sally taylor consenses

Nikki Sherrit Lewis of Rebel & Mercury

Nikki Sherritt-Lewis of Rebel & Mercury sits down with ÇaFleureBon in another installment of Behind The Bottle, focusing on her latest release, Ampersand, and it's relation between… well, everything! Rebel & Mercury started out as a candle company called Gabriel's Aunt and now produces candles, botanical perfumes, and body oils.

Einsof: Will you fill us in on your background? When did the perfuming bug strike?

Nikki Sheritt –Lewis: I grew up working in the Film/TV Business in Dallas, TX and continue to work as a Freelance Film/Video Producer here in my new home of Seattle. I have been splitting myself in 2 running both businesses for about 13 years. I fell in love with the art of alchemy after taking a cooking class in Venasque, Provence. I came back from that experience wanting to blend everything and read everything about blending. I used the art of candle making to teach myself perfumery so I am self-taught. I do have to give special props to Ayala Sender of Ayala Moriel for spending time with me and helping me learn to refine my perfumes. That day with her was critical in my education.

SallyTaylor Consenses Exhibit

Sally Taylor Consenses Exhibit is so impressive… this multi-disciplinary "Festival of The Senses" encompasses 130 artists from around the world, including Carly Simon, Film Director Wes Craven, master perfumers Ralf Schwieger of Mane, Laurent Le Guernac and Felix Buccelalto of IFF, and many of our favorite indie perfumers (Dawn Spencer Hurwitz, Perfumer and CaFleureBon Contributor David Falsberg, Yosh Han, Christi Meshell). How is Ampersand connected?

Allen Whiting. Squibnocket, oil on canvas, 26 x 36

NSL: I was given a painting created by Alan Whiting, a Massachusetts artist and asked to create a perfume based on my perception of that painting. The painting was of a sun dried grassy cliff next to the ocean. I created a perfume that I felt that painting smelled like. What is now Ampersand started as that perfume and morphed into something much more intricate, but that was the muse.

And…. why “and”? Why Ampersand for a name?

“Ampersand” represents a joining of things. The notes of this perfume are a marriage of Flora & Fauna & Wind & Sea. I love that is doesn’t have a lot meaning, yet means everything.

There is a lovely oceanic/ozonic quality to the opening. Can you tell us more about how you linked air, sea, flora and fauna?

NSL: Air: Ruh Kewda is so multi-faceted. I think it when combined with Lotus is has an airy ethereal quality to it. It also has a beautiful floral watery aspect so it ties in well with the Mimosa, Seaweed and Ambergris.

Sea: Again, the Ruh Kewda was a nice tie in, but the combination of the salty Ambergris and Seaweed were the main notes I relied upon to create that accord.

Flora: I think that the White Lotus and Mimosa along with some more heady florals really added a sweetness and nectar element to the perfume. Not too heady, but more reminiscent of wildflowers on a cliffside.

Fauna: The animalic dry down to me was important because the perfume is so watery. I wanted it to end with a dry, salty earthiness so I added a gorgeous Oud to bring it back down to earth.

Notes: caraway, lemon, galbanum, ruh kewda, mimosa, lotus, oud, seaweed, vetiver, and beach found ambergris.

–Einsof, Nautral Perfume Editor and West Coast contributor

To learn more about the Consenses project click here. To donate click here

Disclosure: my sample of Ampersand was provided by Rebel & Mercury for review

Thanks to Nikki Sherritt-Lewis of Rebel & Mercury we have a draw for a US reader for 5ml bottle of Ampersand, a natural perfume created with real beach found ambergris. To be eligible please leave a comment with what you found fascinating about Nikki's interpretation of The Sally Taylor Concenses Project and why you would hope to win Ampersand perfume. If you would like your comment to count twice please be sure to LIKE ÇaFleureBon Behind the Bottle on Facebook. Draw ends 1/23/2014.

We announce the winners only on site and our Facebook page, so like CaFleureBon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will just be spilled perfume

11 comments

January 20, 2015 at 9:22 pm
Karyn Gold-Reineke says:
Nikki is so talented, this sounds amazing, thanks for sharing!!!
January 20, 2015 at 10:20 pm
Sun Mi says:
Ah, I love the idea of wildflowers on a cliffside. What a gorgeous inspiration. I also really like the name, Ampersand – as a simple reminder that everything is connected. Thanks for the opportunity to win this natural perfume! I’m in the US, and I’ve liked Behind the Bottle!
January 21, 2015 at 4:04 am
Fazal Cheema says:
what makes Sally Taylor Concenses Project interesting is that artists from different forms of art have joined hands. I want to try Ampersand because it contains real ambergris which is quite a rarity now. Ambergris is one of the major ingredients that made original dioressence so beautiful. thanks for the generous draw. I am in the US
January 21, 2015 at 8:26 am
Patty P. says:
I also love that ampersand is described as, “…doesn’t have a lot meaning, yet means everything”. I hope to win something with real beach found ambergris. US 🙂
January 21, 2015 at 2:53 pm
Joyce says:
Candle making as a teaching tool sounds like a wonderful pathway to learn the art of fragrance. I would adore to smell real beach found ambergris, its such a mythical element. So truely connected to nature. The Sally Taylor Project is an example of artistic collaboration. No boundaries in the creative sense. Thank you for the draw. I am in the US
January 21, 2015 at 7:17 pm
jiminy says:
Ambergris and lotus! The composition and inspiration for it hooked me from the get-go. I also the liked to learn that Ayala Moriel was involved in Nikki’s journey into perfumery. She is one of my favorite natural perfumers. Her Orcas is a masterpiece.

I am in the US and just ‘liked’ “Behind the Bottle […]” on facebook.

Thanks for the draw!
January 22, 2015 at 9:20 am
Steve A says:
I enjoyed the detailed description of air, sea, flora and fauna. I’m in for the seaweed and the dry salty ending. U.S.A.
January 22, 2015 at 6:32 pm
Cynthia Richardson says:
I found Nikki’s interpretation of The Sally Taylor Consenses Project fascinating in that she sees her fragrance as a joining of the notes to represent “Flora & Fauna & Wind & Sea”. I hope to win Ampersand perfume to experience ruh kewda.
I LIKE ÇaFleureBon Behind the Bottle on Facebook.
January 22, 2015 at 8:18 pm
Carol W says:
Fascinating that so many artists in so many different areas are involved. The perfume has so many notes, and I really think it would be interesting to see how they all tie together. It sounds wonderful. I jus LIKED ÇaFleureBon Behind the Bottle on Facebook. I’m in the US.
January 22, 2015 at 8:31 pm
Amber says:
The whole concept is so interesting and arresting. The notes used are like the collaboration of artists, you want to smell how it all comes together. I’m in the US.
January 23, 2015 at 3:16 pm
Kristi says:
I really like the name ampersand, it’s so interesting. I also love the idea of the combination of sea, flora, and fauna. I would love to be able to try it. I’m in the U.S. Thanks!