Perfumer Charna Ethier

Charna Ethier of Providence Perfume Co. is a rising star in the indie fragrance world and has been consistently creating beautifully crafted artisan natural perfumes over the past five years. When we learn of a new launch, there is always tons of buzz amongst both natural perfume lovers and niche fragrance enthusiasts. Samarinda is her first fragrance for 2014, and may be her best yet. Named after a city in Borneo, Indonesia, it is composed with ingredients that are as exotic and interesting as its name.

Dolores Del Rio in "Bird of Paradise"

The perfume opens with a bright, spicy blend of sweet orange and cardamom. I enjoy the smell and flavor of cardamom pods, especially when I unexpectedly bite into a whole pod and the taste fills my senses. That aroma is used to nice effect as a top note, and evokes that delightful culinary surprise. As the scent begins to sink into my skin, it becomes more floral, but never loses its spiced heat, thanks to the clove fragrance inherent in carnation, one of my favorite notes. A surprising hint of coffee adds complexity and richness. Further along in the perfume journey, exotic woods, a hit of boozy rum, and a sweet dollop of vanilla create a unique scent aura. I have visted the tropics, but have never experienced the rainforest, which I envision has its own set of smells and sensations. Ms. Ethier has crafted a fragrance that will take you to a place unfamiliar, yet completely welcoming. Samarinda is exceptionally wearable, and alluring.

"The Seashell" by Odilon Redon

One of the ingredients used in Samarinda is roasted seashell, also known as Choya Nakh. From India, it is derived from burnt dry-roasted seashells and in tiny amounts adds just a hint of the scent of hot, salty sand and burnt driftwood. I enjoy encountering this kind of smell, and natural perfumery is where you’ll find these off-the-path ingredients. At full strength, the smell is said to be nearly overwhelming, but in Ms. Ethier's adept hands, just a touch  creates a subtle but definitely present hint of smoky darkness, as if it were the aroma of the dark loamy soil under the rainforest canopy.

Borneo Ancient Hand Art Image from Gwa Tiwet

Samarinda has amazing longevity for a natural perfume. I put it on around noon and it was still with me late into the evening. It does have good waft, too, although, of course, it lies closer to the skin as it develops. Although it teems with the scents and evocative imagery of the rainforest, Samarinda feels perfectly suitable for any climate

Notes: sweet orange, cardamom, pink peppercorn, carnation, heliotrope, orange blossom, Sumatran coffee, Scotch leather, rum ether, jasmine rice, vanilla oakwood & roasted seashell.

I received my sample from Charna Ethier at Providence Perfume Co. Samarinda is available at Twisted Lily Fragrance Boutique & Apothecary, Beautyhabit, and Providence Perfume Co.

You can read CaFleureBon Profile in American Perfumery featuring Charna Ethier here.

Tama Blough, Deputy Editor

Thanks to the generosity of Providence Perfume Co., we have a 15 ml bottle of Samarinda to give to one lucky US reader. Let us know what appeals to you about this perfume, and where you live. Do you have a favorite Providence perfume? Draw closes on March 2, 2014

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.

Note: Per the Providence Perfume Co. website: "5% of all sales of Samarinda will be donated to the World Wildlife Fund to facilitate their protection efforts in Borneo and Sumatra. Borneo and Sumatra are the only places on Earth where endangered tigers, rhinos, orangutans, and elephants live together. The forests are home to more than 15,000 known plants, with many more species yet to be discovered. Since 1995, more than 400 species have been identified on the islands, with more than 50 of these species completely new to science.  These rain forests are in danger of large-scale deforestation and extinction of endangered species.”