New Niche Perfume Review: Sarah Hororwitz Parfums Eau De Light -The Incredible Lightness of Ylang + Share the Light Draw

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One of the highlights of the last two editions of the Elements Showcase has been the panels where Robertet offers the use of one of their ingredients to three perfumers. Last August it was rose and in the just completed version in January the ingredient was ylang-ylang. The three perfumers were Robertet Senior Perfumer Olivia Jan, D.S. and Durga’s David Moltz, and Sarah Horowitz-Thran of Sarah Hororwitz Parfums.

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During the Presentation Adrian Arnaud of Robertet introduced us to the different places that Robertet harvest ylang-ylang from. Much of what they gather comes from islands off of Madagascar; Comoros Islands and Nosy Be. After distillation they found that the ylang distillate from Comoros contains more of methylparacresol (MPC) up to 13% where the one from Nosy Be naturally has about half of that. The olfactive effect of MPC is to give that slight camphor-like quality to ylang. Through the fractionation of these sources Robertet alters the olfactive profile of ylang-ylang. In this case they can reduce the MPC down to near zero and produce an ingredient called Lisylang. I was introduced to Lisylang by Mme Jan on my previous visit to Robertet. For the panel she used the Lisylang to create a fragrance inspired by a visit to Ian Fleming’s house in Jamaica named Goldeneye and called Evening at Goldeneye. Lisylang lends a fresh lily-like quality and it successfully evokes a Caribbean milieu with rum, citrus, pimento, and woods. Mr. Moltz went the other way and took the unfractionated complete ylang-ylang oil and used it to create Speyside. In this case the much rawer more complex source was meant to comprise a fine smoky whisky accord. Based on this early attempt Mr. Moltz is very close to realizing his wish and the raw ylang-ylang oil feels like the linchpin to the whisky accord.

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Sarah Horowitz-Thran

My favorite of the three fragrances was that presented by Ms. Horowitz-Thran Eau de Light. Like most of us she was feeling the winter blues and wanted a fragrant pick-me-up. The ylang-ylang source she chose was the Ylang III Nosy Be. Ylang III Nosy Be reduces the MPC even further to less than 2% but doesn’t eliminate it completely. This has the effect of keeping it fresher and closer in character to Lisylang, than not, but the slight touch of MPC seems to add a bit of uplift that isn’t in Lisylang. Also where Lisylang has a slight coconut quality to it Ylang III Nosy Be has a slight vanilla facet.   Ms. Horowitz-Thran harnesses all of the uplift present in the Ylang III Nosy Be and surrounds it with sunny notes galore to deliver a perfect February reminder that spring is coming.

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Eau de Light uses grapefruit, mandarin and a bit of currant to bring the brilliance right from the start. The ylang rises out of it and the fresh quality of the Nosy Be version pairs quite nicely with the fruity top notes. Jasmine grandiflorum and rose damask form the heart of Eau de Light, along with the ylang, and it is where this ray of sunshine is at its most intense. The ylang sings loudest but the jasmine and rose more than hold their own. A bit of vanilla carries Eau de Light towards its twilight as musk and patchouli signal the end of the light, until the next spritz.

Eau de Light has average longevity and average sillage.

All three creations were beautiful but it probably speaks to my state of mind that it was Ms. Horowitz -Thran who found a way to infuse my soul with the sunniness of ylang-ylang from Nosy Be.

Disclosure: This review was based on a sample provided by Sarah Horowitz Parfums.

Eau de Light is being offered as part of Ms. Horowitz’s Les Banque de Parfumes program of monthly limited editions. It will be on sale at her website throughout the month of February 2013. Thanks to Sarah Horowitz Parfums we have one sample of this limited edition to giveaway. To be eligible leave a comment on what gets you through the February blues. The draw ends on February 10, 2013.

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.

-Mark Behnke, Managing Editor

Editor’s note: Speaking with Mr. Moltz after the event he indicated D.S. and Durga hopes to release Speyside later this year.

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41 comments

  • Totally engaging and informative
    February blues ? Have them right now so sine a little lisylang Eau de light my way and I can dream of far away places

  • February here is cold and dark, so I wear a lot of spicy warm perfumes, and go to bed early. :p Thanks for the draw!

  • I have enjoyed reading your Elements NY
    Recaps and this is no exception
    Fascinating to learn how this fraction or the regular version lends a different feel
    February is one of those months when I dream of spring
    Right now a tropical beach sounds dreamy as does Sarah Horiwitz Thrans Eau de light
    I remember wanting lioness and love the banques de parfums

  • Gin? Maybe that wasn’t what you were looking for. Lately I have been wearing the heck out of SSS To Dream and Ineke for Anthtopologie Angel’s Trumpet. Our “winter” was pretty disappointing this year (I still have living tomato vines) which is what is giving me the blues. It is already too warm here for my heavy scents. I would love to try Eau de Light. Thank you for the opportunity.

  • Lovely draw for a breath of spring scent, thank you. This year, Pinterest is helping me through the cold, dark winter; all those pretty pictures of flowers and beaches make it all melt away. If only it actually would melt…

  • February is the end of Summer for me, and my goodness it is a hot month! I’m sweating now as I type.
    I actually adore Winter and crawling under the blankets to keep warm. Summer depresses more than I can possibly explain. I hate Australian Summers with a passion. I’m looking forward to snow, rain and cloudy days. To get me through February’s Summer, I seek out new warm-weather appropriate fragrances. Citrusy/fresh scents aren’t usually my thing, but sometimes I’ll surprise myself. Mugler Cologne has been a great pick-me-up in the mornings.

    I’m interested in testing Eau de Light. Who knows, it might help get me through another Summer.

    Thanks for the draw!

  • What gets me through February is noting the minutes of daylight gained every few days, and then looking forward to the end of the month and the time of sunset.

  • There is nothing that helps the Feb Blues. I always thought feb is the longest, coldest and driest month on the year. Hot chocolate, port, comfort foods are not good enough. 😉

    But I can enjoy heady floral fragrances and aldehydes. I love jasmine and tuberose fragrances this month.

    I would love to try Eau de light. Thank you for the draw!

  • In the Southern hemisphere we have the blues on how to resume a semblance of normality after our summer holidays especially when the weather keeps screaming :take me to the beach’ and ‘I just want an old fashioned road trip’. Its impossible when the sun relentlessly shines and Ice Creams in cones beckon at every corner. That translates to temptation at every corner.Eau de Light -YES!!

  • Perfumes, that’s what gets me through February (or any other time) blues.

    I’d love to try Eau de Light.

  • I also enjoy the lengthening of the days. And believe it or not, I welcome the rain that usually comes this time of year, I love to make delicious soup, get a fire going, cuddle with my border terriers, read a book, take a rare afternoon nap. Eau de Light sounds wonderful. Thanks for the draw!

  • What gets me through February are comfort scents that have vanilla, amber, or sandalwood in them! Thanks for the draw! 🙂

  • um, this sounds amazing. Here in Austin, it’s been in the 80s, so not too big of a February blues… what’s getting me through, I guess, is the spring cleaning I’ve been doing lately.

  • Thank you for this article about the making of three perfumes, from ingredient harvesting to processing to artistic composition. I really enjoy learning more about the process and the technical side of scent!

    What gets me through dark, cold February is: lots of hot tea and hot baths, hot water bottle at my feet every night, taking out loads of books and dvds from the library and learning new things, getting outside even when it’s below freezing to get fresh air and sunlight and see people and explore new places….
    and the usual suspects: music, comedy, chocolate (Taza nibs), and perfume!

    Have been wearing fresh, bright citrus and jasmine scents this week just for the ‘sunny’ effect. I also love deeper, resinous, earthy/spicy scents (the Maj! whoa) and amber/vanilla cuddly ones in the cold.

  • A touch of Mure et Musc or Trayee, a sweet and hot herbal tea, my favourite tv series on tv…that’s all

  • During these cold months I like to wear scents that I feel embraced by such as ‘Talco Deliato’ by I Profumi di firenze or ‘DZongkha’ by L’Artisan.

    But when these fragrant friends trail off, I take great comfort remembering something my grandfather used to say, “If I can make it through January and February, I can March on through!”

  • February is (thank God) a short month!! I am just patient drink a lot of hot coffee and spray abundantly my perfumes!! Thank you for the draw!!

  • Keeping warm, drinking tea and looking forward to those first days of spring, when the sun gets part of its warmth back, that’s how I get through the last month of winter.
    Thank you for the draw

  • Hot cologne bath, rooibos tea and other delicious teablends, aromatherapy and my lovely perfumes help me to get through on these long cold swedish winter days. Thanks for the draw!

  • I like to keep a small bouquet of flowers in the house this time of year. Right now, a bunch of cheery yellow tulips that smell nice, too, is on my dining room table.

  • I always spend February catching up on all the movies I missed the previous year. My mom says I should take vitamin D supplements instead, and she’s probably right…

  • Thank you for the opportunity! What get’s me through the February blues? Pulling out my grow lights and seedling trays and starting my favorite vegetable and annual seeds. That with a daily spritz of my favorite rose or peony fragrance.

  • What get’s me through the February blues? I live in a valley with many foggy days with thermal inversion and with very long winter. But much worse than February is for me November – month full of fog, decreasing daylight and wet (but not snowy) cold days. February blues are really much more optimistic because hours of daylight increase visible and fast. My mind is ready to welcome spring soon… This year I want to beat february blues by unusual vacation – by one week spent on world championship in biathlon in Czech Republic! oh well I am already here! Thanks for another interesting draw.

  • I love to sit in a comfortable seat and watch somethink like Takeshi Kitano’s Hana-bi, hot chocolate and SSS Winter Woods in my wrist!

    Thank you for the draw!

  • Christine B says:

    What gets me through is seeing the signs of growth and spring emerging. February is the main month for snowdrops and the sight of these shining white flowers is one of this months’s joys.

  • Going at the gym regularly helps me avoid the winter depression. Burning citrus oils, ylang ang geranium at home also helps

  • In February I like taking hot baths, and cooking with curry and other strong spice blends. But I don´t hate this time of year at all, in fact I enjoy the cold and grey weather as much as the warmth and light of spring! There´s a lot of beauty in all types of light. Thanks for the draw.

  • I’ve never had much trouble with February blues – maybe because I live in a temperate clime. I’m actually lamenting the lack of rain and gloom this winter. I do love to wear my most heady perfumes now, though.

    Would live to try Eau de Light!

  • A pick-me-up fragrance to beat the winter blues? Much needed in cold, gloomy London, I have to say. So let there be Light… Eau de Light.

  • What gets me through February? The steady march towards spring, geese and robins flying north, the beginnings of my salad garden, crocuses and hellebores. And lots of white florals. All of these ylang fragrances sound wonderful! Thanks for the draw!

  • I listen to good, old swing more than usual. It cheers me up. There is also my selection of fragrances that give me the warmth and make my days brighter.

  • What gets me through February? Not Valentine’s Day, that’s for certain! But thoughts of spring flowers, a little teasing warmth on cold sunny days and fragrances that make me think of longer days to come…Chanel Cristalle and No. 19, Carthusia Mediterraneo, Bulgari Au The Blanc, Eau de Hadrien, Eau de Givenchy…