Welcome to the weekly Perfume Chat Room, perfumistas! I envision this chat room as a weekly drop-in spot online, where readers may ask questions, suggest fragrances, tell others their SOTD, comment on new releases or old favorites, and respond to each other. The perennial theme is fragrance, but we can interpret that broadly. This is meant to be a kind space, so please try not to give or take offense, and let’s all agree to disagree when opinions differ. In fragrance as in life, your mileage may vary! YMMV.
Today is Friday, October 13, and I’m looking forward to the delivery of a new embroidery machine! I’ve wanted one for years, and the Online Marketplace That Must Not Be Named had a great half-price deal on a high-end Singer machine this week for Prime Days. My always-generous husband agreed that could be my big Christmas gift, and it is on its way to me! I have a lovely sewing machine, bought 23 years ago when I thought I’d have more time to sew, which I’ve recently taken out of storage and am re-learning. The new machine will sew AND embroider, though I think I’ll mostly use it for the embroidery function. Yes, this is one of the hobbies for which I have more time in retirement!
Speaking of which, I visited a big chain bookstore yesterday for the first time in a while (I mostly go to a couple of small, local, independent bookstores) and saw a novel called “The Scent Keeper”, by Erica Baumeister. I didn’t get it, because I’m trying to use the Libby app to read more from our public library system instead of buying more books, but it piqued my curiosity. Have any of you read it?
I’ve been enjoying NST’s “community project” this week, which is to wear scents that remind you of India. It turns out that I have more of those than I would have expected, and some are true favorites, like Un Jardin Après la Mousson and Bengale Rouge. Some that I’ve worn this week I have had for ages but hadn’t opened yet, like Berdoues’ Assam of India, a lovely tea scent, and Jean Patou’s Sira des Indes, which Portia Turbo and I both wore yesterday, by sheer happenstance. Wearing Bengale Rouge reminded me again what a genius Liz Moores is — it lasts a LONG time, and it is a delightful shape-shifter. The final stage is truly “your skin but better”.
Assam of India smells to my nose just like a cup of black tea with lemon. I bought it a few years ago for a ridiculously low price when our local Anthologie store had it on clearance, but I hadn’t opened it yet. So this week’s CP was the perfect excuse! And I’ve always loved the parade of tiny elephants on its packaging, so I’m glad to find that the scent is also delightful.
Berdoues’ Assam of India; image from olfactif.com.
Have you recently tried any scents you’ve had for a while but hadn’t worn? I’ve learned not to open every new bottle of fragrance right away; I leave them sealed until I’m ready to really WEAR them, in hopes that they will keep longer.
Another happy random pull from my samples! Today’s Advent SOTD is Spell 125, from Papillon Artisan Perfumes and perfumer Liz Moores. I really can’t improve on her own description and explanation:
In the Book of the Dead, Spell 125 represents a balance of light and dark, life and death. The compelling ceremony of weighing the deceased’s heart against a feather animate a delicate olfactory rendering of the lightness of the soul, with just a sliver of the underworld shadows.
Part of the Egyptian Book of the Dead; image from DK Publishing.
Ms. Moores explains the context for this 2021 addition to her line of fragrances:
“The seventh fragrance released in Papillon’s seventh year, on the seventh day of the seventh month. In ancient Egypt, the number 7 was considered a number of the Gods, and it is these deep esoteric connections thread together the inspiration and composition for Spell 125. Everything about this perfume is entwined with magic, history and ancient mystery.
Notes are listed as: White Ambergris. Siberian Pine. Black Hemlock. Green Sacra Frankincense. Ylang. Indian Sandalwood. What I smell right away is a mix of frankincense and ylang, followed quickly by the pine and hemlock notes. Ambergris is something I have smelled as a raw ingredient, but I can’t readily identify it in a fragrance. What I notice in fragrances that list ambergris as a note or ingredient is that there is usually an underlying sensual warmth — not really spicy, but warm nevertheless. That’s what I perceive in Spell 125.
The frankincense smells spicy with a hint of smoke; the sensation of warmth it evokes is enhanced by the sandalwood accord. This warmth and spiciness lead me to think that Spell 125 will be most appealing in cooler weather, as is usual in fall and winter here. It reminds me a bit of St. Clair Scents’ Frost, though Frost is smokier. Spell 125 also has a sweetness to it that absolutely does not smell sugary; I think that is a contribution of the ambergris.
Like all Papillon perfumes, this one is lovely and beautifully constructed. It is fully unisex and would smell great on anyone. Definitely worth trying, if you haven’t done so yet. I happily own Papillon’s Dryad and Bengale Rouge. While I don’t know that I’ll ever add Spell 125 to my collection (I think I would go for Angelique and Tobacco Rose ahead of it), I’m very happy to have it as a sample.
Snce Spell 125 was launched in 2021, a year into the global pandemic, when it was hard to get out and try new fragrances, many people may not have had access to it yet. Have you had a chance to try it? What did you think?
Welcome to the weekly Perfume Chat Room, perfumistas! I envision this chat room as a weekly drop-in spot online, where readers may ask questions, suggest fragrances, tell others their SOTD, comment on new releases or old favorites, and respond to each other. The perennial theme is fragrance, but we can interpret that broadly. This is meant to be a kind space, so please try not to give or take offense, and let’s all agree to disagree when opinions differ. In fragrance as in life, your mileage may vary! YMMV.
Today is Friday, August 5, and I have family on my mind. This is mostly because we have gone to New Hampshire with our young adult children for the specific purpose of seeing my elderly father-in-law, who is their only remaining grandparent. We’re having a great time! We have had some fabulous weather, although today is overcast after some heavy rain last night. As hoped, we have seen and heard several loons. Their calls are so distinctive, and instantly bring back memories of past vacations in New England.
The other reason family is on my mind is that the “Scent Semantics” blogging crew, of which I am one thanks to Portia, posted this week about the word “family.” I wrote about the family of fragrances launched by one of my favorite perfumers, Liz Moores, and her independent brand Papillon Artisan Perfumes. Please check it out, as well as the other Scent Semantics blog posts!
The first thing that came to my mind when I learned that this month’s Scent Semantics word is “family” was not my actual family, but groupings of fragrances. I considered writing about a pillar fragrance and its flankers, but those are usually mainstream or designer fragrances and none of the available options seemed exciting this month. Then I thought about “fragrance families”, like florals, but that seemed too vast.
However, there are several small, independent perfumers who have a total number of fragrances that is quite small and manageable – like a family! So I’ve decided to discuss the fragrance family of Papillon Artisan Perfumes, founded and led by perfumer Liz Moores, in England.
Papillon’s first fragrances, launched in 2014, were the trio of Angelique, Anubis, and Tobacco Rose. I first encountered them in 2015, at the now-closed Marble Arch location of London’s Les Senteurs (the original location on Elizabeth Street is still very much open and in operation, and well worth a visit). I remember the shop assistant recommending them and telling me what a very nice person Liz Moores is! All her fragrances are eaux de parfum except for Hera, which is an extrait.
Here is what the Papillon website says about each:
Angelique:
Inspired by the astonishing beauty of the Iris Pallida flower, Angelique captures the delicate essence of a delightful Spring garden. Cascades of French mimosa, osmanthus and white champac are woven between the powdered, violet facets of precious orris. Virginian cedarwood and subtle notes of frankincense bring an ethereal light and delicate freshness to this tender composition.
Anubis:
With a name inspired by the Egyptian God of the afterlife, Anubis embodies the sacred mysteries of Ancient Egypt. Heady blooms of jasmine, amid rich suede, smoulder over an incense laden base of frankincense, sandalwood, and labdanum. Vivid slashes of immortelle, pink lotus and saffron create a perfume shrouded in darkness and veiled in mystery.
Tobacco Rose:
A sensual blend of Bulgarian rose, geranium and Rose de Mai form an opulent backdrop of velvety rose notes set against a luxuriously rich and smoky base of French hay and earthy oakmoss. Soft animalic touches of ambergris and beeswax have been suspended in a sumptuous blend of musks, creating an enigmatic, alluring and unmistakable perfume. A stunningly different interpretation of the majestic rose.
The original three fragrances were followed in 2015 by Salome and in 2017 by Dryad. Bengale Rouge was released in 2019, Spell 125 in 2021, and Hera in 2022. In that order, here are their descriptions from the brand:
Salome:
With daring doses of indolic jasmine and rich feral musks, Salome’s bedevilled and velvety animalic facets dance seductively behind a veil of Turkish rose and carnation. Vintage and honeyed, it lures with the warm, plush appeal of an erotic boudoir before ensnaring the wearer in a web of unashamed erotic delight. Slip into your second skin with Salome.
Dryad:
As vibrant emerald Galbanum weaves with the delicate flesh of Bergamot, the nomadic wanderings of Dryad begin. Beneath jade canopies, sweet-herbed Narcissus nestles with gilded Jonquil. Shadows of Apricot and Cedrat morph radiant greens to a soft golden glow. Earthed within the ochre roots of Benzoin, heady Oakmoss entwines with deep Vetiver hues. And at its heart, the slick skin of Costus beckons you further into the forest…
Bengale Rouge:
A golden fur, swathed in sandalwood and doused in honey. Sweet myrrh purrs behind a warm, rosy skin, misted with oakmoss and dappled in the rich shades of a leopard pelt. A cosy, caramel comfort glows from a gourmand heart, while sweet Tonka slinks an opulent softness upon your skin.
Spell 125:
In the Book of the dead, Spell 125 represents a balance of light and dark, life and death. The compelling ceremony of weighing the deceased’s heart against a feather animate a delicate olfactory rendering of the lightness of the soul, with just a sliver of the underworld shadows. Rise in sparkles, with the brightness of Siberian Pine. Let salt and resin lap at your skin, an ethereal cleanse, slick with wintergreen powders. A weightless shroud of lucent white ambergris lifts you. A glow of green sacra frankincense haunts you. Suspended in the lustre of ylang, you float between this world and the next.
Hera:
The goddess of weddings, family and blessings, Hera possessed a majestic power. Here, she is celebrated in the opulence of orris and jasmine. Engulfed in flowers, you are invited by a burst of orange blossom, radiating a golden halo of warm white flowers. Delicate touches reveal a buttery, rich embrace. Rose de mai brings a whisper of drama and gentle musk offers a sensual caress for Gods and Goddesses alike. A bright and beautiful perfume, steeped in energetic luxury and effortless glamour.
How do I experience these siblings? Angelique is a beautifully soft iris. No sharp edges or notes here! It embraces both the rooty and powdery facets of orris in fragrance. I smell the rootiness first, almost like fresh carrots, then the powdery aspect emerges, supported by mimosa. To my nose, mimosa is more prominent than osmanthus. Angelique just keeps getting better and better on my wrist. As of now, I only have samples of it, but a full bottle may be in my future this year, to join my full bottles of Dryad and Bengale Rouge.
Anubis is not my usual type of fragrance, but it is gorgeous! I experience it as incense-focused, with jasmine and saffron playing supporting roles. The incense chord is based on frankincense, together with sandalwood and labdanum. I think it is the labdanum that generates the impression of “suede.” Anubis is a rich, spicy, ambery fragrance, well suited to colder weather. It would be particularly appealing in autumn, I think; its warmth recalls the late afternoon sunlight and still-warm earthiness of October. It carries well, though I wouldn’t say it has huge sillage; it easily wafts from my wrist to my nose while I type.
Tobacco Rose is just what it sounds like: a smoky rose. The “tobacco” of its name is created by a blend of hay and oakmoss notes. It doesn’t smell like it is burning; it smells like tobacco leaves hanging to dry after being harvested. The smokiness is very gentle; and it is less a smell of actual smoke than it is the suggestion of smoke that is inherent in dried tobacco. As it dries down, the rose recedes for a while; and the geranium becomes the more dominant floral note, to my nose; then the rose returns. This dance between rose and geranium, against a backdrop of dried hay/tobacco, is very appealing.
Oh my! When I first sniff Salome on my wrist, my brain immediately says “skank!”, due to notes of hyrax and castoreum that announce themselves right away. I’m not into animalic fragrances, though I can appreciate them as creative works, so Salome‘s opening is somewhat off-putting. I’m happy to note, though, that after only about ten minutes, it calms down and becomes softer and more floral, with a really nice carnation note (I love carnation scents). I can still smell hints of the animalic notes, but they are now in the background, where I prefer them to be. The drydown is lovely, sensual and warm.
Be still, my heart! Dryad is a major perfume love for me, as I’ve written before. It is as green as a fragrance can get, with a strong dose of galbanum, which I happen to love. If you don’t like strong greens such as Chanel’s No. 19 or Balmain’s Vent Vert, make sure you try before you buy! But do try it — it is spectacularly beautiful, to my nose, and a true work of perfumery art. Its notes include several aromatic herbs such as Clary sage, thyme, and lavender; its structure is that of a classic chypre. After its powerful opening, it softens and it does not have the edginess I find in my beloved No. 19.
Bengale Rouge was inspired by perfumer Liz Moores’ own Bengal cat, Mimi. Like Ms. Moores’ other fragrances, it is a clever combination of notes and references to create a very specific impression. Here, she brings out the slightly animalic facets of honey to evoke the soft, warm fur of a feline that is domesticated — but not entirely. Bengal cats are said to make very appealing pets if their owner can accommodate their high energy, intelligence, and playfulness. Their coats strongly resemble the small wild cats from which they are descended, such as the Asian leopard cat. Bengale Rouge is warm, sweet in the way that honey is sweet; floral in the way that honey can be floral. It is just beautiful, and lovely to wear in the winter.
Bengal cats; image from vetstreet.com
I haven’t yet tried Spell 125 or Hera, Papillon’s latest offerings, though I look forward to doing so. Hera was just released, as Ms. Moores first created it as a custom wedding fragrance for her daughter Jasmine, then delayed its release to the public by a year. Have you tried either of them, or any other Papillon fragrances? What do you think of them?
Please go read the posts by my fellow Scent Semantics bloggers; you will find their links here.
When I first began to engage in “perfume tourism”, in 2015, I was lucky enough to be able to tag along with my husband on one of his business trips to London. I spent every day roaming London, visiting gardens and discovering perfumeries. One of them was Les Senteurs, a deservedly legendary perfume boutique that sells many niche fragrances. (If you ever get the chance to visit their store on Elizabeth Street, I highly recommend that you do! The staff are really nice, friendly, and knowledgeable, and the neighborhood is beautiful — plus, Jo Loves is right up the block!).
On that first visit, I told the helpful sales associate that I was interested in smelling some rose fragrances, as I had spent so much time in rose gardens that week. He showed me several and kindly offered samples, too. One in particular that he recommended was Tobacco Rose, launched just the year before, from Papillon Perfumery. He knew quite a bit about its founder, Liz Moores, whom he had met, and told me what a nice person she was! I follow Liz on Instagram — what an interesting person she is, and I love her photos of her pet owl, Ghost.
I own full bottles of a couple of her fragrances, Dryadand Bengale Rouge, but not Tobacco Rose. Sadly, as I exited Les Senteurs’ shop in their other location (now closed) that day, I took a terrible fall and broke my shoulder. True story. I had planned to live with the sample for a day and night, and return the next day to buy a full bottle if I loved it. The best-laid plans of perfumistas … Instead of buying perfume, I found myself in a NHS emergency room being x-rayed, after having taken a double-decker bus across London to get to my husband’s office. Yes, I was probably in shock.
That summer, the summer of 2015, was when I learned how to use WordPress and launched my blogs, as I was stranded at home all summer. I guess I was an early adopter of working remotely, lol! But back to Tobacco Rose. I enjoyed my sample, and later bought a sample set of several Papillon fragrances. My favorite so far is Dryad, and I love Bengale Rouge, but I’m always tempted by Angelique. I do enjoy Tobacco Rose. The website says:
A sensual blend of Bulgarian rose, geranium and Rose de Mai form an opulent backdrop of velvety rose notes set against a luxuriously rich and smoky base of French hay and earthy oakmoss. Soft animalic touches of ambergris and beeswax have been suspended in a sumptuous blend of musks, creating an enigmatic, alluring and unmistakable perfum.
That pretty much says it all. Tobacco Rose starts out right away with a smokiness that continues through its entire development. It is not heavy or overwhelming, it is more like tendrils of smoke that entwine a lush red rose. I don’t believe there is actual tobacco in the fragrance, I think the gentle smokiness comes from the hay, oakmoss and ambergris. Liz Moores has written that she wanted to avoid creating a “sweet, old-fashioned, pretty” rose, she wanted to create a scent that felt “as though one were breathing in not only the fading petals but the rich earth from which a rose grows.” She included mineral notes to achieve that effect, and they are discernible, although not listed elsewhere, especially during the drydown. They lend a dryness to Tobacco Rose that really appeals to me.
The oakmoss is also discernible but it is included with a light touch. It blends beautifully with the rose, ambergris, and musks. Tobacco Rose really is one of the best rose fragrances available; it was a finalist for the Fragrance Foundation Awards in the category of Best New Independent Fragrance.
Welcome to the weekly Perfume Chat Room, perfumistas! I envision this chat room as a weekly drop-in spot online, where readers may ask questions, suggest fragrances, tell others their SOTD, comment on new releases or old favorites, and respond to each other. The perennial theme is fragrance, but we can interpret that broadly. This is meant to be a kind space, so please try not to give or take offense, and let’s all agree to disagree when opinions differ. In fragrance as in life, your mileage may vary! YMMV.
Today is Friday, October 30, the day before Halloween. I’m taking part in the weekly Friday community project at the blog “Now Smell This“, which today is to wear a scent that generates emotion in you. Mine is Anne Klein II, which brings back happy memories of being a young adult in Manhattan. However, since tomorrow is Halloween, I may have to switch later to something slightly more sinister. Cabochard, perhaps? I’m currently very intrigued by that scent and am comparing the two most recent versions of both the EDT and EDP (they were reformulated in 2019).
Tomorrow I will probably wear something by Papillon’s Liz Moores, who is an actual modern witch as well as a tremendously gifted perfumer. Maybe Bengale Rouge? But I do love Dryad … decisions, decisions. Will you do anything special for Halloween? Or wear any special fragrance?
Welcome to the weekly Perfume Chat Room, perfumistas! I envision this chat room as a weekly drop-in spot online, where readers may ask questions, suggest fragrances, tell others their SOTD, comment on new releases or old favorites, and respond to each other. The perennial theme is fragrance, but we can interpret that broadly — I’ve been known to write on this blog about biryani, one of my favorite dishes to eat and one I am still learning to make! (If you have a great recipe for it, please share!).
This is meant to be a kind space, so please try not to give or take offense, and let’s all agree to disagree when opinions differ. In fragrance as in life, your mileage may vary! YMMV.
Today is February 14, Happy Valentine’s Day! What scent are you wearing? I’m in Papillon Perfumes’ Bengale Rouge, and I’m in love with it. You?
Happy International Women’s Day! In honor of the day, Fragrantica published a very nice article highlighting several celebrated perfumers who are women, and some of their creations: Perfumery: Women Creators. In the comments section, readers have started adding their own suggestions. In no particular order, suggested additions include:
Olivia Giacobetti, Liz Moores, Anne Flipo, Sidonie Lancesseur, Nathalie Feisthauer, Daphne Bugey, Vero Kern, Josephine Catapano, Shelley Waddington, Shyamala Maisondieu, Nathalie Gracia-Cetto, Sonia Constant, Christine Nagel, Mathilde Laurent, Sarah McCartney, Dawn Spencer Hurwitz, Mandy Aftel, Ayala Moriel, Laurie Erickson, Charna Ethier, Diane St. Clair, Claire Baxter, Marie Salamagne, Lyn Harris, Nathalie Lorson.
Do you have any favorite perfumers who are women? Any favorites among their creations?
Here are some of mine:
Liz Moores: Dryad; Christine Nagel: Twilly; Mathilde Laurent: Cartier Carat; Sarah McCartney: White Queen; Diane St. Clair: Gardener’s Glove; Marie Salamagne: Alaia; Lyn Harris: Terre d’Iris; Nathalie Lorson: Shiseido Zen 2000; Jo Malone (the person): White Rose & Lemon Leaves; Marie-Helene Rogeon, Clair Matin.
I first learned about dryads from C.S. Lewis’ Chronicles of Narnia, books I dearly loved as a child and still love. Dryads are tree spirits, nymphs who personify trees and may inhabit them. They are benign pagan beings, female, and sometimes referred to as “wood-women” in Narnia. In the Narnia books, Lewis describes both male and female tree spirits, but he only uses “dryad” to refer to female spirits. Dryads, when they appear in human form, take on the characteristics of the particular trees they inhabit: “birch-girls in silver, beech-girls in fresh, transparent green, and the larch-girls in green so bright that it was almost yellow.”
Dryad, by Arthur Rackham, 1913.
Papillon Artisan Perfumes’ Liz Moores has conjured up a bewitching, witchy green perfume in her 2017 creation, Dryad. I have a great love for green scents, as well as the florals I love, and this nymph has won my heart. From the Papillon website:
As vibrant emerald Galbanum weaves with the delicate flesh of Bergamot, the nomadic wanderings of Dryad begin.
Beneath jade canopies, sweet-herbed Narcissus nestles with gilded Jonquil. Shadows of Apricot and Cedrat morph radiant greens to a soft golden glow.
Earthed within the ochre roots of Benzoin, heady Oakmoss entwines with deep Vetiver hues.
And at its heart, the slick skin of Costus beckons you further into the forest…
And into the forest I happily go! Papillon lists the notes as follows: Narcissus, Oakmoss, Jonquil, Cedrat, Galbanum, Benzoin, Vetiver. The narcissus and jonquil notes are very evident at the start, but the galbanum (a green resin) is right there with them, giving a sharpness in contrast to the floral notes, as if to remind us that there are no living flowers without green stems and leaves. Dryad does not evoke a bouquet or still life of cut flowers — far from it. It smells like a tree come to life — a vibrant, dynamic being with unpredictable movement. This nymph dances.
Image from Disney’s Fantasia 2000
As it dries down, Dryad brings out more and more of the oakmoss, the cedar, and the benzoin, which happens to be an oil extracted from a specific kind of tree. The word “dryad” comes from the ancient Greek word for oak, so oakmoss also fits right in. Honestly, this fragrance is so clever as well as lovely! As I had hoped when Dryad‘s launch was announced, this fragrance is GREEN as well as being a chypre. If you hate Chanel No. 19, for instance, you may want to keep your distance. Even the bergamot mentioned in the website copy is a green citrus, not a sweet one. Despite several wood-related notes, though, Dryad never feels “woody” to me.
This is a potent potion; one small spritz on each of my wrists, and I happily smelled it wafting up to my nose all evening. I don’t think it carries very far away from me, i.e. sillage is moderate, but it lasts for several hours. The more it dries down, the more I detect a faint sweetness; the sharper edge of the opening stage has softened. The whole progression has a vintage vibe, but the fragrance is thoroughly modern and unisex.
Dryad is perfect for the cool, sunny fall days we are having now, with the nights that approach, but do not quite reach, frost. While doing some research for this post, I found a poem that C.S. Lewis wrote in the 1940s, before the Narnia books. It describes a magician forcing a dryad to leave her tree and take human form, which she experiences as a prison; he releases her to return to her tree, but the tree’s leaves fall and it will wither and die. Dryad is not a sad or withering scent, just as fall is not a season of death. Trees lose their leaves in the fall so they can slumber through the winter, and awake afresh in the spring, bursting into green with the daffodils. So Lewis’ poem is not quite apropos here, but I’ll share it anyway, and borrow some of his words:
She drank
With thirst of myriad mouths the bursting cataracts of the sun,
The drizzle of gentler stars, and indivisible small rain.
Wading the dark earth, made of earth and light, cradled in air …
This Dryad does indeed embrace the sun, the rain, the dark earth, and the green air of an ancient forest, like the New Forest where she was born. And even when she slumbers, the promise of her reawakening lies beneath the surface.
Mud Maid, the Lost Gardens of Heligan
MAGICIAN
Out of your dim felicity of leaves, oh Nymph appear,
answer me in soft-showery voice, attempt the unrooted dance
–My art shall sponsor the enormity. Now concentrate,
Around, where in your vegetative heart it drowses deep
In seminal sleep, your feminine response. Conjuro te
Per Hecates essentiam et noctis silentia,
Breaking by Trivia’s name your prison of bark. Beautiful, awake.
DRYAD
Risen from the deep lake of my liberty, into your prison
She has come, cruel commander.
MAGICIAN
I have given speech to the dumb.
Will you not thank me, silver lady?
DRYAD
Oh till now she drank
With thirst of myriad mouths the bursting cataracts of the sun,
The drizzle of gentler stars, and indivisible small rain.
Wading the dark earth, made of earth and light, cradled in air,
All that she was, she was all over. Now the mask you call
A Face has blotted out the ambient hemisphere’s embrace;
Her light is screwed into twin nodules of tormenting sight;
Searing divisions tear her into five. She cannot hear
But only see, the moon; earth has no taste; she cannot breathe
at every branch vibrations of the sky. For a dome of severance,
A helmet, a dark, rigid box of bone, has overwhelmed
Her hair…that was her lungs…that was her nerves…that kissed the air.
Crushed in a brain, her thought that circled cooly in every vein
Turns into poison, thickens like a man’s, ferments and burns.
She was at peace when she was in her unity. Oh now release
And let her out into the seamless world, make her forget.
MAGICIAN
Be free. Relapse. And so she vanishes. And now the tree
Grows barer every moment. The leaves fall. A killing air,
Sighing from the country of Man, has withered it. The tree will die.
~C.S. Lewis, “The Magician and the Dryad”, Poems (1964)
I am so in awe of Papillon Perfumery, aka Papillon Artisan Perfumes, I don’t know quite what to say. It is another British, fine fragrance, independent perfumery. Its founder and creative perfumer, Liz Moores, seems like such an interesting person. I first heard of her line, and her, some years ago on a visit to London, not long after I first started obsessing over perfume. Of course I went to visit Les Senteurs, having read about it as a premier retailer of niche fragrances. I asked to see some rose-based fragrances, as I had been visiting rose gardens that week, and the sales associate pulled out Tobacco Rose. He explained that this was one of (at the time) three new fragrances by this independent perfumer named Liz Moores. He raved about their quality and also noted that Ms. Moores is a genuinely nice person. I left with a sample of Tobacco Rose, and it is gorgeous. There’s no tobacco note, but it is a smoky, resinous, balsamic rose. I don’t have a full bottle yet, but maybe some day … Here’s what its creator has said about it:
With this perfume I wanted to defy typical perceptions of rose fragrances. I think that Rose is a material that really divides people, often perceived as an outdated scent. Far from the typically feminine rose fragrances, Tobacco Rose is a dirtier, more rebellious rose, transcending its old-fashioned usage and creating the scent of an overblown rose at the point of decay.
I don’t get a sense of decay, but this is definitely not a fresh, dewy rose (I love those too). Now there are five Papillon fragrances. The full bottle of a Papillon perfume I DO have is the newest one, Dryad. Be still, my beating heart! Dryad is green, green, and more green. From the website:
As vibrant emerald Galbanum weaves with the delicate flesh of Bergamot, the nomadic wanderings of Dryad begin.
Beneath jade canopies, sweet-herbed Narcissus nestles with gilded Jonquil. Shadows of Apricot and Cedrat morph radiant greens to a soft golden glow.
Earthed within the ochre roots of Benzoin, heady Oakmoss entwines with deep Vetiver hues.
And at its heart, the slick skin of Costus beckons you further into the forest…
Yes, please, take me into this fantasy forest! I have tried two of the other Papillon fragrances in store, Salome and Anubis; while they are stunning, they’re not quite right for me. But I am so impressed by the quality and creativity of all these scents, and how selective Ms. Moores is being about her releases. The only one I haven’t tried is Angelique, a floral that may suit me better. Something to look forward to!
DRYAD
Serenity Now Scents and Sensibilities 