Eris Parfums in Karl’s Collection.
“Smell is an anarchist among our more socially reputable and mediated senses… It is direct, instantaneous, and nonrational, and it provides data that can elicit in us the primal and the mysterious.” -Barbara Herman Author of Scent & Subversion, Creator and Owner of Eris Parfums.
Barbara Herman Founder and Owner of Eris Parfums at Mortimer House by Karl
Friday 28th October, the venue is Mortimer House in London’s Fitzrovia. The location for Eris Parfums Press event is an intimate setting based on Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs with an Art Deco design it seems an appropriate place to delve into Barbara Herman’s labour of love, a collection in which the scents seem to choose you, not the other way around. There was much to discover, particularly the daringly devised concoctions broken down into the raw materials used for each perfume. This was a revelation to experience them piece meal and then spritz the collective beauty of each fragrance shining out strange, complex and instinctive smells. Antoine Lie master perfumer and the creator of each perfume thus far in the Eris family has left a lasting impression of high quality and an understanding of bringing the visceral nuances of perfumery to the fore.
If one is to place Eris Parfums in a taxonomy of smells, then ‘anarchist’ is befitting. There is an underlying order in the chaos of these compositions, there are notes which on paper should not make great bed fellows, but here in the Eris universe they harmonise perversely in a suggestive fervour. Selecting three to discuss was always going to be a tough assignment. However, one I thoroughly enjoyed and threw myself into nose first.
Eris Parfums and Scent and Subversion by Karl©
Eris Parfums Ma Bête (2016) Animalic to the core a truly dressed down perfume where indoles, aldehydes and spices cavort and create a powerful concoction. It is a scent of shock and awe. On initial sniff I had a ‘Wow’ moment … soap meets skank. The blend akin to half douched bodies straight out of the shower and back for a second instalment. And that is just the aperitif. Ma Bête goes headlong into the morning after the night before where mingling of sweat and stickiness is apparent. It truly is a full-on beast of a fragrance its beauty being its unapologetic attitude brought about by spices plus the overdose of an animalic cocktail.
Notes: Aldehydes, Tunisian Neroli, Indian Nutmeg, Honduran Styrax, Indian Jasmine Sambac, Virginia Cedarwood, Indonesian Patchouli, Animalic Accord (Synthetic).
Perfumer raw materials and ingredients used in Eris by Karl
Eris Parfums Night flower (2016): A narcotic silky dream of a perfume which wraps you in its embrace of spice and suede with a smidge of tuberose. If Ma Bête is the beast, then Night flower is the beauty. I visualise the colour crimson when wearing it. Textured with cardamom, cinnamon and tonka bean its musky base is quite breath-taking. It is an ode to sensuality and has a light touch of leather. Digging deeply into the base I do pick up on the slightest animalic aspect, which just further adds to its allure. Some fragrances elicit a wooziness and a sultry effect; Night flower is one such scent.
Notes: Italian Bergamot, Russian Birch Tar, Guatemalan Cardamom, Suede, Indian Tuberose, Laotian Cinnamon, Indonesian Patchouli, Venezuelan Tonka Bean, Musk (Synthetic).
Eris Green Spell courtesy of the brand
Eris Parfums Green Spell (2021) A vivid neon of emerald pierces through into one’s consciousness. Green Spell is dynamic and is an uplifting perfume stacked with fruity, vegetal and aromatic notes. Combined they bring across an energetic and light fragrance, which is a million miles away from the rest of the Eris collection. Ambroxan and musk add a cloudlike structure to Green Spell. The fusion of fig, galbanum and narcissus absolute is a blast of positivity.
Notes: Italian Mandarin, French Black Currant Bud absolute (Bourgeons Cassis), Iranian Galbanum (oil and resinoid), Egyptian Violet Leaf absolute, French Narcissus absolute, Tomato leaf accord, Fig leaf accord, Haitian Vetiver, Ambroxan, Musk (synthetic)
Karl Topham UK Ambassador & Senior Editor
Disclaimer: Eris Parfums Discovery Set kindly sent to Karl for review by Eris Parfums, opinions are my own.
Please read: Belle de Jour in my article Three Indie Perfumes You should be wearing
Eris Parfums MXXX review by Lauryn Beer here and Scorpio Rising Review by Lauryn Beer here.
Eris Parfums Discovery set by Karl©
Thanks to the generosity of Barbara Herman we have a discovery set of Eris Parfums for two registered readers-one in the USA and one in the UK and EU. To be eligible please leave a comment about which Eris Parfum intrigues you most and why and where you live. Draw closes 11/20/22.
All Photos by Karl Topham unless otherwise specified
Follow us on Instagram:
@cafleurebonofficial @erisparfums @karl.topham @perfumaniac @antoinelieolfaciveexperiences
This is our Privacy and Draw Rules Policy
We announce the winners only on our site and on our Facebook page, so like Çafleurebon and use our blog feed … or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.