Three preview fragrances recently arrived from FIFI award winning Perfumer and CaFleureBon Contributor Kevin Verspoor who is launching his new line,PERFUMEKEV today. These fragrances not only adorn the skin, and astonish with their complexity, texture, and technique, but also remind me that vintage and modern fragrances are timepieces that reflect the politics, art, music, landscape, and culture of any particular moment in time.
Over the past few weeks, Kevin generously shared his creative process, as we touched upon the profound structure of vintage classics, stories about nitro musks and Schiff’s base, and building a fragrance from the bottom-up, a technique he learned from his mentors perfumers Sophia Grosjman and Jean Claude Delville. Kevin spins names of raw materials with speed and ease, and as I listen to him talk I can imagine him creating mod after mod. You need only to read his legends in perfumery articles here on ÇaFleureBon to appreciate his extensive knowledge about all things fragrant-from historical to the technical, not to mention his impressive collection of contemporary and vintage fragrances at 3000 bottles and counting.
PERFUMEKEV will be offering two types of fragrances in his collection. The first will be reconstructions of classic fragrances inspired by techniques used in the late 19th century to the first three decades of the 20th century. These reconstructions will be made so that these techniques can be experienced today, and created in limited runs only. The second type will be modern fragrances, composed with wonderful new natural and synthetic materials that are currently available to perfumers. However many of them are not being used because of price, rarity or perfumers just not accustomed to using them yet.
Alphonse Mucha Flowers
Verspoor’s mastery of the technical allows for a freedom to flow through his fragrances. A Bunch of Flowers 1912 embodies a gentle quality without being timid. At first it hits me as an almost spicy and heady floral then it begins to surprise and show its many faces. At times a restrained sweetness meets powdery warmth with a breathtaking violet accord. In another moment I smell heliotrope; other times the rose and jasmine are more pronounced. It keeps changing and evolving as I wear it. Kevin added, “A Bunch of Flowers is best described as a multi-faceted floral, meaning that there is a bouquet of flowers that one can see all at once and some of them appear as the fragrance dries down. In the top you catch touches of orange blossom, followed by a beautiful jasmine note then a large lilac, and a lily of the valley accord that is supported by roses, violets and when it dries down there is a touch of narcissus and vanilla orchid. This all rests upon a tripod or back bone of sandalwood, vetiver, and musk.” I must say it is one of the most striking and deliberate dry downs I have ever experienced.
Margaret Macdonald Mackintosh Heart of the Rose 1902
Rose 1902 Parfum has a strong sophisticated voice. It wants to be heard, as if it is the honorary spokesperson for all the rose perfumes that came before it. It is a stylized rose perfume whose fragrant lines are buoyant and curvy, reminiscent of Art Nouveau albeit captured in a bottle. At first it comes out with a striking fullness, and then the rose begins its sinuous journey. The rose is lush, textured and weighted by its complexity. The fragrance has high concentrations of Rose and Jasmine Co2 extracts, along with many varietals of rose and jasmine as well. Kevin explained that Co2 extracts when compared to the old absolutes are much more true to nature; to my nose the Co2s add clarity to the fragrance. Rose 1902 Parfum is inspired by Coty's La Rose Jacqueminot, a perfume that launched Coty's career.
Kevin believes creating fragrances is not any different from composing music, or art: complexity, work and precision lives inside the bottle. He added, “They (perfumes) mimic the living structures of the world with a good set of bones and resting upon strong foundations the best perfumes have these qualities. Just as music has a structure to it so does perfumery.” When I asked Kevin what he wants folks to walk away with after experiencing his fragrances, he said, “I want people to walk away having learned something about the amazing creativity that goes into fragrance construction and how enjoyable that can be. I feel the more people learn about fragrance and what goes into them the less fear we may have from those who have challenges with perfume.” I couldn’t agree more Kevin, thank you again. Looking forward to the launch and discovering more about PERFUMEKEV.
This just in: I received word from Kevin that he would like to include a third fragrance in the draw to celebrate his launch. It is a contemporary fragrance called EverybodydeKev, and although I haven’t experienced it yet I’m sure it smells as amazing as it sounds. Notes include: black pepper, pink pepper, Cypriol oil, lavender, jasmine, rose, clary sage, Vanilla abs / Tonka abs, balsams, resins, sandalwood Australian and Indonesian, Vetiver, Jatasmansi oil, Benzoine, Siamwood and a musk amberwood drydown.
-Valerie Vitale, Editor
Art Director: Michelyn Camen
PERFUMEKEV has been gracious enough to extend a worldwide draw for CaFleureBon readers as he launched his website today PERFUMEKEV.NET, it’s readers choice of his three limited editions.
WORLDWIDE A deluxe sample set, of all three fragrances: 5ml. each of Rose 1902 Parfum, Bunch of Flowers 1912, and EverybodydeKev
USA readers can choose A deluxe sample set of all three fragrances: 5ml. each of Rose 1902 Parfum, Bunch of Flowers 1912, and EverybodydeKev OR one15ml bottle. Please tell us you preference, where you live and leave a comment about these reviews. Good Luck Kevin. Draw ends April 1, 2014.
Kevin will be shipping orders as of April 16, 2014, so this is a very special treat for our readers
We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.