St. Clair Scents Moving On courtesy of the brand
There is a door you have closed forever
And some mirror is expecting you in vain;
To you the crossroads seem wide open,
Yet watching you, four-faced, is a Janus. ~ Jorge Luis Borges, from Limits
Diane St. Clair of St. Clair Scents
Artisanal perfumer Diane St. Clair of St. Clair Scents has found herself at a crossroads throughout this ongoing pandemic – as many have personally experienced for themselves. Her life-altering decision was that of deciding to devote her full attention to her perfumery. Previously, Diane ran a dairy farm (she still keeps three Jersey cows) and was widely-known for her exquisite butter which was much in demand, according to restaurateurs and chefs. In her latest aromatic oeuvre St. Clair Scents Moving On, Diane reflects upon the varied emotions of being stuck, requiring stability and strength, and that whisper of hopefulness – the light at the end of the tunnel or forest. It is beyond query that she is an extremely talented and versatile perfumer; in Moving On, she demonstrates these gifts via a fascinating palette. I find classifying the perfume challenging – but if pressed, I believe Moving On’s soul is that of an aldehyde-festooned floral chypre (sans oakmoss). In order to express her fragrance more fully, Diane enlisted process-driven artist Josh Highter to interpret the feelings that Moving On visually evoked in him. The final result is a riveting watercolor of layered modulations, full of depth and sensibility.
Painting by Joshua Heighter
Moving On opens with an unfettered optimism made tangible by the employment of scintillating aldehydes, citrus tones, and grapefruit. The ensuing verdancy of galbanum and armoise (mugwort) is a coup – nothing ordinary about it; it suggests an openness and a guiding light. Before Diane calls upon her triad of floral divinity – Turkish rose, both Indian and Egyptian jasmine, and mimosa – the herbal/floral tonicity of lavender and cassis bud have paved the way flawlessly. I love all the facets these fragrant materials display for us: generous; at times, medicinal; fruity, floral. At this juncture St. Clair Scents Moving On is unadulterated joy; it fills the hungry senses. All the elements are embedded in an intricate base composed of shadowy components (patchouli, frankincense/myrrh, sandalwood, vetiver, animalic/musks, styrax (with its leathery/balsamic/animalic bent) – gentled by vanilla and Peru balsam. As the fragrance dries down, what remains is an enigma: it is up to the wearer to discern for themselves whether the eventual outcome of Moving On represents murky uncertainty or a sense of being grounded. I for one – choose the latter.
Notes: citrus, galbanum CO2, aldehydes, grapefruit, armoise (mugwort), lavender absolute, black currant bud absolute, rose absolute (Turkey), jasmine absolute (India and Egypt), mimosa absolute, patchouli, sandalwood, myrrh/frankincense co-distillation, Peru balsam, vetiver, styrax, animalics (synthetic), vanilla, musks
Sample kindly provided by the perfumer – many thanks! My nose is my own…
~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor
St. Clair Scents Moving On courtesy of the brand
Thanks to the generosity of Diane St. Clair we have 13 ml travel size of St. Clair Scents Moving On for one registered reader of St. Clair Scents Moving On for a registered reader in the USA only. You must register here or your comment will not count. To be eligible, please comment upon what appealed to you in Ida’s review. Do you have a favorite St. Clair Scents perfume? Draw closes 12/9/2022
Editor’s Note: Diane St. Clair is an Art and Olfaction Finalist 2020 for St. Clair Scents Eve, (reviewed by Ida here). Please read more about Diane St. Clair in our Perfumers Workshop: Artisan Perfumers Who Do It All
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