When I see the word “blue” in a perfumes title, very often I cringe. It is either some ubiquitous aquatic or a “nice clean” laundry fragrance. When I received Bellyflowers’ Blue Jasmine, for this review, its notes were very intriguing to me. Lotus, jasmine, more jasmine, vetiver, cypriol and sandalwood were all that was mentioned by the perfumer, but there was so much more.
Smells, tastes, even art, and the physical experience have always been intertwined in my memory in creating my natural perfumes. I love hiking , cooking and eating, gardening and harvesting fruits and flowers.Van Morrison is the sound track of my life. 15ml draw of your choice
The wild-crafting of these plants, and their harvesting- ensures “that healthy populations remain in the wild for future generations “, according to Elise Perlstine
Last week, it was my pleasure to converse with soft-spoken Elise Pearlstine, the natural perfumer behind Bellyflowers Botanical Perfumes. Elise thoughtfully sent me her latest creation, Wild Chypre- composed with many wild-harvested plant absolutes, a perfume which evolved on its own. I frankly am mad for it; it is unusual and beautiful in a singular manner.
Sometimes the more I like a perfume the harder it is to write about. It’s because I want to do it justice- to the perfumer, to the creative process, and to the creation itself. During this Natural Perfumer’s Guild Outlaw Perfume Project I have felt a little intimidated by 2 perfumes, firstly Mata Hari by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz, and secondly by Rose of Cimarron by Bellyflowers Perfumes. I enjoy Rose of Cimarron for the lovely scent creation that it is, and for the historical link, again to a famous outlaw.
Elise Pearlstine’s Verdigris is dirty, it is green, it is as rich and sexy as it was meant to be. The fir balsam, the clary sage and green mandarin greets the nose with a rainbow of bright flavors, the complexity and depth of the natural plant essences matched equally with the animalic drydown.
its as if Eve was indeed approaching Adam in the Garden and I… the voyeur…
