CaFleureBon Celebrates Bastille Day Part 1: Poncet Eau Eternelle “Giverny in a Bottle” + 14 Mayfly Draw Prizes

 

 

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.

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41 comments

  • Hmm, favorite French artist….Probably Gaugin. I love the lushness and ease of his work. Plus I tend to like all things tropical.

    What a generous giveaway – that little mayfly is adorable. The perfume sounds divine!

  • Beautiful post and and great giveaway- thanks for both
    favorite french artist…Toulouse-Lautrec. runner-up..Debussy

    happy 14th of July to all and here’s to the cultural richness and glory of France

  • Paul Cezanne!-but then there’s Matisse,Paul Verlaine,Debussy,Ravel,Simone Signoret,Jean Louis Trintignant-vive la France!

  • For those who are not French actually bastille day is a misnomer in France its a national holiday French independence day. the storming of the bastille was on another day. But vive la france and thanks for the statue of liberty its a keeper

  • Oh my — that scarf is gorgeous! Also love the cuff and earrings, all in my favourite colours. The fragrance sounds appealing — I’m especially intrigued by the heart notes (carnation!) and the mayfly pendant is lovely.

    So many wonderful French artists it’s hard to pick a favourite (just like perfumes), but I do love Monet. The beautiful play of light and vibrancy of colour in his works always draw me in.

    Happy Bastille Day and thanks to Sabine Poncet Hernandez and CaFleureBon for this draw opportunity

  • Tourbillion says:

    Well my cat, Tourbillion, probably prefers Théophile Steinlen, because of his painting Apotheosis of Cats, however, she is silent on the subject. Besides, I discovered in Wikipedia that he was actually born in Switzerland and so isn’t technically French.

    So, I guess I’ll have to go with Toulouse-Lautrec, but I like so many more French artists.

  • one of the artist that i like is claude monet, ijust love his paintings.
    the scarf is gorgeous, is it really made with batik method, i’ll try to imagine it.

  • What a wonderful draw! Thank you so much, Sabine!

    Eau Eternelle must be gorgeous. I’d love to try it.

    My favorite French artist is Renoir. I love how he transmited the joy of life, and how he used color.
    Some months ago I got spellbound in El Prado Museum (Madrid) watching his work “The Doge’s Palace”. I stayed in front of it for several minutes, just enjoying.

    Runner-up: Seurat. Lovely landscapes.

  • what a lovely article! my favorite French artist is Matisse. Please enter me into the drawing. Thank you.

  • Monet is my favorite French artist. I love that mayfly pendant! Please enter me in the draw.

  • Easy choice for me, I am totally infatuated with Rodin, love him for his non-conformism and his passion. Happy 14th of July to you all!

  • I’d love to try this. My favorite French artist is Niki de St. Phalle, her work never ceases to amaze and cheer me.

  • ONE french visual artist to be a favorite?! I would have trouble limiting myself to one per century. (Not to mention artists born outside of France, who worked in France-Picasso, Chagall, Van Gough, West, Homer etc.) Plus some people seem to be listing artists from other fields; how could I possibly compare Moliere to Catherine Deneuve and pick a favorite? (Although, I’d love to see Deneuve in a film of a Moliere; in my fantasy, perhaps Truffaut could direct it)

    Okay, here it goes. The lovely coloring of the scarves reminded me of the of Ingres; a favorite painter, so I’ll name him.

  • How wonderful !
    I’d love to try the scent , and the mayfly is so lovely and ethereal !
    I would say Monet is a favorite , I so enjoyed his larger works when I visited MOMA in NYC last fall .
    thank you for the draw !

  • Oh dear, I have to pick just one? There are many I like for different reasons. If forced to pick one, however, I would say Edgar Degas, because his subject matter was so often my beloved ballet. Not only in paintings, but I am also thinking of his statues of dancers in bronze.

  • Happy Bastille Day! I love the mayfly pendant. In college I did batik on material. I love her scarves.

    I have always loved Monet and the French Impressionists.

    My ultimate favorite French artist is Renoir. Please enter me in the draw.

  • My favotire French artist is Henri Toulouse-Lautrec- not only for his style, but for the fact that he chose to portray the demi monde.…And a man with a passion for redheads holds a special place in my heart!

  • I love Monet…every time I see his water lilies, it inspires peace & tranquility. I would love to be entered in this draw.

  • Francesca says:

    What a wonderful coincidence–I just received a sample of Eau Eternelle, and I’m sitting here with my wrist glued to my arm. Wouldn’t mind owning another one–it’s all you say, Ida, and more, though I couldn’t put it into words as well as you.
    As far as my favorite French artist–I’d have to say Matisse. I love what he does with colors and patterns, and his wonderful life force. Greens and pinks and yellows, Oh, my!

  • Wow – I love the jewelry!!!! What a wonderful offer. Thanks, Sabine and CFB.

    As to favorite French artist – it’s a tie – Degas and Toulouse-Lautrec.

  • Ida,

    I loved Eau Eternelle and Sabine’s presentation at Sniffa. Such passion! I love how the rosemary subtly appears and then recedes. A beautiful fragrance.

    My favorite French artist is Yes Klein, for the gorgeous blue that he created and seeing Sabine’s work, has informed so many other artists ever since!

  • What a fantastic draw-many thanks to Sabine. The perfume sounds pretty. There are so many notes that I just adore in it. For French artists, I favor Monet.

  • Favorite French Artist Henri Victor Gabriel Le Fauconnier was a French cubist painter. And what an awesome draw…thank you so much.

  • I like almost all artists mentioned already by other commenters so I’ll just add one more to the mix – Eugène Delacroix. His Liberty Leading the People (La Liberté guidant le peuple) is probably one of the most famous paintings in the history of art.

  • Lovely review, enticing fragrance!

    As for artists, I’m going to veer into poetry, and choose Baudelaire…with a particular poem in mind:

    Là, tout n’est qu’ordre et beauté,

    Luxe, calme et volupté.

  • oh dear.
    favorite french artist.
    there are so many.
    i should say proust.
    also: satie.
    also: matisse.

    for starters.

    and dragonflies are among my favorite creatures.
    here. i love best the american blue darner.
    exquisite creature , that.

  • kastehelmi says:

    Well, my favorite artists period are Toulouse-Lautrec, Matisse and Georgia O’Keefe–2/3 French!
    Toulouse-Lautrec for the vividness like everything is made in kaleidoscope colors, and all of the light in each subject radiates in a way that just makes me wonder how a painting can capture such human aura.
    I like the raw feeling of fauvism too, in Matisse’s fruit bowls and flowers that are wonky and sensual, and of course the way he embraced vivid colors.
    I didn’t know we could say composers too! Maurice Ravel has my heart, for every single piece of music he wrote, especially Piano Concerto for Left Hand….I haven’t seen one dragonfly this summer! I need to go to some water’s edge–don’t want to miss them!

  • I could never choose just one, I love Monet (especially the darker and later ones) and Gauguin for the brightness of colours, but I also love the naive paintings of Rosseau because they always make me smile.
    Eau Eternelle sounds like a beautiful fragrance, and the mayfly is so fragile and lovely, it looks like a little guardian angle.
    Thanks for this wonderful draw.

  • Bonjour everyone,

    I hope all of you are enjoying the summer.

    Thank you for all your lovely comments, and thank you so much Ida for your nice article.

    I am so glad you guys like art and perfumes, and I feel so privileged to be able to share these 2 love via my collections.
    Some of my favorite painters are Monet, Gauguin, Matisse, but also the South American contemporary artist Roberto Mamani Mamani. I also have a Kitty, and she would love Rosina Wachtmeister.

    One thing I need to clarify: my mayfly pendant is not handmade. On the other hand my large link cuff bracelet and matching earrings are handcrafted vermeil (sterling silver highly plated with 18 carat gold). Only 50 bracelets and 100 pairs of earrings were made. It is very limited, and they come with a certificate of Authenticity.
    The hand-painted silk scarf is also coming with a certificate.

    I am still working on my website. Please do not hesitate to visit http://www.s-poncet.com in the next few weeks.

    I wish you all a wonderful weekend!

  • My favourite is Edgar Degas. I so connect with the way he sometimes used to leave unfinished patches in his paintings. Like, do the fun stuff really really well and just ignore the rest 🙂