NEW FRAGRANCE REVIEW: 1000 Flowers Narcotic Flowers + Winter Solstice Draw

Jessica September Buchanan‘s newest fragrant offspring is a 100 % botanical one.

Narcotic Flowers is her tender homage to the city of Grasse which is so thoroughly steeped in perfume history.

Those who have followed her story will recall that she studied perfumery in France, but recently sold everything she possessed in order to realize her dream in the fertile atmosphere of Les Alpes -Maritimes.

We at CaFleureBon were thrilled to feel your warm, supportive response to her courageous decision to risk all.

Jessica‘s usage of the perfumer’s palette sings of those substances both native and imported, if you will…

[After all, Marseille is not so far from Grasse, and as a great port of call, many treasures from the East made their way to the rest of Europe.]


“White intoxicating

flowers filled my

dreams last night –

 

As I wandered these

medieval stone streets

In the warmth of

summer darkness “.     [JSB]

Notes:

Top – bergamot, magnolia, rose oleander

Heart -absinthe, ylang ylang, narcissus, jasmine, osmanthus, tuberose

Soul -opoponax, Atlas cedar, labdanum, spices, vanilla, ambrette

Blossoms!

Native: bergamot, magnolia, oleander, rose, jasmine, narcissus, tuberose

Exotic: ylang ylang, osmanthus, ambrette

Local color, and cousin to pastis: absinthe

Plunder of the spice trade and world travel: opoponax, Atlas cedar, spices, labdanum, vanilla.


What we feel is reflective of the cosmopolitan- yet unspoiled- nature of Grasse.

A crossroads where past and present blend seamlessly, with a lilt in its step.

I’m reminded of a woman who saunters unhurriedly down the cobblestone courtyard with her market basket on her arm; her footing sure, her hips undulating gently and rhythmically, without a care in all the world.

The mid-afternoon heat rises up like an amber-hued veil.


Jessica September tiptoes down these venerably ancient streets under night’s cloak surrounded by heady nocturnal -blooming flowers.

Those opulent blossoms which perfume the daylight hours linger with a ghostly beauty.

Osmanthus’ jammy apricot note woos the narcissus, as their leather tones entwine like lovers’ fingers.

What could become a deafening floral throng in less delicate hands looms fondly as the aromatic apparition of summer days.

There is palpable sweetness, intoxicating yet ephemeral. Nothing is out of balance.

Absinthe feels like a mere murmur.

Plushly seated like some phantom pasha amid resinous cushions, Narcotic Flowers exudes erotic sovereignty.


It rules with a gossamer hand.

In the land of the fey, all is intimated, never declaimed.

Senior / Natural Perfumery Editor's Note: William Blake's illustrations of A Midsummer Night's Dream and other beauties felt right for Jessica's winsome perfume.

She is generously offering a full bottle to one fortunate reader. What is the stuff your dreams are made of on this the shortest day of the year? Draw ends on December 24, 2011.

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

Ida Meister, Natural Perfumery and Senior Editor

Editor's Note: It's because of many of you dear  Readers that helped Jessica's dream came true and was able to fund her move to Grasse.

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35 comments

  • Juniebootiemoon says:

    Sounds absolutely addicting! Intricate list of notes too….I’m still smiling to know her dream is coming true!

  • my dreams are the same as Jessica’s! Our paths have crossed and I hope they cross again soon, making perfume is the dream. Telling a story through the gift of scent is the dream!

  • Wonderful! Oh the notes in this! All botanical!!! The stuff dreams are made of!

    YUM!

    And no one deserves it more.

    Thanks for the generous draw Cafleurebon and Jessica.

  • Knowing that Jessica can continue making her scents is wonderful. I wore 1,000 flowers today actually. My dream would be a world where there is no pain. No pain physical, mental or otherwise. I feel that pain is a sensation that we can all do without. If there was another way to feel that did not hurt….that is my dream. Easy to argue you would never know that you had been burned if you could not feel the pain both physically and romantically. Yet I still wish it away the pain from anything anyday.
    Jessica, you are wonderful and you have many who support your dreams and adore your scents.
    I had forgotten that it was solstice today the day seemed too long to be that short.
    Thanks Cafleurebon and also Jessica for your generosity.

  • My Solstice dreams are filled with hopes and prayers for peace and strength for everyone in the coming year. Times are hard and are getting harder and peace of heart and strength of mind can weather all hardships.

  • Ahh, the composition is heavenly. Currently I am dreaming of my father’s health, hopefully he will get better, now in the ER with pulmonary embolism. God help please!

  • My dreams are for my children’s happiness. One is going through a hard time right now.
    Congratulations to Jessica. I’m happy her dreams are coming true.

  • the air is always the dominant element in my nocturnal dreams; wind, clouds, everything about the sky.
    So I’m hoping for a cleaner world for all.

  • Happy holidays everyone!!! Beautiful perfume I would love to have a sniff at it! My dream for the past year that is yet to be realized and hopefully will be next year is to move to I place I long for !!!! I wish health and love to everyone!!

  • Sounds delightful! My dream is probably to be numb to all senses for a day and be in a floaty, dream-like state.

  • Beautiful article and I am delighted to hear that Jessica is able to follow her dream again! I am all for 100% natural, so this draw is so lovely. Also I love narcissus and osmanthus…can’t wait to smell this.

    My dream is for PEACE in the world, PEACE in everyone’s heart, PEACE in my heart….more LOVE in the world and in everyones heart that I know…HEALTH and BEAUTY all around us.
    Living on earth like we remember it from heaven.

    Blessed Be!

  • My dreams are made of wishes of health, happiness and job for everybody. I dream a lot every night and I usually remember my dreams and these days I’m dreaming of babies and birds too.

    Thanks for the draw!

  • How wonderful for this perfumer to realize a life ambition. I have just found out that I’m no longer able to work due to a physical disability that has entered my life like a death blow. My dream is that I can be useful to others in a meaningful way and pull my weight in these dark days, both literal and metaphorical. I dream of the warmth and light ahead.

  • The stuff my dreams are made from is the tea olive flowers giving off their scent in the breeze like there’s no tomorrow, a soft kitty fur where it is finest — the inside of the leg near the paw, a warm skin of my beloved, a Venus shining above the horizon, a doll under the tree, the bright lights on the tree, the wheel of the year tipping after passing through its lowest point.

    Happy Solstice to all of you and thanks for the draw, these flowers sound amazing!

  • chayaruchama says:

    Readers- you are dear to me.
    I’m so grateful to Jessica for sharing her gifts-
    And to you all, for sharing your selves.

  • In appreciation for Ida’s outstanding review and in honor of Jessica’s new fragrance debut I am wearing Reglisse Noire today. It was through CaFleureBon that I came to know 1000 Flowers. Jessica’s poignant plea for financial help struck a chord within me and I purchased Reglisse Noire with the intent of bequething it to my mum for her birthday, as I assumed the notes did not appeal to me. Through a serendipitous turn of events the tardy arrival of my package forced me to take ownership of the bottle and it was love at first sniff 🙂 !!! Needless to say I was inspired to purchase 5 more bottles. A few have already been given away and one has been slated for Christmas for my mum. It has been a very long time since a fragrance has moved me so. Reglisse Noire is my “happiness in a bottle”. I implore all commenters and readers of CaFleureBon to give Jessica’s creations a try for her passion for her artistry truly shines through in her fragrances. I am thrilled to hear that Jessica continues to realize her dream and wish her much success in the debut of Narcotic Flowers.

    Winter Solstice has always been one of my favorite days and I engage in a yearly ritual of awakening early enough to stand on my deck, gaze at a pitch black star filled sky while reflecting on the past year and sending forth wishes for the upcoming year.

    That being said, on a personal level my dream is for my children to live their lives with integrity, equanimity, conviction and pure contentment and to pursue all of their endeavors to their utmost potential. On a global level, my dream and wish for the upcoming year is for everyone to follow through on the old adage “it is better to give than to receive”. I appreciate the fact that current times are hard and many are suffering with financial setbacks, health issues, feelings of negativity and ennui, etc., etc. However, something as simple as a kind word, a genuine smile, a door held open for a stranger to giving away a beloved bottle of perfume or a valuable vintage hand bag to an appreciative friend can spread the positive energy that is so severly lacking in our world today. “Defy the cynicism that is there to disaffect us all” (Mark Ballabon) and imagine what the world would be like if we all engaged in random acts of kindness throughout our day. This is my dream for 2012 and we can each, individually, make it come to fruition.

    Happy Winter Solstice and Happy New Year to all!

  • hotlanta linda says:

    You nailed it w/ those Midsummer`s Night Dream paintings – dreamy befits the fragrance description!! Yt prays and dreams for her tresses restored, good jobs for 3 friends, and peace outside my bedroom walls! 🙂

  • Hello everyone…First to say thank you so much to Ida and everyone at Cafleurebon for this lovely review of Narcotic Flowers!

    Secondly, thank you all for sharing your beautiful comments, dreams, personal situations and thoughts. I feel like there is a real outpouring from the heart happening here- and it’s really amazing to be a part of it.

    I wish you all a joyous and love-filled holiday season as we now begin our ascent (in the Northern Hemisphere), back into the light, and a new year for the world over that is filled with peace, love, compassion and empathy. I dream of a world free from war and profiteering… a world that is fair and honest and where wealth is distributed in a way that benefits all.

    Big hearts to U all! xoxo

  • Is that a sunflower in the Blake picture, or could it be a picture of a healthy embryo? the start of new life? In this near year, we are hoping to be blessed with a healthy baby. And if that dream doesn’t work our, as a back up, we are dreaming of having some PATIENCE!

  • “Narcotic” and “white flowers” flow together. Where I live, the narcotic flowers (wild rose, honeysuckle, lilies, magnolia) bloom in April and May, although honeysuckle might linger through July. My seasonal wish is usually the same: peace for those who lack peace, sustenance for those who are in need. This is a season to remember to be kind to each other. For those who are going through difficulties, I wish swift and positive change.

  • Thanks so much for the generous draw. I love Jessica’s story and am so happy for her! I am dreaming of the hope for calm and rest after the storm of the season. Having started a new job this Christmas season doesn’t give me much time to relax, but I’m grateful for the ability to work and then come home to my little family. I hope everyone’s Christmas wishes come true!

  • Thank you for this wonderful draw. My solstice dream involved perfumes. I rarely dream but early this morning my dream was populated by lots of perfumes. How weird is that?

    My other dreams are filled with wishes for good health for my family, friends and everybody that needs it. That is the lesson I learnt this year. Good health is the most important thing. Everything else is minor. When you have it you don’t appreciate it … It feels it is normal to be in a good shape. The darkest days of this year were brightened by one dream and a big hope: good health.

  • I often dream of a better me-while awake I’m trying not to forget that (after all we’re made of that matter and of star dust)
    wonderful, complicated to combine notes-
    wish I could try this
    this is a special, potentiating time of the year, wish you all, wonderful dreams and may they come true

  • So glad to see a new and stunning creation from Jessica! I haven’t experienced it but the notes sound so fabulous. Jessica is an inspiration to all with a passion and drive to achieve their dreams. Sure there are bumps and sometimes valleys that seem impossible, but that is where and when those like-minded loving vessels show themselves and give us the boost we need for taking the next step! Here is wishing her a Year of flowing creativity that is appreciated and sought after.

    My dreams are no different than those mentioned already here. I wish for Peace, Love, and Compassion to ALL beings. For people to recognize the good in others and acknowledge that goodness that we all have in us if we are willing to find it, and let it teach us the blessings.
    My wish also to always keep us open and teachable to that which is GOOD!

  • Narcotic Flowers sounds amazing!
    I always get a little down at this time of year in the dark but I’ve been taking my vitamin D and trying to get some sunshine when I can.
    My global wish is for everyone to have enough food to eat and a warm bed to sleep in. For myself, I pray the right child comes into my life next year that I can adopt and give a home to.
    Happy and healthy wishes to all pf us.

  • Oh my gosh, this sounds lovely!

    Jessica is a true talent. I love both her Reglisse Noire and
    Fleur No. 1.

    My dream is for a peaceful solstice for all and maybe a bit of extra sleep.

  • I’m so happy to hear that Jessica’s dreams are coming to fruition. How wonderful to be able to follow your heart! My dreams are for more health and security in the new year. Thanks for this lovely draw!

  • What a great draw! I won’t be original, but it doesn’t matter: I’m dreaming of happiness and health for everybody!

  • I dream for a world where everyone has enough of what they need to dream real dreams for what they want to feel fulfilled.

  • Elizabeth R. says:

    I am inspired by Jessica’s courage in “following her bliss” and creating these beautiful fragrances for the global perfume community. I love to see how an artistic vision manifests itself through love and belief in the dream of what is possible. Happy Holidays and Happy New Year to all!

  • The dreams are made of good vibes for the whole world, we need more peace and harmony. And if a perfume has osmanthus it has to be from a dream!!!

  • Paul-Laurentiu says:

    My dreams are made of flash and bones because I dream Her every night and I also dream Her during the day – daydreaming. Lovely.
    Thanks for the giveaway.

  • Very touching that so many people partake in the success of one.

    Winter solstice represents the nadir, the lowest point of the natural circle from which one can only go up. It is only natural that I dream of ascension. Time to step out of the pit of winter armed with fragrant dreams, skin left polished by the last winter blizzard.