St. Clair Scents Armor & Sanctuary

St. Clair Scents Armor & Sanctuary via website (by Alex C. Musgrave)

In times of great flux and uncertainty (political, economic, societal, environmental, etc.) there exists inherently fertile ground for artistic expression. Highly-regarded, impassioned artisanal perfumer Diane St. Clair of St. Clair Scents is acutely attuned to this latent potential: a number of her fragrances have placed as finalists in the Art & Olfaction Awards on a regular basis, and several of them possess a geopolitical awareness. Her recent finalist 2025 A & O submission entitled Blue Marble revolved around the fragile beauty of the planet and environmental activism; 2022’s Moving On was Diane’s response to the ongoing Covid pandemic, an aromatic antidote. Her 2022 perfume Edge Effects explores the phenomenon of overlapping ecosystems. It is clear that this perfumer is no stranger to olfactory advocacy – and her latest dual oeuvres, Armor & Sanctuary – address our still-unresolved issues regarding a woman’s right to control her own corporeal destiny.

Wikipedia Barbara Kruger’s Untitled (Your Body is a Battle Ground)

I admire Diane St. Clair’s skill and artistic acumen. She seems to have her finger on the pulse of contemporary concerns. St. Clair Scents Armor & Sanctuary arise from her recent re-discovery of conceptual artist Barbara Kruger’s “Untitled (Your Body is a Battleground), created in 1989 in response to the March for Women’s Lives in Washington, D.C. Diane cites the 2022 Dobbs decision reversal of the Roe vs. Wade ruling (which had been upheld for 50 years) as impetus for their creation. The perfumer also draws from the heinous case of Gisèle Pelicot – a French citizen who endured a decade of extreme, prolonged sexual abuse. Gisèle’s fortitude in coming forth out of the shadows is a testament to summoning the courage to claim one’s rights under extraordinary circumstances.

Diane St. Clair via the perfumer

Diane’s artistic choice for both salient fragrance commentary and photographic imagery is the gifted writer and artist Alex C. Musgrave, aka The Silver Fox – and she has included his reviews in her presentation of these perfumes. “I have created two perfumes to use the art of scent – and its power to provoke our deepest emotions – to speak out against a culture that allows men to control women’s bodies without their consent. I hope that wearing these perfumes can provide a sense of both empowerment and security.” ~ Diane St. Clair via website.

(left: Sanctuary and right: Armor) via Instagram

St. Clair Scents ARMOR: Armor can be a thorny issue, and one open to multiple interpretations. I have, over the decades – referred to my personal fragrant choices as my aromatic armor; here, Diane articulates her own unique perception. In doing so, she has been vague regarding her specific scent pyramid – something which she would customarily reveal. I respect this and have not sought to pursue it further, choosing instead to be led by my nose. Armor is a perfume concentration which opens with fruity, floral, and metallic tones: there is a distinctly grape-like aroma which is tenacious (? methyl anthranilate) and accompanied by a partially burnished/partly raw saffron-y accord – reminiscent of the armor which shields us from injury. While the fruits and flowers are not especially brash or reckless, they possess a goodly measure of character and are not easily dismissed from our olfactory consciousness. I perceive a resinous base which complements the intense sweetness of the heart notes. Armor is earthy and grounded, demonstrating that there is something sublime to be found in being stalwart and steadfast. As Alex C. Musgrave notes, “Fragrance can be a beautiful armor.” Armor notes: citrus, fruits, blooms (perceived notes: methyl anthranilate, resins, saffron)

St. Clair Scents Armor SANCTUARY: Sanctuary is a fragrance of contrasts, a study in jolie-laide chiaroscuro. Both Alex and Diane refer to a quality of slowly being held captive, of losing bodily autonomy and control: in this we are agreed. While Sanctuary may present as a balm to those seeking to heal substantial wounds, it also murmurs quietly of subliminal threat. Pollen is sweet, at times a touch bitter (think certain mimosa and/or cassie absolutes) – but it may be problematic for those who are sensitive to it. Rich fruits which dangle from the precipice of divine decay are both alluring and disturbing. I sense a verdancy which recalls the sticky green resinous nature of galbanum, and perhaps an intimation of resin and/or incense; these elements are soothing, and act as a counterpoint as well as a welcome grace note to the overripe elegance of the preceding components. Complex and compelling, Sanctuary is a perfume which is unforgettable. Sanctuary notes: pollen, flowers, rich fruits, moist greenery (perceived notes: galbanum, resins,? incense)

I wish to make it clear, dear readers – that what I relate to you is readily available on the perfumer’s website. These opinions and commentary are not mine, but those of the artists involved. My desire is to provide adequate context with which to better understand the artistic intent. The perfume impressions are my own, as they always are. –Ida

Samples were purchased by me; my nose is my own…

~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor

St. Clair Scents Blue Marble is an Art and Olfaction Finalist 2025,Call Me for American Perfumer in 2024. (Both reviewed by Rachel K. Ng). 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’s path to perfumery in our Profiles in American Perfumery series and Perfumers Workshop: Artisan Perfumers Who Do It All

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