DSH Perfumes Gold Leaf Review (Dawn Spencer Hurwitz) 2019 + Heirloom Elixir No.8 Draw

October 18, 2019October 18, 2019

“Once, out of nature I shall never take

My bodily form from any natural thing, “…

But such a form as Grecian goldsmiths make

Of hammered gold and gold enameling…” – W.B. Yeats, Sailing to Byzantium

The sunshine gilds the natural world in a fantasy of radiant colors, serving up a final, delicate, ephemeral warmth before the first real chill of winter. Every autumn, as the maple leaves glimmer and the local vineyards shimmer in rows of gold, a sharp, sweet melancholy overtakes the soul of this otherwise down to earth and very practical Capricorn. Even though the rewards of the harvest and the end of the growing season are announced in glowing terms of abundance and blessing, these halcyon days – and my happiness as well – are short lived.

Golden Tears by Gustav Klimt

The endings of summer seem so relentless and final. To counter what could otherwise prove to be the beginning of a dark, grieving melancholy, a special kind of potion is required – an elixir that celebrates the moment, eases the seasonal transition and soothes the spirit with a renewed sense of golden promise. I have found welcome relief from my personal Autumnal Blues in Art and Olfaction Award Winning Dawn Spencer Hurwitz’ limited edition Heirloom Elixir No.8, DSH Perfumes Gold Leaf. As a visual and olfactory artist, Dawn Spencer Hurwitz introduces in Gold Leaf, a scented representation of the techniques and effects of the ancient art of gilding – the application of exquisitely thin and fragile sheets of gold to painted and carved surfaces. Dawn’s meticulous use of her new gold leaf metallic perfume accord serves to accentuate the colors of the fragrance notes with a luminous sheen. The perfumes of the season are revealed through translucent layers of shimmering scent.

Golden Grapes via Pixabay

On first looking into DSH Perfumes Gold Leaf (to paraphrase John Keats) I indeed find myself traveling “in the realms of gold”. An exquisite sense of craftsmanship pervades the perfume from the initial to the final breath. Opening with a compote of bright and juicy white grapes, green vine leaves and rich apricot, Gold Leaf creates an olfactory vision of vineyards and orchards ripening in the autumn sunshine. Oak wood and fig add depth and substance to the blend. Notes of harvest and crush develop into a suggestion of the finest cognac, warmed and dripping with honeyed musk, beeswax and sandalwood. DSH Perfumes Gold Leaf uses two very different sandalwoods, an East Indian that lends round warmth and golden color to the perfume and Australian sandalwood, sparkling with metallic accents and grounding earth tones. A bouquet of three jasmines, roses and immortelle, features prominently at the heart of Gold Leaf, offering whispers of flowers, herbaceous hues and hay-like undertones, the breezes of vineyards and late summer gardens. After eight hours on sunlit hillsides, smoky notes of tobacco and labdanum signal the end of the harvest season.

In DSH Perfumes Gold Leaf my fragrant experiences of autumn, the “season of mists and mellow fruitfulness” are enhanced by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz’ veil of art and artifice. Heirloom Elixir Gold Leaf is an enchanting and comforting perfume, celebrating both the beauty of the old and the promise of renewed growth and new life.

Notes: Aldehydes, Gold Leaf Accord, White Grape, Vine Leaf, Leafy Green Accord, Bergamot, Immortelle, Cognac, Apricot, Green Tiger Fig Accord, California Pink Jasmine, Jasmine Sambac, Jasmine Grandiflorum, Bulgarian Rose Otto, Honey Musk, French Beeswax, Labdanum, Oakwood CO2, Atlas Cedarwood, East Indian Sandalwood, Australian Sandalwood, Tobacco Absolute and Green Oakmoss.

Disclaimer: I would like to take this opportunity to thank DSH Perfumes for the experience of the beautiful and comforting Gold Leaf. My opinions are my own.

Gail Gross – Senior Editor

Many thanks Dawn Spencer Hurwitz and DSH Perfumes for generously providing a draw for one dram of Gold Leaf Extrait for one registered reader worldwide. To be eligible for the draw please leave a comment saying what appeals to you about DSH Perfumes Gold Leaf, based upon Gail’s review and where you live. Draw closes 10/23/2019

Editor’s Note: DSH Perfumes Gold Leaf will only be available until November 8, 2019. Gold Leaf is the 8th in Dawn’s Heirloom Collection perfumes which are all limited editions. Please take a moment to read Lauryn’s review of Sharkskin # 7 here and Wild Coyote # 6 here. You can read Ida’s review of #5 White Rabbits here and Love is Everything #4 here, Number #2 and #3 Oudh Blanc and Aoud Noir by Lauryn here. The first was Essenza dell Ibisco, and I had the honor of collaborating with Dawn was reviewed by Ida here. You can read about the Heirloom Elixirs here. –Michelyn Camen, Editor-in-Chief

This is our Privacy and Draw Rules Policy

We announce the winners only on our site and through a link on our Facebook page, so like Çafleurebon and use our blog feed…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume