There has to be a place for fun in perfumery and, in the center ring, when it comes to that, stands Demeter Fragrance Library. Since their founding in 1993 and their first fragrance, Fresh Water, they have stood out amongst perfume houses. In many ways they live up to the Fragrance Library aspect of their name by providing single note fragrances like patchouli, cypress, pipe tobacco, myrrh, or vetiver; among many. These fragrances allow those who are interested in the single notes used to make most fragrances an opportunity to experience them by themselves and thus allow them to recognize them when part of a larger mosaic. This is where they perform a service to fragrance lovers. Alternatively I have come to appreciate Demeter for their love of the off-beat and it is these fragrances that have brought the smile to my face time and again. How many times have you heard that a fragrance smells like Play-Doh? Demeter has a fragrance called Play-Doh. How many times have you heard a fragrance derided for smelling like laundry detergent? Demeter has a fragrance called Laundromat. Two of my favorites are Firefly which manages to capture the aromas of a late summer night and Cinnamon Bun which makes me smell like a Cinnabon factory exploded on me.
When I contacted Demeter and asked for a sample to review and I told them they could send me anything I realized that anything is exactly what I could get. When my box arrived from Demeter I eagerly opened it and found waiting inside, Funeral Home. My first reaction was “Ewwww!” but then much like Bill Cosby in his famous “Chocolate Cake for Breakfast” monologue:
The top of Funeral Home is that blast of flowers that I expected. According to the Demeter website it is meant to be a mix of white flowers; lilies, carnations, gladiolus, and chrysanthemums. It is all of that but it is the cleaned-up version of white flowers. What I tend to like about all of these notes is the intense indolic nature of them and in this case the indoles are barely present. When I also read on the website that the original name for Funeral Home was going to be Flower Show it became clearer to me. We always go to the big Flower Show in Boston every winter and it always strikes me how clean the whole experience smells. That all of these plants are missing the earthy deep component of real flowers grown outside. Funeral Home does the same thing with its floral notes and if you like clean floral notes Funeral Home is definitely for you. As the floral mélange gradually gives way you get the promised smells of polished wood and clean carpet. They are light and fitting but Funeral Home is really all about the flowers. Funeral Home has average longevity and above average sillage. In doing my research for this review I ran across a couple of other reviewers who mentioned they encountered a formaldehyde note and I can say that I never encountered that. Although the evocative names of these Demeter fragrances do tend to let one’s mind wander freely when encountering each new scent. Funeral Home was a well-behaved, cleaned-up, and presentable member of the congregation. Disclosure: This review was based on a bottle sent to me by Demeter Fragrance Library. -Mark Behnke, Managing Editor 