in this year’s Men’s Beauty Advent Calendar.
In this year’s Men’s Beauty Advent Calendar – which is always a highlight of the festive season, let’s be honest – we’ve created a brand-new product launch: a magnesium night balm. It contains magnesium to help relax your muscles, and you rub it into your legs and limbs before bed. It’s scented with Nocturne, our new night time sleep fragrance, which has notes of lavender and woods to help you relax and get really deep, restorative sleep.
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