There are few things which combine so many pleasures at once, as I have to share with you today.
Where do we begin?
A lovely woman who has represented elegant niche houses– Molinard, Amouage, Nejma, among others – has created an exquisite new olfactory oeuvre, one which echoes [ for me, at least ] the House of Molyneux in its pre-formulation heyday glory .
Capt. Edward Molyneux was a dresser, a sought-after designer for film and private-paying clients, and he helped create fragrances of magnificent complexity and beauty- such as Fête, Gauloise, and Vivre– the likes of which one rarely finds in these day of ‘safe scent’.
We are speaking of quality one can see, smell, and admire.
Beauty that is wearable, collectible, ornamental, and visual as well.
Elegant, timeless, it is as contemporary as one could desire without sacrificing either substance or individuality.
Hyperbole?
Clearly NOT.
CaFleureBon and Sabine Poncet Hernandez invite our readers to celebrate Bastille Day with us !
As we launch Poncet’s Eau Eternelle, Sabine is joyfully sharing 14 samples AND 14 handmade gold-plated Mayfly pendants – of her own design – with 14 fortunate readers.
What is even sweeter, is that this offer came from Sabine alone, utterly unsolicited.
We at CaFleureBon feel honored and hope that so many of you will be as thrilled as we are.
Sabine is a singularly talented and busy woman, delightfully unspoiled and natural in character and disposition [my favorite sort of person, as many of you have surmised ;-)].
The creative daughter of an artistic mother, our friend and colleague has not only worked collaboratively with a truly gifted undisclosed perfumer-
She has also designed her own logo for her new company- the mayfly.
Sabine has designed luxuriously modern jewelry: mayfly pendants, 50 cuff bracelets, 100 pairs of earrings.
She has created 100 scarves [all that will ever be made] by the ancient batik method on silk charmeuse,
Each scarf is hand drawn, waxed, then hand painted and finished once more, by hand…
These are intended for wearing, framing, or other decorative uses- use your imagination!
The story behind these scarves is particularly moving.
Katherine Betinis, a Californian artist and friend, created the original acrylic painting as a gift to Sabine, in celebration of the birth of Zoe, Sabine’s firstborn- in early 2010.
I quote Sabine directly:
“The Angel represents my baby girl swimming around fish and sea creatures.
Looking at the scenery made me imaginary travel to the Monet Garden in Giverny.
Monet has a pond with beautiful water lilies on it surrounded by multi colored flowers.
Imagine the freshness of being around the pond during a warm summer afternoon, and the blend of scents produced by the fragrant flowers.”
Here we have the inspiration behind scarf, jewelry, perfume.
Eau Eternelle is pure pleasure, and there isn’t a soul I know of who could pay me enough to dissemble.
I first ‘got whiff’ of it on an unseasonably warm, crazy busy Sunday afternoon at the Sniffapalooza Spring Fling 2011.
I barely had the opportunity to catch up with Sabine or give Eau Eternelle any real attention, other than a brief preemptory sniff.
I liked what I smelled, but I was hot, sweaty, and brutally tired.
Once back in Boston I made the time to more fully allow this scent to unfold and yield up its abundant floral charms – which it most obligingly did .
There is a spacious generosity, a dreamy voluptuousness to Eau Eternelle.
It feels languorous without weight, but it is by no means flighty.
Supple and limpid, it encompasses both earth and water with herbal facets as well as those of the floral, spicy, dewy, and woody.
Quite a feat, really.
The composition of Eau Eternelle is not easy to define; we are given one set of notes, and then there are allusions to other components.
Here is my best approximation:
Head: jasmine, lemon, petitgrain, mandarin, grapefruit
Heart: water lily, carnation, pink lotus, lavender, rosemary
Base: clove, patchouli, guaiacwood, sandalwood, moss
The microcosm which is Giverny is so deftly depicted here.
Nestled on the right bank of the Seine in the province of Normandy, Giverny has been settled since Neolithic times, with artifacts to prove it.
When we inhale Eau Eternelle, we experience so much more than mere flowers, gardens, and still waters.
More than Monet, in as much as it is Monet, we sense the timelessness of a place of deep repose.
Lavender and rosemary have graced the earth since ancient times; lotus blossoms and water lilies harken us back to Egypt.
Spices and woods have been precious throughout history…the Romans adored their citruses, as did so many peoples of the Mediterranean and other countries.
Patchouli, mosses remind us of our profound connection to the earth, with its unfathomable mysteries.
Like a wistful melody, Eau Eternelle haunts us with its exquisite, yet unstudied beauty.
It feels utterly effortless and naturally fair.
–Ida Meister, Natural Perfume and Senior Editor
As Ida said Sabine Hernandez is celebrating Bastille Day with the readers of CaFleureBon by offering 14 samples and 14 mayfly pendants. There will be fourteen winners of a sample and a pendant. To be eligible for the draw please leave a comment on your favorite French artist . Draw closes on July 16, 2011.