“She was so delicate that, while we sat beneath the linden branches, a leaf would fall and drift down and touch her skin, and it would leave a bruise. So as we sat in the afternoon hour, beneath that fragrant linden bower, I had to chase all of the leafs that fell away.” -Roman Payne

 

Irina Adam of Phoenix Botanicals

Four years ago Irina Adam Phoenix Botanicals’ natural perfumer extraordinaire, and a multiple top ten finalist for the Art & Olfaction Awards for Vanilla & The Sea (2016) and Peach Garden (2015) released Linden Moon Perfume Oil and it has been a scented summer staple ever since. The fragrance of the Linden or French Lime Tree, often described as “the breath of angels…” is an unforgettable honeyed citrus with floral undertones and is a favorite of perfumers with its summery being-in-love old world associations. For hundreds of years the Linden tree has been venerated throughout myth and history and holds a sacred place in many Slavic cultures.

Linden blossom,water color and pen drawing by Catilustre ©

Often used to denote  centers of town or village gathering spots, the Linden has been memorialized in literature, art, and music; most famously in Schubert’s glorious song-cycle “Winterreise”. The mythos of the Linden tree appears in numerous cultures, and in China the Linden is known as “The tree of Forgetting” due to its gentle energy which offers warmth and peace to weary travelers and romantics, tames the rebel heart, and protects lovers of all types.

A Full Moon Linden June 16 Irina Adam 

Irina’s intention was to create… “An exploration of the blooming Linden tree at night.

Linden Harvest by Irina Adam

A sensual, dreamy perfume that is full of Summer’s warmth which transforms gorgeously on the skin- from the citrusy come-hither to the pollen-rich miasma beneath the branches, the dry, tannic leaves and wood, to the heady smell of the juicy, nectar filled blossoms. Ultimately settling into a lush, woody, glowing floral that is inspired by gathering Linden flowers by moonlight. Blooming around the Summer Solstice, these mid-summer trees with plumper flowers have a jasmine-y note that projects brightest at night….”

Maxfield Parrish 

Linden Moon opens with a burst of bright citrus that glows as orange-pink as the last rays of sunlight hitting the clouds on a Solstice evening before nightfall. It brings to mind that singular moment that Guerlain captures with L’Heure Bleue, the time between dusk and dark with the frenzy of the world slightly muffled and hushed; the full yellow moon just starting to rise into the eastern night sky, a moment rife with magic and mystery. Regardless of where you grew up, city or country, you’ll remember that moment when everything quiets and the mothers start to call kids in for dinner after a long day spent with friends out in the street or road.

Moon Swing via Flickr

Later under the light of the full moon, you would return to the porch, stoop, or lawn and the heat of the day would carry the scent of the garden or trees on the street, slightly floral and woody, and surrounded with the sharp, dusty aura of the road. I remember as a child fully breathing in the cooling night air, all the while thinking that life could not be any more perfect than at that exact moment. Irina’s stunning Linden Moon takes me right back to that feeling, when moonbeam magic felt real and life was wide open and full of possibility. Linden Moon is pure sparkling moonlight shimmering through the leaves of scented majestic trees. It smells of the potential and longing of summer evenings full of memory and love.

Notes: Citrus accord, Linden, Jasmine, Vetiver, Patchouli, Woods.

Disclosure: Thank you SO much to Phoenix Botanicals for supplying the samples. The opinions are my own.

–Robert Herrmann, Sr. Contributor

-Art Direction: Michelyn Camen, Editor-in-Chief

Thanks to Irina Adam and Phoenix Botanicals, we have a 5 ml. bottle of Linden Moon for one registered reader Worldwide, so be sure to register if you have not done so. To be eligible please let us know what appeals to you about Robert’s review, and where you live and if you have ever smelled linden. Draw closes on August 1, 2017

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