Many things intrigued me on reading Kim Spadaro’s Profile in American Perfumery. One was the influence of her mother on her art and life. The other was the way she spoke so passionately about fragrances and how she was inspired to create her own. A relative “newcomer” to the perfume game (all three of her perfumes were released last year, 2011) she has managed to create some extremely powerful and passionate potions using what many would consider “typical” notes used in perfumery. The magic that lies in hers is obviously the quality of the raw ingredients used and the panache with which she does so. Each and every perfume has a story behind it (that can be read on her website) based on the perfumer’s worldwide travels and meeting various characters and having adventures.

From an early age Kim was inspired by her mother to take raw botanicals and make home-made skin care remedies, add patchouli and musk to “store bought” perfumes to enrich and add depth to them and even blend custom lipstick colors by melting and mixing left over “bullets” from other tubes. Is it any wonder she is a modern perfume alchemist who makes true liquid gold from the lead of rather commonly used ingredients such as bergamot, pepper, patchouli or vanilla? She also “pays it forward” by donating a percentage of each sale to the Spadaro Foundation as tribute to those who have touched her life and her mother. She likes to honor those who inspire others.

Her Italian-American heritage and her love of beauty and rich fragrance dovetail perfectly in her perfumes. From the beautiful glass bottles with gold scrollwork on them to the cap which resembles an old apothecary’s bottle to the delicious and deep aromas combined within I can honestly say that, for once, the quality of the packaging and the “hype” really do match the liquid inside.  On receiving my samples, they were all plain and in the same sprayer (marked SPADARO) and each card had all three perfumes listed and each one had a check mark in the box for what was in the sample. Sometimes extremely wonderful things can come in very plain packages…

Of all her scents, Noche del Fuego was the one that enticed me the most and the first I tried. Compared to a “fire dance in the night” and described with words like “seduction” and “mysterious” I knew instinctively that I had to try this one first. The initial opening was truly akin to being greeted by a bright bonfire at midnight after coming out of a dark forest! Bergamot, usually somewhat bitter and bright, was here in all its glory; but had its bitterness toned down yet was still as citric and stimulating. It rose above the oriental undertones like tongues of flame rising and creating a bright glow. Spices surrounded me. Saffron (floral and soft, yet piquant) was seasoned with peppercorns and pimento which alternated between spicy and drily dusty. A smoky sandalwood and very dark and bewitching patchouli (obviously aged and smooth) grounded this and made me sigh deeply.

I adore dark spicy floral scents with incense-like notes in the dry down. This perfume kept me sniffing my wrist again and again (though with its wide sillage I did not really need to) to get an even more intense scent experience. You might think that this sounds too masculine for a woman. Perish the thought! The dark spicy woody nature of this eau de parfum is tempered and softened with just the right amount of a very sultry vanilla and just a drizzle of sweet honey making it definitely more unisex. I could most definitely see smelling like this after vigorously dancing all night around a bonfire, while barefoot at a midnight festival. This is smoky, sexy and oriental. In one word, it is gorgeous!! Sillage: way above average. Longevity: incredible (overnight on skin and days on clothing!).

Sole Nero was my second scent to try. Somehow the description on the sample card fell far short of the vapors of rapture that greeted my nostrils upon applying it. “Italian citrus imbued with musk, sandalwood and precious spices” does not even begin to cover it! Citrus is present here, but does not lead the parade. It adds a lilting feeling of joy to the entire composition. It is trite to say orange, lemon and grapefruit “add a sunny happy feeling”; but that is exactly what it does. The main accord of kinder gentler white pepper and the cumin comes off soft,  as opposed to “sweaty and hot” as it can in many compositions.  The presence of sheen on the skin, after it dried, also indicated a high concentration of quality essential oils.

The gourmand notes of honey, almond and vanilla add a delicious sweetness to resinous frankincense, and cut the slightly bitter “medicinal” vibe it can sometimes have. Oftentimes I poke fun at “marketing” descriptions of notes contained in perfumes; however, here “tender musk” is exactly what you can smell. Neither overly animalic nor too white or “clean”, this musk is like the tender scent of your lover or the scent that is left the following morning on your sheets from the blending of your scent with that of one you love. A bit more femme than Noche del Fuego, this is a very well-balanced scent that would do just as well on a man as a woman, as this juice truly defies gender associations. It is equal parts sweet, bright, spicy and yummy!!  Sillage: very good. Longevity: above average.

Having always had a penchant for anything deeply floral or rich and oriental, it is no surprise I also fell head over heels for Doux Amour. Definitely the most feminine of the three, this manages to stay just this side of unisex due to its stunning oriental foundation. A blend of three flowers (Moroccan jasmine, ylang ylang and Casablanca lily) whisks you away to an exotic sun drenched locale.  Cool white lilies are contrasted by rich sultry jasmine and intense ylang ylang. This combination is as opulent as it is simple and beautiful. A “sheer veil” of vanilla is the perfect segue from floral to a heady oriental accord of velvety patchouli, dry sandalwood and crumbly sweet amber.

Inspired by the perfumer’s own travels in Morocco, this perfume alludes to the foreign and the exotic without being too complicated or overpowering. From the list of notes you would expect this to be quite loud and strong. It does have a subtle strength to it. It is neither loud nor obnoxious. Instead it quietly emits a powerful “come hither” vibe that is at once enthralling and intoxicating. Many perfumes have love or amor/amour in their names; I personally think that Kim nailed this one. Here is gentleness, sweetness and tenderness, but also a deep and abiding feeling of passion alongside an aura of warmth and comfort. Sillage: good Longevity: very good.

Keep an eye (and your nose) on this perfumer!!

Disclosure: Reviews based on samples sent to me by Spadaro Luxury Perfumes

For our Draw: Kim is offering CaFleureBon Readers a choice of one of her three gorgeous perfumes-Sole Nero, Noche Del Fuego or Doux Amour. Each Eau de Parfum retails for $155. To be eligible, please leave a comment with what your choice would be if you should win the draw. Draw closes August 24, 2012.

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 spilt perfume.

-John Reasinger, Editor