Bal-Masque by Charles Hermans, 1888
Fragrances named for passionate revolutionaries and scandalous Belle Époque dancers might not occur to most perfume houses, but they are right up Blocki Perfumes alley. The historic American house has looked to a very personal past – the inspirations and creations of founder John Blocki in the early 1900s – while reimagining the original fragrances for modern noses. Blocki has created some truly stunning perfumes in this vein: This Grand Affair is a labdanum-rich floral that retains echoes of the grande dame fragrances of the Gilded Age; last year’s Sanrovia (one of my top ten of 2018) is a heartbreakingly beautiful sandalwood floral that feels nostalgic and current simultaneously. Blocki Perfumes Saharet and Kosciuszko, were named for an audacious dancer and American revolutionary hero, fit right in. Working for the first time with perfumers Lionel Nesbitt (for Saharet) and Duff Scott for Kosciuszko, Blocki creative directors Tyler and Tammy Kraemer have reinvented two original Blocki fragrances from the early 1900s with their newest scents, Saharet and Kosciuszko.
John Blocki. Image courtesy Chicago Veteran Druggists' Association records, University of Illinois at Chicago Library, Special Collections and Archives.
John Blocki saw the mesmerizing Saharet (nee Paulina Clarissa Mooney) dance and was inspired to create a fragrance in her honour in 1908. Born in humble circumstances in Australia, Mooney set off for the states as a dancer at age 16. Re-christened the rather more exotic “Saharet,” she quickly became known for her outlandish flexibility – called the “India Rubber Lady” by one critic – as well as for her sloe-eyed beauty and sensational publicity stunts. And, of course, she married a millionaire – though she walked out on him after only a few days after he insisted she stop dancing. Perfumer Lionel Nesbitt worked with Jean-Claude Delville using chromatography to recreate a 150-year old perfume from Piesse & Lubin of London that was found among the remains of the Civil War blockade runner, Mary Celestia.
Blocki Perfumes Saharet collage by Michelyn via Blocki and Saharet via wiki
The eponymous perfume is a breezy, unconventional, earthy-green fragrance dotted with spice. The opening act of Saharet is a juicy burst of orange mandarin that splashes over some fresh-smelling vetiver. The effect is surprising, almost masculine – I was waiting for a big, exotic floral to careen out of the bottle like a naughty vaudeville act. But those bright notes set the stage for a more thoughtful, individualistic fragrance that avoids stereotypes. Centered around peppery geranium and underscored by the moist, bitter chocolate of patchouli, Saharet flirts with both dusky and verdant qualities like practiced fan dancer. The spices come out in the middle stage, dusky cardamom snaking around the vetiver, while the pink pepper sidles alongside the naturally spicy geranium like a softer, sweeter doppelganger. Saharet becomes sweeter and richer the longer it sits on the skin as the amber comes out, and as she takes her final bow, she softens into a velvety, sultry blend of verdant and spice notes that would work well on either sex. Unconventional, earthy and carefree, Saharet herself would, I think, be pleased.
Saharet notes: pink pepper, mandarin, cardamom, Egyptian geranium, amber, cashmere, green vetiver, patchouli, labdanum.
Tadeusz Kosciuszko via YouTube and Blocki image
The noble-born Tadeus Kosciuszko initially seems a polar opposite to Saharet. Serious, intellectual, impassioned Kosciuszko was a Polish-Lithuanian-born military man who fought for causes he believed in. But the similarity between the two personas lies in their defiance of what the world expected of them, seemingly symbolized in the young, green smells that run centrally through both fragrances. The original Bouquet Kosciuszko was first produced in 1903. Today’s version, is, let me tell you straight off, one of the best masculines of the year: a no holds-barred, smoky green fragrance with echoes of Parfumerie Generale’s superb Querelle, but very much its own man.
Wild Forest by Parfene Gina
Kosciuszko fairly barrels out of its flask in a melee of gunfire, booze and the loamiest, moistest tobacco around. Black pepper huffs in a big, spicy, anisic cloud while, in quick succession, like the rattle of a Gatling gun, piney and bitter citrus notes ping and retreat. Kosciuszko makes brilliant use of cognac, sweet tobacco and gunpowder. The combined effect of these notes is bracingly green and almost incense-y, but also leathery and arboreal, with touches of wood polish and just-pulled bitter orange rind. The smells of wild greenery mingle with the high-end brandy of the officer’s club, and dark forest scents surround the smoky gunpowder and pops of citrus. Underneath it all is that wonderful, chewy green tobacco, so fresh and damp it feels like it was just cropped. Although I called Kosciuszko a masculine, rest assured I will be wearing this regularly, particularly in cool Spring weather.
Kosciuszko notes: bergamot, black pepper, orange bitters, Siberian fir, Swiss cognac, tobacco, gunpowder, Texas cedar, vetiver, cypress oil, musk.
The uncompromising elegance and uniqueness of Kosciuszko and Saharet are reminders to seek out Blocki Perfumes. If you have not become familiar with this house, get a move on. They are producing some of the most gorgeous perfume in America.
Disclaimer: Samples of Saharet and Kosciuszko kindly provided by Blocki Perfumes. My opinions are my own.
— Lauryn Beer, Senior Editor
Blocki Perfumes Saharet and Blocki Perfumes Kosciuszko
Thanks to the generosity of Blocki Perfumes, we have a 50 ml bottle each of Blocki Perfumes Saharet and Kosciuszko for two registered readers in the U.S. You must register or your comment won’t count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what appeals to you about Blocki Saharet or Blocki Kosciuszko based on Lauryn’s review and your choice should you win. Draw closes 5/8/2019.
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