THE PROLOGUE

A few times now I’ve tried my hand and nose at making my own scented concoctions…இல்லை, I wouldn’t deign to suggest that they were perfumes. உதாரணமாக, I can remember around the age of 9 அல்லது 10 mischievously using one of my grandmother’s insulin syringes to extract and mix together sample vials of various fragrances; I discovered that this process rarely led to any kind of fragrant success but did lead me to a huge grounding from angry parents. And no, Grandma didn’t re-use the syringe after my decanting experiment.

During my middle school years I had a piano teacher who was also an aromatherapist. Upon learning about my obsession with fragrance, she lovingly shared her entire collection of all-natural perfume oils with me. “Just place a few drops in a boiling pot of water and the kitchen will be filled with aroma,” அவள் விளக்கினாள். Two or three weeks later, I learned that these essential oils were a bit easier to blend than completed department store fragrances but that they also offered a completely different aesthetic. After a few of the family’s cooking pots started to mysteriously make the spaghetti taste like patchouli and vetiver, my mother instructed me to politely return the oils to my teacher.

At age 16 I tried again as a dedication to a close friend who loved perfume as much as I did. That one contained a lot of Ralph Lauren Safari for women and who knows what else. Only slightly more successful than my first attempts, albeit equally awful, I learned that perfumes are complex creations that don’t necessarily just “come together” after a few drops of this and a little bit of that. Around this time I started working at a Wicks-n-Sticks in the local mall and discovered the magic of incense, candles, home fragrances, முதலியன. My need to blend was superceded by my infatuation with lightbulb rings and scented wax chips.

A few years ago, after receiving a beautiful perfumery kit from PerfumeLab.com, I renewed my interest in self-blending and seriously created my own perfume. சுவாரஸ்யமாக, I recreated Guerlain’s L’Heure Bleue without even knowing it! Bergamot, ஆரஞ்சு மலரும், கண்ணின் கருவிழி, sandalwood and vanilla…it was interesting how the individual notes that I had loved so much created something so iconic, so familiar and so beautiful when added together.

Recently I’ve been meaning to sit down with some perfume-making products to enjoy some experimentation, but although my artistic and creative energies are inspired by fragrance, I realize that I have sooooo much to learn when it comes to the actual processes of blending and fixing and for the time being, prefer to channel those energies into wearing and writing rather than composing.

THE MEETING

As a thank you gift for reviewing her 2011 Brave New Scents creation, கருஞ்சிவப்பு, an all-natural perfume about which I wrote…

“Wow and double wow. My hands-down favorite of the ten samples sent to me for the Brave New Scent project, Carmine is also the scent that has demanded the most attention from me; that means I’ve actually been wearing it! பயன்பாடு இந்த சேர்க்கை அநேகமாக நான் இயற்கை வாசனை திரவியங்கள் பயன்படுத்த ஒருபுறம் வாங்குவதற்கு எப்படி அரிதாக கருத்தில் விட முடியும் மிகப்பெரிய பாராட்டு.”

…perfumer Christi Meshell, founder of Washington’s பெண் தலைவி வீட்டில், sent me a discovery kit – some fragrance samples and incense cones. After a few years of learning about, experimenting with and reviewing natural perfumes, I can safely say that I prefer mixed media and synthetics thanks to their longevity and sillage and considering that such an aesthetic was what I grew up enjoying. Christi’s work, எனினும், was surprising in that although not quite similar to mass market synthetics, கருஞ்சிவப்பு & her woods-focused Alpha both had personalities more similar to some of the Middle Eastern and Indian attars and oils I had discovered and loved. Not only were her compositions striking, but the entire vibe was unique.

A few months later I received a sample of Christi’s வாழ்க்கை அம்பர் and another small bag of incense. First let me mention that before I even opened the cardboard shipping box I could smell something delicious emanating from the package. While வாழ்க்கை அம்பர் (click to read my review) was yet another success for Meshell, it was the aroma of the shipping box that had me completely gaga. Did she spray something in there? Where was the scent coming from? And then it hit me. It had to be the incense cones. Green grass, neroli and sandalwood. Total magic!

Just a few days later while still in Finland, I phoned Christi to tell her how much I loved the incense. “Can you make me a perfume that smells like THAT?” I asked excitedly.

“It IS a perfume…I use my perfume blends to scent my incense,” she explained.

“Hmmmm, சிறந்த, I would LOVE to wear that!”

Christi then suggested that she create a fragrance for me based on the same composition as the incense aroma – orange blossoms – “I’ve been planning on working with orange blossoms and this is the perfect excuse.”

THE BEGINNING

Nearly giddy with excitement that someone was going to make me a perfume, I began pondering all of the different notes that I typically loved and considered just what exactly I wanted to include in my bespoke fragrance. Almond? Tonka? Labdanum? Galbanum? Sesame? The last time a perfumer created a fragrance for me based on a list of favorite notes, the result was a harsh, dis-harmonic mess. But the goal there was to playfully see what would happen if we blended my favorites rather than a methodical planning process for a well-developed perfume.

Christi made the process much easier by first sending me a number of sample vials, single notes blended with orange blossom. உதாரணமாக, in response to the jasmine sambac accord I wrote, “Loved it although the power of the jasmine somewhat eclipsed the neroli; but I am a huge jasmine fan so it was no surprise that I reacted so positively; heads towards “pretty drawer sachet” territory however without deeper basenotes.” She next sent me a few prototypes of full compositions but in that moment, something had been missing – an overall vision, a point of inspiration, a focus…real-world scent memory.

A quick note about orange blossoms and Marlen: I grew up in sunny south Florida, riding horses after school at ranches that bordered orange groves. Being the land of citrus fruit, it’s not uncommon for Florida’s tourists to encounter orange-blossom themed products at every gift shop…orange blossom honey, orange blossom cologne, orange blossom jelly, முதலியன. I guess the aroma was just completely second nature to me, part of the scented landscape of my childhood. Although I can’t quite put my finger on it, I love the citrusy sweetness and creamy, almost powdery basenote of orange blossoms. Yikes, reading those words one would be hard-pressed to understand the infatuation, but an infatuation it is nevertheless. For a beautiful cultural and historical overview of orange blossom in perfumery check out this great article at CaFleureBon.

THE TRIP

Just as we began working on the bespoke fragrance in late March/early April, I took a trip to southern Spain for a week, putting me in such famous Andalucian cities as Granada, Cordoba and Sevilla. I knew about the preponderance of orange blossom trees in this region and had my fingers crossed that my days might be filled with scented white petals falling from the sky. துரதிர்ஷ்டவசமாக, upon arrival to Granada, my first stop on a 4 city trip, I concluded that the climate was still just a bit on the cool side after peering frustratingly into blossom-less trees. But Spain is a land of contrasts and so a short bus trip west to Cordoba, with its much lower elevation and warmer climate, yielded blossom-covered sidewalks, blossom-filled trees and yes, even white petals falling from the sky. What incredible rapture to walk along a river bank in a medieval Spanish town on a moody, overcast day with orange blossom scenting the air.

My next city offered better weather, a Sunday morning bike ride and even more orange blossoms! What really impressed me in Sevilla was that not only was I greeted with perpetual blossom bliss, but as it was Semana Santa (Holy Week), many of the churches and processionals were burning incense of the traditional, frankincense, சந்தனக்கட்டை & myrrh kind. Imagine my complete joy at finding such a sweetly-scented city! மேலும், after a few jaunts into local perfume shops and an emptied wallet, I had in my backpack not one, not two, but four different Spanish-made orange blossom fragrances with various characters…but none of them had any kind of smoke or wood notes. And that’s when it hit me….for my bespoke fragrance I wanted something that utilized both orange blossom AND incense. I wanted my fragrance to smell like Semana Santa in Sevilla!

THE FRAGRANCE

As soon as I got back to Finland, I emailed Christi to tell her about my orange blossom extravaganza and new focus. We also played around with ideas for a name and Christi came up with oM – orange blossom for Marlen. Next we pondered what color to make the bottle….easy one – ஆரஞ்சு. இறுதியாக, Christi suggested she amp up the woods and smoke that we had both liked in one of her prototype fragrances:

I was wondering if your time in Seville would produce inspiration………so glad to hear that I am on the right track. More smoke, more woods, got it! Bouya Agarwood (sustainable) is something “புதிய” that I have been enjoying playing with and was thinking of adding to the blend; your feedback confirms this. Bouya is smoky, plays very well with the neroli and adds a new dimension to the base as it bonds to the sandalwood adding another layer of woodsy richness, without overriding the leathery/incense notes of the cypriol. I like the bouya since it is void of the “off” notes that other oud’s can throw off as they develop on the skin. I believe this agarwood will add complexity, depth and most importantly, உருக்கு “unique signature” that will make this orange blossom creation stand out from the rest! Bouya is rarely used as it can be hard to tame so our combination of notes will be truly unique. Plus, I love featuring under-used aromatics, and bouya is sort of a “red-headed stepchild” as far as the agarwoods go. It is often used to adulterate other agars. I think we can give it a chance to shine here.

It’s funny how it all came together so quickly and how each component of the project naturally compliments the others: orange as a bottle color is a no-brainer considering the focus, but when paired with the letters “oM” it suggests Eastern spirituality, perfect for my Buddhist inclinations. பிணிச்சட்டம், “oM” itself is such a powerful idea! And that I should latch onto the idea of smoke after Spain, and that it should also pair well with oM, ideas of meditation and Buddhism…சிறந்த, it just seems so right! The result, I think, is a serendiptious pairing of eastern and western concepts and allusions, perfect for me considering how long I’ve lived and traveled between Asia, Europe and North America.

My bespoke perfume process was fast, painless and absolutely delightful, mostly due to the guidance and enthusiasm of Christi. I consider my fragrance to be a complete success and can’t wait to tell you more about the actual aroma…stay tuned!

Leave a comment below telling us about your own bespoke experiences, or perhaps your love of orange blossoms and incense, for your chance to receive a sample of House of Matriarch’s oM, உலகில் எங்கும் அனுப்பப்பட்டது, இலவச!

காட்சிகள்: 24481

ப்ரோஸ்: ஒரு முற்றிலும் மாறுபட்ட ஒரு தோல் நறுமணத்தை எடுத்து – இனிப்பு அல்லது விடுதியில் சரக்கு வைத்திருக்கும் அறை மாறாக ஒரு மலர்-கேட்பொலியுடனான இல்லை, காய, leather note that pays homage to the classic chypres of yesteryear..

கான்ஸ்: என் சுவை மிகவும் வறண்ட மற்றும் மிக அதிகமாக ciste மற்றும் oakmoss. நான் இனிப்பான ஏதாவது நம்பிக்கையுடன், smokier, மேலும் முக்கிய ஆரஞ்சு மலரும் குறிப்புடன்; Niche price tag.

என்னை ஞாபகப்படுத்தவும்: ராபர்ட் Piguet கொள்ளைக்கார EAU டி டாய்லட்; ஐவரி டி Balmain; Versace L’Homme.

குறிப்புகள்: “ஆரஞ்சு எண்ணெய் வேலன்சியா, pettigrain Paraquay மற்றும் மின்னும் ஆரஞ்சு மலர்கள் துனிசியா ஜாஸ்மின் எகிப்து மற்றும் orris முழுமையான இணைந்தது. இந்த வாசனை பிர்ச் தார் கொண்டு தோல் ஒரு பணக்கார தளத்தில் உள்ளது, Spanish ciste, ஓக் பாசி மற்றும் patchouli.” Saks.com

வடிவமைப்புகள் தான் விவரம்: “Cuir டி Oranger முற்றிலும் மூலம் சென்று முறை நினைவூட்டுவதாக உள்ளது, இது களியாட்டம் உள்ளது, ஆடம்பரமான மற்றும் பாரம்பரியம் வாசனை. இது மிகவும் வறண்ட அல்லது நுண்துகள் வருகிறது தோல் குறிப்புகள் தடுக்க ப்ளூர் டி oranger ஒரு பச்சை மத்தியதரைக்கடல் குறிப்பு உள்ளது. அது சுவையாக தாய்மார்களே நறுமணத்திலும், அல்லது நீங்கள் அவர்களை வாசனை விரும்புகிறேன் எப்படி. பாணி Exuding, வாசனை புதுப்பாணியான மற்றும் அதிநவீன ஐந்து கலக்கலாம்.” MillerHarris.com

எத்தனை முறை சோதிக்கப்பட்டது: 5 முதல் முறை 2 different sample vials sent to me by friends.

ஸ்ப்ரேக்களில் எண்ணிக்கை இந்த பார்வைக்கு: 6 அல்லது கைகளை ஆதரிக்க dabs, மணிகட்டை, and neck.

நறுமணம் வலிமை: ஆவ் டி Parfum

வளர்ச்சி: (லீனியர் / சராசரி / சிக்கலான)பல மில்லர் ஹாரிஸ் வாசனை போன்ற, Cuir டி Oranger நேரடியாக oakmoss செய்ய பதட்டமான மேல் மற்றும் நடுத்தர குறிப்புகள் இருந்து நகரும். The floral notes are barely perceptible on my skin and the leather aroma becomes nearly undetectable as the scent dries down.

நீண்ட ஆயுள்: (சிறிய / சராசரி / நீண்ட நீடிக்கும்) 4-6 hours.

வேக்: (ஒரு சிறிய / சராசரி / நிறைய): நான் ஒரு சிறிய முதலில் அதிகமாக, but then the fragrance quickly calmed to average.

அதை நான் எங்கு வாங்க முடியும்? $145 ஐக்கிய அமெரிக்க, 3.4 அவுன்ஸ் EDP தெளிப்பு, TulipShe.com.

பேக்கேஜிங்: தட்டையான, square bottle with black signature Miller Harris botanical print in a shiny black box with botanical relief.

பாட்டம் லைன்: நான் இந்த வாசனை முயற்சி முதல் முறையாக, நான் மணம் பின்னர் ஏனெனில் மாதிரி வாசனை பின்னர் மயங்கிவிடுவார்கள் (இணையற்ற Knize பத்து போன்ற, Lutens Cuir Mauresque தெரியவில்லை, முதலியன), நான் Cuir டி Oranger's கனிந்த டன் அதிர்ச்சியானேன். உண்மையில், இங்கே நான் முதலில் ஆகஸ்ட் எழுதினார் என்ன 2005:

இந்த இறுதி மில்லர் ஹாரிஸ் வாசனை மற்றும் என் விருப்பப்பட்டியலை மேல் உள்ளது. Rochas Lui ஆரஞ்சு மலரும் மற்றும் patchouli செய்ய முடியும் என்ன ஒரு குறிப்பை இருந்தால், மில்லர் ஹாரிஸ் ஒரு படி மேலே எடுத்து எங்களுக்கு ஒரு வாசனை ஒரு லா CARON கொடுக்கிறது. இந்த சந்தன இல்லாமல் Narcisse நோயிர் மற்றும் ஒரு விடுதியில் சரக்கு வைத்திருக்கும் அறை தோல் குறிப்பு பதிலாக, மர பிர்ச் மற்றும் பச்சை patchouli.The வாசனை Tunisian ஆரஞ்சு பூக்களை கொண்டு திறக்கும், ஆனால் “திறந்து” மிகவும் துல்லியமானது அல்ல…முழு தொகுப்பு உள்ளது, வண்ண மற்றும் கவர்ச்சியான. வாசனை முன்னேற்றங்களாகி, வெள்ளை மல்லிகை இதழ்கள் அறிகுறியை கண்டறிய முடியும், இது morphs போன்ற தோல் மலர் தூவி இருந்து நறுமணம் ஒரு கதிரியக்க ஆழம் சேர்க்கிறது, வூட்ஸ் மற்றும் புற்கள். அடிப்படை மாயம்…மற்றும் நுட்பமான….இந்த முதன்மையாக ஒரு தோல் வாசனை அல்ல, ஆனால் பெயர் குறிக்கிறது, தோல் மற்றும் மலர் இடையே ஒரு சமநிலை…அடிப்படை குறிப்புகள் ஒவ்வொரு தன்னை வெளிப்படுத்துகிறது என சமநிலை தொடர்ந்து தற்போது உள்ளது, மலர் குறிப்புகளை தண்ணீரால் புத்துணர்ச்சி முழுவதும் எதிரொலிக்கிறது. oakmoss மற்றும் பிர்ச் ஒரு நல்ல மண் டச் சேர்க்க, Terre டி Bois என்னும் drydown மனதில் அழைப்பு, patchouli வருகிறது குறிப்பாக போது…பற்றி மிகவும் subtlely.After என்றாலும் 45 நிமிடங்கள், வாசனை Narcisse நோயிர் மற்றும் Tabac தி ப்ளாண்ட் இடையே தணிந்துள்ளது நான் எங்காவது விட்டு போகிறேன், நாம் அது முகம் என்று, அந்த நறுமண இரண்டு masterpeices உள்ளன, ஆனால் நீங்கள் அவர்களின் lovechild கற்பனை முடியும், Oranger சேர்க்க இது!

சிறந்த, here I am 7 ஆண்டுகள் கழித்து நான் பாராட்டியே ஆக முழு என்று அழகாக மயங்கிவிட்டேன் இருக்கிறேன். இது Cuir டி Oranger ஒரு கெட்ட வாசனை என்று இல்லை, ஆனால் நான் கண்டுபிடிக்க பல wearings பின்னர், ஏதோ இங்கு விட்டுப்போகவில்லை. என் முதல் மற்றும் ஒருவேளை ஓரளவு முன்கூட்டியே பரிசீலனை பார்த்து ல், என் வண்ண கருத்து தீப்பொறி செய்ய எங்கு நான் வியக்கிறேன். சில நேரங்களில் நான் கடந்த சில நாட்களில் வாசனை சோதனை, தோல் ஏதாவது ஆனால் விடுதியில் சரக்கு வைத்திருக்கும் அறை மற்றும் florals எதையும் ஆனால் கதிரியக்க இருந்தது. மேலும், இந்த ஆய்வு சில நேரங்களில் அவர் வாசனை மாதிரி என்று கருத்து ஒரு சக Basenotes உறுப்பினர் ஈர்க்கப்பட்டு, வாசனை ஒவ்வொரு அணியும் மீது தனிப்பட்ட இருந்தது. இது ஒன்று முதல் தொகுப்பில் மாறிவிட்டது என்று சாத்தியம் 2005?

இந்த ஆய்வு எழுதும் போது நான் பெரும்பாலும் எனக்கு என்ன ஏழு ஆண்டுகளுக்கு பின்னர் நீர் ஒரு கண்ணாடி ஆசை இருக்கிறது – Cuir டி Oranger நான் தாகம் மற்றும் வறண்டுவிட்டது விட்டு வருகிறேன் என்று இந்த முறை காய்வதற்கு. கேள்வி ஆரஞ்சு இனிப்பான இருந்திருந்தால், பந்து ஆரஞ்சு மலரும் ஒரு sueded என்ற தோல் மேலும், விடுதியில் சரக்கு வைத்திருக்கும் அறை குறிப்பு, நான் சந்தேகத்திற்கிடமின்றி மகிழ்ச்சியாக இருக்க வேண்டும். அனைத்து மூலம் இந்த முயற்சி என்றால் ஆரஞ்சு மலரும், தோல், அல்லது oakmoss கிளர்ச்சி நீங்கள். என் சுவை கிடைக்கும், அது மிக அதிகமாக oakmoss மற்றும் மிக சிறிய மற்றவர்கள் இருந்தது, especially as the scent dried on my skin.

நான் இனி MillerHarris.com வலைத்தளத்தில் அல்லது Saks.com பட்டியலிடப்பட்டுள்ளது போன்ற வாசனை நிறுத்தப்பட்டுள்ளது நம்புகிறேன். ஒருவேளை பொருட்கள் நம்பத்தகுந்த அல்லது தொடர்ந்து மூல கடினமாக இருந்தது அதை நான் சோதனை பல்வேறு முறை பல்வேறு முகர்ந்தேன் அதனால் தான். எவ்வாறாயினும், I’m glad I got the chance to sample this creation as I typically enjoy perfumer Lyn Harris’s compositions and look forward to seeing how Miller Harris might interpret a leather note nowadays.

நான் இந்த மாதிரி வாழ்ந்தோம் என 7 ஆண்டுகள், அது பற்றிய அனுப்ப நேரம் இருக்கும்…யார் அது விரும்புகிறது??? கீழே ஒரு கருத்து விடவும்!

குறிப்பு: நான் Cuir டி Oranger ஒரு பெரிய படத்தை கண்டுபிடிக்க மற்றும் பதிலாக Feuilles டி Tabac ஒரு படத்தை பயன்படுத்த முடியவில்லை…

எலீ சாப் LE PARFUM ஒரு புதிய 1oz பாட்டில் வெற்றி வாய்ப்பு உண்மையான ஆய்வு முடிவில் ஒரு கருத்துரை, உலகில் எங்கும் அனுப்பப்பட்டது, இலவச!

உண்மை கதை: இது கோட்டி மக்கள் என் பெரிய கூட்டம் தான். நான் ஒரு சாத்தியமான உள்ள வசதியாக இருக்க முடியாது என்று அந்த நாற்காலிகள் ஒரு உட்கார்ந்து. மிகவும் மாடி நெருக்கமாக; back inclined too far. I shift, and then shift again, trying to look cool. I’ve got on the slim-fit Levis, black leather army boots, stainless steel chain and Buddhist beads. My head is freshly shaved and I’m wearing Euphoria for Men. A woman sits across the lobby from me, sensibly on a flat cushioned bench. She must be more comfortable than I am. She’s busy on her cell phone, but our eyes meet.

I shift again. என்ன…?

An aroma catches my attention. I showered. I used deodorant. That couldn’t possibly be me. Could it be the woman over there? She looks at me and smiles…still carrying on, chatting away on her cell phone.

I’m surrounded by small nooks built into the walls with bottles of Davidoff and Nina Ricci thoughtfully displayed. There’s a cocktail table with magazines, and a staircase ascends just a few feet away to a second level. Behind me is a conference room. A number of people are beginning to gather and I imagine them meeting to discuss the name of the next Sarah Jessica Parker fragrance:

“We have to be tougher this time,” demands the husky man in the Banana Republic chinos.

“But SJP is demanding that we give her more autonomy,” offers the tall blonde in the Dress Barn ensemble.

“Screw autonomy,” interrupts the Indian woman, “this is a branding issue!”

சரி, so I didn’t actually hear anything other than a comment from a disturbingly plain looking gentleman about grabbing a cup of coffee. I dismiss the gathering altogether as I shift in my torture-chair and catch a whiff of that odor again. I casually try to cover the movement of my nose towards my pits, hoping no one will notice. If this odor persists, I may have to abscond to the restroom again because in 5 mintues I’ll be meeting with the people from Calvin, Kenneth, Nina, J Lo, and Sarah…I can’t go in there if this stench is coming from me.

The woman on the cell phone exits the lobby and I’m alone again. I lean forward, trying to look relaxed. I rest my left foot across my right leg and look down for a moment. The stench is more pronounced.

Could it…?

Is that…?

Where is that…?

It’s my shoe!!!

I look around to make sure no one is watching me before more closely examining my left boot. There’s something white stuck to my shoe. It looks like, dear Lord…

…a humongous booger!

“இல், இல்லை, இல்லை, the Perfume Critic doesn’t have a giant piece of mucus on his shoe!” I think. And furthermore, even நியூயார்க் snot couldn’t be that foul!

It smells like, சிறந்த, it smells like…Swiss cheese.

“This IS Manhattan,” I ponder. I had just had lunch with the Karens from Sniffapalooza and had walked through the Village, past a thousand restaurants and it’s totally possible-

“Marlena?” a voice asks.

“ஆமாம்?” I look up from my shoe as if I had just gotten caught picking my nose.

“Sara will be with you in a few minutes.”

It’s the receptionist, and I think I dodged that one. I don’t think she saw me inspecting the alien on my shoe. I’ve gotta get this….guck…off me. There’s no way I can talk about the second coming of Puig with swiss cheese-smelling, skanky, booger-looking goop on my shoe.

I reach into my bag, grab one of the handywipes a friend from Athens sent me (Greece, not Georgia) and casually wipe my hands. I look around to make sure no one can see me before reaching towards my toes. Safe! I remove the nastiness and wrap it in the handywipe as if it were a piece of toxic waste, a smushed spider, a…

Suddenly, the conference room empties. I’m seated in an odd position with a wet-nap in hand, leaning over my shoe. What must this look like?

I try to resume a dignified position, hoping that I’ve been discrete. My first introduction to one of the world’s major fragrance companies and I’m spending my lobby-time wiping ripe New York street residue off my shoe.

I look around for a trash bin, deposit the used handywipe, and return to the….uncomfortable…

“Not this time,” I think, “I’m sitting on the cushioned bench this time.”

An attractive brunette walks down the stairs above me and upon reaching the last step, swings round the banister and calls out, “Marlena?”

It’s Sara. We introduce ourselves as Sara explains who we’ll be meeting.

“Do you smell that?” she asks.

“Oh no…” I worry.

“It smells like…like”

Here it comes, “I’m so sorry, I-

“Smells like…”

Oh no! She can smell it!

“…Euphoria for Men,” blurts out Sara.

“WHAT?” I shout silently. I’m stunned and relieved at the same time. “நான், umm, I sprayed on some Euphoria just a few minutes ago,” நான்
reply.

“Smells wonderful!”

“நன்றி,” I say, with gratitude to all that is holy for her not saying “Swiss”.

Moral of the story: When heading to an important meeting in “the city”, always make sure to check your shoes upon exiting the elevator and before stepping into the office. You never know just WHAT will cling to your left foot on the way from the taxi to the front door!

நீ விரும்பினால் இந்த பிடிக்கும்: புகையிலை, chypres, leather fragrances, Fresh Cannabis Santal.

ப்ரோஸ்: So incredibly different from most chypres thanks to Dawn’s light hand with the oakmoss – no grassy, soapy drydown here; absolutely no “இயற்கை வாசனை” அதிர்வை.

கான்ஸ்: I wish the longevity was a bit better.

குறிப்புகள்: "மேல் குறிப்புகள்: Bergamot, Blackberry, Clary Sage, Galbanum, Hyacinth, Neroli மத்திய குறிப்புகள்: Bulgarian Rose Absolute, நறுமண மலர் கொண்ட செடி வகை, Chinese Geranium, Grandiflorum Jasmine, தேன், Marijuana Accord, Orris ரூட் அடிப்படை குறிப்புகள்: Brown Oakmoss, Castoreum, Incense Notes, தோல், Peru Balsam, Tobacco Absolute” dshperfumes.com

என்னை ஞாபகப்படுத்தவும்: Le Smoking is a throwback to men’s fragrances of the mid-80′கள் – think Tuscany Uomo and Santos de Cartier…or even further back to the classic chypres of the late 60′s and early 70′s such as Rabanne Nuit, ஐவரி டி Balmain, முதலியன. It’s tone, எனினும், is a bit lighter than all of these.

வடிவமைப்புகள் தான் விவரம்: “The Tuxedo for a woman was revolutionary and avant-garde at the time that YSL began introducing the style into his collection. Inspired somewhat by the smoking jacket and women’s liberation, the Tuxedo was a continuous muse for every subsequent collection right until the last. “Le Smoking”, named after the first Tuxedo design, is a sophisticated green chypre fragrance based of course on the Blond Tabac (fine cigarette) note as well as the new ‘marijuana’ cigarette and Moroccan incense. Created for Denver Art Museum and the only North American showing of the Yves Saint Laurent Retrospective Exhibit. This collection not only chronicles YSL’s long and wildly creative career from his years at Dior to his finale in 2002 but takes inspiration from specifically chosen garment pieces in the show that perfectly illustrate the artistic collaboration between fashion, culture and perfume.” dshperfumes.com

எத்தனை முறை சோதிக்கப்பட்டது: 3 முறை

ஸ்ப்ரேக்களில் எண்ணிக்கை இந்த பார்வைக்கு: 2 sprays on the back of my hand, from a sample sent to me by the perfumer.

நறுமணம் வலிமை: ஆவ் டி Parfum

வளர்ச்சி: (லீனியர் / சராசரி / சிக்கலான) Le Smoking is seamlessly blended and though it moves from a bright neroli & citrus opening to warm, ambery basenotes, the core of the composition never really shifts – புகையிலை, marijuana and leather are always at the heart.

நீண்ட ஆயுள்: (சிறிய / சராசரி / நீண்ட நீடிக்கும்) பற்றி நீடித்தது 2-3 என் தோலில் மணிகள்; I wish it packed a bit more punch for a longer period of time. Although, being somewhat understated, I imagine this one would be easier to wear in hot weather than some of the powerhouse classics. சுவாரஸ்யமாக, a couple of times I thought Le Smoking had disappeared completely only to find myself wondering “what’s that delicious smell?”…this one likes to play hide and seek!

வேக்: (ஒரு சிறிய / சராசரி / நிறைய) Slightly less than most chypres that I’ve tried.

எங்கே நான் இது கொள்ள முடியுமா? Get a set of all 6 fragrances (Ligne Trapéze, The Beat Look, லு புகை, Euphorisme d’Opium, La Vie en Rose, and Ma Plus Belle Histoire d’Amour) இல் 5 ml flasks for $90 ஐக்கிய அமெரிக்க dshperfumes.com; 10ml EDP spray $55 ஐக்கிய அமெரிக்க dshperfumes.com

Perfumer Dawn Spencer Hurwitz

தொகுத்தல் பற்றி குறிப்பு: Simple rectangular glass bottle with silver top and label.

பாட்டம் லைன்: An homage from one master to another, Le Smoking was my hands down favorite of Dawn’s collection created for the Denver Art Museum’s YSL retrospective. Euphorisme is Dawn’s take on Opium while La Vie en Rose is her take on Paris and Beat Look is her take on Y. Ligne Trapeze is a grand aldehydic-floral-oriental with stunning iris highlights and Ma Plus Belle is an airy white floral focused around linden and muguet.

If you haven’t already been introduced to Dawn’s work, you’re missing out on an icon in American perfumery. Along with perfumers like Mandy Aftel, Alexandra Balahoutis and Yosh Han, Dawn has created a much-appreciated wonderworld of handmade fragrance that is as much about the artistry and imagination behind the aroma as the aroma itself. Following Dawn’s work is kind of like following a favorite singer/songwriter who continually and inspiredly experiments with different genres. Perhaps Dawn is my Joni Mitchell of scent?

எவ்வாறாயினும், as chypres and I never really get along, likely due to the dry and bitter soapiness of the oakmoss (and I also have problems with tobacco scents for the same reason), I was a bit surprised to fall so deeply in love with Dawn’s creation. Despite the complexity of the composition, Le Smoking has a singular character, not unlike the aroma that greets the nose at the opening of a filled humidor. But what really gets me going is the vanillic sweetness at the drydown that lingers and lingers, so unlike many of the scents it reminds me of who become far too dry for my tastes.

உண்மையாக, Le Smoking as a natural perfume feels as if it could have come from an equivalent niche house like L’Artisan or Caron. Now if only Dawn could create an extrait version that retained Le Smoking’s golden tones just a little bit longer….and if you love chypres, check out my review of Dawn’s 2011 வெளியீடு, பண்டோரா.

Leave a comment below for your chance to receive samples from Dawn Spencer Hurwitz’s YSL collection, உலகில் எங்கும் அனுப்பப்பட்டது, இலவச!

About the Perfumer: I’ve been following the development of perfumer Emma Leah’s work for the past few years now and am delighted to finally have the opportunity to write about her creations. Together with Fleurage business partner Robert Luxford, Emma had the sense that “The great art of perfumery was misssing something. Amongst all of the beautiful packaging and mass marketing the modern perfume buying experience was bereft of any attention to personal needs. There was nowhere to go to find genuine guidance and information about this very personal, intimate product. Fragrance itself had changed and allergies were creating the opposite to the desired effect. Perfume had lost its sensuality.” Their response was to create one of Australia’s only all-natural perfume ateliers that offer a range of scented products from bespoke perfumes to bath and body products. Visit them online at HTTP://www.fleurage-natural-perfume.com.au.

*A few notes about Fleurage perfumes: Sometimes timing is everything when sampling perfume and I unfortunately received Emma’s samples during Finnish springtime, which of course is actually Australia’s autumn. I had been pining for warmer weather so that I could finally get back to wearing my green, citrus and marine fragrances when first testing Mabon, Imp and Dandy and so the autumnal character that Emma ascribes to at least Mabon just felt all wrong to me. Now that I’ve had a few months to play with these fragrances, and now that I’ve had my fill of Northern Hemisphere spring and summer, I’m already predicting that Mabon (along with Imp and Dandy) will become a passion leading to strict rationing of my generous samples. Although described as “a perfume for men”, I think all three could easily be unisex. And although natural perfumes, the aesthetic is anything but typical. At times the quality of the ingredients and the mercurial nature of the compositions remind me that these are not mass-market, department store fragrances…but neither are they the work of a novice natural perfumer…there’s a playful mystery at work in Emma’s compositions, and you can add me to her growing list of adoring fans.

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MABON

வடிவமைப்புகள் தான் விவரம்: Sharp spices are enveloped in rich warm woods and leather then relax into the deeper smokey resins and earth notes, a perfume for men. An autumnal chord of woods, earth and spices. Inspired by the seasonal harvest festival when the earth begins to rest and we gather the rewards of a fruitful spring and summer.

குறிப்புகள்: Base: Patchouli, புதர் செடிகளில் இருந்து எடுக்கப்படும் ஒரு வகை பிசின், வெட்டிவெர்; Middle: ஏலக்காய், Bay leaf, Mimosa; Top: Allspice, மிளகு

என்னை ஞாபகப்படுத்தவும்: Very definitely could fit into the Comme des Garcons line of fragrances…all of that spice creates reference to the original CDG fragrance but Mabon is smoother, softer and sweeter.

பாட்டம் லைன்: Mabon is a fascinating composition that reveals various facets throughout its development. At times medicinal, at other times smoky, Mabon opens as an homage to the classic bay rum colognes of men’s fragrance history. At the top of the composition I get a tangy allspice and bay, and a surprisingly subtle pepper (கடவுளே நன்றி…pepper along with cumin is my most dreaded fragrance note). The base of Mabon is striking with its glimmers of incense-like patchouli and myrrh. ம்ம், now that I think about it, Emma seems to have married two different fragrance archetypes – yesteryear’s bay rum cologne with today’s incense accord. The drydown is perhaps the most striking aspect of Mabon and where I’m most overwhelmed by its intriguing beauty: The basenotes sweeten and I keep checking the list of notes for sandalwood, vanilla and benzoin but to no avail…where is this sweetness coming from? Could it be the myrrh and patchouli alone doing this? Whereas CDG goes to celery seed and pepper on my skin, Mabon goes to Spanish cathedral. Simply fascinating.

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IMP

வடிவமைப்புகள் தான் விவரம்: A burst of lemon citrus and tangy pepper opens almost immediately to the heart of green herbs, woods and more citrus – a perfume for men. A green pepper chord around a heart of woods. The mischievous little boy inside all men is the Imp — daring them to indulge their playful side. Deliciously wicked with the face of an angel.

குறிப்புகள்: Base: May Chang, Hyssop, Opoponax; Middle: Ylang ylang, Bergamot, Neroli; Top: மிளகு, Lemongrass

என்னை ஞாபகப்படுத்தவும்: I can honestly say that I’ve never experienced anything quite like Imp. ஆமாம், a number of familiar notes have been used but the overall effect is startlingly unfamiliar!

பாட்டம் லைன்: “What is THIS?” my nose and brain demand. So many favorites here – bergamot, green pepper, neroli, opoponax…ம்ம். முதலில் முகர, Imp feels slightly, சிறந்த, aromatherapeutic, but lurking behind those topnotes there is an intriguing albeit fleeting sweetness, an accord that recalls Caron’s classic Narcisse Noir thanks to the neroli and bergamot. I can see how the name and aroma actually go together here; with May Chang offering a citrusy punch and hyssop delivering an almost minty edge, Imp is bright, tangy and playful, but by no means clean, light or simple. As the scent relaxes, I’m reminded of Gobin Daude’s Biche dans L’Absinthe அல்லது Yves Rocher’s Aztek, and these are strange references…why am I suddenly smelling wormwood absinthe at the drydown?

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DANDY BOHEME

வடிவமைப்புகள் தான் விவரம்: Sweet metallic powder opens which then develops subtly into a rich herbal floral and settles finally into a warm woody animalic note. Inspired the stylish gentleman of an age past. Velvet and brocade suits and lace trim shirts — flamboyant, dapper and individual.

குறிப்புகள்: Base: சந்தனக்கட்டை, குங்கிலியம், Labdanum, Oakmoss; Middle: நிலச்சம்பங்கி, Nutmeg, Jasmine Sambac; Top: Bergamot. French Lavender

என்னை ஞாபகப்படுத்தவும்: மறுபடி, other than a jasmine or tuberose attar, there is really nothing to which I can compare this jasmine/tuberose/sandalwood blend.

சுகந்தம், Emma Leah

பாட்டம் லைன்: Because I’m obsessed with jasmine and have been recently converted to a tuberose-lover, Dandy could have been made specifically for me in mind. I’ve also recently become intrigued with lavender after years of strong repulsion and have always loved sandalwood and labdanum…anything sweet, woody and resinous. So for me, Dandy is pretty much perfect. The most natural smelling of the three, likely due to the overall vision of the fragrance and the ingredients, Dandy is a sweet, unisex floral that is actually very “அழகாக” and a white floral lover’s dream. Whereas in Mabon, the drydown is the star, Dandy is all about its topnote accord. Gone are the fecal characteristics of the jasmine; gone are the waxy, powdery tones of the tuberose; and gone are the often meaty edges of lavender. These three notes are blended beautifully and emphasize everything I love about them. The other notes in the composition undoubtedly contribute to its overall success, but they by no means take the stage in the same way those topnotes do. If Mabon is a spicy, smoky chameleon and Imp is a green mystery, then Dandy is a familiar fop with a blossom in his vest.

Leave a comment below and either share your experience with Fleurage perfumes or tell us which scent most intrigues you for your chance to win samples of Emma’s creations, உலகில் எங்கும் அனுப்பப்பட்டது, இலவச!

இந்த ஆண்டு, மிகவும் அற்புதமான திட்டம் ஒன்றாக இழுக்கிறது. கட்டுமான தொகுதிகள் உள்ளன, பகுதி, பிரபஞ்சத்தின் அமைக்க அந்த. The building blocks are exquisite perfumes based on the original building blocks: the four – இல்லை, five! – elements. They are talented perfumers working in a variety of materials – some all-natural, some not. They are gifted perfume writers, sniffing the creations and making an offering of words. They are dreams from the minds of creative people all over the world and, குறிப்பாக, the dream of one woman on an island off of Massachusetts, Monica Miller of Perfume Pharmer. She has gathered a group of perfumers from all over the world who have spent the last year creating scents inspired by the elements, including the fifth element proposed by Starhawk: spirit. The focus for the project is on the primordial beginnings, the inner workings of… everything. In Monica’s words, “For the purposes of this project, Primordial to me means original material…going back to the ELEMENTS that make up our planet, our bodies, our selves. What are we made of physically and spiritually? What do we hold most sacred?”

In today’s post, I spend some time with the Water fragrances, 5 gorgeous depictions of WATER in scent – 4 all natural perfumes and 1 mixed media perfume. Justine Crane/The Scented Djinn, Ane Walsh Perfumer, Shelley Waddington/EnVoyage Perfumes, Mandy Aftel/Aftelier Perfumes, and Anu Prestonia/Anu Essentials. I’ve decided to use metaphors to describe these as they all brought to mind specific images or atmospheres.

See my other Primordial Scents reviews by clicking HERE.

Leave a comment below and tell us which interpretation of water has you most intrigued for your chance to win a sample of that very scent! Buy a sample pack of all 5 scents for $28 அல்லது $35 (outside USA) இங்கே.

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Yam Suph – SEA SCAPE

வடிவமைப்புகள் தான் விவரம்: “‘Sea Scape Perfume by Anu Essentials is my ode to Auset, the primordial Great Mother. In the ancient Kemetic (Egyptian) tradition, Auset is mother of mothers. Known for her great capacity to nourish and nurture, she gives birth and life to all things. She is magic and mystery and all things deep and true. Her love and patient strength know no bounds. Auset is uncompromisingly devoted, especially to children and family. Children love and gravitate toward someone (female or male) in whom the Auset faculty is well-developed. That person is loving, understanding, patient and caring; she or he wants to feed you, wants you to feel loved. Auset’s essence resides in the sea. She is mighty and unconquerable, yet she flows effortlessly under, around, above and beyond obstructions, always avoiding conflict. She likes things that are watery, like lettuce, watermelon and cucumbers. These are among the items you’d take to the beach as an offering to the Great Mother, whose love for her children runs as deep as the sea. As someone born under a fire sign and on a Tuesday (a day ruled by Mars), my tendency is to be other than the Great Mother. I’m more often fiery and impatient and am reminded that I need to do more to develop my Auset faculty. And so it is with great desire that I set out to create a scent to help remind me to embody Auset’s essence. I know that I am drawn to those things that represent the Great Mother such as cowrie shells, pearls, crystals, the moon and I absolutely love being in the ocean. So it is with the creation of Sea Scape that I set out to design a perfume to help invoke her energy, her demeanor and ways of functioning. If the Great Mother doesn’t seem quite sexy enough, remember Auset is the source of that primal and irresistible magnetism through which pregnancy and birth come to be…” AnuEssentials.com

குறிப்புகள்: “Jasmine is one of Auset’s flowers and from the conception of this fragrance I knew I wanted this perfume to be centered around two primary essences, jasmine and seaweed. I was invited to participate in Monica Miller’s ஆதியிலிருந்து சென்ட்ஸ் 2012 Perfume Project, which would launch in June. The challenge would be to make a perfume using these two dense elements in a harmonious way and not have it be too heavy for a June launch. Considering the depth of seaweed, I attempted to keep the rest of the base notes light with a boswella frankincense, Ethiopian opoponax, sustainable sandalwood and costus. For the heart I have two jasmines playing off one another: a grandiflorum absolute and a jasmine e.o. Blended with these two intoxicating essences are violet leaf for that lettuce element, a little pimento berry to spice it up, neroli and an exquisite rose alba. I wanted to continue with lightness, so there are several citrus scents at the top. They include petitgrain, white grapefruit, and clementine.” AnuEssentials.com

Type of Water: I chose Yam Suph, or Hebrew for the Red Sea (Sea of Reeds), partly because I was indeed reminded of sparkling green sea water, partly because of Anu’s dedication to Auset (Isis) and mostly because of the colors in the image of the Red Sea above.

பாட்டம் லைன்: Sea Scape is definitely an all-natural fragrance – that aromatherapeutic vibe so common amongst naturals is unquestionably present. What I enjoyed most about Sea Scape is the way the fragrance seems triple-tiered: water, earth and sky. The citruses and seaweed notes open and dominate the fragrance while the jasmine creates a subtle, airy floral middle. இறுதியாக, the woods and resins offer a breeze of warmth and depth as well as a touch of sweetness that lingers at the fragrance’s close. I particularly liked Anu’s explanation – “For the heart I have two jasmines playing off one another: a grandiflorum absolute and a jasmine e.o. Blended with these two intoxicating essences are violet leaf for that lettuce element” – as Sea Scape definitely has a crisp, green character that compliments summer heat and is the hallmark of this bracing, refreshing composition. I’m actually reminded of Burt’s Bees lettuce toner, a little addiction of mine for the warmer months due to its sweet, leafy aroma.

சுகந்தம்: Anu Prestonia, HTTP://anuessentials.com/

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Suzuran no Mizu – A STUDY IN WATER

வடிவமைப்புகள் தான் விவரம்: “A Study in Water was inspired by the element of fresh water. My goal was to make an incredibly sheer, wet, and innocent fragrance and to incorporate it into the elegance, longevity and sillage of an excellent classic perfume. Mood: Refreshing, cool, wet and sexy.” From correspondence with perfumer.

குறிப்புகள்: “TOP: வாய் புண், Lime, Green Apple, Bergamot, Dew Drops; HEART: Rose Water, மல்லிகை, Green Leaves, Neroli, வாய் புண்; BASE: சந்தனக்கட்டை, Guaiac Wood, Cabreuva, Water Notes, கல்லுரி” As listed on the fragrance sample.

Type of Water: Suzuran no mizu is Japanese for water of muguet (பள்ளத்தாக்கின் லில்லி), although the Japanese variety of muguet, Pieris japonica, is actually a bush rather than a ground weed (எனக்கு தெரியும், much less romantic to call it a weed…but it is!). I have a keen memory of a pink pieris plant in full March bloom, dripping with melting snow on a sunny afternoon in Osaka. A Study in Water strongly reminds me of that aroma of new muguet buds mingled with the icy drops and wet earth.

பாட்டம் லைன்: Expectations can be dangerous because they often lead to disappointment. But because Shelley Waddington is one of my absolute favorite perfumers, it was hard for me not to get too excited when sampling A Study in Water. Upon first sniff, my thoughts were simply “How in the world?? She’s done it again!”

A Study in Water is more like a study in lily of the valley (muguet), those small white bell-shaped blossoms that grow in bunches and that are a hallmark of many classical perfumes such as Dior Diorissimo or Jessica McClintock. But this is a very fresh, green lily of the valley, especially with the accents of lime, green leaves and green apple. போன்ற, I doubt anyone worried about wearing florals would be bothered by the muguet focus. For those who DO love florals, A Study in Water is never brash or suffocating and comes off like vintage Diorissimo meets D&G Light Blue! With excellent projection and longevity (all of Shelley’s perfumes that I’ve tested thus far seem to share these traits), A Study in Water dries to a woody, slightly musky base but never loses its bright, cool quality.

சுகந்தம்: ஷெல்லியின் Waddington, EnVoyage Perfumes

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Herbal Steam – RAIN (Bath Oil)

வடிவமைப்புகள் தான் விவரம்: “Fresh, uplifting with apple notes featuring ravensara and a special chamomile from South Africa along with other essential oils. Our bath oils are made of pure essential oils, with no carrier. ” Aftelier.com

குறிப்புகள்: As above.

Type of Water: Without a doubt, Rain reminds me of a cup of steaming chamomile & peppermint tea.

பாட்டம் லைன்: I’ll make this short and simple: a straightforward, herbal oil that opens up with pungent mint and chamomile (and do I detect a little eucalyptus?). The ravensara (a type of laurel) just adds to the overall herbal feel. Rain quickly relaxes to a green, spearmint aroma on my skin. I bet this one would do wonders for people with sore muscles, sunburn or melancholy. This is a mint-lover’s dream.

சுகந்தம்: Mandy Aftel, HTTP://www.aftelier.com

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The Selvas – LYLLI BLEU

வடிவமைப்புகள் தான் விவரம்: “This isn’t about water water, it’s about the current scent status of my entry into the Primordial Scent Project hosted by Monica Skye Miller/Perfume Pharmer. I chose water almost immediately because at the time the choice was made, it suited my current headspace. It still suits. In that headspace, I associated water with the act of birth, of bringing life into the world in a gush. The most elemental, the most primal, of waters. And in that headspace, I was immediately taken deep into a dark forest where the scent of olive-toned mosses clinging to glistening wet rocks emanate a specific dankness that is very nearly the same as the scent of birth water. A perfect blend of swirling warm turquoise water, damp black earth, heady breathy-voiced mosses, airy feathery leafed pond foliage, and thick petaled lotus flowers reaching up toward the light. This isn’t a scent of the sea, nor the rush of a rolling river. It is the scent of calm. The scent of expectation.” OhTrueApothecary.blogspot.com

குறிப்புகள்: “Blue Lotus ~ Mitti ~ Santal ~ Neroli” OhTrueApothecary.blogspot.com

Type of Water: It was a tough choice…my initial thought was to go with the Lotus Eaters of Homerian fame, but the image of a dark, wet forest just dominated my thoughts, perhaps because of Lylli Bleu’s similarity to Bogner’s legendary and sadly discontinued Deep Forest (1995). Once I started reading about the Central and South American rain forests, I knew I was on the right track: “The high temperature and heavy rainfall produce luxuriant vegetation in these areas. There are dense equatorial forests known as the Selvas. These are largest evergreen forests in the world. These forests always look green, as there are no prescribed seasons for growing, flowering and shedding of leaves. The deciduous trees shed their leaves at sometime during the year, but is always possible to find many deciduous trees in leaf. The most remarkable feature of the equatorial forest is the great variety of trees. Sometimes, several varieties of trees are found in a very small area. The forests are dense. As the trees struggle for the sunlight, they grow to a tremendous height of 40 வேண்டும் 50 metres. The trees usually form a thick canopy, and the sunlight is prevented from reaching the forest floor. There are various types of lianas (climbing plants), tree ferns and parasitic plants (which grow on other plants), which also prevent the penetration of the Sun’s rays to the lowest floor. இவ்வாறு, the whole region looks dark, damp and gloomy. When light can penetrate to the forest floor, thickets of low trees, shrubs etc., grow. Nearly, all the trees are of the broad-leafed evergreen type. Most of them are hard-wood trees like mahogany, rose-wood, ebony, iron-wood, green-heart, cincona, rubber, முதலியன. Palms and tree ferns are also found in most equatorial forests. In coastal areas and swamps, mangrove forests thrive.” Kish.in

பாட்டம் லைன்: Lylli Bleu was a true surprise. Not at all what I had anticipated based on the other scents in this group, I appreciate perfumer Justine Crane’s explanation that this is not necessarily an interpretation of water but rather an inspiration based on the element in nature…in this case a damp forest. And in my opinion, she succeeds totally. The inclusion of mitti (an attar of baked clay and sandalwood) is the first surprise here in a water-inspired fragrance. Darren at Floracoepia explains that mitti is “The fragrance of the earth, derived from distilling cakes of mud into sandalwood. This rich, earthy, soothing, and exotic aroma was created by the ancient Indian perfumers to capture the smell of the first monsoon rain on the soil.” What this note offers then is an ambery, slightly spicy basenote against which the other notes rest. Although the florals, lotus and neroli, are present, in no way is Lylli Bleu a floral perfume…I’d describe it instead as an oriental. The second surprise is that Lylli Bleu doesn’t really seem like an all-natural perfume – its overall vibe as well as projection is more in keeping with a mass-market designer scent. For anyone who appreciates incense, chai or sweet wood/resin scents, this one is sure to please…absolutely stunning.

சுகந்தம்: Justine Crane, HTTP://www.thescenteddjinn.com/

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Coco-Saffron Cocktail – ESSAOUIRA

வடிவமைப்புகள் தான் விவரம்: “The element I chose was Earth, but my brief is a beach. A beach is a point of confluence of the elements. It is Earth and Water generating Wind and the Sun with its fire which is the master of the movements they all perform. I imagined this brief walking on the beach of Essaouira, in Morocco, in January. The three days I spent in that place filled me with enchantment, peace and love in such a way that I will not forget. It was the New Year Berbere of 2964 and there was joy everywhere. On the first morning we went down walking on the beach and I could smell analytically all the scents that come from Nature at that moment. The cool breeze of the morning, bringing the smells of the Sea, the air full of seagulls flying, that black labrador running after the birds, the camels that smell so sweaty and earthy, that girl with magnificent feet all tatooed with henna….But I was thirsty and could only think of a drink very common on Brazilian beaches: coconut water, and that thought was making me obssessive company while I was coming and going on the long long beach. “There isn’t any coconut water here! This beach would be perfect if there was.” To my surprise, as soon as I arrived back in the town, there was a very welcoming orange and grapefruit juice stall where I went so many times to quench my thirst from then on. In the souk we had so much fruit, ate so many prawns and fried fish! In the street market, many colors: carrots, huge artichokes, tomatoes, oranges, pink onions, purple figs, pickled yellow lemons and olives of all colors filling the air with their perfumes.And all the crafts, like new clothing, necklaces, berbere goodies, carpets smelling of wool, herb doctors and mastery woodwork like those boxes made of olive trees, cedar or thuya so deliciously smelly. And we had a loving time, full of hugs and good feelings. This is what I intended to translate in my perfume that smell like Earth, but also smells like sea and breeze and is warm like the sun on that winter day. In the composition of the perfume I chose an array of Moroccan oils and many scents from there. But not all of them. Basenotes are of Malaysian Khao Yai oudh, cedarwood and thuya. இளம் சிவப்பு நீல வண்ணம் கொண்ட மலர்கள் உடைய செடி, blue chamomila and sunny saffron as heart note, that gives that scent of maritime breeze, but I had my coconut obssessively present, so I put some drops of massoia bark and coconut scent came in. Needless to say that the sourire of this perfume is made of sweet orange, grapefruit and sicilian lemon. It starts with the orange, goes to coconut, then to beach and wind, and fresh fish(!) and finishes in a warm loving kiss. It is presented for the Salon gradated as Eau de Toilette but you can add more alcohol in it to make it open its arms and fly high like a seagull..”

குறிப்புகள்: “ஆரஞ்சு, கிரேப்ப்ரூட், rosewood, எலுமிச்சை (Sicilian), லாவெண்டர், blue chamomile, agarwood crude oil, massoia, coconut absolute (maison), Khao Yai Malaysian Oudh, Atlas cedar, Thuya Saffron tincture.”

Type of Water: This one was tough as images of Morocco’s Essaouira Beach sufficiently inspired me and I considered not even coming up with a metaphor. But there was something missing – what about the coconut? Not exactly indigenous to Morocco, the coconut note is the key to Essaouira’s (the perfume) success. I know that a coconut cocktail doesn’t exactly portray an image of north African antiquity and adventure, but more on that below…

பாட்டம் லைன்: Why has no one ever thought to marry saffron to coconut and then blend it with citrus, வூட்ஸ், and oudh? Perfumer Ane Walsh is a genius, and I don’t throw that word around very often. First of all, we’ve all been repulsed by synthetic coconut notes that reek of air freshener or suntan oil. Ane’s ostensibly homemade coconut absolute avoids these references completely. அடுத்து, recent coconut aromas have been quite the rage – Creed Virgin Island Water, SJP NYC, Comptoir, முதலியன – yet none of them have really caught my attention because so many end up smelling either too sweet, too chalky, or too, சிறந்த, cocktail-ish. இருக்கிறது, I was downright blown away when first testing Essaouira without having read Ane’s notes or brief. I immediately recognized the coconut but there was something else there that was familiar, something that indeed evoked a Berber-esque vibe, and that note would be the saffron. Although not taking center stage, the saffron is definitely omnipresent and I wonder if Ane didn’t in fact make a tincture of saffron to use as the base alcohol for Essaouira. எவ்வாறாயினும், the blast of citruses certainly aids the tropical feel (think Rio) while the oudh (and I should explain that this is NO way an oudh scent), செடர், chamomile and other earthier notes aids the Moorish seaside feel (think Casablanca). Although not quite as exotic, I think a coco-saffron cocktail might actully be the most appropriate metaphor for Essaouira…and considering it is all-natural, I wonder if I can drink it. Afterall, it IS made of alcohol!

Perfumers: Ane வால்ஷ், HTTP://ladraodearomas.blogspot.com

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See my other Primordial Scents reviews by clicking HERE.

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Leave a comment below and tell us which interpretation of water has you most intrigued for your chance to win a sample of that very scent! Buy a sample pack of all 5 scents for $28 அல்லது $35 (outside USA) இங்கே.

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குறிப்புகள்: புதிய ஒப்பந்தம், ரோஜா, ஆரஞ்சு மலரும், மல்லிகை, கஸ்தூரி ஒப்பந்தம். Molinard.com

100ml Eau de Toilette Spray: பற்றி $22 இருந்து Google Shopping.

பாட்டம் லைன்: I think by now most readers know that I’m obsessed with the scent of Jasmine petals. Ever on the search for the perfect jasmine aroma, I scour the internet hoping to find new and interesting fragrances. While visiting Parfum1.com a few weeks back, I browsed through the Molinard scents – Molinard is one of those fragrance houses whose scents are always dependably “pleasant”, and whose prices are always ridiculously low. Being the proud owner of not one, not two, but count’em 8 Molinard fragrances at this point, I’m always open to adding a few more to my collection. I’m not sure why I never tried this one before…maybe its because my jasmine fetish is fairly new (before jasmine I had been obsessed with orange blossom, and before orange blossom, it was sandalwood…nowadays my obsessions include iris, patchouli, and saffron). Upon first shpritz, Molinard’s jasmine is fairly straightforward, a decent floral aroma with the faintest hint of animalic indole. This one compared to Donna Karan’s Jasmine Essence, though not quite as pure nor light. An hour into the wearing, the orange blossom appears giving the scent a “potpourri” அல்லது “drawer sachet” feel. உண்மையில், it kind of reminded me of the drydowns of Hermes’ 24 Faubourg or Montale’s Jasmine Full. I don’t really get much rose or musk from this one, and that’s fine by me. For a whopping 8 bucks, this was worth every penny – I’d buy it for that blue bottle alone (Molinard has now retired these beautiful bottles for an incredibly tacky, purple, deco-style bottle – click the Molinard link above to view it).If you’re looking for a jasmine that’s slightly more complex than a pure soliflore, this might be perfect for you. If you want something avant-garde, Molinard Jasmin likely won’t deliver. But hey, for that price, if you really didn’t love it, you could always spray your drawers!

அது எப்போதும் பல்பொருள் அங்காடிகள் வாடிக்கையாளர்களுக்கு முதல் சோதிக்க ஒரு மாதிரி அவர்களுக்கு அளித்து இல்லாமல் வாசனை வாங்குவதற்கு எதிர்பார்க்கும் என்னை வியக்கவைக்கிறது. இந்த வாடிக்கையாளர் கண்கள் மேல் கம்பளி என்ற இழுக்காமல் ஒரு வேண்டுமென்றே தெரிகிறது, அவர், இல், மூக்கு. நீங்கள் பல குருடர் வாங்கும் மூலம் சுட்டு இருந்தால், ஒருவேளை நீங்கள் வாங்கும் முன் வாசனை பொருட்கள் முறை பல சோதிக்க விரும்புகிறேன். மற்றும் நான் இந்த அர்த்தமுள்ளதாக நினைக்கிறேன். நான் ஒரு குருட்டு வாங்குபவர்கள் தான் (பயங்கரமான பழக்கம், என்று) ஆனால் அதை நான் குறைவாக அன்போடு அந்த பரிந்துரை இல்லை ஒரு நடைமுறையில் தான். எனவே இப்போது என்னை நீங்கள் லா பெல்லா வெனிசியா பற்றி ஒரு சிறு கதை சொல்கிறேன்…

இந்த ஆண்டு, மிகவும் அற்புதமான திட்டம் ஒன்றாக இழுக்கிறது. கட்டுமான தொகுதிகள் உள்ளன, பகுதி, பிரபஞ்சத்தின் அமைக்க அந்த. The building blocks are exquisite perfumes based on the original building blocks: the four – இல்லை, five! – elements. They are talented perfumers working in a variety of materials – some all-natural, some not. They are gifted perfume writers, sniffing the creations and making an offering of words. They are dreams from the minds of creative people all over the world and, குறிப்பாக, the dream of one woman on an island off of Massachusetts, Monica Miller of Perfume Pharmer. She has gathered a group of perfumers from all over the world who have spent the last year creating scents inspired by the elements, including the fifth element proposed by Starhawk: spirit. The focus for the project is on the primordial beginnings, the inner workings of… everything. In Monica’s words, “For the purposes of this project, Primordial to me means original material…going back to the ELEMENTS that make up our planet, our bodies, our selves. What are we made of physically and spiritually? What do we hold most sacred?”

In today’s post, I spend some time with the Fire fragrances which include Incendere by Mermade Magickal Arts; Kiss of Agnayi by Cherry Bomb Killer Perfumes; Flor Azteca by Juan Perez Exotic Island Botanicals; Caliente by A Wing and a Prayer Perfumes; Afternoon Slant by Dabney Rose; Loreena by Marian Del Veccio, Botanico Natural; and Chang Chang by EnVoyage Perfumes. I’ve decided to use metaphors to describe these as they all brought to mind specific images or atmospheres.

See my other Primordial Scents reviews by clicking HERE.

Leave a comment below and tell us which interpretation of Fire has you most intrigued for your chance to win a sample of that very scent! Buy a sample pack of all 7 scents for $38 அல்லது $43 (outside USA) இங்கே.

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St Elmo’s Fire – LOREENA

வடிவமைப்புகள் தான் விவரம்: “‘Standing on the bridge that crosses the river that goes out to the sea the wind is full of a thousand voices they pass by the bridge and me’ Hearing voices in the ‘bridge’, foot and firne, came the inspiration. Loreena McKennitt and the song ‘Night of all souls’. Inverse path to construct the perfume.”

குறிப்புகள்: “Much wind, and fire. Whirlwind. Atlas cedar and palo santo burning: the sacred and the profane and the smoke drawing drawings, aiming to be the cloud. Vanilla and amber, hidden memory: a smell of childhood, other lives other: matter be sweets. And in the darkness of night garnished by the Green Knight appears bonfires guarding the sacred shrub, galbanum gum saving frankincense, holding in his hand a branch of gold, myrrh and benzoin. Lavender of high altitudes and bergamot Zest are the edges of the bridge: a bridge made with vetiver. Top note: Bergamot zest; Heart notes: French lavander, clary முனிவர், இலவங்க பட்டை, clove buds;
Bridge to heart: Palo santo, galbanum; அடிப்படை குறிப்புகள்: வெட்டிவெர், வெண்ணிலா, cedar atlas, frankincense, hyraceum, opoponax, tonka bean, ambrette seeds, labdanum.”

Type of Fire: “St. Elmo’s fire is named after St. Erasmus of Formiae (also called St. Elmo, the Italian name for St. Erasmus), the patron saint of sailors. The phenomenon sometimes appeared on ships at sea during thunderstorms and was regarded by sailors with religious awe for its glowing ball of light, accounting for the name. Because it is a sign of electricity in the air and interferes with compass readings, sailors also regarded it as an omen of bad luck and stormy weather.” விக்கிப்பீடியா

பாட்டம் லைன்: Thanks to the perfumer’s employment of enfleurage and tincturing, Loreena is one of the lighter and more transparent fragrances of the group and so I went with a fire that is a mysterious, glowing ball of light, St Elmo’s Fire. A whirlwhind of notes blended effortlessly into a single character, Loreena is perfect for those looking for a completely all-natural, artisan fragrance that works as a scented veil rather than a trumpet call. என் தோலில், Loreena very quickly develops from a striking citrus and floral theme into a drydown that brings to mind those final stages of Shalimar where its oriental notes quiet to a powdery, vanillic glow.

சுகந்தம்:Marian del Vecchio, marian dot delvecchio dot 39 at facebook dot com

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Chantico, Goddess of the Hearth – FLOR AZTECA

வடிவமைப்புகள் தான் விவரம்: ““Flor Azteca”, reveals as an “Earth” fragrance. It’s a scented essay of the ancient Mexican Aztec civilization and its botanical heritage. The main botanical note of the perfume is a wild Mexican native white flower known by the Aztecs as Omixochitl or “Bone Flower”. Today this flower is known as Nardo (Spanish) or Tuberose (English). Tuberose is one of my favorite white floral fragrances so for the primordial 2012 scents project I wanted a tuberose in its original habitat, an olfactory image of Tuberoses blooming at night in an Aztec Shaman’s garden. I started developing the perfume with a “fresh cut Tuberose accord”, with emphasis in it’s sweet, almost gourmand coconut like creaminess. The creamy sweet petals were paired with a “chocolatl” accord, made of cocoa absolute, Mexican vanilla and piquant spices. For the idea of a night blooming Aztec shaman’s garden I wanted to include other fragrant flowers grown by the Aztecs in their gardens as well, so I added to the fragrance a white magnolia accord and a mysterious note of datura, known by the Aztecs as “Toloatzin”. An accord of the mystical night blooming Datura, known by the Aztecs as Toloatzin is part of the white floral heart of “Flor Azteca”…An almost hypnotic floral note with light tobacco like facets.”

குறிப்புகள்: “Mexican tuberose, massoia bark, chocolatl accord, tuberose absolute, datura, மாக்னோலியா, fresh ginger, மிளகு, Mexican vanilla, சாம்பிராணி, tonka bean, copal negro, smoky woods, mineral notes.”

Type of Fire: I chose Chantico as Flor Azteca’s metaphor as she “was the goddess of fires in the family hearth and volcanoes. She broke a fast by eating paprika with roasted fish, and was turned into a dog by Tonacatecuhtli as punishment because paprika is a banned food in such fast breaking customs. She also wears a crown of poisonous cactus spikes, and takes the form of a red serpent. Chantico is the goddess of precious things and is very defensive of her possessions. There are many Aztec legends as to what she does to people (or other gods) who take her things.” விக்கிப்பீடியா

பாட்டம் லைன்: Until last summer I had never smelled a real tuberose blossom. Candles, waxy perfumes (Versace’s Blonde) and other poor recreations were all I had to go on. But Mexico changed all that. My third trip to the USA’s neighbor to the south allowed me to experience this beautiful white flower in person and wow was it different from what I had previously experienced. And so began my search for a tuberose fragrance that actually smelled of tuberose. One year and twenty or so fragrances later, the only aromas I have taken any sort of liking to are Diptyque’s Do Son and L’Artisan’s Nuit de Tubereuse. Although I acquired a small bottle of the first and am still lemming the latter, I can’t really say that either are true tuberose scents. So imagine my delight when encountering Flor Azteca, Juan Perez’s all-natural ode to tuberose, a flower indigenous to Mexico and related to the agave plant.

When thinking about tuberose, Mexico and fire – and considering Juan’s choice ingredients such as chocolate, வெண்ணிலா, copal and pepper – I began thinking about the Aztec gods and goddesses. Having studied comparative mythology, I remembered a possessive hearth goddess who wore a crown of agave and knew that she had to be the metaphor for Flor Azteca. ஆமாம், Chantico represents fire but more importantly she is seen as fiercely protective of this food and heating source, just as I am fiercely protective of my little sample of Juan’s magical elixir. One of the outstanding successes of Flor Azteca is the way it manages to retain its floral sweetness throughout its development whereas other similarly-themed scents tend to go a bit limp and translucent. I chalk this up to the sweet gourmand notes and the inclusion of datura as a way to create a multi-dimensional tuberose note.

சுகந்தம்: Juan Perez, Exotic Island Aromatics

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The Carrington Event – CHANG CHANG

வடிவமைப்புகள் தான் விவரம்: “Chang Chang was inspired by the element of fire – specifically, the Sun. My goal with this fragrance was to express the bold solar elements of summer within a classic perfume with unapologetic sillage and longevity.”

குறிப்புகள்: “The essence of warmth captured in a sizzle of Solar Notes, Marigold and Blood Orange, penetrating a heart of Summer Blossoms drenched in Sweet Creme, and finishing in a rich, warm base of Light Woods and fruity musks. The entire fragrance is polished to a high patina with rich Sandalwood and aged Patchouli.”

Type of Fire: “A solar flare is a sudden brightening observed over the Sun’s surface or the solar limb, which is interpreted as a large energy release of up to 6 × 10²⁵ joules of energy. These are not visible from Earth’s surface. They are mainly followed by a colossal coronal mass ejection also known as a CME. The flare ejects clouds of electrons, ions, and atoms through the corona of the sun into space. These clouds typically reach Earth a day or two after the event. The term is also used to refer to similar phenomena in other stars, where the term stellar flare applies. The most powerful flare ever observed was the first one to be observed, on September 1, 1859, and was reported by British astronomer Richard Carrington and independently by an observer named Richard Hodgson. The event is named the Solar storm of 1859, or the “Carrington event”. The flare was visible to a naked-eye (இல் white light), and produced stunning auroras down to tropical latitudes such as Cuba or Hawaii, and set telegraph systems on fire.” விக்கிப்பீடியா

பாட்டம் லைன்: Having been unabashedly impressed with perfumer Shelley Waddington’s ஆலிஸ் கேளுங்கள் செல்லவும் for last summer’s Patchouli Love project, it was with great enthusiasm that I approached Chang Chang. Lucky me, I’m not at all disappointed. Chang Chang’s strength is in its balance of opposites, woody and spicy are juxtaposed against sweet, fresh and airy. I love this dual character of the fragrance in its opening stages: The rounded, பழ, musky notes provide a quite unexpected aquatic tone while the woods and spices hint at the scent’s darker character waiting to emerge. This experience lasts about an hour on my skin and then the fragrance becomes something else altogether.

The drydown strongly reminds me of the aroma of a garden or forest after a rainshower when the sun re-appears and heats the moist earth thereby releasing the aromas of soil, decay, new greens, முதலியன. It is a rich, pungent and sometimes spicy aroma, here no doubt created by the patchouli and sandalwood. This shift from round, smooth, airy and sweet to dark, warm and earthy reminded me of unpredictable and still somewhat mysterious solar flares. I had visions of primordial solar gases exploding and shooting towards earth, penetrating atmospheres and ionospheres, beginning as complex explosions and reaching the earth as phantom particle rays. The opening notes of Chang Chang represent the full blast after penetrating the coronal layer of the sun…as the blast moves forward toward the earth, the strength and complexity of the flare cloud’s components dissipate and a sillage of invisible, energized particles penetrates our planet and our own bodies. Chang Chang’s sillage retains the ozonic musks throughout the softening of the woods while also offering a surprising vanillic sweetening just when I had thought the scent’s evolution complete. The finish of Chang Chang is pure sandalwood.

சுகந்தம்: ஷெல்லியின் Waddington, EnVoyage Perfumes

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Koh Awase (Incense Games) – KISS OF AGNAYI

வடிவமைப்புகள் தான் விவரம்: “Goddess Agnayi, अग्नायी, summons flames of the descending dusk that enwrap her in a robe of reds and yellows. Beads of sweat dampen her brow as the fire leaves the horizon and rises higher and higher about her, urging her own hidden passions to rise and leave her body with smoldering exhales. Her eyes glow like burning embers, hair but wisps of fragrant smoke, and lava courses through her veins, making her olive skin glow. Agnayi invokes the Egyptian desert goddess to release ouds buried for a thousand years in her petrified trees. She invokes the priestesses of India to release the essence of agar woods from cones of gilded incense. She invokes the Goddesses of Tunisian oceans to release their fossilized jewels that have been resting on the ocean’s bed for aeons. And finally, she invokes the ancient goddess of passion…a being of smoke and molten matter, all corporeal form lost to her desires, which burn brighter than the sun itself.”

குறிப்புகள்: N / A

Type of Fire: “The use of incense dates back to biblical times and may have originated in Egypt, where aromatic trees were imported from Arabia to be used in religious ceremonies. Ganjin, a Buddhist priest from Tang China, reached Japan in 754 AD. This venerable priest, well known for introducing Buddhist precepts into Japan, should also be remembered for his accomplishment in the history of incense. Through medical incense and the skill of nerikoh (blended incense balls), Ganjin introduced a thriving incense culture from Tang dynasty China into Japan. Takimono, a kind of nerikoh, is made of powdered incense for medical use, together with binding substances such as nectar and treacle. There was no fragrance incense before nerikoh in Japan, and people used to burn medical incense to generate fragrances. As nerikoh is a mixture of ingredients, different mixtures created subtly different fragrances. As a result, people made their own favorite fragrances from original concoctions. In this context, incense was no longer used as a religious offering, but as a tasteful pleasure called soradakimono designed for the enjoyment of graceful aromas. This was the start of the esthetic and artistic world of graceful incense-burning in Japan. Court nobles in the Heian period (8th to 12th centuries) concocted original takimono in search of graceful and sophisticated fragrances for personal use. Different blends were used for different times, occasions or seasons, according to the mood of the moment. To impregnate their clothes or suffuse their rooms for guests, court people burnt their favorite blend of incense. “Takimonoawase”, an incense game where participants competed to produce better fragrances, also started in this period. Not quite satisfied with the simple fragrances of flowers and fruits in nature, court nobles created fragrances for their pleasure, thus establishing the foundation of a peculiar incense culture that was firmly attached to a keen awareness of the seasons. This is how the essential quality of Koh-Do (“the Way of Incense”) was formed.” NipponKodo.com

பாட்டம் லைன்: One of the most strikingly beautiful fragrances I have sampled in a while, Kiss of Agnayi begins with the aroma of a lit match and then offers the aroma of Japanese Goku-hin sachets that are filled with sandalwood, லவங்கம், ginger lily, இலவங்க பட்டை, மற்றும் patchouli. For lovers of fragrances like Alamut by Lorenzo Villoresi or Costes by perfumer Olivia Giacobetti, Agnayi is sure to be love at first sniff.

Cinnamon stands out to me more than any other note during the first 40 minutes along with the smoky aroma of burning wood. As the scent relaxes, a smooth, powdery trail lingers, not unlike the whisps of smoke trailing from incense smoldering on hot coal.

Perfumers: Maria McElroy and Alexis Karl, exclusively for Primordial Scents 2012

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Liquid Sunshine – AFTERNOON SLANT

வடிவமைப்புகள் தான் விவரம்: “I didn’t choose this element, it chose me. I am a water person so I felt around for a way to make ‘Fire’ comfortable to me. Gentle fire. Warm fire. Happy fire. Lazy afternoon fire. It seduces me. : )”

குறிப்புகள்: “A word on notes; I cannot give you the hard and the fast. A perfume is so much more than a list. How do you measure the hope, excitement, abandon and care that surround each drop as it falls from the dropper? Not to mention the distinct ‘fingerprint’ each perfumer has. And that allure thing; it’s made up mostly of mystery. I create and set to flight. I leave it to others to pin down…ஆனால், since you ask; heavy on the butterscotch; limited edition perfume blended w/ organic grape alcohol”

Type of Fire: Inspired directly by the perfumer’s words, “How could I forget!? I’m calling it ‘liquid sunshine’..so I get my liquid element after all, don’t I? : )”

பாட்டம் லைன்: Afternoon Slant, what a wonderful concept! I’ve long been fond of the rays of light that penetrate a window facing late day sun. Like Agnayi, Afternoon Slant is another cinnamon and rose scent, to my nose anyhow. But whereas Agnayi is an incense aroma that starts with spicy flame and ends with powdery woods, Afternoon Slant is a freshly made potpourri in a crystal bowl that begins with tea rose petals and a cinnamon stick and relaxes into a scented oolong served in a vintage boudoir dresed in textiles of satin and velvet. Sweeter than either Agnayi or Incendere (below), Afternoon Slant begins as a ray of golden sunshine but ends with whispers of raspberries and peaches.

சுகந்தம்: Dabney Rose, Dabney Rose Natural Perfumes

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Phoenix Rising – INCENDERE

வடிவமைப்புகள் தான் விவரம்: “Incendere in latin means “to burn” …..and this fragrance is for incense and spice lovers. It is a hymn to the desert and the warm forests, the tears of trees and the fruit of the sun. It is the scent of a Phoenix. In the creation of this perfume I set myself a challenge, could I create a pleasing blend using only natural botanicals that traditionally release their scent when fire is applied? In other words a completely incense based perfume. It was not easy…. for many of these elements have a special alchemy to them that needs the lick of a flame or a glow of a coal to create a change in the air itself. No top notes of sweet flowers or green herbals, this is all about the sacred fire – the woods, the spice, the resins – that need heat to thrive. Each bottle of Incendere comes with a tear of the finest frankincense I have ever experienced, Green Omani. Just because some scents do not translate completely into oil….everyone should get to smell what fire can do.”

குறிப்புகள்: “It begins in Sri Lanka with Cinnamon and Sandalwood. Then to Brazil with Balsam of Tolu blending with the Cistus of Morocco for an amber heart. It is held in a base of Frankincense from the deserts Oman and the Myrrh of Somalia – the gold of the ancient world. To finish, something special, a hint of Cambodian Oud and Kyara Aloeswood.”

Type of Fire: Again inspired directly by the perfumer’s words: “Most beings spring from other individuals; but there is a certain kind which reproduces itself. The Assyrians call it the Phoenix. It does not live on fruit or flowers, but on frankincense and odoriferous gums. When it has lived five hundred years, it builds itself a nest in the branches of an oak, or on the top of a palm tree. In this it collects cinnamon, and spikenard, and myrrh, and of these ‘materials builds a pile on which it deposits itself, and dying, breathes out its last breath amidst odours. From the body of the parent bird, a young Phoenix issues forth, destined to live as long a life as its predecessor. When this has grown up and gained sufficient strength, it lifts its nest from the tree (its own cradle and its parent’s sepulcher), and carries it to the city of Heliopolis in Egypt, and deposits it in the temple of the Sun.”

பாட்டம் லைன்: A review for Katlyn Breene of Mermade Magickal Arts is LONG overdue. She was kind enough to send me some of her handmade incense along with a beautiful burner about two years ago when I was winding down the previous incarnation of this website, PerfumeCritic, and getting ready to move to Finland. I loved the various incense samples she had sent but packing lightly and living in a tiny studio apartment prevented me from bringing too much of my fragrance collection. Each visit I made to my family’s home in Pennsylvania allowed me to sniff some of her incense and use the beautiful burner she had also included in her kind package to me. Now that I have moved back to the USA, I giddily await my chance to user her incense again and a review will be forthcoming. நான் சொல்கிறேன், how many people do you know that can handmake incense? I don’t mean strawberry scented incense but products inspired by and lovingly crafted from all-natural materials. More about Katlyn:

Katlyn has worked consistently throughout the years to find and blend the best in magickal fragrance; it is an on going process to improve Mermade’s offerings. We are a small but devoted family, celebrating Earth Based spirituality , Magickal, and Shamanic traditions, working together for the benefit of Mother Earth. As always a percentage of the profits go to groups or projects which promote balance and growth in harmony with Nature. All Mermade incense is made by Katlyn here at the studio, our desert oasis, known as the Mermanor. We use all natural ingredients, organic when possible. The incense is created in small batches to ensure that you get the best quality. Katlyn hand blends, packages and designs all our offerings. Mermade Magickal Arts

Now about Incendere…it seems these days that incense fragrances are the current trend along with oud-based aromas, much the way fig notes were huge a decade ago and tea notes were popular a decade before that. It’s not surprising then that so many of the fire-themed fragrances should capitalize on such smokey tones. What sets Incendere apart is the fact that incense neither takes a supporting role nor is it too-artistically interpreted. Incendere smells exactly as if I’ve been surrounded by a blend of typical incense notes such as myrrh, cistus and aloeswood. My go-to incense scents are generally the Comme des Garcon’s Incense fragrances, Valentino’s Vendetta for Men, Matthew Williamson’s light but accurate Incense, L’Artisan’s Dzongkha and Norma Kamali’s incredibly dark Incense. மறுபடி, the choices here are practically endless. But Katlyn’s incense stands up to all of them with the added benefit of only employing natural botanicals. Even the longevity and sillage are enchantingly impressive!

சுகந்தம்: Katlyn Breene, Mermade Magickal Arts

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Foxfire – CALIENTE

வடிவமைப்புகள் தான் விவரம்: “My fire perfume, Caliente, is dedicated to Mackenzie, our 14 year old Shi Tzu, who passed away yesterday. The Caliente Perfume has the same spicy personality as my dear one had. Perhaps it is strange or maybe not, to dedicate a perfume to one’s four legged companion, but Mackenzie was a perfume dog and my biggest critic or fan, depending on the fragrance I was creating. I began blending Caliente in November, November 20, 2012, to be exact and Mac, like always, was in his little day bed in my studio, listening to music and watching me blend, picking his head up when he caught a whiff of a scent he liked or at times walked out the the room when the scent did not meet with his approval. I figured he knew better since dogs do have better sniffers then us humans. During the blending and creation of Caliente, Mac remained fixated the entire day. I knew then I was on the right track with this unusual fragrance.”

குறிப்புகள்: “In creating my fire fragrance, Caliente, I wanted to create something passionate without using “my go to” rose floral. Caliente is spicy, passionate fragrance which is smoldering at the beginning, but then cools, as most passionate love does after a time. The notes are: அடிப்படை குறிப்புகள்: அம்பர், வெண்ணிலா, Tonka Tincture (my own blend) and Kashmir Amber; Heart Notes: கண்ணின் கருவிழி & மல்லிகை, and Top Notes: Bergamot, Petitgrain. The name Caliente means hot in Spanish, which is so appropriate for a fire fragrance.”

Type of Fire: “Foxfire, also sometimes referred to as “fairy fire”, is the bioluminescence created by some species of fungi present in decaying wood. The bluish green glow is attributed to luciferase, an oxidizing agent, which emits light as it reacts with luciferin. Although the purpose is unknown, it is widely believed that the light is meant to attract insects to spread its spores or act as a warning to hungry animals, similar to the bright colors exhibited by some species of animals.Although generally very dim, in some cases it can be bright enough to read by. The oldest recorded documentation of foxfire was written by Aristotle in 382 B.C. His notes make a reference to a light that, unlike fire, was cold to the touch. The Roman thinker Pliny the Elder also mentioned glowing wood that appeared in olive groves. Although there are many more literary references to foxfire by early scientists and naturalists, the true cause was not discovered until 1823. On the suggestion of Benjamin Franklin, it was used for light in the Turtle, an early submarine. The Japanese word for the phenomenon, kitsune-bi, also translates exactly as “fox fire”. Kitsune are believed to possess superior intelligence, long life, and magical powers. They are a type of yōkai, or spiritual entity, and the word kitsune is often translated as fox spirit. எனினும், this does not mean that kitsune are ghosts, nor that they are fundamentally different from regular foxes. Because the word spirit is used to reflect a state of knowledge or enlightenment, all long-lived foxes gain supernatural abilities.” Wikipedia.com

பாட்டம் லைன்: Caliente is remarkably similar to both Davidoff’s Relax and the original Lagerfeld for Men, now known as Lagerfeld Classic: அம்பர், tonka, வெண்ணிலா, iris and jasmine notes are common to all three. The remarkable thing about Caliente is that perfumer Jane Cate manages to do with all-natural ingredients what Davidoff and Lagerfeld do with more conventional ingredients…நான் சொல்ல என்ன தைரியம், I think I prefer Caliente! It is an interesting throwback to scents from almost 20 மற்றும் 35 ஆண்டுகளுக்கு முன்பு, முறையே, and a completely different aesthetic than any of the other 12 scents I’ve thus far reviewed.

இப்பொழுது, about foxfire. I’ve been lucky enough to experience the foxfire phenomenon in both the USA and Japan and the feeling such a vision evokes is both surprisingly eerie and incredibly magical. When reading Jane Cate’s press release for the fragrance, I thought of the first time Luciferin was explained to me as a child in the Blue Ridge mountains and how all I could think of was how my own explanation – woodland spirits – made more sense to my seven-year old imagination. Just look at that picture above right, much the same way the Japanese believed the light to be the glow of fox spirits, I’d like to believe that Caliente glows with the spirit of Mackenzie as something addictive, sweet and completely fun. I hope Jane Cate wanders out into the woods some evening and is entranced by the glow of foxfire and reminded that Mackenzie has indeed brought her inspiration and enlightenment.

சுகந்தம்: Jane Cate, A Wing & a Prayer Perfumes, scent to be sold as of June 30th.

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See my other Primordial Scents reviews by clicking HERE.

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Leave a comment below and tell us which interpretation of Fire has you most intrigued for your chance to win a sample of that very scent! Buy a sample pack of all 7 scents for $38or $43 (outside USA) shipped இங்கே.

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