Fleurs de Mal Perfumes & Apothecary: Workshop at The Annex, Waiheke Island with Vanessa York, New Zealand Natural Perfumer + Botanical Fragrance Draw

Natural Perfumer Vanessa York, Emma Hughes, 2017

"My Soul travels on the smell of perfume like the Souls of other men on music". Charles Baudelaire

Meeting with Vanessa York, New Zealander and Natural Perfumer on Waiheke Island, in the midst of a summer laced with the sub – tropical scents that grace the nightime air here was a rare treat.  She is a graceful and modest woman who exudes passion for her Art akin to one of her creations lifting off the skin in rarefied air.

Fleurs de Mal, Emma Hughes, 2017

"Where creativity rides high, attended by Muses, passion resides at its core."- Danu Seith-Fyr

There has been an increasing interest this side of the globe in ‘Naturals’.  Vanessa is on a mission to take this further and explore them from a uniquely New Zealand perspective, using botanicals from the native bush.  Pure nature, distillates derived from source that also incorporate like wine, differential elements that arise from Terroir, for as Vanessa points out English Lavender is very different from Lavender grown in New Zealand, for botanicals are affected by climate and soil as much as grapevines.

Wild NZ Jasmine,(photo by Danu Seith-Fyr)

Fleur de Mals manifesto states: "We believe in New Zealand-made. We believe that the mass-market model is a dinosaur. We believe that hand-made is true luxury. We believe that luxury is not necessarily expensive. We believe in brave indie makers, artisans, and craftspeople, including ourselves. We believe in brave critics and curators.  We believe in beauty. We believe in quality. We believe in dreams. We believe that perfume is art. We believe that art can change the world."

Scent Trails Emma Hughes 2017

Vanessa’s  artistry was born out of pure passion for fragrance from her early influences and also a desire to create using only naturals.   The distinctive name bears witness to her love of Baudelaire and in her words… to just create a more raw, less sanitized expression of scent. "And it's true; perfumeries – particularly natural perfumeries, such as this one is – tend to be named for the pure beauty of nature, rather than its darker side. But I've always loved those poems, with their dissonances and harmonies, and the way they entangle beauty with disgust, love and desire with bitterness, abandonment, and exaltation. Like poems, perfume can evoke all of these sensations, and more. In my perfumes, I love to evoke dissonances as well as harmonies. I get inspired by the weeds as well as the flowers, the shadows even more than the sunshine. The plant names of our perfumes capture this twist. Fleurs du Mal perfumes are not for everyone. But some people like them very much" -Vanessa York

The Original Annex, Waiheke Island Danu Seith-Fyr 2016

An intimate gathering of women bought together by Mandy Mee and her creative workshops under The Farmers Daughter. For some their first experience of an olfactory journey, others more versed, into the clean, bright setting of The Annex, a boutique small cakery sited in an iconic New Zealand cottage, whitewashed and pristine.  We were greeted by a table set with wild jasmine and a multitude of small vials set in groups of notes, according to top, heart and base. 

Our evening began with Vanessa in beautiful style, setting a scene with fragrance history and structures of perfumes, how they are composed, vertical, horizontal blending and for the participants, turning their thoughts about what fragrance inspires them, or defines them, something to compliment and clothe them. We were encouraged to explore certain notes with the accords, passed around hands full of anticipation and noses ready to delve into olfactory story telling with a personal twist.  Poised to begin creating our own expressions.  Structured around 10-12 drops per accord, 3-4 notes in each accord.

Perfumers Workshop Emma Hughes 2017

Akin to wine tasting and my review notes that I can do so easily, I approached my fragrance from an instinctual basis, not second guessing my senses, for allowing the logical mind to intrude overrides the sensorial knowledge innate if we just trust.It was exciting to have in front of me all these essences to delve into and bought up my keen intention to one day have an antique organ in my home. So it begins. It is an extremely personal path to the creation of a fragrance, it arises in the same place as any art form, it opens a window into the Essence of a person, The fragrance that grew out of immersion in that evenings wonderful company, under the subtle guidance of Vanessa has, just like the proverbial genie been let out after a few weeks of all the notes getting to know each other and created a symphony that one hopes will reflect and reveal its alchemy on my skin.

Creation of a Fragrance Emma Hugues 2017

My Fragrance

Top Notes – Lime, Neroli, Galbanum

Heart Notes– Mimosa, Rose, Elemi

Base Notes – Labdanum, Benzoin Styrax, Frankincense, Vanilla

Spicy, bright and woody it lifts and clears like a fresh Nordic forest with a light animalic  strike to intrigue. after a few hours, it is softly mysterious and laden without headiness with warmth and sensuality.It was a brief suspended moment, those 2 hours one evening on an Island, when ordinary life was halted and we partook in an alchemical creation of ourselves, delving inside a Crucible to create externally.

Thank you to Vanessa York and Fleurs de Mal Perfumes.

–Danu Seith-Fyr, Contributor

Disclosure: Samples my own creation, opinions my own.

Thanks to the generosity of Vanessa York, Fleurs de Mal, Perfumers and Apothecary we have a sample set of 5 natural Fleur de Mal fragrances: 3ml samples of Violet Moss, Iris Moss, Orange Gardenia, Honesty and The Wild Rose for a registered reader anywhere in the world, you must register here. To be eligible please leave a comment with what you enjoyed about Danu’s Workshop experience, where you live and your thoughts on the ingredients you would use to create your own Natural perfume. Draw closes 3/31/2017

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13 comments

  • ntabassum92 says:

    I liked that it was an experience mingled with feminine power – there is something magical about women coming together to share their knowledge and learn from each other in order to create something magical. I’m in the US. To create my own natural perfume – I would like it to be green and floral, with the purest floral essences – I would probably pick rose, jasmine, etc. It would be fun to try 🙂

  • NiceVULady says:

    It reminds me of a similar experience I had at a place in Denver. Very exciting. I’d create my own fragrance with frankincense, myrrh, cedar, smoke, vanilla, and perhaps dianthus. I live in the USA Thanks for the draw.

  • fazalcheema says:

    It is always interesting when one wants to raise awareness about local heritage. Must have been fun to make perfumes with ingredients native to New Zealand. If I make a natural perfume, three ingredients I will def. pick are rose, lime, and New Zealand lavender. I am in the US.

  • Timea says:

    I always prefer the natural ingredients, because nature is simply perfect. If I would make my own natural perfume, the notes would be: coconut, rose, almond. Thank you for the draw. I live in Europe.

  • Hikmat Sher Afridi says:

    Thanks for the article & review. I think Fleur de Mals manifesto is lacking “WE BELIEVE IN NATURE”. Perfumes blending vertical & horizontal – never heard before. Vanessa York is making perfume, in a decommissioned toilet block, complete with a urinal……..I am amazed. If I have to create my own natural perfume the ingredients will be: oakmoss, castoreum, oud, incense, myrrh, labdanum, civet, musk, tobacco, patchouli and rose.
    Thanks to the generosity of Vanessa York, Fleurs de Mal, Perfumers & Apothecary and Cafleurebon for the opportunity to participate in the draw.
    Peshawar, Pakistan

  • MichelleU says:

    I loved the whole review but the part about putting ones essence in the perfume they are creating was the part I liked the most.

    My ingredients: Narcissus, sesame, vanilla and sandalwood.

    I am a reader from the EU. Thank you very much! Wish you all the best!

  • MariaA says:

    Beautiful review, blending horizontal and vertical is a new and very interesting way to blend perfumes. If I created my own, it would be earthy, green and a bit salty too. I am in the UK and I believe too that natural perfumes are a huge upcoming trend in the perfume market!

  • doveskylark says:

    Vanessa really came across as a genuine and modest person. I loved that she is inspired by Baudelaire.
    If I could design my own fragrance, I’d be torn in 2 directions. One part of me loves lavender and other restorative flowers. The other side of me needs dirty things like civet or honey.
    I live in the USA.

  • Cynthia says:

    New Zealand is such a beautiful country that I imagine anything growing in it’s soil would be gorgeous. I enjoyed hearing about this creative perfumer. I would love to have a perfume with lavender and base notes of resins and amber. USA. Thank you for the review and draw.

  • Kate C says:

    That workshop sounds like so much fun! Like being in a candy store, only better. I’d love to have a natural perfume that smells like lemon blossoms, maybe with just a hint of vanilla. Bitter almond is another favorite scent. I live in the US. Thanks for the great draw and the lovely review!

  • Greg Sh says:

    Wow the workshop sounds so fun! I would love to create a fragrance bursting with bright citruses, perfect for the spring and summer. Thanks for the draw and I’m in Canada!

  • hofken says:

    Danu’s Workshop experience sounds like so much fun. I would love to be able to compose my own fragrance. I live in the US and would use orange blossoms to create my own natural perfume.