Jane Cate is a perfumer I discovered quite by accident. I am glad I did as she creates some of the most beautifully sheer yet tenacious and evanescent scents I have had the pleasure of sniffing. Laughter was the first scent by this company I ever tried. Each and every scent released since then has been unique and very different. The newest two are no exception. And, to sweeten the pot, both these scents are made from pure essential oils, absolutes and isolates. Her perfumes are blended with Perfumer’s Cane alcohol and the perfumed oils are based in apricot kernel oil with clear and golden jojoba added, to nourish the skin.

Kismet (fate or chance) is a perfume that is an olfactory homage to one of the perfumer’s favorite movies “BELL, BOOK & CANDLE” (1958, Jimmy Stewart & Kim Novak) about a witch who marries a mortal and the insanity that ensues. The original name of this scent was to be Pye, to honor Pyewacket the black cat familiar in the film, but instead she chose this moniker as more fitting as this perfume was inevitable.

An opening of luscious berries is balanced perfectly with bergamot and a cold sharp Meyer lemon.  A delightful shimmer of tart fruitiness rises softly, yet remains close. Kismet is enchanting and whisper softly, as the heart notes begin to unfold. Gentle cascades of jasmine sambac, gardenia and dew-kissed rose descend softly all around you. Such a trio of fragrant heavy hitters would usually be rather intense and cloying. Blended and tempered perfectly by the top notes and warmed with real cinnamon bark, adding woodiness and cloud of spice, these blossoms exude a smoother and slightly darker fragrance. A touch of violet leaves keeps both the flowers and spice in perfect harmony.

In witchcraft and magic the general idea of ritual is to gather energy, then focus and magnify it in order to release it. Once it is released it is out in the Universe and will manifest according to its sender’s intent and karma…or “kismet”. This perfume envelops you with its subtle spell; gathering its fruitiness and beckoning charmingly to you. The whirlwind of spicy flowers enchants and invigorates you before it slips softly away. For a while, it seemed I could not detect Kismet and the magic was gone. Unbeknownst to me, the scent was out working its magic as others “oohed” and “ahhed” after sniffing my wrist.

Sometime later, the warm dry down of amber and labdanum returned a dreamy golden balmy spiciness to my skin, like a wish fulfilled. This silken cloud of resins lingered tantalizingly for the remainder of its impressive duration. Familiar yet somehow mysterious and intriguing, this casts its spell and while under its influence I feel simultaneously grounded and transported. Sillage: good. Longevity: very good.

Holly wOUD & Vine is an unconventional, rather quirky, enigmatic tomato leaf and oud wood perfume, and the result is a wonderfully aromatic green blend with just enough of precious agarwood in it to differentiate it from every other oud perfume out there…and we’re talking real aquilaria wood here too, folks! This blasts out of the bottle verdant and intense with that bristly, slightly woody, aroma of growing live tomato plants. Zesty bitter orange and sunny golden mimosa have been added to warm and soften the sharper edges of the greens while delivering a truly bright, clear and gorgeous aroma.

Green Garden by Paul Bartoszek

As the emerald aura subsides, shy neroli pokes its head out along with tender jasmine, creating a wonderfully paired floral duet that defies gender, age or era. Violet leaves, scattered all around the edges of Holly wOUD & Vine, reanimate its lush green vibe at half the potency and force while lifting the creamy and powdery flowers, gently tempering and adding a fresh almost juicy facet. Galbanum firmly anchors the base, with its resinous and sharp elegance. Fir absolute adds a balsamic evergreen edge and is a nod to the holly in the name, as barely there wisps of oud rise.

Not only is Holly wOUD & Vine a fantastic, and totally natural, perfume; but, true to yet another aspect of its name it captures that vintage green feel of perfumes possibly worn and sported by the double crossing blonde in a noir film set in 1950’s Hollywood. Also echoed is the crisp piney fougere sported by the surly but tender detective she tearfully entreats to help her. As they come to know and trust each other and begin working together, instead of against one other, they will triumph. In the twenty-first century I find it both refreshing and fitting that Jane Cate has captured an invigorating and modern green scent that still has some of the mystique, class and presence of fragrances that echo and bring to mind a bygone era. Sillage: good then fair. Longevity: slightly above average.

Disclosure: Reviews based on minis sent to me by A Wing & A Prayer perfumes. 

Thanks to Jane Cate we have a draw for two 0.25 oz. purse sprays for two winners who either live in the US or have an US address. To be eligible leave a comment on which one you would like to win. The draw ends November 22, 2013.

We announce the winners only onsite and on our Facebook page, so Like CaFleureBon and use our RSS option…..or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.

-John Reasinger, Senior Editor