“The more you are motivated by love, the more fearless and free your action will be.” ~ the Dalai Lama
It was lovely to receive a parcel from Art and Olfaction award-winning perfumer Amber Jobin recently. She has chosen to travel the aroma therapeutic route: an all-botanical perfume inspired by her home city of Boulder, Colorado – lauded for its natural beauty and upbeat entrepreneurial spirit. I don’t know if she realized in early-ish March just how prophetic her choice would be, considering that her goal was to create a fragrance which conveyed positivity. It feels intuitive to pass this on to you at this time, dear readers. To quote Amber: “Wear Be Boulder when you need a little spring in your step and a bit of extra courage!” … That time is now.
Perfumer Amber Jobin via Instagram
Our perfumer refers to her scent structure thusly:
Top Notes: Lift Yourself Up accord
Middle Notes: Open Your Heart accord
Base Notes: Stay Grounded accord
Conscious Human Energy via bibliotecapleyades.net
A recipe for well-being? One can play it many ways, but the tonicity of a citrus bouquet is one sure-fire opening act. Amber tackles it with gusto and a lavish assortment including bergamot, sparkling yuzu and a luscious Persian lime. There’s just enough black pepper to heighten the senses and add the smidgen of dryness which accompanies this spice. The heart of Be Boulder is simply lovely, particularly because I’m mad for the materials themselves – and they speak to Amber’s love of creative juxtaposition. Her Rose is one which forces that involuntary sigh of content, and to weave it into jammy, fruity fir absolute is pure pleasure, quickened by the freshly-rubbed-green-leafiness of tomato (think Sisley’s Eau de Campagne) and the perfumer’s stealthy sliding a little cannabis into the mix (Oh, Boulder!). Desert sage is sweet and musky with herbal/floral terpenic tones; the flowering tops contain up to 75% linalyl acetate – so pivotally soothing.
Colorado blue spruce via wikipedia
Grounding oneself can be achieved with a cushion of delicately smoky amber and conifers: enter the sweet, balsamic Ponderosa pine and Colorado’s native blue spruce – resinous and radiantly woody. The warmth of Texas cedar blends with the incense-like nature of Virginia; West Indian amyris‘s soft sandalwood character provides balance and a rounding effect. Fossilized amber differs from other materials; it’s leathery and smoky, resinous and redolent of pine tar. Amber has employed it skillfully and scantily so as not to overwhelm her composition – and just enough for gravitas’ sake. Be Boulder positions you in the present without a heavy hand; it’s lovable and so comfortable to wear. We have demands enough in our lives right now.
Notes: black pepper, bergamot, yuzu, petitgrain, Persian lime, desert sage, fir absolute, tomato leaf absolute, rose, cannabis, Colorado blue spruce, Ponderosa pine, Texas cedar, Virginia cedar, amyris, fossilized amber
Sample provided by Amber Jobin: it’s marvelous, thank you! My nose is my own…
~ Ida Meister, Senior Editor and Natural Perfumery Editor
Be Boulder
Thanks to the generosity of Amber Jobin and we have a 5.5mm rollerball of Aether Arts Perfume Be Boulder perfume for one registered reader in the USA To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what appeals to you about Ida’s review and where you live. What gives you courage during these difficult times? Draw closes 4/15/2020
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