Painting by Karen Appleton ©

Many of us experience something like a cross modal or synaesthetic view of the world every day. Scents are perceived as textures: textures as shapes, shapes can translate to musical notes and sounds can manifest as color.  Synesthesia (which can also be spelled Synasethesia), once considered a rare gift or even an affliction, now appears to be a more common mode of perception than was previously thought. I have used my own synaesthetic experiences of "geometry as sound" to create templates for musical compositions.  Perfumers seem to be especially sensitive and responsive to cross modal suggestions and often create scents that approximate these effects for their customers.

Self Portrait: Amber Jobin ©

Amber Jobin of Aether Arts Perfume has an amazing talent for translating visual images, geometry, and color into scent. Amber is an award winning artisan perfumer whose aroma art expressions encompass such diverse themes as: Cannabis, Burning Man, Vintage, Steampunk, and Ozone/Marine scents.  John Frum, the 4th perfume in her Burner Series, was the 2014 winner of the Arts and Olfaction Artisan Perfumer Award and Love for 3 Oranges was a 2016 Finalist. "Perfume as an interpersonal art form is my passion." says Amber.  "I love to create art in air – a shared olfactory journey between the wearer and the perfumer." Two of Amber's recent creations, Saffrón and Red Dodecahedron (No. 7 in The Burner Series) are examples of her ability to transform visual impressions into olfactory experiences.

Leonardo da Vinci divine geometry dodecaedro.

Amber Jobin was inspired to create Red Dodecahedron fragrance after contemplating Leonardo da Vinci's series of drawings for Luca Pacioli's book on sacred geometry, De Divina Porportione (On the Divine Proportion – 1509) featured as part of the 2016 Burning Man Art Festival.  Her fascination with the artwork of da Vinci seems more than a coincidence. The regular (pentagonal) dodecahedron, one of the five Platonic solids, has been a metaphysical and historical symbol of the divine for over 2,000 years and is considered a concrete representation of the 5th element (the ether or aether), referenced in the name of Amber Jobin's company – Aether Arts Perfume.

Leonardo da Vinci Flower Study

Red Dodecahedron begins with a cool, russet hue suggesting fruit peels, wet grass, the fresh apple quality of chamomile and a touch of black pepper.  As the scent evolves and grows it morphs from the fragrant fruity rhombs and herbal pentacles of the opening to a three dimensional, dewy rose, blooming in slow motion. The rose unfolds, revealing a heart of rich woods and resins that give substance to the airy flowers and watery fruit, creating a solid three-dimensional presence. 

Leonardo da Vinci A Copse of Trees

Sandalwood, patchouli, frankincense and benzoin "ground and center" the perfume with dark nuances of earth and a suggestion of incense and fire.   Red Dodecahedron is a luscious rose fragrance that glows warmer and brighter as the hours go by. The image and the scent of Red Dodecahedron evoke the cubic crystalline structures and colors of minerals and gems such as garnet and pyrite, calling forth the ancient art of sacred geometry and politely enveloping my skin in a ruddy magic for up to six hours. Notes:  Spice, black pepper, rose, chamomile, woody notes, Mysore sandalwood patchouli, frankincense and benzoin.

From The History of Saffron wikipedia

Saffrón: Saffron, a spice derived from the dried bright red/orange stigmas of the saffron crocus (Crocus sativus), has been cultivated for more than 3,500 years and remains one of the world's most costly substances. It takes one acre of land and intense hands-on labor to produce one pound of saffron. In addition to use as a culinary spice, saffron has served as an intense, luminous yellow dye and is still valued for its medicinal properties.

Mother and Child Milt Kobayashi©

Amber Jobin's Saffrón was inspired and named for her mother Saffrón, and intended to embody the soft, nurturing qualities of motherhood and the tough resilience as well.  Saffrón is an immediate, bright blast of very intense yellow, exploding to cadmium orange.   The slightly bitter, hay-like and metallic sweetness of the saffron is thrown up against a tangy peach accord and amazing sueded leather.  This opening is fortified with Cananga oil, similar to, but less floral than related distillations of Ylang Ylang. Saffron is "tough love" – warm, edgy, comforting and powerful, one of those fragrances that gives you a feeling of protection and security.

Milt Kobayashi My Andrea

The initial sillage is quite bold, becoming more reclusive as it dries down. Amber calls Saffrón a "leather-gourmand".   At first the gourmand aspect eluded me but after a couple of wearings I found the amber at the heart of the fragrance, enhanced with turmeric, hazelnut and vanilla, to be irresistibly delicious. After about seven hours of taste temptations, Saffrón dries down to a sueded vanilla, tinged with pipe tobacco and a memory of the initial vivid and luminous saffron.One of the more memorable perfumes I have recently experienced. Notes: Saffron absolute, pink pepper, peach accord, Cananga oil, Jasmine absolute, Tobacco absolute, amber, turmeric, hazelnut, vanilla and sueded leather.

Both Red Dodecahedron and Saffrón are available in perfume oil format, comparable to a 45% extrait.

Many thanks to Amber Jobin for the generous samples of Red Dodecahedron and Saffrón.  My opinions are my own.

—Gail Gross, Editor

Art Direction: Michelyn Camen, Editor-in-Chief

Thanks to the generosity of Amber Jobin of Aether Arts Perfume, we have a choice of one 9 ml bottle parfum extrait of either Red Dodecahedron or Saffrón for one registered reader in the US, or for our registered readers  worldwide we have one sample set of both perfumes.  (Be sure to register or your comment will not count.) To be eligible, please leave a comment with what appeals to you about Red Dodecahedron or Saffrón, based on Gail’s reviews.  Also please tell us where you live and if you have a favorite Aether Arts Perfume and have you ever experienced fragrance related synesthesia. Draw closes 3/06/2017.

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS feed…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.