We are seeing multi-media artists begin to choose fragrance as one of the forms to express their creativity. Hamburg artist Alexa Lixfield produced a collection of three fragrances which did a nice job of expressing her sense of style. Now Reykjavik, Iceland visual artist Andrea Maack also produces a collection of three fragrances and these not only capture Ms. Maack’s artistic aesthetic but also a feel of her country as well.
Of any of these three fragrances Craft is maybe the most predictable as it starts off with the chilly bite of aldehydes paired with a resinous elemi. This yin yang of aldehyde and elemi is memorable and it lingers for a surprisingly long time. It is followed up with a smell of ice cold metal and cedar and as with the top notes this is a pair of chilly and warm notes and it is equally memorable. The main difference is this phase lasts more fleetingly as patchouli in the base rises onto the scene and steals the final phase. I really wish they had chosen to pick another chilly note to pair with the patchouli because after the opening two-thirds it causes Craft to finish slightly ordinary and that is not the way it began.
Talk about deceptive names! Sharp is anything but sharp it is a fragrance which combines some of perfumery’s softest notes in a sweet olfactory confection. This is as soft as a warm wrap to ward off the chill and it is a must-try for anyone who loves the sweet side of the fragrant street. It is really a progression of three notes starting with orange blossom followed by a baker’s type of vanilla and finishing with white musk sheer and warm. The vanilla is what dominates throughout as the orange blossom leads into it and the musk adds some depth to it. As simple as this sounds I kept finding myself drawn back to it because there was something interesting to sniff as it developed. The interface between the vanilla and the top and base note is where Sharp truly rises to its heights. Like I said there is no evidence of anything sharp in the fragrance although there was certainly a sharp intelligence behind its composition.
While I liked Craft and Sharp the one fragrance in this collection I wanted to own is Smart. This is one of those artistically designed fragrances which takes the familiar and turns it unusual. Smart opens up with the cool astringency of violet leaf. I am a big fan of the slightly metallic feel of violet leaf and it is used expertly here. Next up is jasmine and it is paired with vanilla. This vanilla is the slightly green of the vanilla orchid not the sweet version found in Sharp. That greener quality allows the more subtle sweetness of the vanilla to complement the sweetness of the jasmine and it is neither too sweet nor too floral it is a beautiful complex harmony. Sandalwood attenuates the sweetness and takes Smart into familiar woody territory and this is where I thought it would end. But after having it on my skin for about an hour and a half an interesting metamorphosis took place as all of a sudden I got a whiff of leather. What?! Where did that come from? The next two times I wore Smart I was ready for it and it really is there at the same time the sandalwood arrives but it is so far in the background it is easy to miss. It is such a good partner with sandalwood it almost seems like perfume magic on my skin as one moment it is sweet creamy sandalwood and the next it is an animalic refined leather. Beautiful bit of construction and dare I say it….. Get Smart!
All three of these Andrea Maack Parfums have average longevity and average sillage.
I really liked the way all three of these fragrances were dramatically different from each other and I feel safe in saying that there is one in here for every perfumista. In the end I walk away admiring the Smart Sharp Craft of Andrea Maack Parfums.
Disclosure: This review was based on samples purchased from Luckyscent.
All art by Andrea Maack
We have a draw for a sample set of all three Andrea Maack Parfums provided by Luckyscent.Draw ends Saturday February 19.
Crazy, Sexy, Cool!!!
For our friends in the UK there is a reception at Les Senteurs tonight, February 17, for Andrea Maack and if you are nearby you might want to stop in.
–Mark Behnke, Managing Editor