Exaltatum Divine Dancer Review (Eglija Vaitkevice) 2020+ Emotion in Motion Draw

 

Exaltatum Divine Dancer by Eglijia Vaitkevice

 Exaltatum  Divine Dancer, photo by Elena Cvjetkovic

A motion in the dark. Fluttering fingers, like night butterflies with soft and powdery wings that fly towards the nearest source of light, move with grace followed by the gliding movement of the hands of a dancer. As your eyes adjust to pitch-black shades and bright reflector light spots upon a stage, and as you immerse yourself into music and atmosphere, the more you observe a dancer move, the more moved you become. If you think about the most memorable dancing performance you’ve ever witnessed, and with all due respect to technical perfection and trained movements, isn’t it the way the dance moved YOU that made it unforgettable?

 Divine Dancer from Exaltatum

 Divine Dancer Exaltatum Illustration

Emotion in motion, feelings transferred by music and movements, not only well-rehearsed steps or painfully mastered choreography – this is what moves our souls when we either observe dancers or immerse ourselves in dancing on our own. And if you’ve ever danced like no one is watching, completely losing yourself in movement, motion, and emotion, I’m sure you’ve felt the shift into a new space, a sense of vibrantly being alive, connected, and utterly in tune with Universe, moving with precision and grace you never thought you possessed, and yet at the same time knowing it’s the purest expression of your soul: you’re in the zone, you’re in the flow. You ARE the divine dancer.

Eglija Vaitkevice

 Artisan Perfumer Eglija Vaitkevice was trained in Grasse photo courtesy of Eglija

And it’s not only sports, or dancing, or any physical activity that can transfer you into this state of mind that Buddhists call mindfulness! Artists experience it while creating, writers when they get involved deeply into the story that just seems to pour in perfectly right words, with fingers typing effortlessly. Some people experience it while observing nature, playing with children, making love, and many a perfume lover experienced it with some perfumes. The utter beauty, the flow, making time and surroundings irrelevant, and the moments when all worries, thoughts, and memories seem to melt away! A movement of the soul, the feeling of a complete harmony triggered by a fragrance – that’s what makes a perfume unforgettable!

dancer Ruth St. Denis

 Ruth St. Denis in Radha, ca. 1906 – Denishawn Collection/The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts

Eglija Vaitkevice’s newest release, Exaltatum Divine Dancer is a step outside her usual dancing routine: if we look at her previous, elaborate, and baroque-opulent fragrant creations, like my beloved Ruby Wood or breathtaking Osmathus Nobile, this perfume dances in a different, more ethereal form of artistic expression. The inspiration behind the perfume is this time connected to both location and a person, reaching back to hundreds of blooming magnolia trees in Kew Gardens in London in May, and an American modern dance pioneer – Ruth St. Denis (1879 – 1968). A skirt-dancer, a dance teacher, and a choreographer  – she often performed on the vaudeville stage but also wrote texts about the spirituality of dance and the mysticism of the body. Motion and emotion, as seen by Exaltatum: “When the dancer emerged from the darkness of the stage, her presence was immediately captivating, the air suddenly fragrant with her appearance. Adorned in jewels from head to toe, radiant in a special gold sari, her hair crowned in jasmine, she is an embodiment of divine feminine.“

Best Magnolia perfumes

Magnolia Tree in Rain – Flowers Detail, photo by Pexels/edited by Elena Cvjetkovic

Movement, motion, and emotion: details of rainbow-colored raindrops gliding down the thick magnolia petals in May come to my mind, watery and soft pastel-colored, cold but with a promise of that tender warmth of Spring to follow – Exaltatum Divine Dancer’s opening movement is translucent and radiant, light like a sudden rain on a sunny day. The first impression is not tied to any particular note, it rather echoes a feeling of sparkling brightness, followed by a flow of watery-soft and galbanum infused, refreshing bitter-green nuances. The texture of the fragrance, liquid in the beginning heats up and shifts towards a more floral feeling: magnolia flowers seem to have shaken the raindrops away and unfold their petals with a denser and sweeter glow of jasmine shining through. And the dance of flowers begins, the texture gets denser, covered with white petals and slight traces of powdery pollen rising from this vivacious bouquet. A breath of fruitiness dances in, just brushing past. And yet, the opulent magnolia lurks in the shades, its lush flowers larger and thicker than the delicate, fragile petals that swirl around them.

 

Exalatatum Divine Dancer by perfumer Eglijia Vaitkevice

image courtesy of Exaltatum and apped by Elena

Later into its development, Exaltatum Divine Dancer moves in big and round, opulent sways of its floral body slowing down, like water that ripples and spreads concentric circles of waves in an outward moving motion. While still feeling fresh and clean, a breath of osmanthus brings a touch of soothing serenity. It’s soft and sensual, and yet it also displays a slightly peachy-milky facet that blends well with softwoods, reminding me for reasons I can’t explain of the scent of wet, clean hair on a warm, late spring day after being drenched in a sudden rainfall in a park full of blooming white flowers. Like mists rising from the ground on a Spring morning, clean-feeling musks slowly unroll, still carrying along with twirls of an abstract-spicy-floral feeling. It is accompanied by a mild powdery-sweet hue and supported with waxy undertones.  Exaltatum Divine Dancer that moved in layers of transparent watercolor-brush strokes of abstract florals applied with various grades of vigor and pressure finally settles down and ends its dance with musky, slightly creamy, and soapy-clean drydown tones.

Notes: guava, cassis, galbanum, magnolia leaf, ocean note, magnolia champaka absolute China, jasminum grandiflorum India, osmanthus absolute China, rose, violet leaves, lily flowers, sandalwood, rosewood Peru, musk, violet.

Elena Cvjetkovic, Editor and Author of The Plum Girl

Disclaimer:  Divine Dancer EdP was kindly sent to me by Exaltatum for my consideration. Opinions and feelings are – as always – of my own.

Exaltatum The Divine Dancer review

Exaltatum Divine Dancer, 50 ml EdP, photo by Elena Cvjetkovic

Thanks to the generosity of Exaltatum, we have a 50 ml bottle of Exaltatum Divine Dancer for one registered reader in the US, EU and UK (you must register on our site or your comment will not count). To be eligible, please tell us what you enjoyed about Elena’s review, if you have tried an Exaltatum fragrance before and where you live.  Draw closes  September 7, 2020

This is our Privacy and Draw Rules Policy

Photos: Elena Cvjetkovic, Pexels, Denishawn Collection/The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts and Exaltatum

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@indigoperfumery is a new USA stockist for Exaltatum. Mark your calendars for September 13th, 2020 at 1 PM EST for InstaLive with Elglija Vaitkevice and Ann Bouterse owner of @indigoperfumery

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56 comments

  • Very nice and intriguing review! I love the comparison with dancing. Got me thinking, what makes me feel that way. Guess it is trying new perfumes, and I mean it. New olfactive experiences are what make me feel alive.
    I have never tried Exaltatum, but have been thinking of it a lot. Unfortunately, it is not that easy to get it in my country.
    I live in Lithuania, EU.

  • I’m so glad this line is coming to Indigo! I’ve been wanting to sample but shipping is so inconsistent lately. I can’t wait to work my way through this house after reading all the great reviews.

  • Great description, sounds awesome. I absolutely love this super under the radar house and i enjoyed all the fragrances that i’ve tested from the line. Nice chance to try this last creation, thanks for the draw. I’m in the EU.

  • And it’s not only sports, or dancing, or any physical activity that can transfer you into this state of mind that Buddhists call mindfulness! Artists experience it while creating, writers when they get involved deeply into the story that just seems to pour in perfectly right words, with fingers typing effortlessly. Some people experience it while observing nature, playing with children, making love, and many a perfume lover experienced it with some perfumes. The utter beauty, the flow, making time and surroundings irrelevant, and the moments when all worries, thoughts, and memories seem to melt away! A movement of the soul, the feeling of a complete harmony triggered by a fragrance – that’s what makes a perfume unforgettable! A beautiful and succinct description by Elena. I am intrigued by cacophony of notes sounds sumptuous. A brand I have not tried anything by as of yet. Thanks a million from the United Kingdom

  • Like mists rising from the ground on a Spring morning, clean-feeling musks slowly unroll, still carrying along with twirls of an abstract-spicy-floral feeling. It is accompanied by a mild powdery-sweet hue and supported with waxy undertones. Exaltatum The Divine Dancer that moved in layers of transparent watercolor-brush strokes of abstract florals applied with various grades of vigor and pressure finally settles down and ends its dance with musky, slightly creamy, and soapy-clean drydown tones.

    Notes: guava, cassis, galbanum, magnolia leaf, ocean note, magnolia champaka absolute China, jasminum grandiflorum India, osmanthus absolute China, rose, violet leaves, lily flowers, sandalwood, rosewood Peru, musk, violet. Sounds like a magical and mesmerising concoction a brilliant piece by Elena does this fragrance justice. A house that I have heard of but not tried anything by Thanks a lot from the UK

  • Wow what a wonderful review. I love the sound of a spring like comfort fragrance that sounds like it will leave you fresh.. I wonder if it would bring a cheer to the winter ahead.
    Never tried this tried this house before.
    UK

  • I’ve never tried an Exultatum fragrance before but will seek them out because Elena’s review makes this sound incredible. I want to smell of wet clean hair on a warm Spring day! I am in the UK

  • Elena’s review was very informative and I enjoyed reading about the creative process and the beautiful notes that went into this amazing sounding fragrance. I’ve never tried anything from this house before but I’d love to. Thanks for the great review and the great giveaway. Commenting from Kentucky USA.

  • The Divine Dancer seems a mysterious perfume. I cannot help but note that so many notes originate from the east. US

  • Elena’s review made me rewatch the performance Fase (Phase) again from Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker to the music of Steve Reich. It was such a mesmerizing performance. Emotion in motion indeed. Wonderful article.

    I haven’t tried an Exaltatum fragrance before.

    UK

  • Haven’t tried any of Exaltatum perfumes, yet. Enjoyed the review by Elena comparing and contrasting beautiful dance moves with the fragrances coming out of The Divine Dancer. Also, liked how she evokes the memory and smells of wet hair after a rain in a garden of flowers. Lovely. Thanks for the review and the draw. Writing from the USA.

  • Perfumes truly are similar to dance. Reading this review almost makes me want to go back to dancing. Although I’m perfectly happy substituing my dance lessons with my love of perfumes at the moment. Favorite part of the review and most intriguing is part about wet hair after spring rain. I’m from Illinois, US.

  • Sorohan Adriana says:

    Reading this review, I imagined myself dancing in a diaphanous sari from magnolia petals with jasmine in my hair in a garden full of flowers. I am from Eu Bucharest, Romania

  • Lovely review by Elena! I love the comparison with dance. A good fragrance evokes joyful movement and as mentioned, mindfulness. I’ve not tried anything from Exaltatum before. Commenting from the USA.

  • I absolutely love the inspiration behind the name and how the fragrance is compared to dancing. I have not tried any from
    This house but I would love to. US

  • Haven’t tried Exaltatum fragrances before but have heard great things about them! I definitely love the bottle design, and the combination of jasmine and magnolia sounds wonderful.
    Florida, USA

  • What I enjoyed most about elenas review was how communicative it was in conveying the experiences she associated with it , it made it super engaging as well as one that was easy to connect to and follow along because it felt like I could understand those experiences too.

    I’ve tried ruby wood from them and it’s divine.

    I’m from Ireland, EU

  • What I enjoyed about this review was the intro about mindfulness. It was relatable but also made me want to experience that state of mind again. I personally experience through smelling perfumes and drawing. I have never tried an Exaltatum fragrance before but Divine Dancer sounds lovely. Kind regards from Illinois, USA.

  • Divine Dancer sounds absolutely marvelous. All anyone has to mention is magnolia and they have my complete attention. I haven’t tried any of the Exaltatum house, but this just may be the one. Many thanks to Elena for a great review and many thanks to Exaltatum for making this draw possible. I’m in the USA and the scent of magnolias is divine.

  • Really enjoyed your review of this perfume. It sounds divine. I never tried anyrhing from this brand yet but I’m very curious about it.

  • I would love to dance with exaltatum! What a wonderful review. Love the idea of sways of its floral body like bodies dancing in the night. Living in the EU

  • I learn that its spring frag that contain rose with musk with is good mix. I never heard of this brand. I live in Sweden EU.

  • Wow, thank you Elena for the epic review. You do have a way with words and I never before saw dancing described in such a captivating manner. Divine dancer sounds… divine :). I’m in USA

  • “Movement, motion, and emotion…” Elena, you have touched the cords of my own soul in your words and images in this review. Fragrance can indeed move us, and there are times when we need a more tender and soft embrace to acknowledge the fragility of our humanity, and yet be reminded of the beauty and strength of our femininity. As a dancer unable to reach through my dancing to touch others during this strange time, I am yet not restrained from rejoicing through dance and enjoying the divine healing that can arise in it, and fragrance can augment the memory of it. I love the way you have spoken to the connection amongst emotion, movement and fragrance. I have never heard of Exaltatum, but Divine Dancer sounds like it speaks the language of my own soul…

  • I love how the review is a word painting moving from scene to scene. What a wonderfully descriptive review!

  • I liked the comparison of Divine Dancer to a magnolia flower. There’s a magnificent magnolia tree nearby and it’s a sight to behold when in bloom. Thanks for another great article and generous draw! Mich USA

  • Thank you for this draw Elena.
    Read some Reviews about the fragrances but never smelled them.
    The ingredients are very special and only reading them let me swiff ^^
    god is a dancer, it’s not only a song, sometimes you can smell it 😉
    Would be a pleassure to win and try it out,
    I am from Germany, EU

  • I love that this perfume is inspired by Ruth St. Denis, a dancer gracing London stages in the early 20th c. In this theatre-less period I miss going to the Royal Opera House or Sadlers Wells to see a dance performance. I have found solace in fragrance and love fragrances that tell a story. The review is well written by Elena and as always accompanied by a beautiful shot of Divine Dancer. I would love to try an Exaltatum perfume as I have not yet had the pleasure. Marit, UK

  • Iuno Feronia says:

    Thanks for the draw, I love the idea of magnolia flowers shake away rain drops, I don’t know any perfume of Exaltum but I would love to try. I live in the EU.

  • Since trying the wonderful Ruby Wood, I’ve become very drawn to this line and I look forward to trying more of the creations. I’d be very interested in trying this more ethereal fragrance, which is compared beautifully to delicate butterflies and graceful dancers. Lovely review by Elena. I am in the USA.

  • wandering_nose says:

    Such a poetic review by Elena! The analogy to dance makes the image of the fragrance appear irresistible. Love the notes and would love to try the fragrance, especially as I haven’t tried any from the house. Thank you from Ireland

  • Beautifully written: movement, motion, emotion! I like the scent of magnolias so this intrigues me also the ethereal quality describe ‘more ethereal form of artistic expression’ Haven’t tried anything from this brand yet but curious. Based in MN, USA

  • So beautiful, it seems to me that most Exaltatum perfumes are quite abstract, pastel colored, smooth fragrances that don’t ever come across as intrusive or harsh. That must also be a sign of skillful blending, where the floral, fruity, woody, powdery facets combine seamlessly into a graceful, soft and fluid perfume.
    I would love to try this and it would be my first Exaltatum. I live in the EU.

  • The Plum Girl says:

    Thank you for all your lovely comments, with a special hug to all performing dancers that are currently unable to pass the emotion in motion in live and direct contact with their public ❤️

  • I haven`t tried any Exaltatum perfumes, but Divine Dancer sounds great. Elena have me at: It’s soft and sensual, and yet it also displays a slightly peachy-milky facet that blends well with softwoods, reminding me for reasons I can’t explain of the scent of wet, clean hair on a warm, late spring day after being drenched in a sudden rainfall in a park full of blooming white flowers.
    I live in EU (Romania)

  • I loved reading Elena’s descriptions of dancing and complete harmony in a fragrance. I have never tried any of Exaltatum fragrances. They are sounding more and more beautiful as I read about them. California

  • Nice review. I like this being a clean feeling fragrance. Sounds good for the warm days.
    Thanks, Ca

  • My favorite month of all is May. I grew up with magnolias, so Divine Dancer is a fragrance I’d surely love. I love the references to dance and mindfulness in Elena’s review. I had never heard of Ruth St. Denis before.
    I have never tried anything from this house. I live in the USA.

  • Hashim Madani says:

    I’m a sucker for jasmine but what stood out to me is the guava note which I don’t believe I’ve experienced in a fragrance. Haven’t tried Exaltatum yet. VA, USA.

  • Elena write beautiful tribute to newest release Artisan Perfumer Eglija Vaitkevice’s Exaltatum Divine Dancer. This peace of article I really enjoyed:”The first impression is not tied to any particular note, it rather echoes a feeling of sparkling brightness, followed by a flow of watery-soft and galbanum infused, refreshing bitter-green nuances. The texture of the fragrance, liquid in the beginning heats up and shifts towards a more floral feeling: magnolia flowers seem to have shaken the raindrops away and unfold their petals with a denser and sweeter glow of jasmine shining through. And the dance of flowers begins, the texture gets denser, covered with white petals and slight traces of powdery pollen rising from this vivacious bouquet. A breath of fruitiness dances in, just brushing past. And yet, the opulent magnolia lurks in the shades, its lush flowers larger and thicker than the delicate, fragile petals that swirl around them.” I love magnolia note in fragragrances! Thank you very much for pleasant review and chance to try this amazing fragrance.
    United States Florida

  • Michael Prince says:

    Elena, great review Exaltatum Divine Dancer. I enjoyed how Elena related the beautiful art of dance to the Divine Dancer by Exaltatum. A classy and divine fruity floral fragrance with a unique twist of galbanum. The only Exaltatum fragrance I have tried is Pergola. I am from Ohio, USA.

  • I liked that the inspiration behind the scent was explained both the place and person. Also the description of the scent really sounded like quite the experience. Different feelings and textures in what seemed to be a sea of florals with touches of fruits or woods or musk. I live in the U.S and have not yet tried an Exaltatum fragrance. Thanks for ghe generous draw.

  • Awesome article, I have never tried the house. The correlation of movement with the scent is great
    NY, USA

  • Elena’s review makes me want this perfume even more, now that on this mountain, Autumn…she comes. And my seasons are Spring and Summer. So anything that might let me live again in the non-ber months is a must have. And, to add to the poignancy, some of my happiest days were as a young woman in Manhattan, in dance studios, with big glass mirrors, and silence, but for live piano music played softly by a Juilliard student and the accents of the retired prima. But that was then. Elena is a beautiful writer, who knows her subject well. She knows the art of perfume. Thank you.

  • I really loved the description of the fragrance because with each phrase I have immagined a dance,a ballet lesson.very unique way to “tell” a perfume.Love the notes!I have never tried one from this brand before sadly.I live in Italy

  • Bryant Worley says:

    I liked the way Elena showed how (IMHO) the diffusion of the fragrance was like rhythmic dance.

    I have not tried an Exaltatum fragrance as of yet.

    I live in Waldorf, MD, USA

  • Beautiful art work and photography as usual. I’m not familiar with the line, love the tassel. Never thought of comparing fragrance to a dance. I’d never heard of the website The Plum Girl. I’ve bookmarked it so I can check it out, looks really interesting. The notes are fascinating, especially the guava. Used to pick guava from a neighbor who didn’t eat them when I grew up in L.A. Nice article Elena. USA.

  • I enjoyed the way Elena conveyed scent though experience and movement. I’ve tried and enjoyed Ruby Woods and hope to try more. I live in the USA.

  • Great review by Elena! I absolutely loved the comparison to dancing for the Divine Dancer. This fragrance sounds amazing and I would love to try it. Dancing absolutely makes me feel alive. Thanks for the generous giveaway and I live in the US!

  • Reviews that describe a fresh range texture and descriptors like sparkling brightness, translucent and radiant, watery soft and soothing serenity describe the scent beyond notes alone – and the perfume sounds simply divine!! Thanks for the inspiring review! I’m located in WA state.

  • Thank you for the beautiful review Elena.

    I love how you talk about these notes and the fragrance. It has the quality of drawing me into it’s headiness and suspending my mind from it’s usual quandaries.

    I have not smelt an Exaltatum fragrance before.

    Regards from WI, USA

  • Sounds like a lovely floral and musk dance indeed! The osmanthus note especially draws me in. I’ve never tried anything from this house before. I live in the United States. Thanks for the giveaway!