CaFleureBon Behind the Bottle: Dawn Spencer Hurwitz “Mirabella” + Sophisticated Lady Draw

Dawn Spencer Hurwitz doesn't need any introductions on Cafleurebon.  DSH is one of the most prolific perfumers' we know; Dawn created Lautrec for our 1st  birthday, has appeared in our CafleureBon Profiles in American Perfumery series, has gone Behind the Bottle once before with Mark Behnke and was named best perfumer of 2010 by Ida Meister.  I googled DSH perfumes and CaFleureBon and there are over 12,000 results 

 

 

Thank you Dawn for "breaking" Mirabella on CafleureBon. Mirabelle means plum in French. What is the genesis of your new perfume.

DSH: Mirabella is based on the counterpoint relationship of tuberose and osmathus in a grand floral floral structure… but was expanded by the spiced plum note in the top and the warm resins and oakmoss in the dry down.

Top: botanical spiced plum accord, bergamot, orange blossom absolute and broom absolute

Heart: osmanthus absolute, grandiflorum, sambac and juhi jasmine absolutes, rose damask, centifolia rose, tuberose absolute, tuberosa accord, ylang ylang and French beeswax

Base: orris concrete, benzoin, labdanum, Australian sandalwood, East Indian patchouli, green oakmoss, (implied) leather, vanilla absolute, castoreum and civet

The Purple Dress, by Henri Matisse (one of Dawns's favorite artists)

   
This is a sophisticated perfume, and although it's a shared fragrance, it leans towards the feminine…i.e the name Mirabella…


 DSH:
The name Mirabella was suggested by my apprentice, Amber Jobin, who loved the plum note and I just loved how the name encompasses the energy of a mature, sophisticated woman and the sense of a grand floral perfume that has morphed into a rich fruity-floriental – chypre.

Is this a botanical fragrance as it was "the fruit" of the project between you and Mandy Aftel who only works in naturals?


DSH:
 I started out thinking it would be an all botanical but after getting into the design, I realized that structurally, it needed the synthetics to create the space for the botanicals to flourish within the perfume. I wanted to keep it pretty botanical but in the end it needed the strength of the synthetics to really be the perfume I had in mind.

I don't often review a fragrance these days and I miss that pleasure. If Lautrec was created for CaFleureBon,then it feels like Mirabella would have been created for me; no other new perfume this year embodies my own sensibility. My first impression is that Mirabella was Serge Luten's Feminitie du Bois's skin twin. Although there is no cedarwood in Mirabella, there are spices, plum, woods, bergamot, benzoin, and honey. Both are tributes to sensuality and to the quintessential beauty of a woman. Comparing fragrances is not my style; yet the resemblance on my skin is remarkable. 

Mirabella radiates; there is a tactile sensuality that evokes fabrics- velvets, silks, and chiffons, which weave the fruity top notes into the chypre drydown. Mirabella can be shared without appearing androgynous and  ultimately, like all things beautiful, Mirabella is suitable for anyone; yet it remains one sophisticated lady.
 
Michelyn Camen, Editor in Chief
 
 
Thank you Dawn and DSH perfumes for the 5ml draw for a flacon of Mirabella (not available to the general public at the time of this post). In order to be eligible please leave a comment about  your favorite DSH perfume, or your favorite Sophisticated Lady by November 23, 2011 EST
 
 
 
Editor's Note: I chose the video of Natalie Cole, (who won a Grammy for both Unforgettable 1992 and Still Unforgettable 2009 and not Duke Wellington's Sophisticated Lady with purpose. I was humming Unforgettable as I wore it. I was watching the American Music Awards at the time of this post, and Adele could easily be a sophisticated lady.

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42 comments

  • I cannot just settle on one favorite DSH fragrance, but must name several…..Verte pour Madame, Cimabue, Mata Hari and Lautrec just to name my 4 Favorites. Dawn is such a talented perfumer, i love her creations for the simple fact, there never is any sort of medicinal dry down on me. Would love the opportunity to win this. Thank you Dawn and Cafleurebon for a fab draw.

  • Great article Michelyn! Sounds like another beauty from Dawn. My favorite DSH is Cimabue. She is a very talented perfumer and I wish her all the best in the future. Katharine Hepburn, a graceful, sophisticated lady that was never afraid to speak her mind.

  • Unfortunately I’ve never tried one of DSH perfumes and they all sound amazing. However, I know it’s a bit of cliche but still Channel personifies sophistication.

  • never had the chance to try any of DSH’s fragrances- I know that Cimabue and Pandora are well liked.
    I think both Marlene Dietrich and Jackie Kennedy were sofisticated, each in her own style
    Thanks

  • DSH has been on my list as well; I was able to sample Jitterbug and Minuit. The Minuit would be a gorgeous scent for the winter. One of my favorite sophisticated ladies with a touch of sass is Myrna Loy.

  • Lautrec was amazing and I think Mirabell will also be something unique; I love Osmanthus but al the notes and their combination sound lovely!

  • My favourite DSH perfume changes with seasons. At the moment, I’m enjoying her wintery perfumes and the best of those for now is Piment et Chocolat.
    I adore it! 🙂

  • Oh my goodness!!! I really cannot choose a fave DSH-Cimabue, Pandora, Minuit, and so on. I could really hi-jack this thread and chat about DSH for hours. Please enter me in this draw:)

  • Cimabue gets a a lot of love here, and it happens to be my favourite too, also because of the safron 🙂
    Mirabella sounds great, I love plum notes in perfume.
    I still haven’t sampled nearly enough of her fragrances, it’s on a evergrowing to try list.
    Thanks for this beautiful draw.

  • My all-time favorite DSH is Parfum de Luxe, and my second is probably Jitterbug, a close relative to the first. I followed the making of Mirabella on Nathan Branch’s blog and although both Dawn and Mandy hit a few bumps in the road, it sounds like they both came up with beautiful fragrances! I can’t wait to try them both. Thanks for the draw!

  • I have loved every DSH scent that I’ve tried. My favorite is Inner Sanctum, the most haunting daark rose I own. American Beauty is my favorite rose soliflore by far. Such a tslented artist, on many levels.

  • My favorite is Mirabella! I didn’t try it but I know I am going to love it. As Michelyn said it feels like Mirabella would have been created for me; it embodies my own sensibility and loves. Dreaming , dreaming, dreaming. Not available? I will check her website everyday.

    Thank you so much for this draw!

  • Michelle Hunt says:

    My favorite DSH fragrances are from back in the Boston days when I would stop by the store, ask to smell a million things, and leave with a small custom perfume. It was so much fun!

  • I got a sample of Cimabue in one of my online purchases, and really love it. It’s what I imagine Cinnabar must have smell like? I wear Cimabue very sparingly, though really, would love to smother myself in it, it’s so spicy and sexy. I would love to try other scents from this line! Thanks for the draw.

  • Both beautiful, intelligent and well-breed Blythe Danner and Meryl Streep personify sophistication in my book. I re-read this review and the notes in Mirabella sound AMAZING- orange blossom water, genet broom. French beeswax, castoreum, civet…..This fragrance must have a real vintage vibe to it!

  • I wouldn’t call it vintage
    That would be 1957
    It is timeless and could only be created now due to the technology Dawn used in creating a 90% botanical with good sillage and excellent longévité

  • Plum and tuberose! This sounds marvelous. A couple of my favorite DSH scents are Tubereuse and Mahjoun.

  • Mirabella sounds lovely and very me! I like a lot of dsh scents, including Java and Bois du Chocolat. I love how BdC smells kinda warm and fuzzy, like actually fuzzy.

    there are a bunch more i’d like to try now that i’m poking around the site…

  • Which is my favorite? The one I happen to be wearing at that moment, in other words, too many to name. Right now I’m enjoying the clean, crispness of Oeillets Rouges, and I love Cafe Noir, Parfums de Grasse, and Kohl Gris. A new DSH perfume is always cause for anticipation and celebration!

  • I don’t have a favorite DSH perfume, but plummy Mirabella sounds like a perfect Christmas companion.

    My sophisticated lady of choice is jazz musician Melody Gardot because I’ve been listening to her song “Baby I’m a Fool” all week and loving its classy Cole Porter-ish vibe.

  • I have been most fortunate to have tried Dawns creation, in fact, coincidentally I am wearing Ruba’iyat. I was rushing to an appointment and needed something to combat the smoked fish fragrance surrounding me from breakfast (too much information?) (sorry,) and reached out and grabbed a bottle and applied! Took a step back and said ”wow”” Yes it was Dawns..needless to say the fish took a back bench and my appointment went well. It has to be my fav DSH. Dawns creations are the architectural monument of a great city, the pyramid outside the Louvre for instance, each piece is placed together for a reason, structure, durability and of course beauty!
    A sophisticated lady?…Catherine_Deneuve

  • You make this fragrance sound utterly delectable! I love and own both Jitterbug and Cimabue, and would love to give this a try.

  • Another sophisticated lady..Michelyn Camen whom I hope to one day have the pleasure of meeting in person. She brings this fragrance alive for us here, inspires us to savor and explore them. Wonderful review!

  • This plummy floral chypre sounds just delicious. I love so many of Dawn’s scents that it’s difficult to pick just one, but I’ll mention the lovely Vert pour Madame, which I think is phenomenal.

    Thanks for the draw opportunity once again!

  • I have been thinking about plum alot this year and to mic it with tuberose and tuberose absolut oh this is a sensory experience that I want to have. I love the art and the review -you have used shades of purple and plum Thanks Cafelurebon and Dawn:)

  • lovely review of a fragrance i would love to try (plum is among my favorite fruit smells. i’ve always been partial to feminite du bois, but also rochas femme, and neil morris’ burnt amber with that amazing plum note in the top.)

    and which of my many many perfumes from dawn do i like best?

    hm.

    i’d say it is still, after all these years, prana.

  • The only DSH perfume I have tried so far is Pandora, and it’s really good.
    A sophisticated lady is Cate Blanchett, isn’t she? 🙂

  • It seems like the favorite DSH perfume is the one I get to try next. So I’ll go for last night’s Fire Opal.
    I wasn’t planning to say anything about a Sophisticated Lady but the idea spurred some thinking on the matter and then Miss DSH comes to mind. I remember seeing her at Snifa earlier this year and she has a quiet but complex elegance not unlike her perfumes and appealingly reflected in her creative process.

  • Oh, every time Dawn comes up with a new perfume I am excited because she always does something wonderful! Every Dawn’s perfume is a phenomenal 8th art object made by an artist who sees all art interconnected.

    I love and own Mahjoun, White Magnolia, Cardamon and Khyphi in FBs. I also love my minis — Roses (#1,2,3) and a beautiful mossy Pandora. I am almost out of LiLi, love it too.

    Would love to try Mirabella.

  • PS I forgot to mention that I have really enjoyed my sample from a dear friend, of Pandora. Mirabella, sounds amzing. I would love to have a whiff of this one;) I enjoyed my sample of Pandora very much. It has been my first experience with DSH and certainly not the last. I can not wait to sniff more of her stuff.
    Thanks and happy New Year:)