Slim Aarons

The latest Tom Ford Private Blend is called Lavender Palm and it is meant to capture the feel of California. It was an exclusive release to the new Beverly Hills Tom Ford store in the spring of 2011 and now it has become available at the other places you normally find the Tom Ford Private Blend line. I finally got a chance to try it at the recent Sniffapalooza Spring Fling. What I found was a fragrance which did remind me of California but a specific locale in the Golden State, Palm Springs.

Julius Shulman

As I sniffed Lavender Palm my mind was seeing an iconic bit of Palm Springs architecture. The Kaufmann House has been one of the best examples of modern architecture. It was one of architect Richard Neutra’s last projects in the US and it might be his most famous. The Kaufmann House really entered the popular zeitgeist through the lens of two very different photographers. Julius Shulman would treat the house as a focal point and capture it in all different kinds of light. Slim Aarons captured the life of those who lived and partied in the Kaufmann house in the 70’s. The style of these two photographers continue to show up today as the Kaufmann house was recently used as the beauty shots for the J. Crew catalog. Lavender Palm also displays two different points of view of the titular note.

Julius Shulman

Perfumer Yann Vasnier uses two different lavender sources; one which captures lavender in its pristine condition and then another which encompasses more of the depth and subtlety of lavender. All of this in a fragrance which felt dry like a fine martini. Lavender Palm is a very sophisticated blend and it isn’t hard to think of someone poolside in these pictures wearing it.

M. Vasnier uses Lavandin a very light version of lavender which he matches with bergamot, lemon and lime blossom. The latter note adds an ephemeral light floralcy underneath the bracing lavender citrus opening. The next application of lavender comes from Lavender Absolute and it is a much deeper version of lavender as compared to the Lavandin. It also carries the complexity that the best absolutes impart to a fragrance. The herbal quality of lavender is enhanced by the use of clary sage and M. Vasnier has shown he knows how to use clary sage. In Lavender Palm it feels like the natural partner to the Lavender Absolute and it is hard to imagine another note in its place. M. Vasnier then brings out a bit of oleander and moss which pull out the floral facets as the lime blossom did with the Lavandin. There is vetiver, cedar, olibanum, and benzoin floating around in the background but you really have to stop and focus to pick them up. Lavender Palm is really about the lavender and it is very, very good.

Slim Aarons

Lavender Palm has below average longevity and average sillage.

Lavender is probably the easiest of floral notes for men and Lavender Palm is a great choice for guys who do like it. Lavender Palm is also a very sensual fragrance and is probably going to be worn by a lot of women. For those of you who have associated lavender with a barber shop give Lavender Palm a try because this is lavender done with very high quality ingredients and a creative perfumer in M. Vasnier.

I return to where I began when wearing Lavender Palm; poolside in Palm Springs living the good life and knowing it doesn’t get much better than this.

Disclosure: This review was based on a sample of Lavender Palm I received at Sniffapalooza Sping Fling from Bergdorf Goodman.

-Mark Behnke, Managing Editor

Editor’s Note: If you aren’t familiar with Slim Aarons he was the photographer of the Hollywood rich and famous at play from the 50’s through the 70’s. Julius Shulman was one of the foremost architectural photographers especially capturing the changes in post-war American architecture. If you love photography these are two worth checking out. -MB

 

Niche perfumer Keiko  Mecheri often takes inspiration for her fragrances from her travels and exotic locales. Un Jour d'Été, which will launch in May/June 2012 evokes "a get away on the sun drenched beaches of St. Tropez and a celebration of the hippie-chic bohemian lifestyle".

 Notes: bergamot, jasmine, monoi, woodsy notes, amber

The fragrance will be available in 75ml EDP

(via Keiko Mecheri at Facebook)

Editor's Note:  Keiko Mecheri of Les Parfums Keiko Mecheri created La Collection Hésperidés  in 2010 as a thematic olfactive addition to her signature line. The muti faceted flacon in clear crystal that gleams like a diamond and houses Les Hésperidés fragrances; the perfumed travels to places Keiko has been and / or imagined

During the month of April, 2012, the 20,000th comment was left by one of our CaFleureBon readers. We also have 14 "spilled perfumes" that were not claimed to celebrate.

This draw closed May 9, 2012 so a few comments were ineligible.

The 20,000 comment was left by Ringthing at 7:38 AM , April 27, 8:30 a.m

The Grand Prize winner is Alexander April 27,11:11 am who chose these four

 www.surrendertochance.com, sampler  $21.00-$31.00 value. May we recommend our favorite

 Xerjoff 15ml of Kobe

Envoyage Perfumes L’Hombre

 Maria Candida Gentile 15ml of sideris

         4.4 4.44 Kobe Xerjoff
Sampler from surrender to chance
L’Hombre Envoyage perfume
Sideris Maria Candida Gentile

Now for our 9 runners up who were randomly assigned

1.  RingThing  for being the milestone 20,000th comment! April 27th at 7:38AM One Limited Edition Thierry Mugler Angel Acqua Chic by Aurelien Guichard

2.  Nick  Ley April 27 7:30 PM One Limited Edition Thierry Mugler Alien Acqua Chic by Dominique Ropion  

     3.  Mary Evans April 27, 11PM -  Ellie D. Ellie or Ellie Nuit

 4. Laurentiu April 26, 12 pm Tanja Bochnig of April Aromatics  5ml spray EdP

5. Fabrice April 26th at 11:12 pm From Sarah Baron King, a reader's choice of a travel size of one of her three perfumes from her website The Pink Room:Parfum No 1. Pour Toi or Darkly Audacious

6. Christy C April 26, 3 pm  Atelier Cologne 30 ml of Grand Neroli Cologne absolue

 7. rosiegreen April 28, 9:00 am Eleanor Jayne …one of her seven perfumes Tallulah,Gotham, 333, Misae, Halona, Leotie, or Rayan

 8. Legoboy April 28, at 9:02am Providence Perfume Co. – Divine 1/2 ounce atomizer EdP

9. ineverwas April 28, 9:06am  From a Wing and a Prayer by Jane Cate a draw 1 oz of the scent of of Bronte, Tallulah B2, or Epione

 Please contact Michelyn@cafleurebon.com with your prize  as the email subject and your mailing address by May 17, 11:00 am EST

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

When a parfumista reads about a new perfume, there are always “notes” listed in its description or reviews. However, when you buy the perfume and look at the back of the box, very few ingredients (other than “Parfum/Fragrance” and alcohol) are familiar to most of us. What Shelley Waddington has done with her new book, "Perfuming with Natural Isolates", is to fashion a veritable Rosetta stone for deciphering what is actually IN your juice! Egyptologists had a vague idea of what many symbols meant in Egyptian tombs and scrolls; like I have a vague idea what linalool is. But, until the finding of a stone that had the exact same passage carved on it in Greek, Demotic and Egyptian hieroglyphs they were not completely sure. This thin tome is indispensable to avid label readers (like me) who want to know what’s REALLY in our perfumes and is, in effect, a Perfume Rosetta Stone…

The book opens with a definition of what a “natural isolate” is and descriptions of many of the most used natural isolates in perfumery, where (or what) they come from along with an in-depth example. Basically, an isolate is a fragrant compound found in natural items (flower, spice, fruit, herb, etc.) and extracted through scientific methods. Many are used in perfumes and cosmetics. Others are used in foods. Most chapters of this book happen to include a “Just for Fun” recipe or blend, and there are interesting facts and articles pertaining to the subject matter.

The second part lists briefly how many of these isolates are created and even includes a study guide section left blank for you (should you chose) to take notes. Please do not think this book is only for science geeks or that you have to have some string of letters after your name to understand it; you don’t. I have the most basic chemistry background with a focus on herbalism and I found this quite easy to understand. For those who are not quite so science savvy, Shelley has included a very thorough glossary at the end.

The third (and largest portion) contains monographs for the isolates discussed. These include beautiful pictures, scent descriptions, molecular diagrams, sources, storage tips and safety warnings and also what famous perfumes have used these substances. Many of these monographs contain experiments and a few recipes for the “foodies” among us. Though many may find this a rather “dry” read, many of us, who would like to know what all those multisyllabic words hyphenated with numbers that are virtually unpronounceable are, will thoroughly enjoy this.

The last section is a Q&A section about where you can find these isolates, how long they last and what makes “top middle and base” notes what they are. There are also formulas and tables aplenty in this wonderful reference guide. Many of the queries are from students Shelley has had in the past and from other people interested in the “magic” that goes on in the making natural perfumes.

You do not (I repeat DO NOT) have to be a perfumer to enjoy this! If you are even vaguely interested in peeking “behind the curtain” to see what these “wizards” who make our beautiful perfumes are actually up to and using…you will, no doubt, enjoy this. And, if you are thinking of possibly ever making your own perfume (or even blending a few oils or isolates, just for fun) this is the quintessential reference book you should have at your side. 

“Perfuming with Natural Isolates” is a “reference manual” after all, so do not expect an “I couldn’t put it down” up half the night page turner. What you can expect, my fragrant friends, is a very user friendly guide to the chemistry behind using chemicals used in natural perfume making and a whole lot of interesting information. (For example: raspberry ketone comes from anise seeds). If you are even the least bit curious about what really goes in those gorgeous bottles, pick up a copy; I’m glad I have mine and love to use it to “decipher” all that gibberish on the back of my boxes and keep it handy at all times.

Disclosure: This book was provided by Shelley Waddington for the purpose of this review

-John Reasinger, Editor

To buy your copy click here

Cincinnati  perfumer Liz Zorn of Soivohle has revamped and relaunched her Studio Collection, adding three new scents to the line.  She has also added two new carrier methods besides eau de toilette: parfum oil and cologne aqueous. I am pleased to have been given the opportunity to sample and review  the new fragrances as EDTs.

I love the aroma of freshly brewed chai; the smoky black tea, the sweet milk, and the pungent spices. In Wild Ginger Chai, that experience has been paralleled as closely as a perfume could possibly capture it. Putting this perfume on is like wrapping yourself in a silky pashmina on a chilly night. The black tea note is spot-on, the caramel and hazelnut notes give the impression of the warm milk, and the spice blend, with a predominance of ginger, is warming and comforting.  As the perfume ages on the skin, the garam masala provides a wonderful spice cloud to savor.  The longevity is good, with moderate sillage.

Notes: cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, sweet honey,caramel  and a hint of hazelnut.

 Lilas et Narcissus is a wonderful example of a spring floral perfume. At once bright and uplifting, as you would expect from lilacs and narcissus, the scent has an undercurrent of darkness that keeps it from being yet another springtime floral in a pantheon of many. The sillage is powdered, but is kept from being dry with a teasing tang of berry. For having a fairly simple notes list, this is far from a simple fragrance, and I think that the depth of the high percentage of  natural essences is what brings the complexity to what could otherwise be mundane. Good longevity with lovely sillage.

Notes: White Alba Lilac, Narcissus, wild strawberries, Jasmine, Violet and fragrant Orchids

A good Oriental spicy rose is a wonderful find, and Rosa Sur Reuse is such a perfume. As with Lilas et Narcisus, the benefit of the complex nature of naturally-derived floral accords is forefront. The rose is dusty, deep and full-bodied, like a rose at the apex of bloom, right before the shatter of its petals. A bit of waxy tuberose keeps it from falling into despondency. Spices and a hint of berry make the fragrance luscious and sensual. This scent conjures wearing silk charmeuse and being languid on a velvet divan. The perfume was formulated to be worn in all seasons, and I agree, but it is not a white linen dress summer scent. It is too wanton and sexy for that kind of purity. This fragrance stays a bit closer to the skin, with average longevity.

Notes: Roses, tuberose, black raspberry accord, cinnamon, cloves, a hint of violet, and a light Oriental base

Disclosure: The samples were provided by Soivohle for the purpose of this review.

Thanks to the generosity of Liz Zorn, we have a sample pack of these three fine fragrances to give away to one lucky reader. Do you have a favorite Soivohle scent? Is there one you would like to try? Leave a comment answering one or both questions and we will drw one winner on May 18 2012 via random.org.

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

-Tama Blough, Senior Editor

Editor's Note: Check out the new web design of www.soivohle.com. We think it looks great

Giorgio Armani adds a new fragrance to its Privé line La Femme Nacre.

"The fragrance was developed by Marie Salamagne, at Firmenich. It is composed of Iris Absolute and a precisely calibrated accord of different musks. The Firabs iris, chosen for Nacre, is a very rare quality. It combines the rich, creamy facet of iris, with a powdery, almost talc-like note. Mother-of-Pearl is a semi-precious stone produced by some molluscs as an inner shell layer. A sign of luxury and elegance, it was used in marquetry in the 19th century to adorn daily objects of the Haute Bourgeoisie.

The Mother-of-Pearl used on the Privé Nacre bottle comes from New Zealand oysters. Very thin films (around 3/10 of a millimeter) are extracted from the shells and glued on a plate that is then lacquered. Each Mother-of-Pearl film is different which makes every plate unique".

Each of the 1,000 pieces of Nacre is then numbered, on the bottle and the box.

Giorgio Armani Privé La Femme Nacre is £500 for 100 ml ($800) and is available http://www.giorgioarmanibeauty.co.uk/

-Michelyn Camen, Editor in Chief

Editor's Note: Marie Salamagne is considered a rising star in perfume and created Tokyo for Kenzo, and was a co creator of  my favorite Aqua Allegoria  for Guerlain…Figue – Iris. I believe this is her first uber luxe perfume.

One of the ten famous flowers in China where it originated, and representing fertility and peace. The name Osmanthus means fragrant flower (derived from Greek osma, meaning "fragrant", and anthos, meaning "flower").  In the language of flowers Osmanthus means love and romance and is a traditional Taiwanese wedding flower. Osmanthus fragrans  (Gui Hua) is also called Tea Olive, Fragrant Olive or Sweet Olive and it blooms in the fall and winter in mild climates with tiny white, yellow or orange flowers. The variety with golden/orange flowers is usually used to produce the absolute, one of the most expensive perfume and flavor ingredients.

The smell of the flower is ethereal and floral with honey and apricot notes while the absolute is complex, floral, and fruity with honey, woody, and leathery undertones.  In addition to being an important floral, it may be used alternatively in a musky base or to add fruity notes to a perfume and can be an important leathery note.  In-depth analyses have discovered notes similar to tobacco, dried fruit, raspberry, and even patchouli. Whatever the use, it is long-lasting and powerful.  Because of the expense of the absolute and the availability of re-constituted substitutes, use of the pure, natural absolute is quite rare in modern perfumery but, even in tiny amounts, it is highly valuable to perfumers for a unique note.  Osmanthus is popular recently in the niche perfume industry and is featured in a number of unique florals and is said to be the inspiration for the floriental type of perfume. It can dominate a scent as a soliflore or it can be highlighted to add a fruity note, a light, cheerful floral note, or the depth of leather to a perfume.

Chang'e

Osmanthus plants are originally from China and Taiwan and are highly desirable and venerated; they are celebrated in legend and festival.Scented Osmanthus shrubs are closely tied to the moon in Chinese custom.  When the flower is at its most fragrant Chinese grandmothers sit in fragrant courtyards to eat moon cakes with their grandchildren and tell stories of the moon and the fairy tale beings that live there including the princess who lives there in a crystal palace.  The princess is Chang’e who was the wife of a great hero and very beautiful.  There are several tales of Chang’e including that she was unfaithful to her warrior husband or perhaps stole and ate a pill of immortality. 

She was banished to the  moon palace to live a life of solitude, however, she is really not there alone.  There is also supposed to be a legendary figure named Wu Gang who was banished to the moon by the Jade Emperor and sentenced to chop down the immortal Osmanthus tree before he can leave.  Each cut of the ax is immediately healed and closed up.  Under that tree lives a rabbit that uses a pestle and mortar to pound the elixir of immortality. 

Moon cakes are sweet cookies that are eaten during the moon festivals; they have fillings of sugar, nuts, Osmanthus flowers, rose petals, sweetened tangerine peel, and bean paste.  In addition to moon cakes, Osmanthus flowers are used to enhance the natural fruitiness of the finest green and black teas, similar to jasmine sambac but lighter and much more fruity.  The leaves can be mixed with lightly fermented green tea leaves to produce a lovely aromatic tea.  The flowers may be used together with wild grapes to make an aromatic wine, a 2000 year old tradition.  The flowers have been used for centuries as a tea to create beautiful skin and can also aid in detoxification.  The aroma itself is stimulating and cheerful, lifting the mood and doing away with depression and negative thoughts. Osmanthus plants are traditionally prepared as a potted plant along with pomegranate by brides to take to her new family.

The shrub that produces these amazing flowers is a small, leggy plant with most of the foliage at the ends of the gray twigs.  The stems and branches are important, though, because the tiny blooms spring out of bare branches on older wood.  They also nestle among the tough serrated leaves in clusters of ivory, gold, or orange.  There is a village in China called Guilin, known for its amazing scenery, that is also dedicated to growing Osmanthus plants.  There are two vineyards that specialize in producing the unique sweet aromatic Osmanthus wine. Encouraged by local monks, all the households in the valley own small groves of the shrubs and during the fall when they all bloom at once the fragrance can be wafted for miles.  And then, during the heavy dews of dawn, they fall like a scented rain. 

Osmanthus was introduced to Europe in the middle of 19th century by a French botanist Jean Marie Delavay. During his tour in China, Delavay had described over 4000 species of plants, 1500 of which were unknown before. Osmanthus was one of those plants. Osmanthus delavayi and a few other plants were named after the scientist.  Across the ocean in the southeastern region of North America, tea olives are a common yard plant and easily found in most local nurseries.  Mild winters are sweetened by the scent of tea olive shrubs, although sometimes the shrub itself is hard to find because the aroma can be strongest away from the plant.  The smell tea olive flowers floating on the cool autumn air has been compared to jasmine, peaches and orange blossoms.  A close relative that is native to South Carolina is called Devilwood and grows along swamps and streams and blooms early in the spring with the typical sweet fragrance. 

Mysterious, ethereal, representative of ancient Oriental customs and myths and yet a common yard plant in Carolina neighborhoods; fruity and floral yet leathery and musky; Osmanthus is a complex flower worthy of the finest foods and perfumes. 

 - Elise Pearlstine, Contributor

Michelyn Camen, Art Director and Editor in Chief

 For our draw we have nine perfumes which feature osmanthus in their composition

From Ormande Jayne London Perfumery Osmanthus Travel Kit 4 x10ml purse sprays

50 ml Osmanthus Interdite from Parfum D'Empire sponsored by Fragrance & Art

From INeKE Parfumer San Francisco Evening Edged in Gold (Ineke must know the legend of Chang e, look at moon on the beautiful packaging)

From 50ml Montale Powder Flowers which is available at MiN New York in 100ml

From Mona Di Orio Parfums three 7ml flacons of the award winning Les Nombres d'Or Oud to one winner (CaFleureBon 's Managing Editor Mark Behnke votes this the best fragrance of 2011)

From Charna Ethier of Providence Perfume Co. 1 oz of all natural ($115) Osmanthus OOlong

From Christi Meshell of House of Matriarch 2 oz of all natural Happy Baby ($160) Parfum

From JoAnne Bassett  1 oz of the natural Camille perfume ($125.00)

From Elise Pearlstine, our author and the Natural Perfumer of Belly Flowers a 15ml ($65.00) of Tea Olive

For our draw: Please leave a comment on what you learned about Osmanthus in perfumery and your choice of perfume, with two notes ie ingr in your comment (not including Osmanthus!) Our draw closes May 16, 2012 EST. Nine winners will be chosen by random.org.

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

As much as I make fun of perfume PR for coming up with copy that has nothing to do with their fragrance sometimes there is a perfect match between copy and fragrance. Amouage Beloved is one of these cases. According to the copy Creative Director of Amouage Christopher Chong wanted Beloved to evoke “the elegance and complexity of the modern woman: strong, empowered, animated, in control.” This was the charge given to perfumer Bernard Ellena. With Beloved to be exclusive to Bergdorf Goodman in New York City this brought to mind the women described as Bergdorf Blondes. The original Bergdorf Blonde was the late Caroline Bessette Kennedy. Her color was maintained by going every 13 days to get it colored, reportedly at Bergdorf Goodman. The hair color would come to define a group of stylish fashionable women coming in to their own in the first few years of the twenty-first century. The best like Ms. Kennedy were as stylish as they were successful. Beloved is a fragrance meant to capture style and power and M. Ellena does a very good job of bringing this to fruition.

This is the first time Bernard Ellena has composed for Amouage and the majority of his output has been for other masstige houses but only with Van Cleef & Arpels Oriens in 2010 has he designed in the luxury end of the perfumed swimming pool. Despite being the brother to that “other” Ellena he clearly has his own aesthetic at play which shows that while perfume might be hereditary the style is not. I can’t imagine Bernard’s sibling coming close to making a fragrance like Beloved.

I think Beloved carries a sense of sophistication appropriate to its stated goal. When I wore it while testing I was impressed but I kept wondering if it was more my impression of what a modern woman would smell like instead of what a modern woman, herself, would want to smell like. When I was at the Sniffapalooza Spring Fling, where Beloved was premiered at Bergdorf Goodman, I spent a lot of time lingering near where most of the participants were testing it out. Based on the impressions I heard, it does look like M. Ellena has created a fragrance a twenty-first century woman wants to wear.

Beloved opens with an atypical, for Amouage, delicacy. A light application of rose and jasmine are not used to overpower instead they are used as contrast to a series of herbal notes in clary sage and clove bud. The sage in particular cuts across the floral notes like a laser beam. The heart turns more intensely, but again not as intense as other Amouage fragrances, floral. Sweet ylang-ylang and metallic violet dominate the heart before a resinous accord made up of cistus, benzoin, and olibanum add depth. The base is an animalic triptych of leather, civet, and castoreum. If it was just those three notes that would have thrown all of the good work done previously away but M. Ellena modulates those notes with a healthy dose of vanilla and sandalwood so that sweetness arrives at the end of it all.

Beloved has outstanding longevity and average sillage.

Beloved might be the most restrained Amouage fragrance made to date and that restraint might lead people to think this is a “dumbed-down” version of the great Amouage florals of the past. I would heartily disagree with that assessment as I think Beloved is an Amouage for that woman who sees herself as sophisticated as she is intelligent. Which makes Beloved the thinking-woman’s Amouage, even if her hair is blonde.

Disclosure: This review was based on a bottle of Beloved supplied by Amouage.

-Mark Behnke, Managing Editor

Editor’s Note: The book cover in the opening collage is of Bergdorf Blondes by Plum Sykes. It is a very funny semi-roman a clef about the Park Avenue women of NYC. I used it mainly for the title not as a description of the kind of woman who inspired Beloved. For that, look to the pictures surrounding the cover.  I do recommend the book though.  

Mother…that word means many things to many people. To me it has always meant someone who would love you unconditionally, tell you what you needed to hear (not wanted to hear) and always supported you. My mom is not your typical mother. She worked in a factory for 16 years and then operated heavy equipment for the state of Pennsylvania for 25 more. She has more blue jeans than dresses and collects wolves, teddy bears and (you guessed it) perfume.  Despite her “gender bending” choices for occupations and style of dress, she has always been rather feminine, as you will read by her choice of fragrances.

She was not always a perfumista. She wore only a few  fragrances when I was growing up. Her mother (my “Gunda” as I called her), on the other hand, had a huge dressing table covered in perfumes, colognes, toilet waters (as they were called back then) and scented powders. Her best friend was the Avon lady!! Her table had many drawers, also filled with scented treasures. I do not really remember her, per se, but I do remember a scent I smelled as a young lad that struck me somewhere deep in my soul and made me feel safe, loved and utterly wonderful. My aunt tells me now, that I get MY passion for perfumes “honestly”!

Whenever my Mom and StepDad were getting ready to go out for the evening, I would breathe in deeply the smell of CHANEL No5 Eau de Cologne floating through the house. No5 is the very first scent I ever remember Mom wearing and that I recognized as “perfume”. I can still remember her square black rechargeable sleeve (with golden Chanel trademark on top) that she kept in her top drawer. I used to go into her room while they were out and slyly open the drawer and take off the cap and smell the sprayer. It was like she was right there with me! The vintage eau de cologne is similar (if not better) than the modern parfum is. It was one of the three original versions, with EDT and Parfum, released in 1921; sadly discontinued in the 1990’s and replaced by the current EDP.

Its opening of soft flowers blended with aldehydes and fizzing citruses still makes me swoon and smile. Somehow perfumer Ernest Beaux took powerful flowers: roses, jasmine and iris (both bloom and root) and tamed them with a silken muguet to create something wholly rich and magical, without being ostentatious or arrogant. The dry down of civet and musk is just sexy enough (without being vulgar), as all this wonder comes to rest on a bed of earthy woods, delightful greens and just the right amount of smoky vanilla. I was blessed enough to receive an UNOPENED Eau de Cologne 60 ml splash from a dear friend. After opening the foil top a few months ago, I can tell you this is the scent of “mom” to me more than any other. This is (and will always be) my favorite concentration of No5. It is classic and feminine, but this transcends gender and era, remaining simply magnificent.

For those more relaxed days or weekends Mom used to spritz on a little bit of Dana’s Ambush cologne, released in 1955. As is usually the case, the modern version (1997) smells nothing like the original (she still has a large vintage bottle she wears sparingly these days) as it is much fruitier, more saccharine and slightly nutty (from tonka beans and pralines). The vintage has a sweet, but woodier, floral opening balanced by a shiny bergamot. Heliotrope is the star here and debuts early in the development with its velvety blossoms oozing a charming vanillic aroma. Orchid, elegant as always, has “let down her hair” and plays with a creamy jasmine resulting in a carefree and fun loving heart. Until the ultimate dry down this could almost be seen as the ancestor of Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb. The base of real oak moss adds an arid green that keeps this down to earth and from becoming cloying or too frivolous. Here is a blend of sweetness, simple beauty and common sense…just like Mom! 

One classic television commercial jingle I can still remember all the words to (over thirty years later) is the one from Revlon’s Jean Nate. Mom used to use the “after bath splash” after showering. This is the one that is still sold at drug stores in the US today, though she sighs and says “It’s not what it used to be”. It is more of a skin scent and I prefer the concentrated natural spray cologne myself, as it lasts longer and has more oomph. This comes screaming out of the sprayer with aldehydes aplenty, but they quickly subside leaving a well-balanced blend of citruses on the skin. A pairing of feminine rose and jasmine with masculine lavender and carnations smells grand, but not overly floral. A reserved sprinkling of rather non-descript spices moves this towards its pseudo-oriental finish. Dry cedar, elegant sandalwood, enticing tonka and subtle musk results in something easily unisex; though I cannot see many “manly men” wearing something named “Jean Nate” with a butterfly on the bottle. This has been around since 1935; longer than my mother or I have, and I can see why.

I have saved the best for last! The scent I smelled as a lad was Moonwind cologne released by Avon in 1971. My “perfume sensitive” aunt has confirmed (after smelling it and wincing) that my “gunda” did in fact wear this and often. To me, this is the scent that keeps her alive in my memory. I can find no definitive note list for this and it has been discontinued for many years, but it is without a doubt my favorite Avon scent (vintage or modern). A heavenly shower of aldehydes and citrus (mostly bergamot and grapefruit to my nose) shines down crisp and cool, like moonbeams. Some floral notes are on the wind: lavender (for sure) and narcissus. It is clean and slightly soapy, yet briskly cool and woody green at the same time. There is most definitely (now banned) evernia prunasti or oak moss here combined seamlessly with vetiver. Easily unisex, despite being marketed to women, this “femme” scent has more presence and strength in its little finger than most modern men’s designer scents have in a whole bottle.

This year, Mom is getting a Tom Ford Black Orchid Voile de Fleur set and DKNY’s Delicious Night set from me because she loves them both and deserves it. She has over a hundred bottles now (and even more samples and decants) but these are the ones that will always be nearest and dearest to her heart…and are ingrained into my olfactory memory. I want to wish all Mothers everywhere a very Happy Mother’s Day and say thanks for all you do!!

-John Reasinger, Editor

What are the scents you associate with your mom?