Dawn Spencer Hurwitz  has created four new fragrances in collaboration with Brilliant: Cartier in the 20th Century at the Denver Art Museum Exhibit

Jewelry and scent have gone together since antiquity. From the first clay vessel worn around the neck of the ancients to a dab of Van Cleef & Arpels First created in 1976 by Jean-Claude Ellena for ladies who lunch,  fragrance has been and is the ultimate accessory.  Colorado perfumer and indie icon, Dawn Spencer Hurwitz has collaborated once again with the Denver Art Museum to interpret Brilliant: Cartier in the 20th Century (November 16 , 2014–March 15, 2015).

The collection consists of three gem inspired scents and one inspired by the Cartier Atelier in Paris. The perfumes themselves are much like gemstones –multi-faceted, complex and each representing the color and essence of the famous Cartier jewels on exhibit.  These are not re-creations, but era-specific adornments which recall the haute-couture offerings of the Cartier House. All are scented imaginings of the style, clarity and cut which make these Cartier jewels as unforgettable as the women who wore them.

Photo: Cartier Paris Goldsmith at work

While all four perfumes in the collection are truly brilliant, Fumee d'Or (Golden Smoke)  glows the brightest for me, a smoky bellow of molten gold.  Evoking a Parisian goldsmith’s studio, disparate notes bring to mind both the torch and master craftsmanship which ultimately culminate in over a hundred years of iconic Cartier jewelry. The metalic aldehyde and birch opening are the soul of the smithery, smoke in the air, the indolic sweet and sweat provided by civet and very non-flowery florals.  Civet  provides a deep gilded hue to this beautiful perfume. Fumee d'Or could easily be worn by both men and women who like their fragrances to smolder with high voltage sensuality. Notes: birch tar, metallic aldehydes, jasmine, neroli, and civet.

Queen Marie of Romania wearing her legendary Cartier Sapphire Pendant

Jacinthe de Sapphir  is an olfactory feat which brings the scent of  true hyacinth to life. Dawn recreates in liquid form the legendary sapphire worn by Queen Marie of Romania.  There are very few blue flowers in the natural world, so Dawn chose hyacinth as the linchpin floral in order to capture the depth and hue of the gem.  Jacinthe de Sapphir opens with powder and petal, and a photorealistic hyacinth that literally blooms as I inhale.  Rich and textured balsams meld with earthy vetiver at the dry down; these are notes Dawn used to reinforce the connection between the jewel's origins, unearthed by miners and turned into the polished centerpiece of the necklace. Notes: violet leaf, galbanum, bergamot, rose de mai, narcissus, tuberose, tolu and peru balsams, vetiver, styrax, and civet.

 

Wallis Simpson and her Cartier Flamingo Brooch

If you are someone who loves vintage power perfumes, Deco Diamond is the fragrance that will draw you in and not let go.   Inspired by Wallis Simpson, the Duchess of Windsor’s Cartier Flamingo brooch, it is a bold interpretation of a dazzling diamond.  Deco burns with white hot brilliance and explodes with aldehydes and galbanum adding metallic amd sharp facets that scratch you with perfectly manicured nails. This is a BIG perfume for women who command attention just by entering a room, very much like the Duchess herself. Notes: neroli, peach, galbanum, aldehydes, jasmine sambac, gardenia, tuberose, honeysuckle absolute, oakmoss, sandalwood, civet, and ambergris.

Elizabeth Taylor wearing Cartier ruby and diamond necklace and earrings presented to her by Michael Todd on their Honeymoon in 1957

Elizabeth Taylor’s famous Cartier ruby suite of earrings,  presented to her by her beloved third husband Michael Todd in 1957 is captured perfectly by the velveteen Rubis Rose. Rasperry is a descriptor in gemology of the color of a ruby and accordingly opens the scent on a fruity note. If you love your roses rich, deep and glamorous, pin Rubis Rose to your lapel. Notes: raspberry, pink pepper, red rose accord, ambergris, frankincense, myrrh, guaiacwood, and oakmoss.

It has been said that Dawn does her best work in collaboration with the Denver Art  Museum and this collection is another example of their creative synergy.  “How far would you go for love?” goes the famous Cartier quote.  I have only had to go as far as Dawn Spencer Hurwitz and Brilliant to fall in love with a perfume collection.

-Einsof, Natural Perfume Editor and West Coast Contributor (with contributions from Michelyn Camen, Editor in Chief)

Disclosure: We received samples from DSH Perfumes

Editor’s Note: Brilliant is Dawn’s seventh  collaboration  with The Denver Museum which includes  King Tut (2010),  the Yves St. Laurent retrospective (2012 and Passport to Paris (2013).

Thanks to Dawn Spencer Hurwitz we have a worldwide draw for either a sample set of Rubis Rose, Deco Diamond, Jacinthe de Sapphir and Fumee D’Or OR a dram mini flask of either of the four. To be eligible, please leave a comment with what you would hope to win, which appeals to you the most, where you live and if you have a favorite DSH Perfume. Draw closes 1/11/2015.

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.