Darren Alan Perfumes Dust and Clay via Darren Alan

He, Zigeuner, greife in die Saiten ein!
Spiel das Lied vom ungetreuen Mägdelein!
Laß die Saiten weinen, klagen, traurig bange,
Bis die heiße Träne netzet diese Wange! ~ Hugo Conrat, whose poetry was immortalized in Johannes Brahms’ song cycle Zigeunerlieder (Gypsy Songs)

(Ho, gypsy! Pluck your strings! Play the song of the unfaithful maiden! Let your strings weep, moan, and be mournful, until hot tears dampen these cheeks! ~ my translation)

Darren Alan of Darren Alan Perfumes courtesy of the perfumer

Artisanal perfumer Darren Alan is a fascinating and multi-faceted individual – a truth which informs his personal aesthetic in the creation of perfume. From early childhood, he developed a love of nature and aroma: his mother cultivated flowers and was a fine cook, while his grandmother nurtured fruit, vegetables, flowers and herbs in her gardens. These women eagerly imparted their knowledge to young Darren, who loved to traipse through the woods in his native Pennsylvania with his younger sister Kimberly. Darren’s entire family is musical and he is no exception, having earned degrees in musical education and vocal performance; he sang tenor roles with the Pittsburgh Opera, taught voice privately, and currently continues to teach middle and high school music and chorus. It was in the 1990s when Darren began to explore aromatherapy and the art of perfumery: most of his fragrances are inspired by both nature and the great classical perfumes, resulting a neo-vintage approach which is painterly and eminently wearable.

“This name was disclosed to me by a deceased Romani woman through communication with the Sorceress Cagliastro, Necromancer in the hands of Nine. This gypsy woman used to roam the streets of Scotland and told people’s fortunes through the ancient art of coin divination.” ~ Darren Alan, upon naming his October 2024 Perfume of the Month, Dust and Clay

 

Romani Gypsy by Konstantin Makovsky via wiki

I brook no argument with the perfumer regarding his interpretation of inspiration. I feel a deep affinity with Romani language, literature, and especially their music (it’s likely that I have Roma blood) – so I didn’t require any convincing. When it came to light that Dust and Clay was composed around precious mitti attar, I experienced that telltale frisson and immediately purchased it without a second thought. All these elements are mysteriously interwoven: it is believed that the Roma (sometimes referred to as Gypsy, a classification which may rankle) originated in India’s Rajasthan region centuries ago. Mitti attar is the result of the distillation of fine East Indian sandalwood with clay – an odor which a dear friend once described to me as “the smell of parched earth after the monsoon rains”. Sorceress Cagliastro has served as the vessel through which this fragrance’s name became manifest; my imagination runs wild.

Mitti Attar by Darren

Dust and Clay represents the marriage between mitti and mystery. It is clear that this perfume sings of the earth, the arid terrains thirsting for appeasing rain. I love it for its veracity and subtlety: it feels like layers of gossamer veil which are peeled away like onion skin. Tendrils of delicate ionones (violet, orris) breathe an untroubled coolness into the woodsy comfort punctuated by sandalwood, cedar, guaiacwood, and incense; the dry floral spice of black pepper and allspice provide seasoning for this earthy pleasure. Wormwood contributes a lively, soft camphorous sweetness which lifts the other elements with its naturally herbal voice; if you partake of absinthe, you are familiar with its distinctive personality. One spray never suffices, because you want to experience all the stages of Dust and Clay’s development repeatedly, immerse yourself in its elegant, primal charm. As is often the case with intriguing perfumes, it treads the tightrope which unites the sacred and the profane gingerly, with seductive hesitation. It is this barefooted, noiseless tread which lingers – the traces of mankind upon sun-baked loamy soil.

Notes: wormwood, allspice, black pepper, violet, mitti attar, guaiacwood, orris root, cedar, incense smoke

I purchased my flacon of Darren Alan Perfumes Dust and Clay, opinions my own.

~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor

 

Darren Alan Perfumes Dust and Clay

Thanks to the generosity of Darren Alan we have a 10 ml flacon of Dust and Clay for one registered ÇaFleureBon reader USA ONLY, (if you are not sure if you are registered click here – you must register on our site or your entry will be invalid). To be eligible please leave a comment about what piques your interest about Dust and Clay in Ida’s review. Draw closes 11/2/2024

Note: Darren Alan Perfumes Dust and Clay is from his October perfume of the month club, which is a subscription-based service and sold out quickly. He made a new batch for this article.

Rachel K. Ng review of Darren Alan’s vintage style Chypre No 1 here, her review of Vintage Novel here, Honeysuckle Summer here, Musc Moderne, Aqua di Colonia, and Dorian’s Fougère here.

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Editor’s Note: Darren Alan Perfumes Jonquille was chosen as a top 10 perfume of 2023 by Senior Contributor Rachel K. Ng

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