DSH Perfumes Parfum de Grasse, Bancha and The Voices of Trees + 3 you should be wearing draw

 

DSH Perfumes Parfum de Grasse, Bancha and The Voice of Trees Cafleurebon has promoted American perfumery since July 2011 

 ÇaFleureBon Celebrates ten years of American Perfumery! DSH Perfumes Parfum de Grasse, Bancha, The Voices of Trees and Dawn Spencer Hurwitz collage by Michelyn

Stating the obvious: award-winning artisan perfumer Dawn Spencer Hurwitz’s prolific creativity is mind-boggling. To even attempt to whittle her burgeoning list of perfume selections is a Sisyphean task all by itself. On the 10th anniversary of ÇaFleureBon Profiles in American Perfumery (July 11th, 2011) it feels only fitting to celebrate the very first perfumer Editor-in-Chief Michelyn Camen officially featured– and that was Dawn. In lieu of having a nervous breakdown, I decided to choose three marvelous fragrances which are perfect for sweltering summer days (which was equally challenging). There are so many more; these don’t even begin to constitute the tip of the iceberg. Unintentionally, but instinctively – the fragrances I chose happen to lean heavily on the botanical side. Don’t be fooled: they each possess wonderful longevity, and thanks to their composition they evolve and have wondrous tales to recount.

DSH Perfumes Parfum de Grasse, Bancha and The Voices of Trees

DSH Perfumes Parfum de Grasse (L), Bancha and The Voices of Trees from Ida’s Collection

Here in the Northern Hemisphere, it has been one of the hottest summers thus far in a very long time (in fact, June in my neck of the woods exceeded the record-breaking heat of 1976!). Tempers tend to flare in the less chill parts of the globe where folk don’t take the time to slow down as the temperatures rise (New York, Massachusetts, etc. – you know who you are). Chances are, if you live in most European nations with more liberal summer vacation allotment, the American South/Southwest or other sensible locations, that you stand a better chance of keeping your cool. Many countries honor adult nap time/siestas in the scorching portion of the day. What can the remainder of us do? One surefire method is to create a more refreshed, leisurely environment for ourselves via perfume. Fragrance serves a double purpose: in addition to reviving flagging spirits and bodies, we can lull ourselves into vivid imaginings which involve a more desirable place – the forest, the beach, a mountaintop, or a villa set in the south of a favorite Mediterranean country, for example. My fantasies took me to the forest (The Voices of Trees), the mountains of the Himalayas (Bancha) and a villa in Grasse (Parfum de Grasse).

DSH Perfumes Parfum de Grasse review

Parfum de Grasse was composed in1997!!! Photo from Dawn

DSH Perfumes Parfum de Grasse: Ah, my beauty! I fell in love with it 11 years ago, and recently reordered when I realized that my flacon was getting dangerously low. I’ve decanted a great deal of it over the years for friends and perfumers who swiftly succumb to its charms. My most recent bottle smells a bit more carnation-forward than my last (rather aged) one – which smells a bit rosier, more jasminey and beeswaxier – but either way, Parfum de Grasse is rich, memorable and breathtaking. You are transported to the south of France with one sniff; sunlit fields of impossibly radiant blossoms surround you as you kick back in the lap of luxury. One of a handful of brilliant milliflores, this is a bouquet to end all bouquets: elegant, diffusive and séduisant, it never disappoints. Once bergamot breezes through the château garden, you are enveloped in floral abundance: carnations, centifolia roses, grandiflorum jasmines, mimosa, neroli and iris (orris concrete) engulf you. They are counterpoised by a deft touch of benzoin, a chypre base of vetiver, moss and sandalwood, and a goodly dose of beeswax for that animalic touch which woos the flowers and reminds us of the procreation of all living things. DSH Perfumes Parfum de Grasse is among the fragrances you want to experience before you shuffle off this mortal coil.

Notes: bergamot, neroli, carnation absolute, centifolia rose absolute, grandiflorum jasmine, mimosa absolute, orris concrete, Brazilian vetiver, moss, sandalwood, Siam benzoin, French beeswax

 

 DSH Perfumes Bancha review

Bancha image by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz

DSH Perfumes Bancha (all botanical) 2010: Otherwise known as ‘how to be a green tea scent without the tea’. Not only was Bancha unique in a year when tea fragrances were all the rage, but it defies characterization; it is truly a spiritual experience which elevates and refreshes you. Bracing notes of yuzu, spearmint and lime zest comprise its tonic introduction, joined by a beautiful green mandarin. The heart of the perfume stuns: grandiflorum jasmine pairs off with tulsi, aka holy basil – on the dance floor, and you can’t take your eyes/nose off this perfect coupling. They mesmerize. These wonderfully quirky tones are then grounded by moss, pine, Australian sandalwood and Himalayan cedar; the entire experience is singularly soothing and feels therapeutic.

Notes: yuzu, spearmint, lime peel, green mandarin, grandiflorum jasmine, holy basil (tulsi), moss, pine needle, Australian sandalwood, Himalayan cedar

 

DSH Perfumes The voices of Trees review

DSH Perfumes The Voices of Trees inspiration photos by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz

The Voices of Trees (98.5% botanical) 2015: My inextinguishable love for The Voices of Trees began with its predecessor Sève de Pin in 2014: Dawn showed me the module she was working on while we were celebrating her wedding anniversary on Cape Cod. I was completely smitten, as it echoed the woods surrounding that little house which smelt strongly of pine sap in the height of summer. The Voices of Trees followed in its footsteps, remaining true to its earlier sylvan homage yet more fully fleshed out – where there was rose, there now was Seville lavender; lemon and bergamot were exchanged for neroli; poplar bud, jammy balsam fir and the richly balsamic woody muhuhu enriched an already gracious forest evocation. It goes without saying that I am never without either fragrance and have repurchased several times. The Voices of Trees feels both palpably warm and cool at once: it transports the wearer to a cathedral canopy of conifers and mixed deciduous trees, a safe and sacred space of healing and respite.

Notes: maple leaves (accord), neroli, Seville lavender, poplar bud absolute, antique pinon (infused oil), pine sap (accord),sycamore (accord), balsam fir, fossilized amber resin, labdanum, muhuhu, opoponax, pine amber (accord), Virginia cedar

Perfumes are those I have purchased, from my personal collection.  My nose is my own…

~Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor

Diversity in American Perfumery

image via tumblr

To celebrate 10 years of ÇaFleureBon Profiles in American Perfumery (which as of today numbers 160 American perfumers), thanks to the generosity of Dawn Spencer-Hurwitz we are offering a reader’s choice 30 ml of DSH Perfumes Parfum de Grasse or Bancha or The Voices of Trees.

And another winner will be eligible to win 3 x5 ml sampler of the above

This draw is for two registered readesr USA only. You must register or your comment will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what you think about CaFleureBon Profiles in American Perfumer series, Ida’s reviews, which you would choose should win (either the 30 ml or the sample set of 5ml each). Do you have a favorite DSH Perfumes Fragrance? Draw closes 7/13/2021

This is the link to the profiles. Please note that the idea for series began on July 4th with Anya McCoy and then Ineke Ruhland on July 7. The Facebook Page was created on July 11, 2011

Follow us on Instagram @cafleurebon @idameister @dshperfumes @dsh_artstudio

This is our Privacy and Draw Rules Policy

Please like CaFleureBon Profiles in American Perfumery and your entry will count twice. Please leave that in your comment.

 

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

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28 comments

  • Brad Woolslayer says:

    It’s nice to read stories about different perfumers and how they approach their craft. Ida did a wonderful job describing how these three fragrances were able to transport her to three different places. I would love to win a 30 ml bottle of The Voice of Trees, but the sample set would be fun to check out as well. I live in Maryland USA.

  • Thank you, thank you, thank you for this opportunity!!!! I am wearing Floating Amongst the Stars right now (Xerjoff’s Apollonia has had me thinking of the “stellar char” note of deep space). DSH Perfumes are wonderful and I have so many more to explore & experience! CaFleureBon’s Profiles in American Perfumery series has been so important for the growth of American perfume as Art and (it seems to this uneducated outsider) a great resource & support for botanical/natural perfumery. I have already started going back & reading CaFleureBon’s archives, especially for this information. Ida’s reviews are gorgeous and full of great information! I love how Ida carefully selects 3 different & restorative terroirs for this review. I would LOVE to experience them all! I would love to win the sample set of 5ml each scent! I live in the USA.

  • ccwperfume says:

    My favorite DSH fragrance is Cimabue. Golden saffron amber. I would love Voices of the Trees. Thanks for the draw. With love from California.

  • jmmcmenamin says:

    I’m happy to learn of the American Perfumer series! This is a market that’s overlooked, but shouldn’t be. Ida’s reviews are so descriptive that I am transported to the locations she describes!
    I would love to win Parfum de Grasse. I don’t have a favorite DSH perfume.
    I’m in the USA.

  • My favorite DSH fragrance is Colorado. She has so many I want to try. congratulations Cafleurebon on 10 years. Love how her fragrances transport us to a different place. Truly one of the great. Thank you for this Chance. USA

  • I thoroughly enjoy the CaFleureBon Profiles in American Perfumer series. Based on Ida’s description, it sounds like I would enjoy Bancha best but the sample set would also be lovely. I did like and follow the series on FB but my profile name is different. It’s Emily Marie. I’m in Indiana, USA.

  • roseylis69 says:

    I have not tried any DSH perfumes but have always wanted to. Wonderful reviews on all 3 scents.
    Would like the sample set so that I could try them all because I can’t decide which one I would love more.
    USA

  • cindy maynard says:

    I have so many of Dawn’s creations, but only one of the 3 you have listed. So I would like the sampler. Dawn is one of the most creative and prolific perfume artists that I’m aware of and I love to try her newest creations. I love your Profile series because I learn so much. I just “liked” your page.

  • I would choose the Bancha 30ml if chosen. I have no fave from the house, just too many to choose. US

  • I totally agree, trying to catalog DSH perfumes is impossible. I have looked and looked and just can not decide on which perfume to purchase! I have to say Bancha or Voices of the trees would be my choice from this list. I have been eying become the shaman for a bit now. In maryland.

  • Congratulations on 10 years! This American perfumer series is such a good learning experience. I loved the review focused on different areas/ecosystems. Would love the Bancha 300 ml, though the sampler is equally tempting. “Can’t take your eyes off this perfect coupling.” Thank you for the opportunity to try DSH perfumes. USA located.

  • cynthia f says:

    Ida’s review makes all three sound amazing; a floral chypre bouquet with beeswax, therapeutic yuzu, mint and lime, or a reminder of the California forests of my childhood- I could not choose! Any or the sample pack would be wonderful. I also learned a new word: Sisyphean. The American Perfumers series is opening my eyes to houses I had never heard of before which is very exciting. Owning them all is impossible but reading about them is a pleasure. TX, USA

  • I love the American Perfumer series! As someone who is relatively new to fragrances, but loving to learn about them, I am moving onto a phase where I am starting to become familiar with individual perfumers, more so than individual houses, notes, genres, etc. This series is great way to start thinking about fragrances as the personal statement of perfumer as artist. As always, Ida’s writing is exquisite. She makes the Parfum de Grasse in particular sound like something out of this world. That’s why I would prefer this perfume if I win! Although to win a sampler set would be equally satisfying.
    I’ve unfortunately not had the pleasure of trying a DSH fragrance… yet!

    Cheers from NC, USA.

  • Ida’s reviews are literary works of art. Beautiful imagery, personal stories, good descriptions of perfumes, they all make for enjoyable reading. I have not had the good fortune of trying DSH perfumes, yet. Like the American Perfumer series as it gives in-depth bios of perfumers, with their philosophies and what makes them tick. Like all the reviewed perfumes, but if I were to win this draw, I’d choose Parfum de Grasse, based on Ida’s description. Like The Voices of Trees too. A sampler set of three reviewed perfumes would be great too, in case I win it instead of a 30 ml bottle. Thanks for the review and draw. I am in USA.

  • DulciusExAsperis says:

    Profiles in American Perfumery is great – I love reading about perfumers and their journeys as I’ve daydreamed for years about starting down the road of making perfume. Also love Ida’s reviews, very evocative, and dangerous for my wallet. I would love to win the 30ml of The Voices of Trees. I haven’t tried too many DSH creations but I have a small sample of Parfum de Grasse and really like it! I’m in the USA.

  • I love the Profiles in American Perfumery series. I love learning about the perfumers. It is always fascinating. I would want to win them all, but I’ll narrow it down to Bancha or the sample set. My favorite DSH perfume is her simple Soft Musk. I layer it with EVERYTHING.

  • All three fragrances sound perfect for the hot, sweltering days of summer, especially this summer. Ida has gotten me excited about Parfum de Grasse. The scent of multiple radiant blooms from the South of France sounds invigorating. Favorite DSH is L’eau d’Iris. I’m in MD, USA.

  • I’m just getting started on the series and I think it’s a fantastic idea that’s executed well. It’s a great way to learn about American perfumers.
    Ida’s reviews of these fragrances are well thought-out and evocative journeys. I look forward to reading more of her reviews.
    I would love to win a 30ml of Bancha, as it’s the one that’s intrigued me the most. It would be the first experience with DSH Perfumes Fragrance.
    I am located in Los Angeles, CA.

  • VerbenaLuvvr says:

    Every so often I head over to Dawn’s website and order a few more from the catalogue, which is simply staggering in scope. Her level of creativity and quality of offerings is unmatched in the fragrance world, in my humble opinion. So many wonderful creations there from which to choose. My very favorite DSH fragrance is Cimabue. The selections from Ms. Ida are welcome ones for this time of summer, and her suggestions are generally spot-on for me. And how generous to share from her private collection! Regarding the Profiles series, I have much enjoyed the articles over the years, getting to know more about the perfumers’ personal histories, methods, and inspirations helps frame a scent in a context that simply sniffing does not. Of the three perfumes identified in this article, Bancha is the only one that I have not tried/owned, and with heat of summer upon us where I live, it sounds like a cool, refreshing, fragrant breeze, so that would be my selection. USA

  • I think that the CaFleureBon Profiles in American Perfumer series is a good way for me to become familiar with certain perfumers whose works I might like to become familiar with. Ida’s reviews have helped me have a better understanding of: perfumery, perfumery history, and a lot of fragrances which I hadn’t heard of before having read Ida’s review of them. If I win, then I would want a 30 ml. bottle of “The Voices of Trees” because I think that I’m looking for that kind of a fragrance. I haven’t tried any DSH releases yet but I plan to start getting samples from her. I live in MD., U.S.A.

  • patrick_348 says:

    I absolutely love CaFleureBon’s Profiles in American Perfumer series. I enjoy seeing how the fragrances they create reflect the perfumers’ individual personalities and innovative strategies, so there is a feeling for the real person behind the brand. If I had a choice, I would choose the 30ml bottle (of The Voices of Trees, if possible), but would also be happy to win the three samples. Ida’s reviews are always clear, precise, and enthusiastic. The only fragrance by Hurwitz that I know is Colorado, which she did for American Perfumer rather than DSH, but it is an amazingly complex scent that fascinates me. I am in the US, in NC.

  • Bryant Worley says:

    It’s nice to read stories about different perfumers and their mindsets when they’re in creative mode.

    Ida did a wonderful job describing how these three fragrances were able to transport her to three different places. I would love to win a 30 ml bottle of Parfum de Grasse, but the sample set would be fun to check out as well. I live in Waldorf, Maryland, USA.

  • Julesinrose says:

    I don’t have a favorite DSH perfume. I hope she reads these comments – her output is impressive but completely overwhelming for folks who visit the website. I have given up many times doing so, which is a real shame, to say the least. I write with all the goodwill imaginable!

    I love the Profiles in American Perfumery series as it’s been a great glimpse into the mostly independent American noses.

    Instead of narrowing down my choices, I would definitely go for the sample set if I had the good luck to win. In Maine, USA

  • goodnight_moons says:

    This is actually the first installment in the series that I’ve read, but I’m excited to see previous entries and find out more about perfumers I may not have heard of. As someone who also lives in an area that was the hottest it’s ever been this summer (the PNW), the imagery of cool green tree canopies sounded especially soothing to me; that said, I think I would have to go for the sample set if I were to win, as I haven’t tried any DSH perfumes yet–I plan to, but every time I look at the catalog I feel a bit overwhelmed!

    (I liked/followed the FB page as well).

  • wallygator88 says:

    Thank you for creating the Profiles in American Perfumer series. After having lived in the US for many years, I’ve come to realize that the appreciation for perfume here is not as much as other countries, which is a fascinating cultural difference. One could certainly muse over the origins of this, but needless to say, it is the stick deodarants that rule supreme.

    In this environment, it is wonderful to see the talented perfumers that the US produces. DSH has been making fascinating fragrances since forever and the rate at which she produces masterpieces is just mind blowing.

    Ida’s review are masterpieces in themselves. She by far is my favourite CFB reviewer, because her style is so close to my own.

    I would love to win either Bancha or The Voice of Trees or the discovery set.

    Cheers from WI, USA

  • I’m in California where the heat has been record-breaking and has the terrifying addition of bringing fire season. Sorry…got a little dark there. I adore DSH Perfumes. Her site is so overwhelming to me. How can one person create so many beautiful things? She is truly gifted. I’d choose the 30 ml Perfume de Grasse if I won. It just sounds like a classic gorgeous fragrance. I couldn’t choose a favorite from her–there are just too many great choices!

  • Francesca Brice says:

    The Voice of Trees!!!! Such a relevant name for these times and I’d wear it just for that if I didn’t also know it would be amazing. I’ve never tried it but Dawn’s creations are so wonderful you’d just sink into the special place she was showing you, through the craft of fragrance. Love the sound of those notes, got me singing and you too Ida I see, as I read this piece. Lovely! Parfum de Grasse equally to fall in love with as I read Ida’s caressing verbal description. Bancha makes me mourn for travel to lofty places, I’d wear this to travel as I lay in a sweet space, eyes closed and this fragrance sweeping my imagination in a journey of places I long to visit. Thank you Dawn for your sparkling creativity, Ida your wonderful writing and Congratulations Michelyn on this epic milestone!

  • LightOfJoy says:

    Oh I’m so sad I missed entering this draw! I find DSH entirely intriguing and I so appreciate this review and drawing. I’ve always wanted to try her perfumes. Thank you for focusing on this prolific creator and businesswoman!