Shawn Maher of Chatillon Luxe

Perfumer Shawn Maher’s Muse happens to be American history – a wellspring which fuels his creativity, much to our delight. I find this fascinating, even more so because of the specificity of his lyrical olfactory depictions: each event is translated into the perfumer’s own aromatic language. Shawn’s work came to us in the last gasp of 2018, making it challenging to address as thoroughly as we would have liked. Senior Editor Gail praised his marvelous Santal Auster in her Best of 2018 roundup; now I’m setting my hand to two wildly dissimilar eaux de toilettes, Chatillon Lux Unconditional Surrender and Rose Santal. They are referred to as “two for the road” since chronicled adventurers are the catalysts for Shawn’s fragrances. It’s time to sniff and tell…

The Old Courthouse and Planter's House Hotel, a favorite watering hole of Grant St.Louis Dispatch©

Chatillon Lux Unconditional Surrender: Great heroes possess great flaws: ancient Greek tragedians knew this, Shakespeare knew it and modern day historians confirm it time and again. Unconditional Surrender recounts the resilience of Union Army General Ulysses S. Grant under duress at Fort Donelson, during which his army suffered heavy losses. Grant, it was murmured among the ranks – had resumed his drinking once more (he had initially distinguished himself in the Mexican-American War previously, left under the cloud of alcoholism and floundered about in civilian life unsuccessfully for years prior to the Civil War when he re-entered active service.). Grant had acted without proper authorization, then demanded unconditional surrender; President Lincoln, however – viewed this act as an heroic one and promoted him. It was then that the Northern press began to refer to him as Unconditional Surrender Grant.

Grant with cigar credit Timothy O' Sullivan©

General-cum-18th-President Grant is seldom seen without his cigar; how could we have a scent sans cheroot? We can’t, clearly. Or a certain leatheriness either, particularly since he resumed labor in the family’s St. Louis-based tannery during those ignominious years before the Civil War. Shawn Maher chooses not to resort to birch tar, cade or similar materials. He conjures smoky, leathery aspects via black tea, cedarwood, agarwood. Tobacco bridges boozy, woody and leathery, with agarwood (oud) performing double duty as well. Geranium lifts the composition; jasmine plays so well with either leather or tobacco (Cuir de Lancôme, ELDO Jasmin et Cigarette), and certainly with alcohol-tinged perfumes (Frapin 1697, M. Micallef Note Vanillée, Vilhelm Parfumerie Don’t Tell Jasmine). Amber, tonka and vetiver are included in the earthy base which bestows more tenacity than we’ve come to expect in eau de toilette format. 

Unconditional Surrender is extremely pleasurable to wear and moreover, it’s affordable – $60.00 /2 oz., travel sizes available. I’m thinking of purchasing some for my big brother in New York who is a lifelong Civil War history maven, if not for myself. Notes: jasmine, geranium, cigar tobacco, black tea, cedarwood, amyris, amber,agarwood, tonka bean, vetiver

Henry Shaw at his townhouse at 7th and Locust (credit Missouri Botanical Garden)

Chatillon Lux Rose Santal (2017): Young Henry Shaw returned from boarding school to his native Sheffield when his father’s iron factory fell onto hard times in his absence; he’d been given the opportunity to avail himself of a classical education before his homecoming. Henry’s father was mightily impressed with his son’s financial perspicacity, and in 1819 sent him alone to New Orleans to track down a missing shipment; he recovered the goods, but no seller could be found. Not one to submit to failure, Henry booked a trip on the steamship Maid of Orleans and landed in then-brand-new St. Louis weeks later, where he spent the next 20 years expanding his market, amassing a great deal of land and becoming a very wealthy gent. 

Victorian Garden and Shaw's Tower Grove House credit Missouri Botanical Garden

He was free to pursue his fascination with botany and travel and did so – bringing back specimens and creating what became the Missouri Botanical Gardens, which opened to the public in 1859. His general philanthropy is celebrated; 100 years hence, visitors lovingly refer to these grounds as “Hank’s Garden”. Chatillon Lux Parfums Rose Santal has everything a rose or sandalwood lover might desire, the fruit of Hank’s forays – it’s achingly lovely with its fresh-peppery, greenly piquant North African cardamom and sprightly Indian black pepper possessing a warm bite. 

Gladney Rose Garden at Missouri Botanical Garden

Shawn’s rose bouquet emulates a nosegay of tea roses, so enjoyed for their woody/spicy/green/fatty scent profile. Couch their combined exoticism (many trace tea roses back to China) in a satiny sandalwood accord, and there are echoes of a gulab attar (rose and sandalwood, sheer divinity) deftly seasoned by a tender hand. What might become oppressively heavy as parfum blooms as eau de toilette – expansive, just the needed dosage without added avoirdupois. 

Rose Santal has excellent longevity and is priced as above, making it a fragrance to wear in all seasons that won’t wear a hole in one’s wallet. It’s SO romantic. Notes: Italian bergamot, Indian black pepper, North African cardamom, tearose accord, creamy sandalwood accord

Samples  of  Chatillon Lux  Rose Santal and  Chatillon Lux Unconditional Surrender generously provided by perfumer Shawn Maher – many thanks! My nose is my own…

~ Ida Meister, Senior Editor and Natural Perfumery Editor

~ Art Direction: Michelyn Camen, Editor-in-Chief courtesy of Shawnwho creates all his fragrances in St. Louis Missouri which inspires his parfums

Thanks to the kindness of Shawn Maher of Chatillon Lux Parfums we have one flacon of either Chatillon Lux Unconditional Surrender or Chatillon Lux Rose Santal for a registered reader in the USA or worldwide a sample set for Chatillon Lux Unconditional Surrender and  Chatillon Lux Rose Santal. To be eligible, please share what you found appealing about Ida’s article on Chatillon Lux Unconditional Surrender and  Chatillon Lux Rose Santal and which perfume appeals most to you. Draw closes January 19, 2019.

We announce the winners only on our website so like Cafleurebon and use our blog feed … or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.