Aftelier Perfumes Violet Ambrosia courtesy of Aftelier Perfumes
“Where the bee sucks, there suck I:
In a cowslip’s bell I lie;
There I couch when owls do cry.
On the bat’s back I do fly
After summer merrily.
Merrily, merrily shall I live now
Under the blossom that hangs on the bough.” ~ William Shakespeare’s The Tempest, Act V, Scene I
Edmund Dulac’s illustration of Ariel from The Tempest
Likely only in sunny California and more temperate parts of the globe does the blossom still hang on the bough; it surely isn’t here in New England. When you anoint yourself with precious droplets of Award Winning Author and artisan natural perfumer Mandy Aftel’s latest fragrance, however -Aftelier Perfumes Violet Ambrosia – honeyed estival pleasures may be revisited sans cesse. What a welcome balm this is during the rapidly-approaching holidays, when many find themselves isolated during the darker season (in the Northern Hemisphere, that is) deprived of light, family and loved ones. Comfort is at a premium.
Mandy Aftel with her Perfumed Plume Award Winning Book Fragrant
Disclaimer time: I have yet to experience any Aftelier Perfumes perfume which I didn’t love. I first met Mandy Aftel over a decade ago in New York at the now-defunct bijou boutique Henri Bendel, where her fragrances were readily available. I found Mandy fascinating, accessible and a bit of a kindred spirit; we discussed aromatic materials. I walked off with a bottle of Cepes & Tuberose, obviously smitten with both perfume and perfumer. Little did I know that we would develop an ongoing relationship over the coming years which would illuminate and educate me. How grateful I am for that.
Mandy Aftel at her Perfume Organ @aftelierperfumes
One of the singular joys of botanical materials is their ability to tell a story complete with twists and turns, to take one on a journey. As with any adventure, they provide a roadmap – and maps only reveal to you what you might encounter along your path, not what sort of a trip you will have. Linear materials may be equally beautiful, but their consistency from start to finish is of a very different character altogether. They may certainly amplify, prolong, substitute themselves for another essence which is IFRA-restricted or scarce/endangered, but it isn’t the same, regardless of what you’ve been told. Some may disagree with my view, which is their right – but I am entitled to my own as well. The journey and sheer beauty of natural materials is what ensnared me well over 50 years ago, and I remain enthralled. Mandy, her materials and I come from a lineage of storytellers; you can see the appeal.
Aftelier Perfumes Violet Ambrosia maceration @aftelierperfumes
Mandy Aftel has collected myriad rare aromatic components over the years, and Aftelier Perfumes Violet Ambrosia spirals around the natural evocation of limpid violet, sun-warmed with a twenty-year aged broom (genet, ginestra) absolute and dollops of mimosa, among other elements. Anyone who has smelt broom is aware of its intoxicating sweetness; I have a measure of the absolute, but never the privilege of experiencing a well-aged one. Our perfumer relates that it is broom but even more so, which is a tantalizing thought. The dusty powderiness of mimosa tinged with furry undertones is an instinctive groom for über-honeyed broom. They sing well together. Alpha ionone, a natural distillate, summons the delicacy of perfumed violets, with additional raspberry reminding us of the berry tones which constitute a portion of violet’s scent profile. Verdant crispness arrives via violet leaf for a stemmy freshness. A sprinkling of vanilla for woody rounding, whispers of joyful ylang ylang hint discreetly at undisclosed mischief. Bergamot the heraldic introduction; sandalwood the beautiful moderator-as-base. I smell more: it feels (to my nose) that there are tendrils of costus, a powerful vegetal animalic redolent of unwashed scalp (think Nina Ricci’s Fille D’Eve or MDCI’s Chypre Palatin, and you’ve got the right idea). I also smell a coumarinic richness, a dried-hay-in-the-sun effect which reminds me of deertongue aka liatrix – a many-faceted absolute which evokes hay, tobacco, a syrupy bittersweetness which would play well with mimosa and/or broom. Perhaps it’s an olfactory illusion of Mandy’s combined beautiful media.
I don’t often endorse a blind buy of any sort, but I will here. If what I’ve imparted appeals to you, then I’m certain that Violet Ambrosia will not disappoint. It would also be gorgeous in a body oil or soap (perhaps, Mandy? Please?). Aftelier Perfumes Violet Ambrosia contributes the perfect honeyed tone to your holidays. Notes: aged broom (genet), alpha ionone, vanilla, violet leaf, raspberry, ylang ylang, sandalwood, mimosa, bergamot. perceived costus,?liatrix
Sample sweetly provided by the perfumer – many thanks! So beautiful. My nose is my own…
~ Ida Meister, Senior and Natural Perfumery Editor
Thanks to the generosity of perfumer Mandy Aftel, we have a 6ml Perfumed Pomander of Aftelier Perfumes Violet Ambrosia for one registered reader in the USA. The draw is for registered readers only, so be sure to register if you have not done so. To be eligible please let us know what you thought of Ida’s review, and your favorite Aftelier Perfume. Draw close 12/4/2020
We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like ÇaFleureBon and use our Blog feed…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.
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