Photo by Terry Richardson for ALDO

Envision a moment of perfect happiness.  What do you see? A face, a memory of somewhere you’ve been? Perhaps you hear something — a catch of music, a voice, laughter? Now, imagine its fragrance. What is the smell of utter delight? Dawn Spencer Hurwitz offers an answer. Hansa Yellow is a “brilliantly happy” perfume that is like finding yourself in a host of lovely daffodils.

Henri Matisse, Deux Fillettes, Fond Jaune et Rouge, 1947

Named for a set of organic compounds that make up a saturated pigment, Hansa Yellow was first created as a sensory accompaniment to Denver Art Museum’s Matisse exhibition last spring and, along with Mars Violet and Ultramarine Blue, is one of three recent additions to  The DSH PERFUMES  fragrance color spectrum, the Chroma Collection. A visual artist whose work translates to painting and olfactory canvasses, Dawn was inspired to create the three new colors after receiving some new aroma molecules and new natural materials. The arrival of a new organic ylang-ylang essential oil was the inspiration for Hansa Yellow, and she became intrigued with the notion of combining it with jasmine and butter co2. “Both Ylang and Jasmine are euphorics in terms of aromatherapy, and they certainly affect me that way in Hansa Yellow,” says  Dawn Spencer Hurwitz.

Shalom Harlow by Ellen Von Unwerth for Vogue US

The intense, addictive quality of Hansa Yellow hits like a food craving. Described as a “fruity-floral-gourmand” this is not the blinding yellow of bright sunshine but the saturated color of tropical flowers and lush fruit. In its opening stages, Hansa Yellow is creamy and taffyish but not cloying. A prominent, under-ripe banana note opens alongside full-bodied ylang and papery jasmine. As Dawn points out, both jasmine and ylang have inherent banana nuances and these are enriched and harmonized by the fruit note.

Ylang-ylang photo By Senior Contributor Elise Pearlstine (taken at the Fairchild Botanical Garden in Coconut Grove Florida)

As Hansa Yellow develops, lemony butter and barely-sweet Tahitian vanilla rise up like a pastry dough pillow for the banana and florals to rest on. A layer of honeyed Neroli emerges and the more fleshy qualities of the jasmine and ylang begin to surface, and the butter, banana and flowers continue to curl around each other like a flower vine. In its middle stage, Hansa’s florals become more prominent, the jasmine becoming spicier, the ylang more rounded.

Photo by Anthony Aseal

Dawn Spencer Hurwitz has created a perfume that elicits different aspects of happiness: early in its development, Hansa evokes the uncomplicated childhood joy of biting into one of those old fashioned peanut-shaped marshmallows, with its kitchen smells of bananas and vanilla. Then, as it matures, Hansa summons more adult pleasures, the narcotic sensations created by combining heady, honeyed florals with the unctuousness of butter.

Daffodils By Sr Contributor Elise Pearlstine

For years, I’ve wondered why narcissus has stolen all the attention from its daffodil sibling in perfumery.  As it dries down, Hansa exudes a sweet-peppery, creamy fragrance uncannily like daffodils in full bloom. It is the most deliriously yellow scent to be made happy by.

“For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,                            

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils. — William Wordsworth, “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud,” 1804

NOTES: include  Lemon essence, green banana peel, Tunisian neroli, grandiflorum jasmine, ylang ylang, orange blossom, butter co2, Tahaitian vanilla, Australian sandalwood.

DISCLOSURE this review was based on a sample sent to me by DSH Perfumes. Opinions are my own.

— Lauryn Beer, Senior Contributor

Editor’s Note: I have been wearing Hansa for three days now and Pharell William’s “”Happy” could have been its scent track. Since it is a picture perfect summer Sundayafternoon here in New York City and not a cloud in the sky, I just had to  include the video. You can never have too much happiness -Michelyn

Thanks to the generosity of DSH Perfumes, we have a dram of Hansa Yellow  for registered readers WORLDWIDE OR a 1 oz bottle of Hansa Yellow for registered readers in the US. There will be one winner.​To be eligible please leave a comment with what appeals to you about Hansa Yellow based on Lauryn’s review, what color makes you happy, where you live and if you have a favorite DSH perfume. Draw closes 8/10/2016

 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