Andrea Maack is a visual artist from Iceland, who creates fragrance; specifically she has been focused on having her intricate line drawings interpreted into perfume. She is interested in the notion of stripping nostalgia from fragrance. As a Creative Director, Ms. Maack sees herself as developing fragrances that possess a futuristic clean approach, and create a simple yet strong message. She believes fragrance can take us where we want to go, and become a vehicle for who we want to be.

Andrea Maack display at Elements 2012

I was introduced to Andrea Maack and her perfumes in 2012 at Elements Showcase in NYC. Her installation at Elements highlighted one of her large line drawings that she cut into rectangular pieces. Each rectangle was pinned to the wall, once you figured out which fragrance you liked from the line, she would take a rectangle piece down from the wall and spritz it so you could take it home. I still have my signed and numbered slice of art that I dowsed with her Sharp, and plan to frame in the near future.

Illustration by MClelland Barclay

When her seventh fragrance Coven arrived, I suppose I had some preconceived notion about what it would smell like. My mind imagined a dark fragrance complete with three witches stirring a bubbling cauldron, but of course there is nothing stereotypical about Coven. Coven is a modern fresh take on an oriental that is graceful. Coven is the liquid embodiment of ritual. This is a friendly coven where the journey into the night is full of comfort and celebration. A friend of mine described a modern-day coven as, “being in a in sacred space and creating ritual. The rituals mainly have to do with celebrating the earth holidays, cross-quarter days, and the magic of the moon.” This is exactly where this fragrance lives metaphorically.

Paper cut illustration by Beth White

Wet soil, and green grass fill the air. Coven seems to saunter onto the skin and infuse into the room. It has a powerful, distinct, and tenacious presence. It settles on the skin, sexy and skillfully, and brings us to a moonlit night that is chilly and the air is moist, earthy and woody. Moss covers the earth and surrounds bark. Patchouli, aromatic spices, specifically licorice, anise, cinnamon seem to rise up and coexist with its earthiness, yet it always stays fresh, transparent, and uplifting. We are left with a dispersed almost flickering dry-down that glistens powdery like a full moon with a silver lining.

Notes: Wood notes, green grass, soil tincture, oakmoss, whiskey, and spicy notes. Perfumer Richard Ibanez.

Disclaimer: I received my sample from luckyscent.com

Valerie Vitale, Editor

Thanks to the generosity of Greg at Babalu at the Raleigh we have a generous sample for one reader in the US.  Please let us know what appeals to you about this perfume and if you have a favorite Andrea Maack Fragrance. Draw ends June 10, 2014.

Editor's Note: We have reviewed Andrea Maack's previous six perfumes: Coal (2012),   Silk (2012), Dark 2012), Sharp, (2011) Craft, (2011) and Smart (2011).

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