Lisa Hoffman Beauty: Madagascar Orchid. The velour pants of perfumery.

Sometimes you just need a hug. And sometimes a perfume doesn't have to be groundbreaking and blow your mind with its weirdness. Sometimes it's enough to just be good and comfy. Lisa Hoffman Beauty's Madagascar Orchid is such a scent to me.

Obtaining this perfume to try was a trial. The PR folks who sent it to me are lovely (this is no PR rant!), but somehow my address was input incorrectly and the package never came - in fact it went elsewhere, got turned away, and was eventually returned to the sender, damaged. Oy. Then, when I got this lovely bottle on the second try, I was thrilled--- however, I thought I was testing Lisa Hoffman Beauty's fragrance jewelry, which looks really interesting. Instead, I have a bottle of the (liquid) edp.

So... since I thought the fragrance jewelry concept was cool, and I thought that was what I was going to be reviewing here, I'll talk about it briefly, then tell you my impressions of Madagascar Orchid edp. Sound good? Well, then let's dive in...

Fragrance Jewelry"It's perfume. We just reinvented the packaging."

This clever idea consists of some pretty, very wearable jewelry. The bracelets, necklaces, and earrings are all outfitted with scented beads which emit their fragrance without touching the skin. Since it's jewelry, you can simply slip it off if you find yourself in a situation where perfume is inappropriate - or if you just desire a scent change.

A round filigreed "cage" charm holds the small round beads which, by the way, you can order as refills when the scent of the original beads fade (each product comes with some extra, btw). The bracelets are composed of round beads with accents in metals and a pop of color  (the type of bead varies, depending on the fragrance you select). The charm hangs off the bracelet allowing your scent to waft as you move your hands. For the necklaces, the charm hangs on a 22-inch bead chain. The earrings are hoop-and-post style that dangle the charms nicely - not too long! - and are perhaps the version that most intrigue me, though they all appeal. 

This system, with its "proprietary bead-scenting technology", really interests me thanks to its apparent versatility and because it seems like it would allow women with contact-allergies to wear perfume without issue. Clearly, women who are allergic to smelling perfume will likely still have issues, but we can't solve all of the world's problems in a day, can we?

For me, the downside to this system, and perhaps a deliberate marketing manipulation, is that the charms themselves come in pre-arranged scent + jewelry combos. In other words, if you buy Tunisian Neroli, the jewelry is gold-plated. Like Tuscan Fig? Your jewelry will be rose gold-plated. Madagascar Orchid equals "brushed gold-plated", Japanese Agarwood is antiqued bronze-plated, and French Clary Sage is an oxidized silver tone (plated). Seeing how I don't wear yellow metals (they make me look sickly), I could be "stuck" purchasing a scent that might not be my first choice ($65 for each jewelry style), dumping out the beads, and buying the refill scent beads at $20 a pop - all just to have the color and scent combo I prefer. That, to me, is unacceptable. I would think selecting the charm color would be easy enough for Lisa Hoffman Beauty's website to manage (hello dropdown menu) and for their order fulfillment to handle (grab box of the right type of jewelry in the right color, grab box of scent balls - voila!) (hehe, I said "scent balls")

Anyway, the idea is great, if incomplete. Wish I could tell you how they waft, but I can't. So let's get back to what I can describe...

Madagascar Orchid edp

Available in an edp spray ($65),
2 vials of perfumed oil ($55),
bath and body products
and, of course, the jewelry.

Let's get back to that "cozy" concept, shall we? I mean, I don't know about you but after the stress of the missing and delayed package and the strain of the jewelry metal selection process (or lack thereof), I need some cozy up in here! Luckily, Madagascar Orchid delivers. 

The soft, sensual notes of Madagascar Orchid inspire feelings of romance, femininity, and true love. A modern bouquet of Sheer Jasmine, Ylang Dew, Mimosa Mood & Pink Peony perfectly frame the exotic, unforgettable aroma of Madagascar Orchid.

Here's the big selling point on this scent: the thought-to-be-scentless Madagascar Orchid actually does have a scent! Luckily, the folks who make Lisa Hoffman Beauty's perfumes (OK - chemists who work for the perfumery) were able to capture the scent, released "just before the break of dawn", by hovering over the jungle tree canopy in a blimp. This process of catching the scent is called "headspace technology" and it has enabled chemists to "capture, analyse and reconstitute the plant odour molecules into ‘living' replicas of the previously unobtainable oils"^[1]  without damaging the plant, which in some cases might be endangered, and in others might not stand up to normal perfume processing.

Madagascar Orchids

So Madagascar Orchid resembles the plant of the same name*. Ostensibly. I have to believe them, having never been in Madagascar (though the film is a trip, no?).

*The Madagascar Orchid has a
pretty cool evolution story.
 Check it out!

To me, Madagascar Orchid is a soft, fuzzy thing that reminds me of my favorite lazing-around-the-house pants. Yes, I wear velour sweats. What? 

When you tell me there's jasmine, ylang ylang ("dew"), mimosa ("mood") and peony in there, I nod in agreement. Yup, there is. I can smell them all. But the overall impression is a soft blend of all of these flowers, with none standing out in particular. Madagascar Orchid is gentle, fairly light, and very cuddly. I can't imagine a situation where it would offend - unless you're with someone who is enraged by soft perfumes! I have put it on my daughters without worrying that it was "too old", yet it's not childish. It's simply pretty and comfy.

By the way, each time I spray this I get the slightest "suntan lotion" vibe. It's just a hint, but it's there. Fair warning.

Madagascar Orchid isn't particularly long-lasting on me (I get maybe 4 hours of cuddling), but that kind of suits me well. After that length of time, I'm ready for a bit more spice or pizzazz. But if I still need more comforting, I can respritz without fear. I imagine it's impossible to overdose on this perfume!

All in all, I'm glad to have Madagascar Orchid in ye olde arsenal. It's going to come in handy a lot, bringing comfort like my favorite pair of velour pants. (Stop judging me!)

Now, if only I had some pretty jewelry to wear with those pants...

See? I told you. Cuddly!

This product was provided to me by the manufacturer or a representative thereof for consideration only. 

For more information on my review policies, please check this out. 

Devilscent: Lilith - A Quantum Demonology Scent by Neil Morris --- Thorny Business

[header art -beautiful isn't it? - by Robynn L.Gardner]

Do you remember me introducing The Devilscent Project awhile back? It's collection of amazing perfumes created by Primeval Forces of Perfume* (read: really amazingly talented perfumers) in celebration of the book Quantum Demonology, by my dear friend, Sheila Eggenberger.

(Seriously, if you don't remember you're going to need to take a stop here -
at my introduction to The Devilscent Project - everything is explained there!)

*The Primeval Forces participating in this project are all named here.

Well, today I'm kicking off my reviews of the scents created for this amazing and one-of-a-kind project. I have taken a hiatus from writing for personal reasons, but I'm thrilled to jump back in to writing about perfume by literally, without looking, sticking my hand in the bag holding all of my samples submitted by the Primeval Forces and coming up with one of my favorites: Lilith by Neil Morris. Huzzah! And so we begin...

Lilith, for those of you new to The Devilscent Project and the yet-to-be-but-certain-to-be-published book Quantum Demonology, is the wife of The Devil  (aka Satan, Lucifer, The Father of Lies, and so forth and so on) who is known by our unnamed heroine and protagonist simply as Dev. 

As our story progresses and the relationship between our heroine and Dev progresses, things get a little... complicated. OK, you probably assumed (correctly) that a relationship with the devil would be complicated anyway, but factor in his angry and jealous estranged-wife, Lilith, Queen of the Succubi, and we're really talking about a mess! 

"Lilith paced the floor in front of my chair and thought out loud, but I had already tuned her out. Four thousand years of marriage will do that. As she kept talking and pacing, I simply sat back and watcher her, watched that long, leggy stride eat up the rug in six steps, watcher her turn as elegantly as any runway model, blonde hair swinging, and pace back again. She was flawless. Flawlessly beautiful in that twenty-first century porn-star way that left no room for imperfections or doubts, and flawless bored me." 

-Dev,  Quantum Demonology

Perfumer Neil Morris (Neil Morris Fragrances), has a devoted following of well-scented enthusiasts. There are plenty of reasons for that, including his skill with materials and beautiful perfumes (obviously) and also his reportedly gentle, kind, and friendly demeanor. That he can create a scent for The Queen of the Succubi is pretty impressive. In fact, he has created a small library of scents that really bring out the nuances of the book, Quantum Demonology. We'll get to the rest of them over the next few weeks, but my favorite (at least today) is this one, Lilith.

Like our Dev, the ultimate trickster, Neil has gotten a little tricksy with his participation in this project. He hasn't provided the reviewers with a list of notes for any of his submissions for Devilscent. So I'm flying blind, olfactorily speaking, and we know I'm terribly new and not-so-great at that. But we'll give it a go. My best hope is to describe the feeling and mood of this perfume**.

"Like her husband, she emanated a scent, and like her husband it was as unusual as it was distinctive. Floral and green, heady and earthy, with musky overtones and something else, something that smelled - poisonous, even tainted. It was very erotic and very domineering, cracking an olfactory whip at my nose."

- Quantum Demonology

[image source]

When I apply Lilith, I get a pretty, fairly feminine vibe. There are possibly some citrus notes, perhaps paired with stone fruit like peach, but only a hint. The opening is not bright and shiny, but more... velvety. It doesn't take long for a floral nuance to come to the fore. I get rose, but I'm not sure what else. Maybe a little lily, possibly a subtle touch of jasmine. Lilith has a garden-fresh greenness that, at some points is fresh and welcoming, like Spring, and at other points is just slightly more bitter. There's some muskiness in there that adds an earthy femininity without becoming a skank-bomb. The rose here is pink at first, innocent and flirtatious, but it deepens when you're not paying attention and become a sexy, rich red rose.

Neil Morris' Lilith is smooth and beautiful. She's mature but not cold and withdrawn. In fact, she's quite the opposite! She's welcoming... beckoning. Comely. She lures you in with her beautiful, soft, feminine wiles. But watch out: there's some bite in there! This rose has thorns.

She wanders about at night, vexing the sons of men and causing them to defile themselves -Zohar

From time to time, when I lean in close, I pick up some undercurrent that I can't quite pinpoint. It's the slightest bit metallic, or maybe a touch mineral in flavor. It gives Lilith a subtle edge. A warning, perhaps?

This seems incredibly appropriate, considering the perfume is a tribute to a gorgeous, stunning blonde woman who would just as soon kill you as romance you. Quantum Demonology's Lilith is a villainess for the ages, quite literally, as her marriage to Dev has rendered this once-human woman immortal. (Or is she?)  She woos men and women alike with her apparent wholesome good looks, and when they move in closely she happily makes her move. Whether that move is sexual or murderous depends on her whim. Lilith, the perfume, is equally two-faced and tricky. At first blush she's a typically pretty floral perfume, though clearly well-crafted. But this perfume is more. So much more. She's a beautiful date perfume, but maybe best saved for that third date!

"Lilith has it in for you, and you have no idea how dangerous Lilith is when she's pissed off."

- Dev to our protagonist, Quantum Demonology

I imagine this Lilith is quite the compliment-getter for everyone who wears it. I know that's proven true for me! But beware he who leans in too close...

Here's the sad news: this scent doesn't appear on Neil Morris Fragrances' site for sale. Maybe if we complain loudly enough this gentle gentleman will relent and sell us some?

**I read Quantum Demonology months ago, in the Spring. 

My memory is not exactly "photgraphic" and

 I'd forgotten what Sheila's description of Lilith's scent was.

 After I wrote my review today, I pulled the book up on my

 iPad Kindle app and found the description above. 

Whoa. Neil did great! What a hit the nail on the head move!

It's probably also worth noting that I do not usually
fall head-over-heels for rose-centric scents,
but this is the second rose perfume from Neil Morris Fragrances
that I have loved mightily, the first being Rose of Kali!

A note from Neil Morris:

"YES! We will be listing all the DevilScents for purchase on our site soon. In the meantime, anyone who'd like a bottle of LILITH - or any other non-listed perfume - can order ANY VAULT perfume and in the comments section at checkout, simply tell us you really want LILITH (or whatever you've chosen). That's it!" 

Hooray!

Also: Neil shared with me the notes list. No, greedy birdies, I am not sharing his secret, yet... When he and Sheila tell me it's ok - that is IF he and Sheila tell me it's ok - then I will share them with you. But not a minute sooner. ;)

Shedding light on Bond No. 9's racial discrimination - $3 million lawsuit filed against Laurice Rahme

"We need the light bulbs changed."

Many retail businesses have code words and phrases to subtly pass messages between employees. I worked for Nordstrom, perhaps the ruling king of this practice! Softly spoken codes would alert people that paychecks were ready and hushed voices whispered names that were pretty unintelligible to anyone but coworkers, alerting them to calls holding on the phone. Codes and quietly used key phrases keep business moving smoothly without upsetting the customers. Nothing must impinge on the customer's impulse to shop! Other businesses where I've been employed have had code words used before the store closes, to notify key staff about the arrival of the guy who empties the safe for transport to the bank, for someone in a specific position needing to step away for a smoke potty break, and for suspicious characters moving through the store. 

Laurice Rahme, owner and CEO of Bond No. 9, admits that the phrase above, "we need the lightbulbs changed", was used in her retail store to denote the presence of a potential shoplifter or otherwise unwanted customer.

When your stock consists of high-priced items that could be easily stuffed in a handbag or pocket, this code makes a lot of sense. A candle at Bond No. 9 costs $140 and the Swarovski-encrusted perfume bottles are markedly more expensive. 

However, two former Bond No. 9 employees have said that this code phrase is the tip of a nasty iceberg and that Bond No. 9, at the direction of Rahme, had a distinct "pattern of racism against customers and employees."  Veronica Robledo and Karin Widmann claim that security was notified every time a dark-complected customer entered the shop and that Rahme referred to African-Americans as "thieves". Robledo, a beautiful dark-skinned Puerto Rican woman, even said she was not "allowed" to wait on white customers and felt enough pressure that she made her Jamaican boyfriend hide from Rahme.  

Robledo and Widmann filed a federal lawsuit against Rahme, claiming that she violated their civil rights. They filed for $3 million in damages, saying that in February, when they complained to Rahme about her practices, she fired them and accused them of stealing $25,000 worth of stock. 

The women did also file a complaint with the NY State Division on Human Rights, but that complaint has since been dismissed as there is a prohibition against filing a complaint and a lawsuit simultaneously. 

According to the article on NYDailyNews.com, Rahme has employed the oft-used tactic of referencing "a black boyfriend" from the past to somehow prove she's not prejudiced. Regardless of her romantic history, if Robledo and Widmann's claim is true then Rahme is at the very least guilty of retail racial profiling - and at the most of severe discrimination. For what it's worth, whispers in the perfume community seem to validate Robledo and Widmann's claims.

It's worth noting that Rahme has drawn heat from perfumistas and the media in the past. Claims that she bastardized Creed scents in her own Bond No. 9 line (Creed being her former employer), that she has bullied smaller perfume houses over scent names (ironically claiming some kind of ownership over the word "peace" in perfume names), that she and her PR team aggressively confront bloggers who speak in less-than-glowing terms about Bond No. 9, and stories of Rahme generally behaving in a non-compromising, sometimes brutal manner, have long been discussed in perfume circles and by people who encounter Rahme through her business ventures. 

It will be interesting to see how this pans out. In my experience, when there's a lot of talk from all directions, there's usually reason for it. "Where there's, smoke there's fire". Maybe it's time those lightbulbs were replaced and finally some light was shed on Rahme's business practices...

Meeting the Devil: The Devilscent Project / #devilscent

What if all those rock’n'roll clichés were true?
What if Faust were a woman in her forties with nothing to lose?
What if God and the Devil, Heaven and Hell
were very different from what we’ve always thought?

It's time for another project introduction. This one is radically different from the Primordial Scents project unveiled the other day, though. Where that project is uplifting and expansive and seeks to shine forth the light, this one digs into the darkest dark. Where that one is about love, this one... well, it's also about love.

Today, I want to introduce you to the devil himself!

Our devil or, as we'll be calling him going forward, Dev, is one of the unlikely heroes in a book written by my friend Sheila Eggenberger, aka Tarleisio of The Alembicated Genie. A perfume lover, Sheila has folded scent into her brilliant yet-to-be-published novel, Quantum Demonology.

In the book, we join our unnamed protagonist on the cusp of making a deal with Dev, à la Faust. We watch as their relationship develops, as Dev's estranged wife Lilith gets murderously jealous, and as our heroine navigates the waters of love, passion, dreams, friendship, fear, nightmares, literary agents, middle age, promises, rewards, and heavy metal music. She travels between Copenhagen & New York, Heaven & Hell, the last two quite literally. She meets St Peter, God, and a cast of characters from both the heavenly realm and the underworld - and I'm not just talking about Denmark's metal clubs. One thing some of these otherworldly characters have in common is the curious habit of resembling infamous Primal Forces of rock (coming to a concert hall near you?).

I am supremely confident that Quantum Demonology will find a publisher, but meanwhile we can be entertained by a perfume project built around the book. Clever, right?!

Create a scent for Dev. And maybe one for Lilith.
That's the challenge issued to perfumers Ellen Covey ("Doc Elly") of Olympic Orchids, Kedra Hart of Opus Oils, Neil Morris of Neil Morris Fragrances, Amandal Feeley of Escentual Alchemy, Alexis Karl of Scents by Alexis and Cherry Bomb Killer Perfumes, and Maria McElroy of Aroma M and Cherry Bomb Killer Perfumes. Katlyn Breene of Mermade Magickal Arts has also contributed an incense based on Dev. How fitting! And Monica Miller of  Perfume Pharmer has created a perfumed massage bar.

Through the book, we know sort of how these characters smell (and we get glimpses into the protagonist's perfume wardrobe throughout the story). Through this project we get to experience them in person, as viewed through the creative minds of these incredible perfumers. What a treat for perfume fans who love to read! It has made me wish I could smell scents based on a lot of other books. Wouldn't that be cool? But for now, we focus on Quantum Demonology, the Devil, and his bitch of a wife.

Take a look at the brief Sheila -or Dev?!- created for the contributing perfumers (emphasis mine):

I need a perfume.  Perfume is one of the things she lives for, one of the reasons she loves to breathe. I want it to be unlike anything you've ever made. I want it to be dark, bitter, otherworldly. A lot of base, a lot of bass. I want it to unnerve and surprise her. I want her to say 'yes'. I want you to think for a moment about ‘sin’. Think about something…forbidden, something taboo. 

Something subversive, which makes it seductive and alluring, almost by default. What is the ultimate human taboo in terms of scent? It’s your ultimate dirty secret, the very secret you use your perfumes to conceal and hide or on the other hand, accentuate:You’re animals underneath it all. With animal appetites, animal urges you try to ignore, suppress, hide and deny at your peril. Or animal appetites you want to advertise, just not in so many words. The very kind I embody, or so you think. What would I be as a human animal? I’m the Devil, so they’ve said. Neither animal nor human but a combination of both, just enough of each of them to be dangerous, and that’s the whole idea. Danger. I want her to be able to know exactly who I am by her sense of smell alone. 

The devil's brew?

So – the perfume. Now, I love frankincense, I love it for that sense of sanctity it implies, for that mood of contemplation it creates. I love it because it’s outside of time, just like me. Boswellia neglecta, and a touch of Boswellia serrata, too, and labdanum. Labdanum is a note she loves, labdanum is animal and sexy and slightly goatish. Perfect. She loves galbanum and cinnamon leaf. Castoreum? Civet? Civet is sweeter and sexier than musk I’ve always thought, but that’s your business, to think this out for me. Dangerous, remember? This is part of my bait, the part of my bait that I hope she bites. I have a feeling that she will surprise me, and trust me, not too much does any more. 

I want you, my chosen perfumers, to surprise me. Think dark, think sacred, think bitter, think…just the slightest bit overpowering, the kind that breaks down resistance. The kind that will make her take the bait. I told you. I want her to say ‘yes’. I want you to create a perfume for me that makes sure she does. Are you up to that challenge? Do you think you can do it? Do you think you can surprise me, too? 

I’ll be in touch later. Let me see if you can do it. I think you might. I like surprises. They come with the job description!

So, what do you think? What would Dev smell like? And what would his bitter wife, Queen of the Succubi, wear? 

Tomorrow, I'll be introducing you to some scents from this project. Meanwhile, here are some resources for your perusal since I know you're devilishly curious about Quantum Demonology, aren't you?

• The Quantum Demonology FAQ
• What is Quantum Demonology?
• The Quantum Demonology and Devilscent Project Facebook "hub"
• Dev tweets (also follow the #devilscent hashtag)
• A peek into the book!
• A Faustian refresher
• Dev-inspired Pins

You can also visit these bloggers to see their coverage of the project:

• Sheila Eggenberger: The Alembicated Genie

• Ida Meister: Chaya Ruchama

• Lucy Raubertas: Indie Perfumes

• Donna Hathaway: Perfume Smellin’ Things

• Monica Miller: The Perfume Pharmer

• Nava Brahe: The Perfume Posse

• JoanElaine: Redolent of Spices

• Natalie: Another Perfume Blog

• Mals: The Muse In Wooden Shoes

Until tomorrow!

The Power of Perfume: An Introduction to the Primordial Scents Project as hosted by Monica Miller - Perfume Pharmer

Every day we warm ourselves by Fire,

Wash ourselves in Water,

Feel the Wind in our hair,

Walk upon the Earth.

The Power of Perfume: 

An Introduction to the Primordial Scents Project

 as hosted by Monica Miller - Perfume Pharmer

Prologue.
It all started at the beginning. And at the beginning there was air, fire, water, and earth. The final spark was found inside. Aether. Also known as spirit. The flame inside. It came into being only when the others were all present.

Sacred Flame                               [via]    

Planting the Seed.

This year, the most amazing project is pulling together. The building blocks are, in part, those that form the universe. The building blocks are exquisite perfumes based on the original building blocks: the four - no, five! - elements. They are talented perfumers working in a variety of materials - some all-natural, some not. They are gifted perfume writers, sniffing the creations and making an offering of words. They are dreams from the minds of creative people all over the world and, especially, the dream of one woman on an island off of Massachusetts.

[via]

The foundation for this project was laid by Monica Miller. You may remember her from last year's group blogging project, The Summer of Patchouli Love. Or maybe you've run into her on Martha's Vineyard. Or you've picked up one of her brilliant Skye Botanicals products - was it her much beloved Fuzzy Blue Blanket perfume or some of her delectable skincare? Maybe you have read about her here or elsewhere when people raved about her collaborative strawberry scent. Or perhaps you're a huge fan of her website Perfume Pharmer.

Well, somehow as busy as she is, Monica finds time to read and think and dream and plan. Monica took to heart thoughts from a book written by Starhawk, a writer and activist known for her importance to the neo-paganism and ecofeminist movements. The Fifth Sacred Thing is a novel that proposes a utopian society that happily exists using sustainable methods (read more here). Inspired by this and other influences, Monica rearranged her focus in life and launched into, among other things, investigating permaculture and dedicating herself to inspiring others to work towards that sustainable utopia. In her words after "some serious soul searching I took a different turn from the notion of using my energy primarily to advance my personal career to ponder the question 'what do I hold most sacred, what should I dedicate my time on Earth to?' "


And so, as part of her process, the Primordial Scents Project was formed. She has gathered a group of perfumers from all over the world who have spent the last year creating scents inspired by the elements, including the fifth element proposed by Starhawk: spirit. The focus for the project is on the primordial beginnings, the inner workings of... everything. In Monica's words, "For the purposes of this project, Primordial to me means original material...going back to the ELEMENTS that make up our planet, our bodies, our selves. What are we made of physically and spiritually? What do we hold most sacred?"

Declaration of the Four Sacred Things 

The Earth is a living, conscious being. In company with cultures of many different times and places, we name these things as sacred: air, fire, water, and earth. 
Whether we see them as the breath, energy, blood, and body of the Mother, or as the blessed gifts of a Creator, or as symbols of interconnected systems that sustain life, we know that nothing can live without them.

To call these things sacred is to say that they have a value beyond their usefulness for human ends, that they themselves become the standard by which our acts, our economics, our laws, and our purposes must be judged. No one has the right to appropriate them or profit from them at the expense of others. Any government that fails to protect them forfeits its legitimacy. 
All people, all living things, are part of the earth life, and so are sacred. No one of us stands higher or lower than any other. Only justice can assure balance; only ecological balance can sustain freedom. Only in freedom can that fifth sacred thing we call spirit flourish in its full diversity. 
To honor the sacred is to create conditions in which nourishment, sustenance, habitat, knowledge, freedom, and beauty can thrive. To honor the sacred is to make love possible. 
To this we dedicate our curiosity, our will, our courage, our silences, and our voices. To this we dedicate our lives. 
   --Starhawk

                                                                                                                                                                                                          [via]

Caretaking.
If the elements are indeed, as the ancients thought, the building blocks of the universe and of human beings themselves, how much power do those elements have? How much power can be obtained - how much personal power can be obtained - when we channel the elements, when we work with them, using them for balance?

The elements are heavy with symbolism. I asked Monica to explain the elements to me and here is what she described...

Goddesses of the Elements              [via]

AIR ~ Air represents the mind and intelligence, communication, telepathy, psychic powers, inspiration, imagination, ideas, knowledge, dreams and wishes. Air also rules visualization. 

FIRE ~ Fire represents energy, inspiration, love, passion, leadership. Fire is also the element of magic and change. 

WATER ~ Water represents emotions, absorption, subconscious, purification, eternal movement, wisdom, the soul, emotional aspects of love and gender. 

EARTH/METAL ~ Earth represents strength, abundance, stability, prosperity, wealth and fertility. 

SPIRIT ~ Aether (also called Spirit) is the prime element present in all things, providing space, connection and balance for all Elements to exist. Aether is immaterial unlike the Air, Fire, Water and Earth. Aether is essential to our sense of connectedness with spirit and well-being. Aether represents the sense of joy and union.

Ideally, one seeks balance in life. Too much of one thing is not a good thing. Monica proposes that we try using the elements as a guide in the hopes of correcting imbalance. The perfumes created in this project were created with intention: they are meant to be an aid to finding balance using the elements as inspiration.

For example, should I find myself lacking in passion for my job, perhaps I need more fire. Reaching for a scent based on that element may help restore that balance by adding a spark - giving me that verve and passion I am lacking. Another example: maybe I am suffering from some financial instability. Earth/Metal governs this area and a scent based on that element may help me find balance and discover a way to smooth out those rocky roads. My restless nature may be soothed by Earth scents as well, while I may benefit greatly from Spirit scents during meditation.

So Monica envisions change through scent. And she has an army behind her.

Then again, maybe one wants to take the scents at face value and sniff them for the usual reasons: the notes sound interesting, the scent puts a spring in the step, it garners compliments, and it just makes you feel good. That works, too! If the concept of the elements doesn't resonate with you, I still encourage you to keep an open mind and follow along with us as we explore this project. In the end, perfume is what you make of it!

Balance                                    [via]

Grow.

The concept of these Primordial Scents has grown and morphed and become even larger than Monica had even dreamed, I am willing to wager. Many seem moved by the project's concept not just on an intellectual level, as an exercise in perfumery, but also on a more organic and profound level. Friends contacted each other, the list of participants grew, and the soft murmur of the project's inception became a much louder buzz.

The roster for the project reads like a Who's Who of Perfumery. And when I say this project's reach is world-wide, I mean it!  Emma Leah is contributing to the project from Australia, Juan Perez is sending fragrant magic from Puerto Rico, Tanja Bochnig calls Berlin home, several Canadians are participating, and Americans from both coasts and quite a few cities in between will be represented, too. And that's just the perfumers! Articles about the project will be penned all over the world: the thread starts with Sheila Eggenberger in Denmark, wraps through Austria and the able hands of Birgit Oeckher, and hops the Atlantic to then dance all across North America.

The Perfumers
Amanda Feeley (Esscentual Alchemy) - AIR & EARTH
Ane Walsh (Ane Walsh) - BEACH/WATER
Anita Kalnay (Flying Colors Natural Perfumes) - SPACE/ ETHER
Anu Prestonia (Anu Essentials)- WATER
Bruce Bolmes (SMK Fragrances - website comings soon) - METAL
Dabney Rose (Dabney Rose) - FIRE
Dawn Spencer Hurwitz (Perfums des Beaux Arts / Essence Studio)- ETHER/SPACE
Emma Leah (Fleurage Perfume Atelier)  - METAL
Jane Cate (A Wing & A Prayer) - FIRE
Juan M. Perez (Exotic Island Aromatics)- FIRE & EARTH
Justine Crane (The Scented Djinn) - EARTH
Katlyn Breene (Mermade Magickal Arts) -FIRE
Kedra Hart (Opus Oils) - EARTH
Kirsten Schilling (Arabesque Aromas) - ETHER/ Space
Laurie Stern (Velvet and Sweet Pea) - AIR
Lisa Abdul-Quddus (Blossoming Tree Bodycare) - METAL
Lyn Ayre (Coeur d’Esprit Natural Perfumes ) - ETHER

Mandy Aftel (Aftelier Perfumes) - WATER

Maria Mcelroy (Aroma M) and Alexis Karl - FIRE

Marian Del Vecchio - FIRE 

Michael Storer (Michael Storer Perfumes)- AIR & EARTH

Neil Morris (Neil Morris Fragrances) - AIR
Shelley Waddington (EnVoyage Perfumes) - ETHER/SPACE, FIRE & WATER 

Suzy Larsen (Naked Leaf Perfumes) - AIR
Tanja Bochnig (April Aromatics) - AIR, EARTH, ETHER

Note: the links provided show the perfumer's websites and,
 when provided, a Facebook page dedicated to that
perfumer's offering for the Primordial Scents Project.
To access those FB pages, use the link associated
with the perfumer's chosen element(s)

The sniffers and writers

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Beth Schreibman Gehring - Perfume Smellin' Things, The Perfume Magazine

Birgit Oeckher - Olfactoria's Travels

Carlos Powell - artist, perfumista, Patch Test Bunny

Carol Sasich - WAFT....what a fragrancefanatic thinks

Diana Wiener Rosengard - Feminine Things

Donna Hathaway - Portland Fragrance Examiner

Elaine Jaune - perfumista

Elena Knezevic - EIC, Fragrantica

Gaia Fishler - The Non-Blonde

Ida Meister - Chaya Ruchama, Fragrantica

Jade Dressler -  www.jadedressler.wordpress.com 

Jen  Meade - This Blog Really Stinks

Jodi Battershell - Fragrantica

Josie Alycia Plumey - Beauty, Bacon, Bunnies

Lucy Raubertas - Indie Perfumes 

Margi Macdonald - writer

Marlen Elliot Harrison - The Perfume Critic

Naheed Shoukat Ali- Fragrantica

Nava Brahe - perfumista, writer

Rochette Withers - perfumista, writer

Scent Hive 

Scent Scelf - Notes from the Ledge

Sheila Eggenberger - The Alembicated Genie

Stevie Wilson - LA Story

Victoria Jent - EauMG

Zoran Knezevic -  Fragrantica 

Monica herself will be sharing a very special scent she has worked on and will be writing plenty, too, as the project evolves. And the surprises don't stop there - I haven't even mentioned The Traveling Perfume. Stay tuned for more on that!

Follow general developments and thoughts share by Monica on the Primordial Scents Project page on Facebook and on Perfume Pharmer, Monica's blog. 

Mother Earth                                                                                          [via]

Bloom. 

Igor Drandic Photographic Art

It seems the participants identified quite deeply with Monica's ideas. As she so rightly said, "we have to stay positive and dedicate ourselves to the good- for our children/planetary children and for ourselves. We cannot wallow in self pity/ delusion or allow ourselves to believe there is nothing we can do. We can ALL do something, no matter how small."

How large can a small vial of perfume really be? Follow along with the Primordial Scents Project and find out! 

Quick Sniffs: Virgin Island Water (Creed)

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Creed's Virgin Island Water is not groundbreaking. It's not setting fires for creativity or complexity. From those statements, I would normally get on my soapbox and start my rant: "you're charging how much for that?!"

But I'm not. Why? Because this perfume smells really freakin' awesome.

Let me set a little scene, if you'll humor me for a minute.

Imagine yourself on a well-earned holiday. Picture a lovely little island in the tropics where you find yourself settled in a chair that reclines at just the right angle. The sun beats down. You'd be sweating if it weren't for the umbrella above your head and the perfect gentle breeze. The ocean sparkles. The waves crash onto impeccable white sand. You contemplate the beautiful tropical flowers spilling over a nearby patio and adjust your sunglasses. A charming server materializes and hands you a nice rum drink, heavy on the lime, sugar laced along the rim of the glass. You're pleased to see your phone doesn't work here and you take a sip.

Notes
Top Notes: Essence of copra (the white inner portion of the coconut); lime of the Antilles; white bergamot and mandarin orange from Sicily.
Middle Notes: Hibiscus, ginger, ylang-ylang and Indian jasmine.
Bottom Notes: Sugar cane and white rum of the Antilles, musk from Tonkin.
As unisex as the perfect rum drink on vacation.

Any reason to use this picture is a good one.

Quick Sniffs: DSH Vanille Botanique

Sometimes I think I am putting pressure on myself to write some epic journey about the perfumes I review. What's that about? So today I am cracking a bottle of champagne over the prow of a new type of post on This Blog Really Stinks: Quick Sniffs. These are either mini-reviews or just "what you sniff is what you get" types of posts. Not a lot of background, no prattling on.  Just the facts, ma'am. I'm starting with...

Vanille Botanique by one of everyone's favorite indie perfumers, Dawn Spencer Hurwitz.

I dig that honey-colored body wash
and gorgeous amber 'fume, don't you?

I reviewed the Vanille Botanique shower/bath gel before, at a time when it was not offered anywhere. Happily, it is now! Get it on Dawn's site, here, along with a lotion, massage oil, water-based spray concentrée, and shea butter cream*.  The perfume, which I had not sampled at the time I reviewed the body wash, is now offered on IndieScents AND the DSH site. Bonus!

The all-botanical 'fume is more complex than the body wash. Where my bath experience was a gorgeous upscale vanilla bean ice cream, the perfume is a ridiculously divine vanilla + soft, almost incense-y balsamic nature that lasts for hours and hours. 

I have worn Vanille Botanique a few dozen times now and have gotten compliments every single time despite the subtle sillage. It's not "foodie", really, even though it's clearly a vanilla-based scent. The slightly-spiced woods are a brilliant counterpart to the sweet familiarity of vanilla. I enjoy this perfume from the brief flash of flirtatious citrus at the top all the way down to the smudged sweet balsamic-amber drydown that simply loves my skin.

Top notes: Bergamot, Lemon, Rosewood (bois de rose)
Middle notes: Bulgarian Rose Absolute, French Beeswax, Grandiflorum Jasmine
Base notes: Australian Sandalwood, Buddahwood, Civet, Labdanum, Peru Balsam, Siam Benzoin, Tahitian Vanilla, Tolu Balsam, Vanilla Absolute

*I never say this. Ever. Especially about "a vanilla perfume" - not that this isn't just some random vanilla perfume. I'm planning on buying this in every form made. I just love it that much. And my small edp isn't going to cut it. I'll be needing a bigger bottle.

Disclaimer: The original sample of bodywash
 was provided for review by DSH.
 I purchased the larger bottle and perfume.
 For more information about my review policies, read this.

The Dignity of Decay: Mandy Aftel's Sepia

Have you ever visited the ghost towns of the Wild West? The skeletons left standing long after the Gold Rush was done rushing have always intrigued me, but I've never been to visit one.

We just don't have anything like that on the East Coast, where I've lived all my life and done most of my (limited) traveling. When I think about those old ghost towns, certain images repeat themselves, probably exaggerated by books and movies, twisted and changed by time and imaginations.

If I close my eyes right now and imagine...

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Feel the stillness of the amber desert, all that can be seen for miles around... Hear the squeak of a door as it opens, a bell quietly ringing its alarm...  Taste the dirt and dust as it circles you, kicked up by cattle on the main street... Feel the pounding heat beating down on your head as you discretely wipe away sweat from your forehead... Smell the cold water, freshly pumped from the well and poured into a rich oak barrel... Feel the heavy weight of gathered gold, hard-earned and nearly hot to the touch... Smell leather saddles, reins, boots, and belts... Touch the canvas on a wagon as you sidestep a loose dog and almost stumble... Hear the groan of the planks as you walk by storefronts... Smell the horses: their sweat, their manure, their warm, hay-tinged breath as they stand, patiently, tied to railings... Listen to the gentle rustle of long skirts over high leather boots... Smell the freshly polished wood that runs the length of the bar in the saloon - and smell spilled whiskey and beer, sticky on the floor... Hear the laughter of dancing women through upstairs windows as they gossip away the long, hot day... Smell the passion - and the desperation - that permeates everything...

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"You know I can't believe we've lived so long and are still so far apart

The memory of you keeps calling after me like a rolling train."

"Brownsville Girl" - Bob Dylan  

Sepia, the newest scent by natural perfumer Mandy Aftel, strives to capture the feeling of those long-gone times. It evokes the memories of the past while also representing the still, quiet abandoned buildings and streets that remain to this day. Mandy said she enjoys trying to capture an emotional visual scene and portraying it as an emotional statement for the sense of smell. This strikes such a chord with me. One of my favorite things to photograph is abandoned buildings, crumpling barns in forgotten fields, and cars rotting away under trees. Without trying, I find myself building stories around these ghosts as I snap away. So you see why this project draws me in!

Mandy followed her own usual process when creating this olfactory homage, and to my delight captured bits of insight and peeks into her methods as part of the Letter to a Fellow Perfumer series that runs on Nathan Branch's blog (the series starts here).

How does a perfumer, natural or "mixed media" go about creating a perfume that depicts a California ghost town? Mandy usually starts with specific essences and builds around them then builds the scent from the bottom (base notes) up. Sometimes, as in with Sepia, those initial essences never make it to the final product! Her method is fascinating - very similar to that of an abstract expressionist painter. She seems to go to anther place and let intuition and experience guide her, as if in a trance of sorts (read more here).

Here's an excerpt that explains her motive in making Sepia:

"I’ve been driving around California’s Gold Country for the last year, looking at ghost towns and feeling consistently struck by their desolate beauty. I find myself drawn to their ruin — seeing in the remains of their previous life much more than I ever would have seen when they were new and pristine.

Certain things charm me, like the lack of a strict grid or city planning, the absence of sidewalks and curbs, and sometimes the presence of wooden sidewalks. My imagination is spurred in ways that are sensual yet vague, without specifics or literal points of focus.

To me, this is all about atmosphere

— the ghostly presences, the patina of time —

all of which inspire me to create..."

- Mandy Aftel, Letters to a Fellow Perfumer, courtesy of Nathan Branch

"I’m looking to recreate a feeling I have about ghost towns and the beauty of what remains after something is ravaged by time. After much disappears, what remains is experienced in wisps and shrouds of what came before, but only from the vantage point of now." - Mandy Aftel

Mandy made two concentrations of Sepia and I got to try both. Both are clearly related but have distinct differences, too. It was a really great experience to not only try this scent, but also to compare the two concentrations. Both were their own process and both brought to mind different things.

Notes are as follows:

Top: blood cedarwood, pink grapefruit and yellow mandarin
Middle: pink lotus, jasmine, strawberry, cocoa and coffee
Base: indole, ambergris, tobacco, labdanum, cepes and oud

When sampling Sepia in edp form, a mandarin and jasmine are the first prominent notes. Nearly immediately the base notes are pushed to the fore, sort of like flipping to the end of a book to see what happens. Sepia becomes dusty. The air is filled with tobacco, mushroom, salty skin. It is still and dense, like air in an undisturbed room.  Shortly, I experience an intensified mushroom scent blended with some dry, dark chocolate. At this point the scent seems to solidify and become more dense. Sepia in edp wavers on my skin like a flickering light, coming into focus and then fading away repeatedly over the rest of the duration of the scent. It's a truly beautiful experience.

In perfume concentration, Sepia opens chocolatey-rich with mandarin and jasmine on the side. The impression one gets of the scent is definitely warm and golden, like amber resin wrapped around some ancient long-gone creature. This version of Sepia builds as it wears as if layers are being piled on: polished wood then more chocolate then mushrooms. There's a  flash of something else here, something like Mandy's Cacao, but this is deeper and a bit more naughty. Cacao is sweet and rich, but this is dry, maybe dusty, perhaps even ancient. In this version, the scent softens over time and becomes a slightly powdery ambered whisper. Another incredible experience.

I couldn't pick a favorite version of Sepia. The edp is so damn mysterious. That in-and-out flicker is truly compelling, and I wear it sometimes just to feel it move. The perfume version of Sepia is so dense and lovely I won't be able to pass on it, either. I haven't worn them at the same time - I don't know that I could stand that much beauty all at once! I do think I need both forms, though, in my collection. There are times when I'd like a little mystery and others that I want that more centered, stronger presence. There is nothing like either of these in my collection right now.  In fact, I do not know that there's anything  like these two in perfumery. I can't think of a thing to compare them with when it comes to the mood and presence that they convey. They are startling, unusual, and truly beautiful.

"What I find so compelling about the art of perfumery is its seemingly direct access to our memories, hooking right into the experiences and feelings that stay with us throughout our lives... smells that can plug us in to dreamy, inchoate places inside each one of us where the entire landscape is painted with colors pulled from the very depths of our soul." - Mandy Aftel

Sepia is both a perfume and an experience. Had I not known the back-story, I doubt I would have envisioned abandoned Gold Rush towns, to be honest. But Sepia is clearly about distance and time. It is elegant and earthly at the same time. It has a certain wistfulness that I deeply enjoy. It is a whisper of the past. An echo. A memory - and yet somehow also beautifully concrete. It's the kind of scent that may seem strange at first but then you begin to crave it. It takes root in your being and becomes essential.

Thank you, Mandy, for another amazing piece of art (two, really!) and for allowing me to have this experience. 

Get Sepia at Aftelier Perfumes.
Mandy does have samples available
 for both the perfume and the eau de perfume
versions of this scent.  

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Samples of these items were provided by the perfumer. 

Please see my policies page for more info on my review practices.