Momento Mori - by Mandy Aftel for Aftelier

I'm obsessed with The Day of the Dead because it celebrates life rather than focusing on loss. Similarly, momento mori jewelry and art are meant to remind the wearers/viewers of their mortality while often also using relics (hair is a common one) of departed loved ones as a way to remember their lives fondly. 

Honestly, I'm always drawn to ornate and beautiful momento mori jewelry when I see it in antique stores, but am also repelled. This perfume captures the beauty and earthiness of these precious rings, lockets, and brooches well, and I'm at once entranced and put off by it. At least, I was the first time I wore it.

Mandy Aftel's tribute to these unique pieces of mourning jewelry is simply called Momento Mori. 

A natural perfume, as all of the Aftelier scents are, based on "the musklike smell of skin," is a tricky one. And it was a labor of love for the perfumer.

In Mandy's words:

"This was a deeply personal perfume for me to create. Memento Mori is about the tender memories of the skin and body of someone with whom you have been intimate, and the ways that you treasure and long for that which you remember when they are lost to you. We want to hold the vanished beauty close even as we experience the piercing quality of memory."

Momento Mori opened with a fiercely animalic pulse on my skin. It's buttery, intimate flesh, and there's no getting away from it. 

After a half an hour or so, the scent settles on my skin and becomes more translucent and diaphonous. 

Don't be mistaken! It's still animalic and raw, but to my mind Mandy's showing us how grief morphs and becomes a little easier to stomach.  

The heart of the perfume is softly floral, more gentle yet. You're leaning in to catch the intimate smell of a loved one's skin. Your memories are fond, if still slightly unsettling. 

I find myself pressing my nose into my skin at this stage, really enjoying the unusual interplay of notes: rose, often used in funerals, dances with more skinlike notes as the scent morphs again towards its drydown. 

Hours of drydown ensue, leaving us with more skin, more intimacy, more memories. 

While patchouli and civet are present, neither dominates the scent, which keeps it still in the more intimate, personal realm rather than veering toward the barnyard. This stage of the scent is almost transluscent, like the veil of a memory. 

Momento Mori is a masterful show of perfumery. Intricate and yet blunt, much like the jewelry it's meant to represent.

The journey taken from top to bottom of Momento Mori is delightful, though this scent isn't going to be for everyone. The daring perfumista/o (this scent is not gendered) may enjoy this fleshly ride through love and loss, just as only certain people are going to enjoy momento mori art and jewelry.

I, personally, love the journey. 

Top: butter, orris, phenylacetic acid.
Middle: Turkish rose absolute, phenylethyl alcohol.
Base: beta ionone, ambreine, ambergris, antique civet, patchoulyl acetate.

Now available at Aftelier.com 

Sample provided by the perfumer. 

Down-and-Dirty Review: Porcini mushroom bouquet

Perfume .025ml $125

Cepes and Tuberose is weird. 

I like weird.

This perfume, by Aftelier Perfumes, is intensely earthy, like picking up a handful of gritty Spring dirt, bursting with both decay and new life, and letting it run through your fingers. 

It is also deeply floral, like sticking your full face in the most gorgeous bouquet of expensive tuberose, accented with a few pristine white roses bred for scent. 

This is one of those scents that needs to be smelled to be understood, as cepes -porcini mushrooms- seemingly makes no sense whatsoever with perfume. 

By mixing the two essences, cepes and tuberose, perfumer Mandy Aftel brings an earthiness out of

EDP 1ml $180

the tuberose that is unexpected and simply startling in its loveliness. 

This scent picks up an almost leathery tone, like the inside of a very old and worn vintage bag hiding a perfume-laden women's hankie inside. A musky scent is folded in (that's musky, not musty!). And the scent fades slowly away. 

So, in the end, it all makes sense. It gets where it gets in an unconventional way and ends up being stunning. 

Cepes and Tuberose is weird. I like weird. It's one of my favorites in the Aftelier line-up, and my next purchase. I consider the whole experience quite sensual. 

Perfume & flask (so cool)
$300

Unisex. Sillage: skinscent to moderate if you are an enthusiastic sprayer; length of wear: 4-5 hours+; price: reasonable for niche; the mini makes it quite affordable. This is a unique fougere scent that may not be for everyone, but I highly recommend. Personally, I think it's highly sexy. Samples of perfume or edp for $6; mini perfume bottle for $50; other sizes available: Aftelier.com

Disclosure: Review based on the edp; sample graciously provided by the perfumer. 

Smoking vanilla with Mandy Aftel

 

This blog only temporarily seems like an ode to Mandy Aftel. She simply is one of the first to pick up on the fact that I am blogging again, and I also like to imagine that we're friends, so she has submitted quite a bit of recent work for me to review. Also, she's just so good I have no reluctance to write because there are none of those not-so-glowing reviews that are always waiting around the corner for a perfume reviewer. Don't worry, I have other reviews coming (DSH (!) among others). 

ANYWAY... 

Today I'm wafting quite literally. I'm smoking! I have an edp on the left hand and a parfum concentration of the same scent on the right. I am so dang lucky I can't stand it. I've got on Vanilla Smoke, and it's so stunning I had to ponder on this review a while before I could get my mind together to write it. (It didn't stop me from buying mini.)

Vanilla Smoke 0.25oz Parfum

Vanilla Smoke edp 1ml
in organic alcohol

Vanilla Smoke 1/4 oz Parfum
 in organic alcohol

So, as is clear from the above, Aftelier Perfumes' Vanilla Smoke comes in two concentrations: an edp/eau de parfum and a parfum/perfume strength. I'll do ye olde compare/contrast here. Remember those papers we had to do in school, comparing and contrasting things? It's going to be like that, but a little more interesting. Well, I hope so. I mean, you're here because you want to be, not because someone forced you to read this review, right? If they did, let me know who did so I can slip them a fiver. That's awesome. 

The general rundown of what this scent smells like is going to sound the same. It's a smokey vanilla, folks. Try not to fall over in shock. 

This is a fairly straight-forward, "simplistic" scent, but don't let that statement fool you. This is not to say the scent is basic or not dynamic. 

According to the perfumer, top notes are yellow mandarin, Siam wood, saffron absolute, and vanillin. There are no "heart" notes listed.  Base notes are listed as vanilla absolute, lapsang souchong (tea), ambergris, and coumarin. 

My vision of Vanilla Smoke edp

Vanilla Smoke - THE EDP

I'm sort of "over" breaking down scents into notes. I'm finding it tedious, trite, and insulting to the perfumes themselves, but due to the fact that I'm comparing/contrasting two versions of the same scent, I'll do it this one last time.

When I wear the edp version of this scent, I find it more transcluscent and bright than the other.

This scent opens with a bit more of the sparkle brightness of the mandarin and the Siam wood.

I get a distinct rootbeer note (or more distinctly, birchbeer - have you had it before?).  I spoke with Mandy and we decided this little trick was most likely the saffron. It made me giggle the first time I smelled it, but now I do find it annoying. It passes quickly, to my relief.

I find the edp airy, bright, sheer, open. It's got more space in it than the perfume.

The edp version of Vanilla Smoke stays lighter and more flirtatious, in my opinion, than the parfum strength, though she does pick up a bit of depth from the ambergris, tea, and coumarin later in her development.

This is a lovely version of the scent and I do adore it.

Vanilla Smoke - THE PERFUME

My vision of Vanilla Smoke perfume

When it came time to order one of these, because I totally "needed" this in my life, I ordered the perfume mini. I'm addicted to these minis, by the way. They are petite little bon bons that should be available by every perfumer - price-wise, right in the zone, size-wise, so portable (I always have at least two in my wallet (my wallet!).

I am totally off topic now, aren't I?

Let's do this. When it came time to order one of these, because I totally "needed" this in my life, I ordered the perfume mini. The perfume strength speaks to me more.

While the notes list seems identical, the way they play out on the skin is subtly, but markedly, different.

The "birchbeer accord" is present, but fleeting. The perfume strength Vanilla Smoke dives more directly into vanilla, spending less time flirting with the mandarin and Siam wood. I smell them. They peek out and then they're gone. This is all about the vanilla and the tea and the coumarin, though.

We're all basenotes, all the time, in this version. And once those deepen, we get that ambergris, and the musky husky depth happens and we get sexy vibes all over the place. This is flirty vanilla all over. And yet it still remains breathy and open, never cloying and heavy.

It's brilliant, really, as any other vanilla-centric scent I've smelled with darker notes like this has always taken that heavy-breathing into a smothering place that isn't terribly unpleasant but certainly gets cloying in hot weather. This, Vanilla Smoke, would never! I can see wearing this in any temperature whatsoever.

And so that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I had to have a bottle. And I may go back and get some of that edp, as well, because it is also beautiful. Speaking of gentlemen: YES, you can wear this. PLEASE DO. I encourage it. Either strength.

Unisex. Projection: skin scent; Length-of-wear: edp- 4-6 hours+, perfume 6-8 hours+. The premise of the scent, as set out by Mandy, is that Vanilla Smoke is meant to be sexy, exotic, mysterious. I accept that premise, however I find the edp's version of sexy to be a more innocent, flirtatious type of sexy and exotic, like a young woman in a foreign bar you'd meet on a vacation, while the perfume is more like meeting the Mata Hari.  The pricepoint is reasonable for niche perfume, and the packaging is always a beautiful experience. Samples are available for $6 each. Aftelier Perfumes: Vanilla Smoke.

Disclosure: samples submitted by the perfumer

Photo Credits

Vanilla Smoke perfume photo representation: Esmerelda Seay-Reynolds, Vogue Germany; Photo: Mario Testino

Vanilla Smoke perfume photo representation: Emma Karlsson,Vogue Australia; Photographer: unknown

Radiant skin from Aftelier and Aroma M

Do you hate your skin? If so, scurry along. I'll wait. Bye.

Ok, now that the riff raff is gone, the rest of us can discuss keeping our skin its radiant best.

Enter: Aftelier and Aroma M.

But wait, Jen! Those are PERFUME companies. Have you gone mental?! 

I have, but that's irrelevant. And rude that you brought it up, frankly. 

Yes, those are perfume companies, but focus, people. I know what I'm talking about. I'm a professional. No, really: I am. I'm a professional makeup artist. 

And my main artist philosophy is "if you have terrible skin, your makeup will look awful."

You heard me. No makeup artist can fix bad skin on set. Only Photoshop can do that.

So...

Meet skincare oils. Yes: OILS.

Stop making me repeat myself. Geesh.

Your skin has oils anyway, so if you add the right oils into your routine, your skin will thank you by glowing in that way it hasn't since you were a child. 

Radiance, not shine. 

Oils were the original skincare. Put away the chemicals and get back to basics, ya'll. Here's how...

camellia

CLEANSING:

Aroma M, by the lovely Maria McElroy, has you covered, with the Cleansing Oil addition to her breathtaking Camellia Oil collection. It's rich in antioxidants and super nourishing, but rinses off and leaves just a hint of dewiness. 

Use this to whisk off makeup easily, as it deftly dissolves even stubborn pigments and nasty bacteria, so you don't have to obsess about all the yuck on there and you can believe your skin has always been as clean as the day you were born. It leaves your skin simply soft, impeccable, and looking radiant, like you've scrubbed it with angels wings. It also stays nice and hydrated for hours, soft as a baby's tushie.

Or once a week let it sink into the skin during a 3-4 minute massage (face/neck/décolletage). Thank me later. 

Ingredients:  beneficial fatty acids like Organic Camellia Seed Oil, Organic Rice Bran Oil, Organic Golden Jojoba Oil, Organic Vitamin E, Organic Essential Oils of Neroli, Yuzu, Rosemary and Frankincense. It smells heavenly.

Suitable for all skintypes. Really. Even you boys.

See also: Camellia Body/Bath Oil*; Camellia Perfume*; Camellia Hair Oil*; Camellia Face Oil* all available at Aroma M.

Geisha approved.

*This Blog Really Stinks owned and approved

jasmine

MOISTURIZING:

Aftelier, by goddess Mandy Aftel, creates skincare divinity: Organic Face Elixirs. Today's offering is her newest, Jasmine. 

Here's the thing. I love to hydrate with oils. Especially Mandy's. 

Organic Jasmine Face Elixir is SO good it's like inhaling the Garden of Eden and all of the goodness and sin that comes with it. Only, this time the gods and goddess approve, and so does your skin. And there's no snake or apple.

Wait. This is getting confusing.

Just put a few drops of this elixir (oil) on your fingertips and press it into your skin after cleansing, then let it soak in. You'll swear unicorns blessed you with their magic. You'll radiate glowy youth and vigor without a hint of oiliness. Scout's honor. 

And it smells slightly spicy and jamine-y (literary license says I can make up that word). If you put this on at night, you'll fall asleep to lovely dreams and awaken looking like a model*. I also wear it during the day, but you may not want to if you wear face makeup - it may be a tad too hydrating. 

Ingredients: jasmine sambac, harvested in India, in a base of organic oils - rice bran, sweet almond, apricot kernel, camellia, grapeseed, squalene, and rose hip seed. Some oily skins or combo skins in the oily areas may find this a bit too rich - so try a sample first. 

See also: Organic Honeysuckle Face Elixir**; Organic Rose Face Elixir; Ancient Resins Body and Hair Elixir**; Chocolate & Saffron Body and Hair Elixir; Patchouli Spice Body and Hair Elixir; Pear, Fir, and Coffee Body and Hair Elixir. 

All available at Aftelier. 

*This may not be a real thing. But your skin will be lovely, I promise. 

**This Blog Really Stinks owned and approved

Disclosure: samples provided by the perfumers/manufacturers, with thanks.

If you have a face with skin on it, read this.

As a child, did you ever climb through brambles on the way to those beautiful, bobbing heads of honeysuckle, pinch off a blossom, and suck the nectar out? I know I did! I recognized the scent of those thick, full vines way before I spotted them on one of the many pathways near our house. And I still lean over and take a whiff now, though they surely aren't as prevalent as I seem to recall them being back when I was young. 

Well, if honeysuckle is a fond childhood memory for you like it is for me, AND you have a face with skin, you're going to be so excited to hear what I'm talking about today!

It's good. 

Damn good.

Really mind-blowingly good.

Dance around with a smile on your face, holy grail, hug strangers good.

Natural perfumer Mandy Aftel has a collection of skincare products in her Aftelier Perfumes line. They are divine. How I have managed to not blog about them is, frankly, appalling and shameful. I could have sworn I had, and I will rectify that with haste. 

At any rate, today I'm talking about a newish addition to the line. It's, of course, all kinds of natural, because this is Mandy Aftel we're talking about. And, unless you're particularly tired or un-coffee'd today, you have probably guessed it's got honeysuckle in it. Yup. Beautiful, rare, organic honeysuckle, sourced from Italy. 

In fact the whole product, a face oil, is organic. (Score!) So: Organic Honeysuckle Face Elixir is what we have going on today. 

If you have never put an oil on your face, do not stop reading. Trust me. I'm a doctor.

I am totally not a doctor. That was a blatant lie.

But I am a makeup artist. 

And I have been using oils on my face for over two years, exclusively. No creams. No regular jars of moisturizers. No makeup removers, either. Just oils. And if you're shaking your head saying, "Jen, you are nuts!" Well, yes. Yes, I am, but that is not the point.

Even oily-skinned people and those with acne can -and SHOULD!- use oils on their faces. Just the correct oils. I have gone from having some visible fine lines and some acne (I'm *gulp* 43) while using an arsenal of expensive, high-end, store-bought products, to having almost imperceptible lines and barely any breakouts, even At That Time of The Month. Thank you face oils! And yes, oils are fabulous for men, too. (They give a great shave, btw)

Here's the deal. You put about two, maybe three, drops of the oil on your fingers. You spread it around a bit on all of your fingertips. You then press -do not rub!- it into freshly washed skin. Ladies, that third (or even a fourth) drop will be beneficial on your throat, neck, and decolletage. Anything left on your fingers should be pressed on the back of your hands.*

*This is a rule you are to follow from now on with all skincare including sunscreen or you will have ugly old lady/old man hands. Heed my warning.

The directions instruct you to use it at night, but as a doctor makeup artist I will say that if you have dry or even normal skin, feel free to put a little on in the morning as well. Do give it some time to sink in, though, if you indulge in makeup. It does soak into the skin quickly, but we don't want a foundation or concealer landslide issue happening. Also: caution around the eyes, please.

Organic Honeysuckle Face Elixir is scented beautifully. I confess: when testing it, I put some on the back of my hands, not as an anti-aging device but as a perfume. Really, I needed to get a feel for the scent for the review.

Oh my gosh, this scent. People! THIS SCENT. 

It's so ripe, lush, plump, full-bodied, rich. It's floral, it's a little fruity -but only a little. It's just... the word divine is over-used, but it fits here. 

On the face, the scent seems to disappear fairly quickly, which is desirable. It is definitely enough of a lasting scent, though, that you will fall asleep to pleasant dreams if you use this at night...

I loaded it up on the backs of my hands, though, and the longevity is a little nuts, frankly. I'm about 2 1/2 hours in and I can still smell it clear as day. So if you go crazy with this on your face (Which I do not recommend because you do not need that much oil on your face. Ever.) and you apply in the morning, you're going to have some funny looks at that 9:00am meeting. And that's not what you're going for, I don't think, amiright?

So the breakdown is this: Organic Honeysuckle Face Elixir has, as mentioned, rare organic honeysuckle oil sourced from Italy. It's added to the organic skincare base oils: rice bran, sweet almond, apricot kernel, camelia, grapeseed, squalene, and rose hip seed. What does all that mean? Essentially, these are light, natural oils that are easily absorbed into the skin. Many of them have antioxidant properties. Some profess to even out skintone. Rose hip is often touted to be great at lessening the appearance of wrinkles. Many of these work to soften skin. 

The gist: your skin is going to feel softer. It's going to feel smoother. It may have fewer breakouts. It will have fewer dry spots. You will probably notice some plumping of fine lines. You'll glow. Not kidding.

I know you will enjoy the scent. And the pampering feeling. 

And this stuff is organic and it's natural and it's $65 a bottle, which since you're using 2-3 drops is really a very good price. 

Trust me. Oil up. 

 DOG SHAMING

This is Zoey.

Zoey took the opportunity to steal the box holding the sample vial of Organic Honeysuckle Face Elixir. She proceeded to rip said box open and ignore the other sample in the box and somehow chew the bottom (only) off of the GLASS VIAL of the Honeysuckle Elixir and drink (?) the face oil.

Zoey will be submitted to a) the crate of shame, b) DogShaming.com, and c) intense scrutiny to make sure she did not cause herself any damage.

Mandy has been informed that Zoey prefers the Honeysuckle over the other sample. ;)

Oh, in other news, the dog's breath smells lovely...

Disclaimers:

First photo courtesy of themagiconions.com;

 honeysuckle and bee via marathi.wunderground.com 

all others except the dog via wikicommons.com.

The dog is, regrettably, mine.
Sample of product provided by the perfumer.

On Mandy Aftel's book "Fragrant: The Secret Life of Scent"

Intro
It's been so long since I've blogged that I've quite forgotten how! But I can't think of a better way to jump back in than to start with an offering from one of the nicest people I know, a friend and a fragrant wizard: Mandy Aftel. Today, though, I'm not discussing a perfume. I'm talking books, my friends.

That's right. Among Mandy's many gifts is her ability to put her thoughts to paper. Perhaps you have read her well-known primer on natural perfumery, Essence and Alchemy: A Natural History of Perfume*? Or her book on using essential oils in expected (and not so expected) ways: Aroma: The Magic of Essential Oils in Food and Fragrance (with Daniel Patterson)? Or Scents and Sensibilities: Creating Solid Perfumes for Well-Being? Did you know she has also written about Brian Jones, a founding member of the Rolling Stones? And about finding a therapist? Yeah, she used to be a therapist in a past life. I mean, not like a past life, woo-woo-style, rather that was her profession before she discovered her passion for natural perfumery.

[*Note to self: Self, why have I not reviewed that?  I do own it. Must remedy.]

"I create perfume, and people wear it, because beauty is a vacation from reality. It is a place --an ideal place-- that you can visit without traveling. It is restorative, and it makes you feel good. A personal adornment like wearing jewelry, it has no practical purpose whatsoever. It simply allows us to inhale bliss." - Mandy Aftel

Why Fragrant?
Frankly, I'm a bit of a quite a nerd, so no hobby of mine can fully be enjoyed without understanding the background of the whole thing. Luckily, in Fragrant, Mandy makes this not only an accessible bit of research but a very pleasurable one.

But Fragrant is not written for the perfumers and perfumistas of the world. I mean, feel free to read it if you are one. I encourage you to do so. No, more than that: Frankly, I'm quite confused if you don't read Fragrant and still call yourself a perfumista. I don't understand how you can blog about, or "speak knowledgeably" about, your passion if you do not know where the art's roots are. But anyway, I digress.

Fragrant is Mandy's offering to the non-obsessed. To those who, to borrow the online slang, may be noobs. The curious. The folks who wonder-- "who was the first person to rub that on their body? And WHY?!" It's a way to open the door and say, "Come in, explore this amazing world with us!"

Love, love, love the awesome pictures that pepper the pages of Fragrant. 

At the beginning of the book, Mandy skims through her history. She tells us of various careers that led her, ultimately, to her passion: natural perfumes. She uses words like "joy" and "heady" and "mysterious" and "amazing." You feel how excited she is to share this world of hers with you, the reader, and that's what makes this book such a lovely read. And it's also, by the way, what makes Mandy such a great perfumer and a wonderful person to talk to. 

You see, she knows that people have become so accustomed to being bombarded with scents that we hardly register them anymore. Our detergents, our dish soaps, shampoos, our grocery stores, our foods for heaven's sake! Everything has an artificial scent and we've become numb to this constant battering ram of olfactory warfare. 

We think perhaps we just don't care about scent. But Mandy has discovered the joy of introducing - or rather, reintroducing - people to the pleasure of natural scents. And that, my friends, is why Fragrant was written.

"...they've come to believe they have no appetite for scent itself.  Watching them discover authentic aromas and their sensual pleasures is profoundly thrilling, like watching a starving person feast on a delicious meal. It's these experiences of reawakening people to scent that led to this book." -Mandy Aftel

The Main Characters

Mandy has taken a clever approach to introducing us to the world of scent. She's chosen five "main characters" to lead the reader through history and perfumery. Each gets a chapter. I'll happily introduce them, but let me point out that the real bonus is that if you purchase Fragrant from Mandy's website, Aftelier Perfumes, you get this amazing Companion Kit that actually gives you samples of all five of the main characters!

Each item in the Companion Kit

Companion Kit packaging

In order of appearance:

Cinnamon

Mint

Frankincense

Ambergris

Jasmine

Full disclosure: I really do not react well to spearmint. Well, whatcha gonna do? 

How cool is it to know that the cinnamon and mint oils that come in the kit can be used in food or drink? And should you choose to do so, you may wear the (already diluted) ambergris tincture and jasmine on your skin. The frankincense? Rub it between your fingers, on your skin, or layer it with the other two skin-appropriate oils and make your own perfume!

The inside of The Companion Kit

Cinnamon is a spice, and leads us through the spice route, educating us on history, passion, some myth, and how perfumery really got its start.

Mint represents home and Americana. It symbolizes all things authentic, comforting, and welcoming.

Frankincense, as part of a tree, ties us to the earth and to the sky, being a crucial part of incense. This character leads us to the spiritual.

Ambergris is one of those "who in the heck saw that and decided to burn it or put it on their bodies?" items. This character, a highly animalic, very prized, quite expensive ingredient, introduces us to the concept of "other" but also ties us to our own animal side. Not familiar with the ingredient? Wait until you hear how it's "made"...

Jasmine. Ah, sweet, sultry jasmine. This character represents the human craving for beauty, but also artfully introduces the concept of wabi-sabi. Well, you'll see. This may have been my favorite chapter. 

Quickly...

Other neat features of the book include recipes for perfumes, foods, drinks; gorgeous quotations and poems (Mandy, you make my heart sing with these!); delightful illustrations from old books; insights into perfumery; and so much more.

For example, would you like to learn...

• The best cure for olfactory fatigue?
• How to think about/describe a smell?
• How scents are captured from the thing-- the flower, the tree, the bark, the fruit?
• Some really mouth-watering tips for using essential oils in food and drinks?
• A pretty sexy poem about being the wife of a cinnamon peeler? 
• Where the word "grocer" originated?
• Which surprising spice, still used everywhere, was used as currency in medieval England?
• How many perfume ingredients had elaborate stories involving snakes "back in the day"?
• How to discern, yourself, what raw ingredient is a top, middle, or base note?
• Which popular herb was thought to be an effective form of birth control in Japan at one point?
• How to make Toad Ointment? (spoiler alert: the toad does not fare well in the end)
• Why Wrigley's Gum owes a lot to some geese?
• Which common perfume ingredient was found in King Tut's tomb?
• What Johns Hopkins University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem are finding out about frankincense and why it is really, really important?
• How incense was used as a clock?
• Why a dog rolls in the nastiest, grossest filth it can find and then proudly trots off?
• Why, although I love it, butyl mercaptan will never be used in perfumery?
• What butterflies smell like?
• Really, how many times snakes are mentioned in this book?
• Would you try jasmine-ambergris chocolate?
• Which perfumes would you compare with rococo architecture? Ok - only you can answer that, but the question is obliquely posed in Fragrant.

In Summary

I found this book a fantastic read. I not only enjoyed the history -and I'm not a history gal if it's dry, which this was not- but I really had a good time learning about how Mandy picks particular ingredients. What makes a specific cinnamon Aftelier-worthy? Fascinating.

I thought that it was quite cool to learn how modern marketing hasn't come too far from ancient times, when stories were embellished to make the ingredients seem more valuable, more exotic, and voila- more expensive! 

And I laughed out loud when Mandy compared Pinterest to a modern cabinet of curiosities. Indeed it is! More laughs came when reading the story about the man who got an leaky package in the mail...

I have a fondness for old American stories, so the section on peddlers and old ointments and backwoods tales was right up my alley. 

And of course, digging into the gross but amazing roots of some of my favorite vintage scent ingredients (ambergris, castoreum, civet, musk) was so cool. I have my qualms about their use currently, but in my vintage perfumes I figure those ethical dilemmas have long gotten on their ships and sailed away, so this vegetarian and animal rights activist can rest easily. Kinda.  

I learned a lot about perfume itself, not just the ingredients. New terms made themselves known to me. Accessory Notes. Burying, Chameleon Perfume. Cresol. Who knew? Well, Mandy Aftel did. 

At any rate, this book kept my interest, and if you are intrigued with perfume I assume it will do the same for you.  

Frankly, I am now inspired to mix my own gorgeous naturals. Ok, I expect them to be much less gorgeous than Mandy's, but the process is the thing. And the smelling, the diving in, the reveling in the scents... that's what I have gotten from this book. So thank you, Mandy.

PS: I'm totally making frankincense shortbread.

"What is beauty for? The beauty of beauty is that it is not for anything-- it doesn't stand for something else, it doesn't have to do something, it only needs to be." - Mandy Aftel

Other reviews

This book has been disappointingly represented in the perfume blogosphere, but has been received well elsewhere. Here are some links to reviews and, after that, links to purchasing the book.

• Now Smell This
• Fragrantica
• Review by Mark Behnke of Colognoisseur
• Received a mini-review and mention on Kafkaesque's Holiday Gift Ideas 2014
• Handful of Salt
• A Shaded View on Fashion
• Forbes
• Vogue
• Elle
• The New York Times
• LA Times
• San Francisco Chronicle
• Huffington Post
• Publisher's Weekly
• Birchbox

Purchase

• Aftelier Perfumes (with Companion Kit)
• Barnes & Noble
• Amazon

Disclosure: This book and the accompanying "Companion Kit" were provided to me by the author.

Jul et Mad: A love story. Stilettos on Lex, Amour de Palazzo, Terrasse à St Germain (perfume review)

A few months ago, I had the distinct pleasure of attending the global launch for a new perfume line, Jul et Mad at the most perfect perfume destination in NY (if not the planet), MiN New York. I was so overcome by meeting a lot of friends in-person for the first time, by the beauty and quirkiness of the shop, and frankly also by owner Mindy Yang's 3 brilliant cocktails made with Mandy Aftel's Chef Essences and in the spirit of the 3 scents being launched --- so overcome that I forgot to ask for samples to take home and ruminate over.

Flash forward a few months and I finally got over my embarrassment and managed to procure some samples. If only getting myself bottles of these scents was as easy!

A little about the Jul et Mad line, for those who are not familiar with it...

Jul et Mad

If you like backstories for your perfumes, this line has it. The Jul et Mad line's Histoire d’Amour was presented to us at MiN by one of the owners, Madalina, who told of her love story with Julien (get it: Jul et Mad?). The perfumes trace this story and express it in scent, from Romanian-born Madalina's single days in New York working in the cosmetics industry, to when she first meets Parisian-born world traveler scientist-type Julien in Paris, through to the couple's first trip away together in Venice.

The perfumes were developed by perfumer Dorothée Piot of Maison Robertet (Amoauge Memoir Woman, Olfactive Studio Chambre Noire, and others) following the company's tagline "Perfume Without Compromise". Each of the three scents comes in a beautiful, fabric-lined box, accompanied by a travel-size atomizer because Madalina believes women should be able to touch-up their scent experience throughout the day. She spent quite a bit of time considering every facet of the production, from scent (of course) to packaging and bottle design. I like the way she thinks, though I do wish the scents were available in smaller bottles as a stand-alone (cheaper than the current $280 for 50ml - parfum concentration, btw), as while I adore the perfumes I must compromise or my kids don't eat! :)

Stilettos on Lex
One of my favorite things about perfume is the phenomenon of sillage. A scent trail. The lingering impression left in one's wake. An olfactory timestamp. A memory.

This is the basis for the first scent in the Jul et Mad story. It tells the tale of a single, cosmopolitan woman (our Madalina) as she walks down the street leaving a sensual and confident sillage trailing behind her. We hear her heels click as she leaves nothing but that sound and that smell to burn into our minds. Dramatic, but you get the point.

What does this Stilettos on Lex sillage story say?

I now invoke my luck, hoping that one day I will cross again her magnificent allure on this same legendary avenue…Her image disappeared, but during her short passage she offered me the most attaching of memories: her perfume…

The Accord: Chypre Fruity Floral

A timeless ode to eternal beauty opening on a sparkling fruity-gourmand note, a prelude to the opulent floral bouquet, dominated by the softness of heliotrope, and crowned by the powdery and sensual touch of iris and carnation… A mysterious and exalting mélange of musk and precious woods reinforce and sublimate this composition of ultimate elegance.
Head : Lemon, Pear, Davana, Plum Liquor
Heart: Lily of the Valley, Violette Leaves, Rose Absolute, Heliotrope, Iris, Carnation
Bottom: Musk, Madagascar Vanilla, Indonesian Patchouli, Atlas Cedarwood

A lovely story - but the perfume: does it stack up? Well, almost everyone I've encountered thinks so! It was, that night we met it, the most popular of the three, though I think the others have become just as beloved - perhaps Stilettos is most accessible? I don't know. I myself favored Amour de Palazzo that night, but I'll talk about that in a moment.

Stilettos on Lex is a modern take on both the chypre style of perfumery and on the traditional "lipstick" or "cosmetics powder" accords. The fruity opening, dominated by a luscious plum, is a flirtatious wink and smile, delightful but not sticky or shrill. Stiletto's heart features rose, violet, powdery heliotrope, and other lovely florals that bloom softly and with beautiful presence before folding graciously into the musky, softly-powdered base (in which the cedar and patchouli are barely noticeable but give a certain strength to a bottom that would otherwise fly away).

I love it. It's cheerful without being chipper, it's pretty without being girlish, it's floral without smacking you in the face. It's delightfully modern with a polite nod to traditional perfumery. Glorious.

Terrasse à St Germain

 Love at first sight. A lovely concept! Depending on who you speak to, it's either a ridiculous notion or the turning point in one's life.

Terrasse à St Germain celebrates the struck-by-lightening feeling of love at first sight, or "coup de foudre". Our couple meets in Paris - though they almost did not!

His passage leaves a void behind him, and this emptiness, daydreaming, she already fills it with wild and fascinating perfumes inspired by the picture of the young man… the beautiful stranger turned around and approaches...

The Accord: Woody Floral Musky

Starting with the first note, a green and sparkling freshness awakes the senses, rapidly sustained by a subtle floral palette of freesia, lotus and rose, giving to the formula a surprising and delicate sensuality. The strength of the musk strikes suddenly, but in complete harmony and perfect symbiosis with the precious sandalwood and the seducing patchouli…
Head : Grapefruit, Tangerine, Rhubarb
Heart: Freesia, Lotus Flower, Blue RoseBottom: Musk, Sandalwood, Indonesian Patchouli

At the start, there's a watery sweetness to Terrasse à St Germain that is unusual, at least to my novice nose. This perfume moves fast, flashing through the tangerine, a glimpse of grapefruit, and on to the rhubarb. It then grabs the freesia (sweet tarts! this is the truest freesia note I have encountered in perfumery so far!), and takes a little tang from the rhubarb. Rhubarb seems to be one of those notes that gets perfumistas very interested, very quickly. Luckily for those perfumistas, the note is handled beautifully here, and with a sense of humor - it's flirty and fun and unexpected!

Still moving quickly, on my skin if not yours, Terrasse slips right into the rose. It's slightly candied (the lotus and freesia still playing a hand) and very cheerful. This is, I suspect, the scent that is to blame for my recent obsession with rose! The delectable rose in this blend is one that stuck in my mind and didn't let go.

That said, this is not a "feminine" scent. A confident man would lead lines of women around wearing Terrasse à St Germain. This will be especially true when the beautifully musky wood base
comes into play. While I wish this scent lasted forever, it does not (alas! only 5 hours or so.), which is all the more reason to spritz it again.

Terrasse à St Germain is a beauty, from the first tangy, ebullient spray to the final, lingering woody traces.

Amour de Palazzo 

The first trip as a couple is always remembered and cherished as a memory. Our setting for this third scent and story, Venice, is the sight of one such trip, as our couple walk through ancient buildings and experience the history of this special city.

The rich and heavy perfume of precious wood and leather furniture, shone and polished by passing centuries, mix agreeably now with the pleasant and cocooning fragrances coming from the surrounding gardens, the humidity of the old stone and the lagoon that follows and surrounds us… We walk aimlessly… Dream or reality? It doesn't really matter… Here we are in perfect harmony, we feel free, free to love each other, free to taste as one the same happiness… free to appreciate the instant… Every single gesture, no matter how simple, is now charged with profound significance.

The Accord: Oriental Woody Leather

The noble palette of ingredients used for this creation give the precious character to this fragrance: a spicy start, fresh and slightly "gourmand" at the same time, opens the way to the heart of the perfume where floral, woody, and leather notes create a perfect harmony… A divine, marvelous amber-oud accord reveals itself promptly, sustained by the seductive power of animal notes… Narcotic and irresistible…
Head : Four Spice (pepper, cloves, ginger, nutmeg)
Heart: Absolute of Violette, Atlas Cedarwood, Leather, Indonesian Patchouli, Labdanum
Bottom: Musk, Oud, Amber, Papyrus, Animal Castoreum

This one is the more masculine of the three, though I consider all three unisex. Amour de Palazzo was my instant favorite of the three. Considering my tastes in perfume, it's easy to see why!  Amour de Palazzo is a woody, leathery thing that immediately evokes a sense of history, depth, and sex appeal. It opens with a peppery bang laid over leather. The spices do not turn foody, thankfully, rather they stand strong and lay wide the perfect path for the woody, slightly rough notes that are to come.

The heart of Amour de Palazzo still carries some of that peppery facet, wrapped in the slightest hint of violet, wrapped in patchouli leaves, wrapped in leather (the turducken of perfumery!). It's just the right amount of deep and slightly dirty. Sexy. By blending violet (Stilettos) and wood (Terrasse), we've moved from flirtation right into the good stuff!

The beautiful base of Amour goes on and on, echoes of spices and leather still present in swaths of animalic oud and musk. It's raw, but round; intense, but not painful and sharp. Where the opening notes are intense and somewhat strong, the base softens and melts into the skin leaving a distinct impression - but only for those fairly close up. For them, it leaves the heart racing.

Jul et Mad
It's now 6 months after the global launch of Jul et Mad, and already one of the scents, Terrase à St-Germain, has brought acclaim in the form of a nomination for FiFi Indie Perfume of the Year Award (it was runner-up!). MiN is not the only point of sales in the US, now: you can also purchase Jul et Mad at Aedes de Venustas (NY). MiN does now offer samples on their website, by the way, for those of you curious about the brand. I also encourage you to take a wander through the beautifully done Jul et Mad website (you can order online there, too).

Bottom Line: I would be a proud owner of any of these three scents, hard-pressed to select a favorite. I love them all.

Samples graciously provided by MiN New York