Ode to Some Yellow Flowers: Honey Blossom by Mandy Aftel

By Marina Ordinarily I think of mimosa and linden as of ethereal flowers...not quite of this lowly world. There is something in the airy, frail transparency of their aroma that lends itself to this kind of almost angelic imagery. Mandy Aftel's Honey Blossom certainly retains that non-corporeal quality of the flowers...it does however place their feat firmly on the ground. Roots them in the ground even. The perfumer brings out a certain edible quality from linden, a certain almost doughy, crumbly feel. She infuses the yellow mimosa with even more life, juiciness and color by adding orange blossom to the blend. She makes the mix appear soft, warm and sensual by using benzoin. And most importantly she lets ambergris bring out the animal in the delicate flowers, making the fragile petals smells unexpectedly dirty, earthy and human, only too human. "We are and will be dust. Not air, not fire, nor water but earth, only earth we will be and maybe also some yellow flowers." (Pablo Neruda) Available at aftelier.com, $45.00-$150.00. Image source, Corbis.