New Perfume Review: DSH Perfumes The Voices of Trees + Dawn Spencer-Hurwitz Branches Out Draw

Le Dama del Lago

Le Dama del Lago Antonio Mora

To dwellers in a wood, almost every species of tree has its voice as well as its feature.” ― Thomas Hardy, Under the Greenwood Tree

 

Black Bridge Antonio Mora

Black Bridge Antonio Mora

For those who journey into forests and woodlands, you will know it.  Those places in the woods where things are uncannily quiet, still, apart from the rest of the world.  When you find yourself in this separate space and time, and if you listen closely, you can hear the trees speak.  The trees are ancient, and have gathered many stories to tell, from humble homes and happy families to epic quests and heroic tales.  Which one will they share with you?

DawnSpencerHurwitz

Dawn Spencer Hurwitz

It was just such an experience for the young Dawn Spencer Hurwitz that contributed to the new DSH Perfumes fragrance,  The Voices of Trees Dawn shares with us more about her adventure:  “[I was] inspired by the smell in the night air on my first overnight trip away from my parents when I was 4 years old and in pre-school summer camp.  *The trees were speaking to me all night long* and in this construction, there is the distinctive smell that was in the air that night. 

forbidden  tree Antonio Mora

Forbidden Tree Antonio Mora

I would know this smell anywhere.  It is mysterious and ancient and all-knowing.  Like the earth itself.  And that there are secrets that may be revealed to those who listen (and smell it).  Along with this sense of peering into other realms, there is comfort and protection, too, inherent in this aroma.  Like lying cozily on a soft bed of needles, nestled in the trees with only the night sky above; you are sure to see the shooting stars.

nympha_s bridge

Nympha's Bridge Antonio Mora

Dawn has had a love of trees and forests ever since, and has played with forest scents before.  Her earlier release Matsu was  inspired by Japanese pine trees but composed without any pine notes.  It was followed by the incredible Seve de Pin, a coniferous forest with more depth and some very precious 50 year old piñon pine sap dissolved into pine oil (produced by Eric Bresselsmith of House of Aromatics.  And now, with The Voices of Trees, Dawn delivers us the heart of a forest captured in a precious little bottle.

 

 -Antonio Mora Trees

En El Bosque  and  Wood Boy Antonio Mora

The Voices of Trees begins with that special pine sap that borders on sacred, fresh and gooey, pumping through the tree like its life blood.  Soon comes the freshly cut wood, like cutting your own Christmas tree.  Shortly after comes the conifer needles, and then the maple and sycamore leaves lying on the forest floor.  Resinous notes continue, warming and blending, through ambers and frankincense and something a bit balsamic.   The forest floor slowly emanates the smell of dried leaves and needles, mosses, and the soil underneath.  Every part of the forest is revealed, and then put together in a harmonious chorus that IS the forest, the voice of the trees.

 

amsterdam

Amsterdam  Antonio Mora

The Voices of the Trees is an outstanding woody scent that dries down to a cozy amber glow.  The longevity is wonderful, clinging to the clothes and the skin the following day.  Projection is fair, enough to share with those in your immediate space but not overwhelm.  The scent is 98.5% natural, relying on a very small percent of synthetic materials. Dawn Spencer Hurwitz has continued to evolve her work with forest scents, but I am not sure that it will be possible to top this one, (of course there is always next year). Without a doubt, The Voices of Trees is one of my top five fragrances of the year.

Top Notes:  Maple Leaves (accord), Neroli, Seville Lavender, Poplar Bud absolute, Middle Notes:  Antique Pinon (infused oil), Pine Sap (accord), Sycamore (accord), Base Notes:  Balsam Fir, Fossilized Amber Resin, Labdanum, Muhuhu, Oppopanax, Pine Amber (accord), Virginia Cedar

Disclosure:  Seve de Pin is in my personal collection and a  sample of The Voices of Trees provided by perfumer for review consideration

.Michael Singels, Sr. Contributor and Natural Perfumery Editor

Art Direction and opening quote: Michelyn Camen The fused portraits by Spanish based digital artist/photographer Antonio Mora are transformative and emotional dream landscapes that "spoke" to me as I read Michael's review  

1dramminiflask

Thanks to Dawn Spencer Hurwitz of DSH Perfumes, we have a draw for a 1 dram flask of The Voices of Trees . Draw is open worldwide for registered CaFleureBon readers (you need to do this pesky step or  your entry won't count). To be eligible, please leave a comment with what appeals to you about The Voice of Trees, what other DSH perfumes you enjoy, and where you live.  Draw closes December 19, 2015

We announce the winner’s only onsite and on our Facebook page, so like CaFleureBon and use our RSS option…..or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.

 

 

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28 comments

  • Very nice review, I very like it. I suppose Voices of Trees is a wonderful perfume. I always loved walking into the forests, and I always loved the smell of those. I would very like to try that fabulous perfume. I live in Europe. Thanks for the draw!

  • This fragrance sounds so incredibly alive! It really seems like Dawn has managed to capture the essence of the forest in a bottle. i would be so grateful to get to experience her creation. I appreciate that she uses mainly natural ingredients and whatever the 1.5% synthetic ingredients may be, must be incredibly crucial to the blend. I am beyond intrigued, I’d would love to try this and Seve de Pin too, Pinion Pine is one of my absolute favourites. Thank you for the fantastic review and the draw. Happy Holidays from Switzerland!

  • I’ve tried one of her Sandalwood fragrances a long time ago. It was absolutely amazing. I can’t find it so I’m not sure about the name. I love the fact that this is a natural fragrance. Almost purely natural. A natural, woody fragrance sounds divine. A fragrance of her rendition of a forest, in a bottle of fragrance. Her experience at camp, at age 4, sounds like a positive life changing moment and the fact that scent played a role, makes it very special, This happens to me all the time with smells. Thank you so much for this generous giveaway. I’m in the U.S..

  • Mrs. MacDonald says:

    Everything about this appeals to me, and reading this review gives me a tickle in my tummy…i would LoVe to try this one. sounds ethereal, mystical and complete. thanks for the opportunity. I live in Canada, where i’m always listening to the voices of trees 🙂

  • I love woodsy scent and this fragrance appeals to me from every perspective. Love the idea of capturing the whole forest into a perfume.
    I live in Malaysia. Thank you for the draw. 🙂

  • I love the name and story behind the perfume, and I love the sound of the piney notes! I am in the US, and my favorite DSH perfume is Metropolis.

  • Iuno Feronia says:

    Walking through a silent and foggy forest is one of the most beautiful but also exciting things to do in autumn. It gives you all the energy back you lost in the “real” life. I love the Review and especuially the facvt that it’s a natural perfume. Thanks for the draw

  • The scent of maple leaves is one of my favorite smells and the back story of this perfume is wonderful. I can totally see why the Druids worshipped trees, which die and are magically resurrected each year. I especially love Dawn’s rose perfumes and Inner Sanctum is my favorite. Thanks for another great draw, I’m in the US.

  • I just love woody fragrances, but this one sounds like so much more than that — as Michael noted, it’s a forest in a bottle, I bet the touch of incense is amazing, and I’m very curious about whether the lavender is perceptible. It sounds so lovely.

    I think DSH is brilliant. I have bottles of Quinacridone Violet and Menthe Moderne from her collection, and they’re both beautifully done.

    I live in the US.

  • A beautiful review! I like woody and forest scents and now am dying to try this one, as it sounds beautifully constructed. Plus I have wanted to try DSH. I live in the US, thanks for the draw.

  • Thanks for the descriptive review. I’ve sampled this and it is excellent. Nature is my calming agent and The Voice of Trees is like being deep in a forest for me…sort of instant Valium, just kidding! But it is a beautiful calming, meditative nature scent. I would love to have this in my possession!
    Thank you. USA

  • The Voice of the Trees is woody and ambery and though it is mostly natural, it has few synthetic elements which may have given it an interesting twist. true to its name, it relies on lot of woody notes including pine sap. my fav. DSH creations are Firefly and Matsu. I am in the US

  • I loved reading this review along with the amazing pictures that help ones mind escape into the woods where you can listen to the sound of trees that speak through their silence. The notes of pine and cedar of moss, labdanum and incense I can recall past memories and I can sniff this wonderful smell of the forest trees during autumn/winter time.
    I never had the chance to experience any smell from this House hope I do in the near future.
    I am a registered reader living in EU.
    Thank you for the lovely review and draw.

  • baroness_octothorpe says:

    I also love the scent of the woods, and Voice of the Trees sounds amazing! I am in the US–thanks for the draw!

  • I really like woody scents.I am curious to see how the smell is.I havent the opportunity to try other fragrances of DSH perfumes yet.I live in Greece.Ty for the draw..

  • Great review Michael Singels. The Voice of Trees appears to be an excellent fragrance. The notes and the description made me imagine a dense forest of oak with that typical early morning fog, suggesting something mysterious. The notes suggest a comfortable, cozy and inviting aroma.

    I haven’t had a chance to test any DSH perfume, who knows The Voice of Trees will be the first.

    U.S.A.

  • Sadly I’ve never had the chance to try a DSH perfume, but they sound lovely. I absolutely adore woody scents, but am particularly excited about this one because it is made of almost all natural ingredients (and the glowing review, of course). So many other woody fragrances contain the dreaded iso-e, which I sometimes have trouble smelling. I still love them when them come through though. I live in Canada, thank you!

  • There is something earthy, wonderful and mystic about trees. They see and hear a lot and it sounds as if this fragrance encompasses their grounding in the earth. It will be my next purchase. I already adore Giverny in Bloom and La Danse des Bleus et des Violettes from DSH. Deco Diamonds is also a favourite – in fact anything i have from this house is quite beautiful, I am in the UK and thanks for the draw.

  • Growing up in Northern California, i was surrounded by redwood, sequoia, and scrub oak trees. I know exactly what Dawn means and feels when she talks about listening to the trees. They are part of my DNA. Sev De Pin and Wedding Bouquet are two of my favorite DSH scents. I’m in the USA.

  • I love a good oppopanax and cedar combo. Can’t wait to try this. I have enjoyed several DSH scents, most notably Metropolis, The Beat Look and Au Lait.
    U.S.

  • One of the things I always notice about a new place is the smell of the trees, so this really appeals to me. If Michael says it’s one of his top five of the year, then I’m definitely interested in trying it! The only DSH fragrance I’ve tried previous is Vanilla Bourbon Intense, so I guess that counts as my favorite! I’m in USA.

  • I love the smell of trees– new green growth, sap, sun-warmed leaves, decaying leaves, sharp cut wood, warm dry wood, everything, all of it together.
    There is a tree on my walk home that is like a dome over the path, and I always pause underneath– looking up is like looking into some kind of spirit-house with roosting birds and angles of light through twig-stories and the evergreen scent which changes with the weather but it always there.

    So a scent which bottles the heart of the forest appeals to me very much! I love DSH Bois du Chocolat which has a lovely woodsiness and a powdery-dry cocoa.

    Thank you for the review and draw! USA

  • I also have memories of the forest from a very young age so, I can see why this is such a personal scent to Dawn. It sounds amazing like so many of her scents do. Unfortunately, I have not had a chance to try any of them but, they are definitely on my list. Thanks for the draw, I live in the UAE.

  • I love nature so this fragrance sounds like quite a treat. It reminds me of camping and going on adventures in the woods. I haven’t tried any scents from DSH as of yet. I live in Canada and thanks so much for the draw!

  • The invigorating yet grounding scent of pine sap is a favorite of mine. It’s such an evocative note, and like a soothing mini-vacation for this inner city gal. And the mere mention of oppoponax lures me in, so The Voices of Trees sounds like a true treat. DSH perfumes have been on my wishlist for years, but I still haven’t made the leap to trying them! I’m in the US, thanks for the draw,

  • I love the smell of dark forests and trees. There’s something so haunting and beautiful about that scent. If anyone can successfully create a perfume that evokes such a place, it would be Dawn. I also love that it’s a natural perfume.

    I have a bottle of Mata Hari perfume that I treasure and use sparingly because I love it so much! I live in the USA. Thank you.

  • Just the name has me extremely interested. I wanna know how what its like to be encapsulated in natural greenness and mother nature. I haven’t tried anything from Dawn yet.

    Canada

  • I absolutely love forests and trees! This one seems to have really captured the essence of it. The only DSH perfume I have is December, which I love of course. I am in Toronto and thanks for the draw.