Showing posts with label natural perfume. Show all posts
Showing posts with label natural perfume. Show all posts
For most of the New York Times readers, this article is probably the first time they've heard about La Via del Profumo and the nose behind it, Dominique Durbana. Perfume nuts in general and those interested in natural perfumery in particular might already know him as AbdesSalaam Attar. I couldn't be happier to see him get the exposure he so deserves.
Photo: The New York Times
Some summer days feel like the embodiment of childhood. Not necessarily a specific person's childhood, just the general idea of carefree days stretching endlessly, playing outdoors at all hours and eating lemon popsicles. Ayala Moriel composed Ayalitta as a reminder of child-like innocence, but this is not your typical "young" perfume. Far from it, actually. Ayalitta is a chypre, all oakmoss and green galbanum, with a dry-down that is fully grown up.
The overall impression is very green. The herbal notes have a surprising tartness that captures your attention from the start and never fully leaves the skin. It goes well with the neroli and feels very uplifting and optimistic. Soon it morphs into a fully developed chypre with all the depth and character one desires. The scent moves through its development smoothly like a green forest nymph, bare feet on mossy ground. At some point, before Ayalitta dissipates, there's a hint of a more carnal element, a touch of sticky sweaty skin, and then it's gone, leaving you guessing.
The sillage and lasting time are among the more persistent of Ayala's perfumes. Then again, green notes usually stay with me longer than I expect. The remnants of Ayalitta on my pillow welcome me back the next day. What's left on fabric is a bit cleaner than the way it feels on skin- maybe it's the coolness of sage. It also works well on cold winter days. There's something about crisp chypres that make them come alive in a different and wonderful way.
Ayalitta by Ayala Moriel Parfums ($120, 10ml parfum oil) and various sample sets are available from ayalamoriel.com
Art: Young Lady With Gloves by Tamara de Lempicka, 1930
My first thought upon smelling the bold, curvy and spicy opening of Anya's Garden Kewdra was "oh no, she didn't". But of course, she did. I should have known she would go there.
If musk is the sexiest of substances, Anya McCoy went right to the heart of it and created the Kama Sutra in a bottle. I haven't read Jitterbug Perfume, the Tom Robbins novel that inspired McCoy, so I can't add any insight into that aspect. I can only speak of the things I smell, the depths and the emotions Kewdra evokes.
The opening sweeps you away and carries you to India. There's no question about it- the spices and colors are all there, and even I, who hasn't been to India yet can hear the music, the jingling of jewelry on henna-painted hands and feel the hot air and silk. Red, orange, hot pink and saffron, a blend of Garam Masala that didn't come from the spice rack in Whole Foods,exotic flowers worn in one's hair and woven into long chains hanging everywhere. And the heat... you can't escape the heat that rises from bodies and from the earth itself and mixes all those scents and sensations into a thick substance that goes right to your head.
(Did the little red Ganesh statue my sister brought me from India just wink at me?)
And that was just the beginning.
When things calm down a little you're left with a sweet musk. The vanilla, angelica and patchouli stand out to me most, but it's the honeyed feel of the skin at night that is so haunting and tempting in Kewdra. It's incredibly daring and sexual and not just because after the first hour you must be almost at skin level to smell it (and it lasts and last for hours, all through the night if I apply it before bed). It's the extremely animalic scent of the beeswax and ambrette seed that takes residence on the body. I never want it to stop.
One very lucky reader is going to win the fabulous bottle you see in this picture. It contains half an ounce (15ml) of the magical Kewdra from Anya's Garden (the rest of us can buy it in the regular bottles and sample vials from Anya's website. It's already available for sale). To enter the giveaway please leave a comment and tell us:
1. Have you been following the Mystery Of Musk project across the blogs?
2. Which perfumes and/or perfumers have captured your interest the most?
3. What musky perfumes have you been using so far (commercial, natural, niche, mainstream, etc.)?
Photo at the top from the 1996 movie Kama Sutra, featuring the young Naveen Andrews.
Photo of Kewdra bottle by Anya McCoy
The third Mystery Of Musk day brings us a stunner. Dawn Spencer Hurwitz of DSH Perfumes created Musk Eau Natural using nothing that was not on the list of musk-like materials suggested by the Natural Perfumers Guild (containing 21 ingredients, 17 of them botanical, the others are the non-cruelty animal based). Limiting the pallet like this could have ended in a crude half-baked product. Instead, she created a polished, well-balanced gem.
DSH was inspired by the era of the most daring and innovative perfumes, the Art Deco period, that gave us some of the Chanel, Coty and Guerlain classics in their original no holds barred incarnation, real animalic materials and strong sensual sillage. Recreating such an atmosphere within the Guild's guideline is one part of the triumph. The other part is how marvelous it smells.
Musk Eau Natural smells like the fuzzy lovechild of Mecca Balsam (an all natural perfume) and Tauer's L'Air du Deset Marocain (a blend of naturals and synthetics). It's the costus and labdanum, smoky resins and oriental touch that creates this impression right from the top notes. The opening is strong and animalic but it treads on soft paws and has no abrasive edges. It feels like you could wear it at the Algonquin round table and it would instantly contribute to your wit and allow you to mingle.
Somwehere along the scent's long wear (it's a parfum concentration and a couple of drops last for the better part of the day) the base gets sweeter and softer. The ambery nectar of patchouli, vanilla, woods and resins creates that warm feeling of a musky skin. The fragrance is incredibly intimate at this stage, inviting and irresistibly sexy.
Dawn Spencer Hurwitz offers Musk Eau Natural as part of her Parfums des Beaux Arts series together with three other new all-natural musks, including a chypre-musk (called ESME or Mystery of Musk Version 4). There's currently a special summer 20% off offer with code July10 (valid until July 21st). I have every intention to make a good use of it.
Elena of Perfume Shrine has reviewed Musk Eau Natural here. I think her giveaway of a full bottle might still be open, so sign up for it if you haven't already. The full list of participants in the project can be found in yesterday's post. Don't forget: Tomorrow night I'm going to post my review and giveaway of Kewdra by Anya's Garden.
Art: Tamara de Lempicka- The Dream, 1927
Reminder: The Aftelier giveaway is still open for comments here
We continue the natural musk-less musk adventure. I'm anosmic to some musks (I tested some of the oils and blends they sell at Whole Foods and couldn't smell several. Many of those were labeled "Egyptian Musk"), but when I can actually smell them, they are among the best things to ever happen to my skin. The sultry dirty warmth sits very well with me, as is obvious by looking at my personal collection. Experiencing the different musk stories couldn't have been more enjoyable (remind me I said this if we ever do a vanilla project)- I'm not just in my element, I'm in my catnip.
Drifting Sparks from Artemisia Natural Perfume begins smoky and woody. The very animalic quality remains there even as the scent takes a sharp turn and morphs into a big white floral centered around jasmine. It's a bit shrilly on me, but at the same time I can't keep my nose away from my arm when wearing it, trying to follow the progression and constant change and movement. There's a salty quality, sea air that drifts closer and then goes away for a while only to reappear and bring with it a hint of smoke and fire from afar. That's where the musky quality becomes so apparent. My favorite part of Drifting Sparks is the dry-down. The blend of smoke, salty skin and sweetness is a great interpretation of the theme. While it doesn't live long enough on my skin, the two hour journey is exhilarating.
Tallulah B2 by Jane Cate from A Wing & A Prayer Perfumes started so citrusy I was worried at first I got the wrong sample. A juicy blend of grapefruit, orange and mandarin is not how I'd expect a musk perfume to open. Then came the sweet and creamy vanilla, but before one can say Theorema, the scent becomes soft and incredibly fuzzy. It's like smelling Theorema through a thick layer of cashmere- an interesting and pleasant sensation, though not necessarily one I'd connect with the legendary Tallulah Bankhead. But a serious shape-shifting takes place after a while- a very familiar musk appears on my skin and the first time I tried it had me floored- It smelled like a softer version of MKK. That sweet and warm no-longer quite clean skin scent that has a hint of fruit and a whole lot of promised pleasure. I have a feeling this dry-down would have won Ms. Bankhead's approval. It certainly won mine. Longevity is good (more than six hours), sillage lower than low- this is a skin scent if there ever was one.
More musk tomorrow and a big giveaway on Wednesday. In the meantime, please visit the other participants in the project:
I Smell Therefore I Am
Olfactarama
Perfume Shrine
Indie Perfumes
Bitter Grace Notes
CaFleureBon
First Nerve
Olfactory Rescue Service
Grain de Musc
Photos:
Jane at Sunrise by Leora Long
Tallulah Bankhead, photographed by Carl Van Vechten, 1934
Before we start with the new project at hand, just a reminder that the Aftelier contest is still open and everyone is invited to enter and win a mini bottle of a Mandy Aftel creation.
The Natural Perfume Guild is celebrating its fourth anniversary. In the world of artisan perfumery, natural and botanical perfumers are an even smaller group that has taken upon itself to only use perfume ingredients that can be distilled and extracted from nature. And you can definitely smell it. Raw materials have an edge. Sometimes there's a jagged top that is so tactile you don't only smell and "see" a mental picture, you can almost feel the texture of coarsely crushed leaves, roots and fossils in your hand. Other times there's such a velvety smoothness that your skin feels like honey. But the best part of these creations is the hand-made aspect.
I know I'm not telling you anything new, but it's worth repeating: true luxury (and not just in perfume, it's true for jewelry, handbags and cheese) isn't bought at Macy's and doesn't have a famous label one can buy at the mall. True luxury is a unique item, hand-made by a skilled artist who selected the best materials and has a point of view and a personal touch. The natural Perfume Guild brings together the people who create these gems, it educates and promotes quality and artistic expression in perfumery.
The chosen theme for this project is musk. It's such a famous and even notorious note/material, but also often misunderstood or mislabeled. Most people know that in days of yore musk was extracted from a gland in musk deer. Hence the animalic connotations and bad reputation. This hasn't been the case in decades, as musk deer is now a protected species and the use of "real" musk in perfumery is prohibited. But the idea of musk is still very much alive. The warmth, the slightly dirty-in-a-good-way feel, the way it caresses and envelopes your skin- perfumers and perfume wearers would not give it up.
Luckily, similar musky effects can be derived from non-Bambi sources. While ambrette seed and angelica root are the only botanicals that contain microcyclic musk like the real thing, other sources from carrot seed to cumin can give interesting results. Some of the Guild members use strictly botanical materials, others also include cruelty-free animal derived musk products (like goat hair). Ten perfumers are taking part in this project and letting us experience their musk story- the way they perceive and interpret it. Today I'm bringing you two examples- Musk Nouveau by Providence Perfume Co. (perfumer Charna Ethier) and Verdigris from Bellyflowers.
The name Verdigris couldn't be more fitting. This stuff is green. Really green. It's a good example to that raw and jagged edge I mentioned above. Clary sage often does that, and Verdigris augments this green punch-in-the face with fir balsam absolute and green mandarin oil. The latter is so vivid you can almost taste it. It's such an odd sensation and I needed about ten minutes to be able to smell past the green and see the how it relates to musk. Things start sweetening when the heart notes move to the center. While there's more green in the form of violet leaf, it's the lavender-opoponax blend that got me, my nose and my heart. All of a sudden the sharpness was gone and the fantasy began. There's life in the shrubbery, little things awaken and emerge and the earth comes alive. The base is surprisingly darker and thicker. The notes are patchouli, ambergris (a tincture, I assume of the real thing), labdanum, African stone tincture and benzoin. It certainly feels like it's all there- the saltiness, the black fertile earth and a natural sweetness that has nothing to do with food and everything to do with licking your own skin.
Musk Nouveau starts with booze and lots of it. The top notes are sherry and black pepper, but for the first two minutes my skin smelled like I had an accident involving the liqueur cabinet. Then it was all about the tropics and I had an image of a not-quite sober frolicking on a remote beach during on a hot summer night. There were exotic flowers everywhere, including in my hair and in my lovers hands. Seriously, the jasmine and champaca in Musk Nouveau are among the dirtiest I've ever smelled. They no longer make them quite this skanky and it's a shame, really, because if these notes are neutered of their wicked element you also miss on their surrender into the dry-down and the way they swirl into the very thick darkness. Musk Nouveau's base is a plum-colored velvet and patchouli. It's sweet with an almost fruity quality, with just enough herbal angelica from becoming a musk cliché.
Stay tuned for more musky goodness including a giveaway on Wednesday that is going to make one lucky musk-loving reader extremely happy. Don't forget to visit the other participants in the project:
I Smell Therefore I Am
Olfactarama
Perfume Shrine
Indie Perfumes
Bitter Grace Notes
CaFleureBon
First Nerve
Olfactory Rescue Service
Grain de Musc
Art: Zig Brunner, La Vie Parisienne, 1930
Natural Perfumer Mandy Aftel has redesigned and overhauled her website, Aftelier.com. I've spent more time than I care to admit exploring the products and wealth of information she offers about natural perfumes and essences and entertained a little fantasy about commissioning a bespoke perfume. Up until now I was only familiar with the Aftelier scents that are sold at Henri Bendel (my favorites have always been Tango and Fig, but I also have a serious thing for Cacao). But now I've been reading about the EDP formulation, the bath and body line and the chef essences- yes, scents for food by a celebrated perfumer. I've been taking mental notes that can be summed as "want! want! WANT! NEED!".
Now Mandy is offering one of The Non-Blonde readers a mini perfume of their choice (excluding Parfum Prive). To enter the contest you will need to visit Aftelier.com and then come back here to leave a comment that answers the first two questions and optionally the third one:
1. Have you tried any of of Aftelier creations? If not, which one(s) interest you most?
2. What is the ingredient in the center of Parfum Privé?
3. (Optional) What content/features would you like to see added to the Aftelier site? What would make visiting it a better experience?
The contest will remain open until Wednesday, July 7th.
Photo of Mandy Aftel at her perfume organ from the website.
*Disclaimer and clarification: I'm not affiliated with Aftelier and have no commercial interest in this giveaway in any way, shape or form. But you knew that, right?
Photo of a red plumeria in Anya McCoy's garden: Bob McCulley for NY Times
Centered around musk, one of the most fascinating perfumery notes, there are going to be reviews and evaluations of twelve natural musk perfumes created by prominent natural perfume artists. Best of all, each blogger will hold a giveaway for one bottle.
The event will roll out in the beginning of July, so consider this an advance notice. It's going to be an interesting ride...
Participating Perfumers:
Adam Gottschalk – Lord’s Jester
Alexandra Balahoutis – Strange Invisible Perfumes
Alfredo Dupetit – BioScent by dupetit
Ambrosia Jones – Perfume by Nature
Anya McCoy – Anya’s Garden Perfumes
Charna Ethier – Providence Perfumes
Dawn Spencer Hurwitz – DSH Perfumes
Elise Pearlstine – Belly Flower Perfumes
Jane Cate - A Wing and a Prayer Perfumes
JoAnne Bassett – JoAnne Bassett Perfumes
Lisa Fong – Artemisia Perfume
Nicholas Jennings – Sharini Parfums Naturels
Participating Blogs: Perfume Shrine, Bittergrace Notes, Ca Fleure Bon, First Nerve, Grain de Musc, Indie Perfumes, I Smell Therefore I Am, Olfactarama, Olfactory Rescue Service, and of course The Non Blonde.
Stay tuned and make sure to join us for this project.
Natural perfumer Ayala Sender of Ayala Moriel Parfums is offering The Non-Blonde readers the opportunity to win a mini bottle of Yasmin extrait (4ml). To participate in the draw, please leave a comment and tell us about natural perfumes you've tried so far, which ones are your favorites or if you haven't tried any, what makes you interested in natural perfumes.
Image: Winter Jasmine Fairy by Cicely Mary Barker, circa 1930-1940
Jasmin soliflores can go wrong very easily. Make them too indolic and they're mostly unwearable in polite company. Use too much synthetics or cheap materials and you get a bathroom product. Combine the jasmine with too many other high pitched white flowers and you get the olfactory equivalent of a Celine Dion and Clay Aiken lovechild. But when it's done right, jasmine can take you places: a perfect summer night long ago with a special someone. A joyful early morning in the spring, the air is full of birds and hope.
Yasmin by natural perfumer Ayala Sender of Ayala Moriel Parfums is my definition of jasmin perfection. There's a balance between green and creamy; a mild and abstract fruity note that melds and becomes one with the skin. Yasmin is naturally sensual without any hint of vulgarity, and this is the perfumer's greatest achievement in this perfume. She succeeded in avoiding both the familiar clichés of jasmine-centered perfumes (we don't really need another Joy, right?) and the over-sexualized skank.
Yasmin is uplifting as it envelops the wearer in its beauty. The perfume is strong enough to be noticed without invading people's personal space. It's like wearing a very pretty dress that fits you to perfection and flatters you without screaming "fashion statement!". It's not tame, by any means, but you need to look (or smell) closely to notice the danger hidden inside.
Yasmin by Ayala Moriel comes in several sizes, both as a perfume oil ($65, 5ml) and an alcohol based parfum extrait ($110, 9 ml) as well as a creme parfum. Available from ayalamoriel.com, where you can purchase sample sets, which is what I did.
Photo: myvintagevogue.com
The Spring Equnix is a time of renewal and hope. In my part of the world there are tiny buds on the trees, first leaves and stems of the daffodils and tulips, and even my underachiever dwarf lilacs that we brought with us from the old house are showing signs of life. Just like in ancient times, we wish for a beautiful and bountiful season (or at least that the local bunnies and groundhogs stay away from our broccoli).
To celebrate the season, Roxana Villa of Roxana Illuminated Perfume has created her own expression of gratitude and hope- a perfume dedicated to Tethys, the Titan goddess who was considered the source of fresh water, the nourisher of the earth and later the sea personified. It's called GreenWitch and inspired by a Susan Cooper book under the same name.
In my own wild imagination, I see all the natural perfumers as green witches and wizards- the kind and earthy type, not the Margaret Hamilton lookalikes. They create magical potions from real materials that come from the earth and sea and connect us to times of authentic beauty. Roxana's choice to base her GreenWitch on the traditional chypre formula is especially fitting and poignant in light of the industry's rejection of oakmoss, among other raw ingredients.
GreenWitch is, indeed, a chypre. It is as green as they come with immeasurable depth and richness. It starts with a sharp bite and a jagged edge that lets you know we're talking botanicals here- none of the mellow stuff you'd find in a mainstream perfume. There are several additional accords taking it to hidden places- a dirty animalic and a sea green thing that I personally don't fully pick as a note but more as a general tangy feel. And it's green, green, green. I've been wearing it every day since I got the sample and have found that the perfume comes fully into life when I'm outside. It doesn't bloom as much inside the house, but once I'm in the fresh spring air I can smell the full body and impact of the strong base. The lasting power, by the way, is phenomenal.
It has also made me realize how much I miss oakmoss in new perfumes. I love my vintage treasures, but like a true perfume addict I always crave more, and GreenWitch is exactly what I want. My personal hope for the upcoming perfume season is to see a change- a return to artful expression, scents with a spine, character and a story that wasn't composed by a marketing intern.
What do you wish to see in new perfumes? Please share your thoughts and visit the other participating bloggers for their own equinox and GreenWitch impressions:
Perfume Posse (review by Tom from PST)
Bitter Grace Notes (review by Ida Meister)
Scent Hive
The Windsphere Witch
Perfume Shrine
Portland Examiner
Illuminated Perfume Journal
GreenWitch by Roxana Illuminated Perfume ($150, 1/4 oz perfume extract) is available now from Roxana Villa's Etsy store. A portion of each sale of this perfume will go to Greenpeace. I received a sample directly from Roxana.
Photo: A Temple to Tethys by Decrepit Telephone on Flickr.
I don't think I've ever fully grasped the idea of a meditative perfume until I smelled Mecca Balsam by natural perfumer Dominique Dubrana of La Via del Profumo. What I mean is that while I was familiar with the concept and aware of the aromatherapy qualities of several of the usual suspects in such scents, I've never actually experienced a perfume that took me there.
Why is Mecca Balsam different? It might be the depth and rawness of the natural ingredients. There are no minimalistic tricks and gimmicks here- this is the real thing. Unyielding and authentic to the core, Dubrana (also known under the alias AbdesSalaam Attar) wants us to experience the city of Mecca and his spiritual journey with him, and he chose frankincense, agarwood, raw tobacco and labdanum (among several other notes) as his vessel.
The first whiff of Mecca Balsam is nothing short of stunning. It makes you stop, take a deep breath and take it all in. This is not something you'd find at Macy's, where they sell perfumes that aren't supposed to make you feel or think too much. What you get here is dark and dry, resinous and smoky. It creates a certain mood right away. It's very deliberate and there's nothing casual about this scent. The labdanum and tobacco are the most pronounced notes on my skin. They make me feel like I've stepped into a dark, sacred place out of time. Sweet incense is burning in the corner and the red and pink lights of sunrise are felt more than actually seen through an elaborately ornamented window.
It's a mental and emotional place, not a real one, but it feels safe and honest and allows one to take a good introspective look. The scent is strong and would affect your surrounding, but at the same time it's personal and and reflective. I wouldn't wear it to a job interview or a first date (no matter if you're a man or a woman), but your nearest and dearest would be lucky to smell it on you.
Mecca Balsam by La Via del Profumo (€ 34.17, 16 ml or 91.67 euro for 50 ml ) is available directly from www.profumo.it. The rest of La Via Del Profumo Scents of the Soul range can be purchased in a discovery kit that doesn't yet include Mecca Balsam, but The Perfumed Court sells samples of this fragrance.
A press sample was provided to me by the perfumer.
Photo: A guide pricking the bark of a frankincense tree in Oman from dallasnews.com.
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