Boujee Bougies Infleurno via the brand especially for this article

 

Be to her, Persephone,

All the things I might not be:

Take her head upon your knee.

She that was so proud and wild,

Flippant, arrogant and free,

She that had no need of me,

Is a little lonely child

Lost in Hell,—Persephone,

Take her head upon your knee:

Say to her, “My dear, my dear,

It is not so dreadful here.” ~ Prayer to Persephone, Edna St. Vincent Millay

 

 

Pia Long and Nick Gilbert courtesy of the brand

Mythology is tricksy. It often stands to reason that, if you don’t find one version of a story palatable – well, there’s always another one waiting in the wings. So it is with the tale of Hades, Lord of the Underworld, and the winsome Persephone (daughter of Ceres, aka Demeter), who comes to be his consort down below. Their saga is the inspiration behind artisanal perfumer Pia Long and her talented partner/evaluator Nick Gilbert’s latest release for Boujee Bougies Infleurno. Pia and Nick do a brilliant job of conveying the contrasting yet complimentary aspects of both the shadowy and earthly realms which Persephone rightfully claims as her own – by permitting their olfactory media to speak for themselves.

Walter Crane The Fate of Persephone 1887 public domain

Anything goes amongst the G-ds, so being the recipient of unwanted attention from one’s father after he violates one’s mother (Rhea, who later is known as Demeter/Ceres, is interfered with by Zeus, her brother – disguised as a serpent. When Persephone’s mother finds her young daughter repugnant due to deformity, Zeus steps in and mates with her) constitutes nothing unusual on Mt. Olympus. There are multiple tweaked accounts of how Persephone was snatched by Hades (Zeus’ big brother) to the Underworld, and they vary significantly. Some say that Persephone was tricked into swallowing the pomegranate seeds she was given, which led to her downfall; others protest that she knew perfectly well what she was doing when she swallowed them. All tales agree that Persephone was removed from her spring revels amidst the flowers where she frolicked with her friends. It  also has been said that Zeus encouraged Hades and/or gave his blessing. Hades has been depicted as a cruel character – but this may not have been the case, as there is ample evidence that he and his consort loved one another deeply, and that he was very kind to his wife. Instead of keeping her his prisoner all year ‘round, he agreed to having her spend half the year with him (autumn and winter) – and the other half above ground with her mother (spring and summer). I leave it to you to draw your own conclusions. I’ve devoted a good deal of time reviewing as many facets of this myth as I can.

Ida with Pia Long at Esxence

So, how does the perfumer convey the scope of possibilities for us in a perfume? /’/ I think that it defies categorization, which pleases me greatly. Infleurno doesn’t need to be relegated to a boxed definition, because that alone might prove boring – and Infleurno is anything but boring. Let’s see how Pia and Nick perceive it.

Image Courtesy of Bourjee Bougies

Scent Impressions (per Pia and Nick): Charred grapefruit, creamy white petals, sparkling smoke

Their description is an excellent, succinct starting point, but there is much more to it. I’d like to offer my interpretation. The season during which Persephone was carried away was clearly a blooming one; we know this because she rejoices in flowers beforehand. Academics cite Sicily and Calabria most frequently as the location where all this likely transpired; if that is the case, then citrus fruits and flowers were abundant at that time of the year. Pia and Nick utilize a veritable bouquet of sunshine evoked by grapefruit, yuzu, lemon and bergamot as illustration. Sparkling and lively, they pave the path for the richly seductive blossoms which follow – heady jasmine, companionable magnolia, and multifaceted osmanthus, with its fruity/leathery visage. This is the tip of the iceberg.

When we consider the domain below Earth’s crust, we cannot avoid the presence of sulfur. This element is conjured in reference to Satan himself and the vapors of Hell in many texts. Sulfur is not merely an element; its present may be felt everywhere, although we may not be consciously sensible to it. To this end, Pia and Nick stealthily refer to it in many guises, – which results in a sulfurous garland composed of a bevy of varied olfactory materials. Grapefruit, passionfruit, blackcurrant, and pyrogenated incense (sulfur dioxide is released when incense is heated to a high temperature) all possess this quality in varying amounts, dependent upon percentage – so while we experience a sense of joyful abundance, there exists a telling underbelly sequestered under the petticoats of fruit and sacred smoke. It’s quite a coup. Profoundly earthy elements which link earth with the Underworld intertwine with considerable skill, represented by Virginia cedar, vetiver, labdanum, inky oakmoss, and leather. All of these effects are so seamlessly incorporated that it takes a bit of experience to tease them out, but none of this affects our ability to fully appreciate the unique pleasure we derive from Infleurno. It too must be considered when taking stock of 2024’s finest releases – and to date, nothing remotely like Infleurno exists. We doff our chapeau.

Notes: grapefruit, yuzu, lemon, bergamot, jasmine absolute, magnolia, osmanthus absolute, passionfruit, blackcurrant absolute, pyrogenated incense, cedarwood Virginia, vetiver, labdanum, oakmoss, leather

My sample was graciously provided by Pia Long and Nick Gilbert with no expectation of review – many thanks! This is my favorite in your line thus far. My nose is my own…

~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor

Thanks to the generosity of Pia Long and Nick Gilbert, we have a travel spray of Boujee Bougies Infleurno for one registered ÇaFleureBon reader in the UK, and thanks to a team member 5 ml if you are in the CON USA ONLY ONE WINNER (if you are not sure if you are registered click here – you must register on our site or your entry will be invalid). To be eligible please leave a comment on this site with what strikes you about Ida’s review of Infleurno and where you live. Draw closes 4/14/2024

Editor’s Note: Boujee Bougies Infleurno will not be available until later in the year.

Please enjoy Nicoleta’s review of Boujee Bougies Queen here Nick Gilbert is a former ÇaFleureBon contributor from our very first year. Please read his April 7, 2010 article: Tales from Behind the Counter- A Perfumisto in Hell.

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Please join use in congratulating Ida Meister, a finalist in the 2024 Fragrance Foundation Awards for Editorial Excellence for her article Miss Balmain by Germaine Cellier, The Scent of Sedition

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