Gettin' your fashion on with Pantone 18-3027, also known as Purple Orchid (a perfume review - Escentual Alchemy)

image: my own

Last Autumn, 13.87% of designers used this lovely pinked-purple in their designs during Fall Fashion Week in NY. ^source  Don't look at me like that! I don't keep track - but clearly someone does. Pantone has been tracking color trends for a long time (since 1963), and predicting them, too. They picked #18-3027 as one of The Colors for Fall '10.

So did Amanda Feeley, natural perfumer and owner of Escentual Alchemy. While considering the Pantone shades of Fall (fashion navel gazing?) she wondered what this perfect shade of purple would smell like.

What's a natural perfumer to do when musings like that take over? Clearly, "make a perfume!" is the answer. And so she did, and named it the same as the inspiration: Purple Orchid (it trips off the tongue more smoothly than 18-3027, after all).

Now, I didn't have a chance to try this perfume until this year, Fall '11. I'm one year behind, as are my fashion choices. Don't worry, though. Unlike last season's handbag (please be sure to read that with a air of disdain, as typed), this scent won't embarrass you.

Purple Orchid smelled, when first applied, familiar. I couldn't quite place the scent, but I wanted to describe it as an upscale lollipop. I'm not sure why, though. I mean it as no insult - it's a beautiful scent! The first notes, though, at least on my skin, were sweet and nuanced and almost candied.

I fully expected this scent to evaporate off of my skin quickly, but a few hours later it's still lightly wafting. Wait? I forgot to tell you what it smells like once you lick to the middle of the lollipop, didn't I? Lovely waves of lavender and rose, that's what. Still sweet but not candy-ish. It's still got levels of interest that belie the meager list of notes: rose, lavender, white cognac. I'm still not sure what cognac smells like, but there are soft woods hiding in the drydown behind the delicate floral veil.

I love it.

Now to see about updating that handbag...

Amanda sells her perfumes on Artfire under the name "Absinthe Dragonfly".

A sample of this fragrance was provided for consideration for review. 

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