2011-11-08

The day of whispering to orange blossom

When making a perfume, you can do it according to the laws of chemistry or choose an alchemical path. He made it both at the same time.

Image source: http://hersacredcauldron.com/

Today he was making a fleur d’oranger cologne. He kneaded the thick leathery skin of green bergamot and mixed it together with bright sunlight concentrated on the surface of sweet orange skin. He seasoned them both with green coldness of shadow from under the orange blossom tree. It was not enough, so he grabbed the rest of the citrus fruits, mixed them with one single ray of sunlight and squeezed them in a firm grip. He opened his hand and found a shiny drop of concentrated essence of summer which he carefully put into a cauldron. He distilled the essence of white flowers, bergamot and lavender, thickened it and filtered. He separated freshness from sweetness and collected them into flasks. He picked up some tender rose petals, lend a drop of sweetness and left the rest to dry out to collect the rustle of dry petals. Later he was catching warm sweet breeze playing between the orange blossoms. Doing that he picked one of them to ooze a small drop of warm dark honey that warmed a mixture and colored it deeply vermilion. What next? Jasmine of course… He took just a small handful of fragrant jasmine flowers and filled them up with sunflecks reflected from the dew drops on white petals and invisible aura from the depth of the flower. He needed a twist, do he took a carnation flower and put his fingers between the petals right to the core. He found a kernel and pulled it out in one elegant move. More twist. What can give some magic? He opened a dusty bottle of Hungarian Queen water. He smiled as he remember the night when he got it. At night he was secretly sneaked into the Queen’s room to dip some water out of her bath. He had to stand still behind the screen for a long time fighting the sleep. And he was almost caught in the garden when he stopped at the twinkling blossoms of Queen of the Night. He measured a sip from the bottle and gently stirred the brew. Later he smirked and added some cold green jasmine tea from his cup. Just a spontaneous silly move lead by the chance. Than he was sitting near his cauldron and whispering to his perfume till he started to notice bright orange sparkles in the darkness of depth…

Of course I can describe it much easier: Bergamot oil, Sweet orange Oil, Petitgrain Bigarade Oil, Neroli oil, Orange Flower Absolute, Litsea Cubeba oil, Linalool, Linalyl Acetate, Nerol, Neryl Acetate, Nerolidol, Methyl Anthranilate, Oranger Crystals, Hedione, Ylang Ylang Oil, Jasmine Absolute, C-12 Lauric aldehyde, Clove absolute, PEA, Rosemary tincture and Green Jasmine Tea tincture as a twist.

Either way, the result is an eau de cologne with fleur d’orange note, sparkling bright citrusy start and floral aura leading into dark depth. A kind of cologne with a dark twist.

2010-10-20

In memoriam

Wearing purple today to remember six young gay guys who has committed suicide because of being teased and abused.

RIP Tyler Clementi, Asher Brown, Seth Walsh, Justin Aaberg, Raymond Chase and Billy Lucas.

Purple color of the rainbow flag means spirit... Wearing this purple flower on my blog now. And next to that a tender sweet perfume combining lily (the sign of mourning) and lilas (Un Lys by Serge Lutens).



More about action here or google with words "purple, 20 october, action".

2010-06-18

What makes it art?

There is a question that keep me think about it for quite a long time. And not only me I guess, but many perfume lovers. What is the difference between a nice smelling blend and perfume as a piece of art? How does the aesthetic of perfume work? Unfortunately this question is difficult to answer on a rational level. You need to learn to feel the difference. And sometimes you can sense that “piece of art” feeling…

Like the video I found recently on youtube (thanks to my perfumista-friends). This video is an artistic project and actually it’s a skillfully made illusion. But knowing that doesn’t diminish the effect it makes on you. As a skillfully created perfume is also an illusion – a fantasy of a perfumer that you voluntary makes your reality and admire.

Please, watch it in YouTube (right mouse click and than choose whatch on YouTube) in full screen mode to get the right imression.



Even knowing it’s not real I still would describe this video as beautiful (nice to watch), impressive and expressive (it communicates with me on emotional level) and it’s complete (it’s a whole story). And what is also important it’s inspiring – it motivates and encourages. Funny I guess I’ve just mentioned a couple of key moments that could describe a “piece of art”.

This video makes me also think of a masculine fragrance advertisement. But it has something I really miss in many of them. What could it be? Character? Courage? Uniqueness?