Persephone and Demeter herald the arrival of spring Catherine Henningham Puttick via fineartamerica
Today, March 20, 21 is the Spring Equinox, and the day is as long as the night. Persephone returns from the underworld, to rejoin her mother Demeter; flowers bloom and we begin to believe anything is possible. Time to shake off the past year’s uncertainties, the stress of lockdowns and to spray on a scent that makes us feel renewed. Our picks for the best Spring Perfumes Part 1:
Franz Xaver Winterhalter The Spring Maiden
Neela Vermeire Créations Niral (Bertrand Duchaufour): Blessed be the Eternal Return in all her glory; lockdown cannot prevent her cyclical rebirth, thank goodness. There continue to be a great number of us for whom actual travel is not feasible or prudent – so armchair forays to an exotic clime are very welcome indeed. In this spirit, I’ve chosen Neela Vermeire and Bertrand Duchaufour’s stunning Niral which transports us along the venerable Silk Road as my spring favorite this year. Nearly three years ago, I insisted that “Neela Vermeire Creations Niral is wearable wanderlust at large”; I stand by that assertion today. Its amalgam of East-meets-West initiates our journey with a celebratory pop of champagne and the slightly bitter herbalcy of angelica and cool iris. We’ll need that introductory coolness as we venture into the realm of sun-warmed woods, leather and hot cups of black tea – fragrant and all-consuming, tempered with rose and magnolia. Fizzy, green, floral and leathery, Niral hits all the sweet spots. Notes: angelica, champagne accord, iris, tea, rose, magnolia, cedar, sandalwood, leather ~ Ida Meister, Deputy Editor and Natural Perfumery Editor
Spring in Milano Parco Sempione by Ermano
Laboratorio Olfattivo Mandarino (Jean-Claude Ellena) 2020: Finally, spring is here in Milan: trees are bourgeoning and blooming and extra hours of sunlight bless us with colorful sunsets. You can smell this radiance in Laboratorio Olfattivo Mandarino, which made also our CaFleureBon Best of 2020. Composed by Master Perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena as the start of a new collection called Viaggio in Italia, Mandarino releases a colorful range from chiffon yellow to dark orange along with the whole fruit, from the minty young leaves to the sweet pulp. A dash of blackcurrant adds a vibrant tartness. The musky trail wears carefree as a perfect spring afternoon: walking and taking photos as all your senses are filled by the delights of nature awakening . Laboratorio Olfattivo Mandarino is an ode to the promise of new hope. Notes: Italian mandarin, blackcurrant, white musk – Ermano Picco, Editor
Spring fantasy with Chatillon Lux La Petite Prairie (photo composition/digital editing: Despina Veneti©
Chatillon Lux La Petite Prairie (Shawn Maher) With glowing clarity of vision and remarkable technical mastery, Mr. Maher composed an exemplary, fascinating study of the green aspects of vetiver. Fresh, crisp and thirst-quenching, this delightful fragrance encapsulates the feeling (or should I say the dream) of spending an ideal day in a sunny, verdant meadow. La Petite Prairie’s invigorating aromatic cocktail is based on a triple dose of grassy vetiver (Haitian, Javanese and synthetic) topped off with a spectacularly contrasted, tart/sweet tonic juice (citruses, pineapple, rhubarb), garnished by subtle, green-tinted florals (geranium, carnation), resinous touches (elemi, myrrh, styrax), rosemary twigs and a dash of Sichuan pepper. Smiling and light-hearted, yet polished and sophisticated, the fragrance marries the pastoral and the urbane in harmonious bliss. It was only last month that I tried it for the first time, but since then Chatillon Lux La Petite Prairie has been filling my city-girl heart with utter joy – and much-anticipated spring. Notes: Citrus, Pineapple, Rhubarb, Vetiver, Geranium, Carnation, Rosemary, Sichuan Pepper. – Despina Veneti, Senior Editor.
Astilbe in Bloom at Tony’s Mom’s House
Aether Arts Perfume Love for 3 Oranges (Amber Jobin): The Trinity of Orange evokes the resurrection that is Spring. Aether Arts Perfumes Love for 3 Oranges embodies the beauty of this season with its uplifting and rejuvenating notes. The Orange, fruit of the flower and of the tree is so photorealistic that you cannot help but believe that you have just bitten into the most luscious ripe orange. As your mouth waters and your mood improves, the enchantingly sweet and fresh Orange Blossom, second in this trinity, comes into focus, accented by light but crisp, slightly bitter green notes. It brings to the forefront the unfolding beauty – both visually and olfactively, of the glory and rebirth of Spring. These symbols are harbingers of the warmth to come, fade gently into the base of the Trilogy – the wood from whence the life and beauty came. Hints of musk accent the woody notes, adding a soft, ethereal sensuality. Notes: Juicy orange accord, orange blossom accord, green notes, woody accord, and musk – Tony Burgess, Associate Contributor
The Art of Magic the Gathering Ravnica book with digital effects by Nicoleta
Masque Milan Kintsugi (Vanina Muracciole) reads on my skin as a beautiful chypre, centered around the heavy breath of flowers. There is an almost “Lovecraftian” feeling of mystery, depth, and presence watching you from this scent, a strangeness that bounces back and forth – like one mirror reflected in front of another. I have been practically living in it, trying to summon some magic into this frozen spring that feels like a permanent re-edition of Groundhog Day. Notes: bergamot essential oil, Chinese magnolia essential oil, savory amber, golden suede, centifolia rose Grasse absolute, violet leaf absolute, benzoin Siam, raspberry leaf absolute, patchouli coeur, vanilla absolute –Nicoleta Tomsa, Editor
via flickr
For our Best Spring Perfumes Part 1 Draw
Photo courtesy of Neela Vermeire©
EU, Canada and USA: Merci Neela Vermeire for 60 ml of Neela Vermeire Creations Niral
photo Masque Milano©
EU, UK, USA: Grazie mille to Masque Milano for 35 ml of Kintsugi
photo Chatillon Lux©
WORLDWIDE (except Spain): With gratitude to Shawn Maher of Chantilon Lux there is a 2 oz bottle of La Petite Prairie
photo Michelyn©
Worldwide: from award winning artisan perfumer Amber Jobin there is 10 ml edp/vdp spray of Aether Arts Perfumes Love of Three Oranges, an Art and Olfaction Finalist
photo by Ermano
EU, USA, UK: Thanks to the generosity of Laboratorio Olfattivo and KAON, we have a 100 ml tester bottle of Laboratorio Olfattivo Mandarino parfum cologne
To enter our Best Spring Perfumes Part 1 you must be a registered user of ÇaFleureBon. It is simple to do, just follow the prompt here. To be eligible, please leave a comment with what you thought of our best spring perfumes part 1 choices, the spring perfume you would like to win that are available (all five) and WHY, where you live by 3/25/2019. Stay tuned for Part 2 Monday March 22, 2021 for Dalya Azaria, dana sandu, Emannuelle Varron, Samantha Scriven, and Michelyn Camen
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