Beau Rhee Photo: Barbara Anastacio

Some stories almost seem too good to be true. Here’s one I heard at the recent Elements Showcase. A young artist/choreographer was working on her MFA in Geneva. For her final project she wanted to pair scent with her own movement piece. She found a perfumer to assist her in design of the three fragrances to go along with each act. There are so many ways that this should have gone wrong but this story went gloriously right. Beau Rhee is the young creative force behind the Atelier de Geste line of perfumes. Her first three releases are Blood Sweat Tears, The Good Earth, and Wild is the Wind.

For fragrances born of movement all three of these fragrances have a dynamic development on my skin as the raw materials used for each fragrance dance off of my skin. I’ve had a few weeks to really experience these fragrances and from such a modest beginning these are quite accomplished compositions.

Dancing Fire by Irina Sztukowski

Blood Sweat Tears was on first sniff the least impressive to me. After getting to know it I really discovered the personality underneath the top notes once I had the chance to spend more time with it on my skin. This is a very slow developing fragrance as it starts with a bit of stewed fruit and tea. I like the understated richness of this opening. Jasmine and tobacco make up the heart and these overlap in the sweetness of both notes but the indoles of the jasmine and the heavier facets of tobacco add gravitas to the middle part of the development. At the end it is a dark woody mix to complete this dance. Blood Sweat Tears is a slow twirl around the dance floor at a precise measured pace which allow for every facet of the fragrance to be shown to its best effect.

Ballroom Dancing by Tommervik

The Good Earth is an ode to green and resins. It opens with a feathery galbanum and hefty myrrh. The galbanum floats over the myrrh sometimes very focused and present other times providing support for the myrrh. Moss and opoponax add depth to the galbanum and myrrh respectively making each successive turn of the cycle slightly different, almost like perfumed jazz. The myrrh and galbanum structure is in place throughout but the moss and opopnax deliberately alter it into something less green and more powdery by the finish. The Good Earth is straightforward but there is much to notice along the path to the end.

The Dancer Abstract Red and Blue Art by Sharon Cumming

Wild is the Wind was my favorite upon my introduction to the line and even after wearing all three extensively it is still my favorite. I think because the other two are more intimate constructions Wild is the Wind sticks out because this feels like a troupe of perfume notes are in motion all over the place. That doesn’t mean this is an unfocused composition it means there are many pieces to this puzzle and letting each one fall into place creates a fantastic picture. A fanfare of aldehydes grab your attention. This opening feels very classic like it could have come from a vintage fragrance of yesteryear. The classicism seems to be reinforced with a very spicy rose coming next. The vintage vibe gets slapped to the side with a healthy leather accord which takes Wild is the Wind deep into the animalic side of things. The animalic ideas are intensified as musk is added. This is a whip cracking fragrance full of passion and desire. I feel like there is so much to experience every time I wear it and I am looking forward to finding out all there is to experience in Wild is the Wind over the fall and winter when I think this will be a perfect fragrance for that time of year.

Like I said some stories often seem to be too good to be true. Atelier de Geste is a great story which has led to some equally compelling fragrances. These are fragrances worth getting into motion for.

Disclosure: This review was based on samples provided by Atelier de Geste at Elements Showcase August 2013.

–Mark Behnke, Managing Editor

Editor’s Note: If you want to know more about Beau Rhee and how she came to develop Atelier de Geste head over to guest contributor Katherine Chan’s blog Mad Perfumista where she did an interview with Beau Rhee.