"le muguet" mixed media on rice paper, 2011, DSH
Dawn Spencer Hurwitz wishes to evoke the Eternal Return, the innocence of renewal-
And who is The Muse, to disobey ? 😉
Dawndear’s muguet compositions put me in a distinctly madrigal mode!
Madirgal: music.washcoll.edu
Thomas Morley, contemporary of Will Shakespeare- was a master of the madrigal, and his work is echoed in Muguet de Mai.
The botanical challenge of capturing the essence of Spring and the soul of lily of the valley is a formidable one.
This elusive vernal messenger has yet to successfully yield itself to distillation or other extraction techniques.
Zesty, verdant, bittersweet with longing, Muguet de Mai springs forth in a flourish of botanical largesse, kindling memories of tender, shy-stalked blooms and the shadowy glades they blithely inhabit.
Muguet de Mai (art by Dawn Spence Hurwitz)
Dawn’s list is daunting….it took many notes to create this olfactory microcosm.
The gavotte commences with bergamot and lemon, generous Tunisian neroli.
The intense greenness of galbanum is sure to follow, accompanied by violet leaf and hyacinth accord, freesia accord, and the delicate hay-like sweetness of linden.
The dewy quality of wet greenery and damp soil is suggested primarily by a clever cyclamen accord, rhizomal orris, aged East Indian sandalwood and Virginia cedar.
Tolu, olibanum and styrax elide with honey beeswax and cassis buds, intimating the animalic naturalness of our sylvan refuge.
They anchor the pillowy heart of this intricate fragrance, replete with lively broom, fruity jasmine sambac, precious boronia, rose, ylang ylang, jonquil, and a lilac accord.
Muguet de Mai reminds me fondly of my vintage-yet-pristine Vent Vert by Germaine Cellier- all that jonquil and galbanum make me a very happy lady indeed.
Muguet Botanical Cologne (art by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz)
Muguet Cologne [for men ] is a different tale.
The tonic bitterness / fraîcheur of white grapefruit welcomes herbal/ floral chamomile and dry spicy coriander, perfect complements to grassy galbanum.
Australian sandalwood- more piquant, metallic, and higher-pitched than the East Indian-
Beds down with a grand quality patchouli, oakmoss, and vetiver.
This changes the equation considerably: what began as sunny and grassy turns earthier and mossier, in a pleasurably lighter concentration which renders this transition subtle and satisfying.
I tested it on several men of different skin types / color, to very good effect!
Dawn Spencer Hurwitz
There is no earthly reason why anyone must choose one or the other based on gender- These are mere guidelines.
I happily dabbed both on each, to the delight of all.
Dawn has shared her lovely painterly visualizations with us; they illuminate my prose, more than I can…
-Ida Meister, Senior Editor
"dreaming lilies" acrylic on canvas, 2011, DSH
Editor's Note : the idea for this event was from Trish of Scenthive who presented Dawn with idea of a botanical Muguet
The Muguet project also references Diorissimo. Please read Cafleurebon.com's Contributor Michel Roudnitska speaking out against the switch and bait performed by Dior who now markets Diorissimo with a new perfumer and new formula without aleting the public of the change.
Participating blogs are: