Top Row: vintage natural perfume essences
Bottom Row Irina Adam and Ella Perfume
If I could save time in a bottle, I'd probably do what Anne Arden McDonald did and hand it over to the able nose of Irina Adam, botanical perfumer behind Phoenix Botanicals. A treasure trove of antique plant and flower extracts found in a friend's basement became the materials behind Irina's latest offering, Ella.
Hyacinth and Apollo Watercolor image delillahdesanges
Ella is comprised of a vintage hyacinth and tobacco absolute blend found among the historical bottles- the very holy grail of perfumistas searching out the authentic and obscure. While immediately conjuring an era gone by, and perhaps a nod to the famous PBS queen of Etiquette, Hyacinth Bucket- there is a quality to hyacinth which proves the quantum theory that “all time is now.” Even the lauded Valerie Ann Worwood explains in her book, The Fragrant Heavens*, “Carrying souls across the divide between heaven and earth is the task of hyacinth.” This esoteric property is exactly what occurred when Irina first encountered the aroma: it brought back a memory of her childhood secretly indulging in cosmetics left in a wooden cabinet.
Ella Weiss 1940 Irina's grandmother
Upon further investigation of the olfactive memory, she discovered the forgotten toiletries were those belonging to the deceased grandmother she never met… the one whose namesake she carries, Ella Irina. “The dark, viscous vintage essences from the 1920's-40's transported me to 5 years old, and a high up wood cabinet that opened with a waft of its contents- mid century perfume, makeup and cigarettes….” Irina explained and so it was for me as well. An instant lift of powered hyacinth opens the bottled passage in time, reminiscent of the punch of an aldehyde, somewhat cold and intriguing, polite and out of place. Unlike a synthetic based vintage, Irina's modern approach allows newer botanicals to give Ella a warming movement, as if brought back to life from the ravages of time.
Victor Gabriel Gilbert Arranging Flowers for a Spring Bouquet
Vintage Hay and a bouquet of flowers including gardenia and jasmine work symbiotically to arrange the feeling of a human touch, as perhaps grandmother Ella had a very living hand in the process of creation. Clover, vetiver and moss add to the base of this vintage meets modern elixir and extend it's aged aromatics, which Irina worked quickly to fix into the perfume as they were rapidly oxidizing upon opening.
Photo of Hyacinths blooming in NYC-Irina Adam
Not so Ella, the perfume and the woman who play all kinds of tricks with time to deliver a gentle and loving memory, floral and warm, crossing time and eras with it's unique mixture of past and present. A perfume which begins with the rare hyacinth from the past to exalted florals of the present, and ending in the warmth of nostalgia and living craft.
Ella is understandably very limited in production, with only mere milliliters remaining, we are very lucky to have the pleasure of experiencing the ephemeral art.
Notes: Galbanum, vintage Hyacinth, Tahitian Gardenia, Ylang Ylang, Honeysuckle, Jasmine, Clove, Vanilla, Tobacco, Sweet Clover, vintage Vetiver, vintage Hay, sustainable Sandalwood, Moss.
-Einsof, Natural Perfume Editor
(my sample was provided by Phoenix Botanicals for review.)
*Published as Aromatherapy for the Soul in North America
Thanks to the generosity of Phoenix Botanicals, we have 1mL of the rare Ella for a US registered reader. To be eligible please leave a comment with why you would like to win and if you have a favorite vintage scent. Draw ends 6/19/2015
We announce the winner’s only onsite and on our Facebook page, so Like CaFleureBon and use our RSS option…..or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.