Scents of Place: The Artisan Advantage

By Donna The debate over natural versus synthetic perfumes is ongoing, and both viewpoints have their proponents. It is generally agreed that mixed media compositions are usually the most successful artistically, while purely synthetic scents can lack character and seem faceless or cheap. Naturals often have issues with longevity and the unavoidable limiting factor of fewer source materials to work with. However, there is one thing that fragrances with a high percentage of natural materials can do that synthetics cannot, in my experience; evoke an actual sense of place, and “three dimensional” impressions of the real world. It is true that any aroma, not just of a perfume, can trigger a memory or an emotion. Fragrances can do it by design, and a skilled perfumer can orchestrate smells to bring forth a complex array of sensations. This is where artisan perfumery displays one of its greatest strengths – without accountants, focus groups and brand managers looking over their collective shoulders, they are free to follow their own ideas to conclusion and draw the rest of us into their world. I am highlighting just a few of these ideas from recent introductions by some of our most talented fragrance artists. Shelley Waddington of En Voyage Perfumes created Rainmaker to celebrate her new hometown of Portland, Oregon (which is also where I live) and its unique cultural vibe. Appropriately, it has an ozonic note, but it also has a grounded feel to it. To me it smells like a wet day in the city when it has just been raining and the evaporating moisture fills the air, amplifying the smells of wet pavement, old trees, muddy earth, bark mulch, grass and crushed flowers under a dramatic sky. Anything with a petrichor note will capture my attention, and this one gets it just right. In other words, it smells very much like an idealized version of my own neighborhood, and if I step out into my garden on such a day I will have a very Rainmaker experience. It has a cologne-like transparency, yet it maintains its fresh appeal for a long time into the drydown, a testament to what a well-judged blend of naturals and synthetics can accomplish. Truly unisex, the appeal of this easy to live with scent is very broad. The opposite of the cool wet Northwest is the desert, a place Amber Jobin of Aether Arts Perfumes knows well; Red Dodecahedron is the latest in her Burner series based on her annual pilgrimage to the Burning Man festival in Nevada. The immediate sensation from this fragrance for me is sun-baked dust sifting into everything; I have no idea how this was done but it’s very impressive. It does not stop there, but continues to develop into a sensual fragrance that includes black pepper, chamomile and a base of woods and resins including frankincense and sandalwood. It also has an animalic quality, bringing to mind the earthy denizens of Burning Man. After being in the desert sands, a cool beverage is most welcome, and her new Strawberry Sling perfume oil just hits the spot. This is a scent that emerged from the perfumer’s own experience of sipping a cocktail while smelling flowers blooming nearby, and it’s so delicious that it should have a warning label on it that says “do not drink.” A blend of lemon-scented natural essences results in the exhilarating zest of freshly squeezed Meyer lemons, mixed with a spot-on vodka accord accented with rosemary and a strawberry note paired with rose. I really loved this one, and I am hoarding my sample to wear when summer comes around again and it’s too hot for most other kinds of perfume. This is a textbook example of the kind of fun, offbeat work to emerge from the studios of indie perfumers who have free rein over their own work. Sometimes a perfumer chooses to pay homage to Mother Nature in a more specific way; in The Voices of Trees, Dawn Spencer Hurwitz of DSH Perfumes creates a scent that feels like an evergreen forest, with richly balsamic resin perfuming the air as the trees tower overhead, swaying gently in the wind. As narrow as its focus is, it is more than just a “smell” and works perfectly as a fully realized fragrance. I can’t open the vial without thinking of the woods behind my house when I was a child, a place where I spent endless hours among the pine, spruce and hemlock trees. Another recent DSH creation, the limited edition La Belle Saison evokes the sensation of fresh lilacs in the spring. Unlike virtually all other lilac perfumes, which are reconstructions that contain synthetics, this is an all-natural composition that gives the impression of lilacs without the usual photo-realistic aroma found in most of them, and contains no actual lilac. Instead, the effect is of being in a garden that has lilacs blooming but which also encompasses the other aromas of spring – green leaves, wet grass, drifts of scent from other flowers. It is as fresh and delicate as a rain-drenched panicle of white lilac blossoms, its beauty even further enhanced by its extrait de parfum concentration. It’s not just places that can be conjured up by a fragrance. In the masterful Memento Mori from Aftelier Perfumes, natural perfumer Mandy Aftel has advanced her alchemical art yet again with a stunning creation that is sure to bring to mind not only familiar places, but a human presence. Just inhaling the scent from the vial resulted in a swirl of emotions and half-remembered flickers of the past. I felt as though I had arrived home on a cold winter night and entered a place filled with warmth; standing in the doorway of a comfortable old farmhouse filled with the sweetness of wood smoke and the funky dampness of drying-out wool coats, the lingering aftermath of baking, and most of all the musky, physical embrace of a beloved person. It is remarkable how much this fragrance evokes a living being; if you have ever held a sweater or robe that belonged to someone you loved and missed and breathed deeply of it to bring them closer, you have some idea of what Memento Mori is like. It almost feels too private to wear in public places, being meant for either solitude or closeness; on skin it gradually becomes almost unnervingly intimate, like skin-to-skin contact with a lover, and capable of bringing strong emotions to the surface unbidden. It is powerful and beautiful, but not in the least pretty. It may seem strange to ascribe such power to a perfume, but I think anyone who smells this will fall under the same spell. Image credits: Rainy day wallpaper from crafthubs.com; Vintage strawberry patterned (actual) wallpaper detail from Etsy seller wallpaperyourworld; “Lilac Party” wallpaper from desktopnexus.com; lighted doorway at night wallpaper from desktopimages.com. Disclosure: I received free samples from all the perfumers whose perfumes I reviewed in this post.

Pagans and Petrichor: New Burning Man fragrances from Aether Arts Perfume

By Donna Perfumer Amber Jobin of Aether Arts Perfume makes a pilgrimage each year that most of us can only wonder about; she attends the annual Burning Man festival in the vast Black Rock Desert of Nevada. This celebration of art, music, creativity, personal expression of every kind and any number of things that are almost certainly banned in Boston is an ongoing inspiration for her, and the “Burner” series of perfume oils is a tribute to its influence on her aesthetic. I am very pleased to review the two newest scents in the series, which showcase Ms. Jobin's impressive and growing talent. Sensuality is one of the main associations many people have with Burning Man – the “let it all hang out” dress code and encouraging of uninhibited behavior results in a a potent stew amounting to what may be the largest gathering of free spirits on the planet. Black Rock City is the embodiment of this atmosphere, an earthy, sexy perfume that cannot be mistaken for anything ordinary or tame. Named for the temporary community of thousands that springs up every year and then vanishes at the festival's conclusion, it was created in 2010 and only released to the public in 2015; Black Rock City is Number 1 in the Burner series. It is 95 percent natural and combines timeless desert essences like sage, mesquite and cedar in a deep, resinous composition that somehow evokes the scent of warm bodies to my nose, even though it is also quite dry and woody. It has a subtle vanillic sweetness from mesquite blossoms – an essence I have never smelled in a perfume before now – and is grounded in a base of cedar and mesquite wood. This deceptively simple formula is very long-lasting and complex, and must be experienced on skin for the full effect, as it just keeps getting better as the hours pass. On the opposite end of the fragrance spectrum, Reflection (Burner No. 6) captures the sensation of the desert after a rare rainstorm, ominous with thunder and lightning yet brimming with life as thirsty desert plants spring up virtually overnight and flowers open their blooms to the sky after a long drought. The sensation of rain-washed earth evoked by this fragrance is astonishingly true to life, and it succeeds where so many have failed in capturing the exhilarating post-rain aroma known as petrichor. I have never been a big fan of ozone scents (exception: Ms. Jobin's own Argent, see link in first paragraph), mainly because they almost never seem to get it right, but this one does, blending the sharp, penetrating character of ozone with the tender scent of flowers and the soft wetness of still rain pools. Sage, mesquite and cedar make appearances here too, along with cactus flower, yucca flower and sage blossom accords. Even though it shares ingredients with Black Rock City, the two fragrances are worlds apart in style; Reflection is a testament to the artistic possibilities of mixed media perfumery, being 45 percent natural and 55 percent synthetic. (Both fragrances are made in oil form equal to 45 percent extrait, so their longevity is impressive.) The two can also be layered together for a truly unique experience; in fact, that works wonderfully well on my skin. The extremes of wet ozone and dry wood cancel each other out just enough to allow the lighter herbal and floral notes to shine, like the breath of green plants rising from the warming earth as the rain evaporates under the desert sun. I give an enthusiastic thumbs up to them both, either by themselves or in combination. Image credit: Lightning storm in the Black Rock Desert, Nevada wallpaper photo via tophdwallpapers.club. Disclosure: I received my samples for testing from Aether Arts Perfume.

Aether Arts & DSH Perfumes prize draw - The winners

Random.org has spoken and the winners have been chosen! The winner of the 5.5 ml roller ball of Aether Arts Incense Indica is Sujaan. The winner of the 1 dram of concentrated oil perfume in the winner's choice of the DSH Perfumes Cannabis Culture Collection  is Lyubov. Hit the "Contact  me" button on the right and give us your mailing address. Congratulations!

Contact High: The new Cannabis fragrances from Aether Arts and DSH Perfumes -And a Prize Draw!

By Donna Colorado was one of the first states in the U.S. to legalize marijuana, and as it happens, that is also where two talented indie perfumers happen to live and work. I am sure that the backers of the movement to decriminalize this ancient plant did not anticipate that one of the “side effects” would be the inclusion of it in perfumery, but that's what happened. I am here to tell you that these are not novelties or jokes, they are real, quality fragrances that are very enjoyable to wear. The intensely green fougère called Agrestic from the Cannabis Culture Collection by DSH Perfumes (all of which I tested in the concentrated oil formulation) made me sit up and take notice because it manages to do something I never expected - it reminded me of one of my very favorite classic chypres, the original Jean-Louis Scherrer, because of its depth and dark green character. Had I smelled it and not known that it contain cannabis, I would not have dreamed it was in there. There is also a gorgeous hay note of course, and the combination of that with the cannabis works effortlessly. I never could stand the smell of marijuana smoke, but the heady, leafy aroma of the fresh plant is another thing altogether. It makes an excellent stand-in for patchouli and other aromatic herbal notes commonly used in fragrance, and in Agrestic it contributes to the overall green mood I love so much. The Green House is a feast for the senses, especially for gardeners; just one sniff and you have suddenly entered a warm, humid hothouse, with the clean earthiness of the soil and the breath of living plants hanging in the damp air. It is remarkably true to the real thing and I could not help smiling as I breathed it in. The top notes don't last very long, and it soon segues into a pleasing and mild green phase with a light, lemony quality and a touch of hay. This one is perfectly safe for the office and no one will ever know your little secret. If you prefer something that gives more of a nod to the characteristic smell of marijuana, you will enjoy I Love You Mary Jane. It has the sweet stickiness of the fresh bud blended with fruity and floral notes. Such diverse ingredients as jasmine, osmanthus, Damask rose, blackberry, mango, rhubarb, grapefruit and yuzu contribute to its unique profile, and its complexity kept me coming back to press my nose to my arm as the kaleidoscope of scents unfolded. Using rhubarb was a stroke of genius, its sour juiciness a perfect mate for the pungency of the cannabis. I Love You Mary Jane is unapologetic about its origins, and that is part of its considerable charm. The final fragrance in the DSH Perfumes collection is Rocky Mountain High, and it features something that is new to me in perfumery – skunk accord. Yes, she went there; but don't worry, none of our little striped friends were harmed in its making. In this creation, the cannabis is paired with the skunk and with woodsy evergreens – balsam fir, juniper, cypress – and various green herbal notes such as clary sage, basil and galbanum. A profound base of hemp, frankincense and amber rounds out the composition, which smells for all the world like a high end masculine scent from a luxury niche house. The skunk accord has the effect of creating a sexy, musky vibe that underlies the rather somber mix of dark green shades, and it ends up being an imposing and mature fragrance that's easy to wear yet entirely suitable for formal occasions. It is this one out of the four that best makes the case for the use cannabis as one would employ patchouli in a fragrance. Amber Jobin of Aether Arts Perfumes has also launched a new fragrance that features cannabis, and it is a world apart from the DSH scents. Incense Indica is her take on a classic, even ancient, style of perfume, and it's a Folger's Crystals® moment – she has substituted cannabis for frankincense, which would normally be the centerpiece of an incense fragrance, and yes, we did notice. This is a knockout of a perfume, and incense lovers are in for a treat. (I never thought I would say this, but I did not even miss the frankincense, which is one of my favorite things in perfume.) Incense Indica is the latest entry in the Burner series; each year, Ms. Jobin makes a perfume inspired by the Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert and its unique subculture of free expression. It is lush and rich, all honeyed smoke and sex and dark earthiness from cannabis resin and myrrh, embellished with Sambac jasmine, this must be one of the the least “churchy” incense perfumes I have ever smelled. Its longevity is approximately forever. This style of perfume is not for everyone, but for those who appreciate a good incense this will surely deliver the goods. This is not the first cannabis perfume Ms. Jobin has made – her 2011 Burner scent, the green chypre A Roll In The Grass, was very nicely done and highly wearable – my review of it it here. Thanks to the generosity of both perfumers, we are giving away two prizes! Aether Arts is offering a 5.5 ml roller ball of Incense Indica, and DSH Perfumes will give a 1 dram miniature of concentrated perfume oil of the winner's choice of any one of the four Cannabis Culture Collection perfumes. This is a worldwide draw, open to everyone; please be sure to specify whether you want to enter the draw for Aether Arts or DSH Perfumes. The draw will close one week after the publication of this review. Good luck! Image credit: Abstract cannabis motif from wallpaperscraft.com Disclosure: All the samples for this review were sent to me for testing by DSH Perfumes and Aether Arts.

New Horizons in Fragrance: Aether Arts Perfume

By Donna Every so often it's good to discover something that makes you rethink your position, or your taste, or whether or not you can be persuaded to like something you were firmly convinced you could never embrace. Well, I just had to eat my hat about marine/ozonic fragrances because I have discovered one that I really, really like, in the most unexpected way. It is Argent by the talented new perfumer Amber Jobin of Aether Arts Perfume in Colorado. Even more impressive, it is not only a member of a perfume family that I have professed to dislike overall, but it has mint in it, which is a notoriously difficult note to incorporate with other perfume ingredients. Argent is airy and refreshing, minty-cool without being a cliché of the “toothpaste” variety, and thoroughly enjoyable to wear. According to Ms. Jobin, she was inspired by the idea of the stratosphere (also known as the “ether”) when making it, and it's easy to visualize all that arching blue space when smelling it. Coriander, silver fir, petitgrain and rosemary keep the mint company on top; I think the rosemary is the key to tying them all together and keeping the mint from being too dominant. Floral notes, pear and watermelon chime in, followed by a base of musk, frankincense, galbanum (one of my favorite notes), seaweed absolute and cedar. I love that this has real seaweed as well as the Calone of of the melon note, which makes it actually smell of the ocean. I have tried all natural fragrances that use seaweed and seashells and of course mainstream fragrances using synthetic marine notes are everywhere; I have never experienced them together in the same scent, and it's wonderful. Kudos to the perfumer for this winning entry into the fragrance world. I should not really be surprised, because Ms. Jobin has apprenticed with Dawn Spencer Hurwitz of DSH Perfumes for the past five years, and is continuing to learn from one of our best American perfumers. Argent is a marvelous summer fragrance and so is A Roll in the Grass, which is just what it sounds like, with a twist – some of the “grass” is good old marijuana, or cannabis, in a fragrance inspired by the Burning Man festival “Rites of Passage” theme in 2011. Fortunately it's the green pre-smoked note that's in the perfume, so you won't get any funny looks when you wear it. There is plenty of fresh-cut grass of the other kind in here too, along with basil, oregano, fir needle, galbanum, a good “dirty” jasmine, rose, patchouli and oakmoss. Sound familiar? Yes, it's a real honest-to-goodness chypre, nice and sharp and vivid green, one of my favorite styles and very nicely done. This is exactly the right thing to wear to a barbecue, lawn party, outdoor concert, or just to kick back and relax in your own backyard on a hot summer evening. It can even be a stealth perfume for wearing to work; it's sophisticated enough for the office like all its kind, and only you will know that the Mary Jane you have on has nothing to do with your shoes. Ms. Jobin has been profoundly influenced by the Burning Man festival and way of life; the third perfume I tested was also inspired by the movement. “Fertility” was the theme Burning Man in 2012, and in accordance with that, Inuus is one heck of a sensuous perfume. It is a mélange of floral, spicy, honey and woody notes, and to me it is a truly outstanding incense perfume, not very sweet despite the list of notes, and certainly suitable for unisex wear. Inuus (pronounced IN-oo-oos) was the Roman god of fertility and copulation – no romance, just sex, and no holds barred. Sambac jasmine and intense Moroccan rose hold court at first, then give way to a delicious blend of spices with white pepper and the slow burn of paprika. The base includes patchouli, sandalwood, benzoin, myrrh, labdanum, honey, beeswax and sumac, the last being a really unusual ingredient that is used as a flavoring in Middle Eastern cuisine. It adds a unique and pungent smokiness to the mix which I find to be quite irresistible. As with most perfumes in this general style, it only gets better the longer it's worn, and after several hours you might feel pretty irresistible yourself. Inuus is probably my favorite of the trio, but as I tried each one repeatedly I found new aspects to appreciate, and I would be happy to own any of them. One thing I really like is that these fragrances come in oil form, in a strength equal to a 25% Eau de Parfum concentration, so a little bit goes a long way and will last well on the skin. Find these fragrances in the Aether Arts Etsy store; samples are available too.   Image credit: Earth's stratosphere and the Moon from NASA Earth Observatory's Flickr library. Disclosure: I received samples of all perfumes tested directly from Aether Arts Perfume.