Marissa Zappas Annabel’s Birthday Cake by Olya Bar
I want to have my cake and eat it too, what’s wrong with that?
For some, birthdays are over the top. I want all the glitter, balloons, flowers and cake I can get. That accurately describes what I expect every birthday to be like, occasionally spilling over into a week’s worth of celebrations and delicious outings with friends. I haven’t met a more accurate olfactory equivalent of everything I just described until I got my hands on Marissa Zappas Annabel’s Birthday Cake.
Cake via Unsplash
Imagine a perfectly layered vanilla cake with a touch of rose jam, layered with some whipped cream and covered with a mouthwatering tuberose frosting, lightly dusted with confectioners’ sugar on top. And sprinkles, lots and lots of sprinkles. There is a certain waxiness you can distinguish, the one you would get when the candles just got blown out and a few drops ended up melting onto the cake. A bit of latex from all the balloons you had to blow up and that vivid smell of latex still left on your fingers. A sweet mix of perfume after the party still lingering in the air and a late-night cake devouring session worth every bite.
That’s what a good party sounds like, filled with joy, perhaps a passionate embrace followed by a kiss or more.
Marissa Zappas courtesy of the perfumer
I truly admire the work of Marissa Zappas. She was an apprentice to Master Perfumer Olivier Gillotin at Givaudan with a strong independent point of view. She creates with a recipe of a professional but with the imagination of a true indie. She is a perfumer and a poet residing in New York City, her olfactory point of view is avant-garde with an unrestrained ability to create perfectly calibrated playful works with an air of humor, taking her the inspiration of the early twentieth century and appreciation for art.
Balloons via Unsplash
Zappas is not out to please or play on trends but rather create based on inspirational encounters, friendships, and vivid memories. I am still in pure ecstasy from smelling one of her recent works, (named none other than WH*RE, and I will be following up shortly with a review of that promiscuous masterpiece).
Annabel Gat via Twitter
Structuring some of her work around collaborations with writers and fellow artists, Marissa Zappas created her cult favorite Birthday Cake perfume with Astrologer Annabel Gat, who writes the daily and monthly column at VICE since 2015 and is the author of The Astrology of Love & Sex and The Moon Sign Guide. Certified by the International Society for Astrological Research, Annabel loves teaching others about astrology, she’s presented talks on tarot, astrology and the occult for over a decade and is very well known for her humorous approach. Born one day apart; this Aries duo set out to create an elevated and ethereal cake perfume that celebrates their love for birthdays. As a fellow Aries, I felt a strong pull toward this work.
“My favorite thing about perfume is how transportive it is. We can shift our state of mind or our mood by enjoying scent, I think it’s so magical. With Annabel’s Birthday Cake, my goal with Marissa Zappas was for people to enjoy a perfume that would transport them someplace fun and carefree. I think we achieved that!” -Annabel Gat
Perfumery is just like any form of art and expresses an idea. An olfactory canvas of emotions, thoughts, and attitudes. I love the spice Marissa Zappas brings to every composition. In the pool of indie fragrances that I often find too eccentric and borderline unwearable, Marissa Zappas Annabel’s Birthday Cake stands out as both frivolous, flirtatious, and playful as it does proper and even pure and virtuous.
Marissa Zappas Annabel’s Birthday Cake by Olya Bar
A sweet floral blend develops somewhat creamy with nuanced powdery tones. It was interesting to see a structure without the expected top citrus notes, a refreshing dive straight into the essence. The fragrance feels round rather than a typical top, middle, and base structure. Harmonious and comforting hug of heliotrope. Delicate lemon sugar, a sprinkling of candied rose petals, and a layer of languorous, sweet, and rich tuberose frosting balance candy-like qualities with supple florals.
Annabel’s Birthday Cake has an innocent tutu-like texture yet with a voluptuous and sensual character. Trust me, you’ll want to take a bite out of this cake.
Notes: Heliotrope, Lemon Sugar, Balloons, Candied Rose Petals, Tuberose Frosting, Cake-Fresh-Out-The-Oven, Honeycomb, Roasted Tonka, Cocoa Absolute
Annabel’s Birthday Cake was kindly gifted to me but opinions are always my own.
Marissa Zappas Annabel’s Birthday Cake by Olya Bar
-Olya Bar, Editor
Thanks to Marissa Zappas, we are offering a 2ml sample of Annabel’s Birthday Cake for one registered CaFleureBon reader in the USA ONLY (if you are not sure if you are registered, click here.). You must register or your comment will not count. To be eligible, please tell us what appealed to you about Olya’s review and if you have a favorite from the brand. Draw closes 08/29/22
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Available at Marissa Zappas.com and Luckyscent
Please read Marissa Zappas Profile in American Perfumery here
Former Sr. Contributor Marianne Butler’s review of Paradise Edition here
Lauryn’s reviews of Smoked Jasmine Black Tea here, Violette Hay here, Queen Nzinga here (one of Michelyn Best of 2019 ) and Ching Shi here
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