DSH Perfumes Mon Petit Oiseau Heirloom Elixir no. 38 (Dawn Spencer Hurwitz) 2025 + Independence Day Giveaway

DSH Perfumes Mon Petit Oiseau Heirloom Elixir 38

DSH Perfumes Mon Petit Oiseau Heirloom Elixir no. 38 courtesy of Dawn

Hope” is the thing with feathers –

That perches in the soul –

And sings the tune without the words –

And never stops – at all. ~ Emily Dickinson

Dawn Spencer Hurwitz of DSH Perfumes with Sweet Pea courtesy of Dawn Spencer Hurwitz

Numerous proper tales commence with the following phrase: once upon a time. And once upon a time, our artisanal award-winning perfumer Dawn Spencer Hurwitz befriended a little bird: a budgerigar, aka budgie, aka the much-loved, gregarious Australian parakeet. You’re familiar with the type – a staple avian pet frequently found in many households, especially those with young children and/or pensioners. Apparently, the attraction and ensuing affection was mutual: Dawn invested love, time, patience, and energy into her Sweet Pea and eventually trained him to speak. Sweet Pea was a Muse, and an angel – and as we know, angels may assume a variety of guises. He was one of the feathered ones…

Heirloom Elixir 38 DSH Perfumes Mon Petite Oiseau

painting of Sweet Pea by Dawn courtesy of Dawn Spencer Hurwitz

There he was at my feet; a complete surprise. A green budgie was asking to make my acquaintance as he peeped and looked up at me. I looked down, saw him, lowered my hand for him to jump on my finger, and he did. He smiled at me and peeped again. In that moment he stole my heart. This is how I met my little bird, Sweet Pea. I taught him to speak in phrases and eventually, being the poet that he was, he would rearrange them and recite them back in unique, wonderful new ways. He loved millet; and he had the cozy scent of warm, sweet feathers and grain breath. This is a fragrance homage to my beloved Sweet Pea. Along with references to his ‘actual’ scent are synesthetic references…references to his coloring (a vibrant green with bright yellow feathers) and his light blue beak band.” ~ Dawn’s reflections and inspiration via her website.

painting of parrots

 water color by Dawn courtesy of Dawn Spencer Hurwitz

Love which arrives unbidden is often the sweetest; it possesses a rare, incalculable innocence. It is this unsullied purity of devotion which is as tender as an angel’s wing. Such is the nature of DSH Perfumes Mon Petit Oiseau  Heirloom Elixir (no.38) one of the more soulful and subtle perfumes I’ve experienced this season. While Dawn keeps pace with ongoing fragrance trends, she is never a slave to them – and it is her passion to seek allusion where others expound in a more vociferous fashion. This synaesthetic steadfastness is one of her strengths; it enables her to reconstruct (and if needed, deconstruct) the nuances representative of her subject of study. In DSH Perfumes Mon Petit Oiseau, each fragrant collaborator finds its place – there are no extraneous bits. Vibrant citruses evoke her little bird’s brilliant coloration; mimosa, heliotrope, oakmoss and ambrette echo the downy animalic nature of Sweet Pea’s feathery corporeal being. Other olfactory hues in the perfumer’s palette are more difficult to define: what constitutes the character of a vine leaf (as opposed to a tomato leaf), or the reminiscence of millet seed? Sweet Pea’s own honeyed aroma may be evoked by a soupçon of neroli, a delightful note of musk rose – and, most decidedly, the inclusion of vanilla and tonka. Precious orris concrete wears multiple faces which contribute to an overall naturalism, with its facets of silver, chocolate, earthiness: bready, rooty, and floral all at once. In toto, we are presented with the portrait of a beloved being, one which may have been domesticated over years of breeding, but which still retains its connection to the wild. Mon Petit Oiseau is a stealthy fragrance, in that it insinuates itself into one’s good graces – which may be an underrated kindness in an unkind world. To my way of thinking, this provides a much-needed talismanic veil of wellbeing – and I seek these small blessings at every available opportunity.

Notes: bergamot, green mandarin, Tahitian lime, lemon, sweet pea accord, heliotrope, millet accord, mimosa, musk rose, neroli, orris concrete, vine leaf, green oakmoss, vanilla, tonka bean, ambrette seed

It feels fitting to celebrate American Independence Day with Dawn Spencer Hurwitz – our first perfumer interviewed in the ÇaFleureBon Profiles in American Perfumery series begun in July, 2011. Since then, Dawn has won awards internationally, garnering the respect and admiration she merits. When you think about the best American perfumery has to offer – how it can hold its own with the likes of Paris, London, Milan, etc. – DSH Perfumes is right there in the forefront, a bastion of indisputable quality and taste. We at ÇaFleureBon are grateful for Dawn’s presence and for providing an aromatic soundtrack which we adore’. – Ida Meister from her review of Vers La Voute Etoilee

Sample kindly provided by the perfumer – many thanks! My nose is my own…

~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor

 

Mon Petit Oiseau by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz of DSH Perfumes

Mon Petit Oiseau (Heirloom Elixir no. 38)

Thanks to the generosity of Dawn Spencer Hurwitz of DSH Perfumes, we have one 30 ml flacon of Mon Petit Oiseau (Heirloom Elixir no. 38) for one registered reader in the continental USA. To be eligible, please leave a comment regarding what sparked your interest about Ida’s review of DSH Perfumes Mon Petit Oiseau and that you live in the contiguous USA. Draw closes 7/7/2025

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Please read Michelyn’s Interview with Dawn Spencer Hurwitz of DSH Perfumes

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22 comments

  • melanierosefragrances says:

    What a wonderful review! This fragrance sounds soothing and comforting. I used to have pet birds, so I’m very intrigued to try this! I live in VA. Thanks for the opportunity!

  • Crafting a fragrance that would honor that invisible thread between human and pet is enduring. That would explain my attraction to vetiver and hay notes. I’m in the US.

  • I think it’s really interesting and special when a perfume is crafted around very personal connections and memories. I’ve found most of my favorite niches are perfumers drawing from experiences as opposed to crafting “scents.” USA

  • What a lovely story, and Dawn’s hommage to her petit Sweet Pea sounds wonderful. I enjoyed hearing about he story, and viewing the art that Dawn created using her petit oiseau as model and inspiration. Thank you Dawn for sharing. I have enjoyed add the scents in have tried. And again, lovely review by Ms. Ida. From wa state.

  • Ramses Perez says:

    It’s truly amazing how Dawn was able to capture each characteristic of Sweat Pea into a fragrance. The colors, personality and even more intimate features such as the breath and way that Sweet Pea carried herself are all present here in Mon Petit Oiseau. No wonder she has won numerous awards as this is no easy task to master but the love of Sweet Pea was able to surpass that and become something that will always be remembered. Now, anytime she wants to remember Sweet Pea, even when she’s not around, Mon Petit Oiseau will serve as a reminder. I’m located in the USA.

  • Oh my heart!! I just love Sweet Pea! I’ve had birds all my life and for a spell I rehabbed parrots that had “behavioral issues”. Really they were traumatized by being passed around from home to house never truly listened to or loved. Building up trust and finding the right home took years. I really wish we had more bird-as-pets awareness. They are such social creatures and being in tight cages alone drives them mad. Anyways… the perfume sounds incredible. All the notes look lovely and Dawn is amazing! I hope to win this beauty. I am in the U.S.

  • This is such a sweet article. The perfume sounds intriguing. Combining the smell and appearance into notes of fragrance is genius.

  • Such a lovely story and homage to a beloved friend to recreate the scents associated with Sweet Pea! I especially liked the description of the fragrance as giving a “talismanic veil of wellbeing.” I am in MA.

  • Brandon J says:

    What an expression and artful rendition of the love and bond between animal and human. It goes beyond what the mind can even comprehend we do our best to revere that bond and what a better way than through fragrance. The honey and millet feathery invocations that bring this fragrance it’s love. That is what stands out to me. The effort to capture love.

  • roxhas1cat says:

    What an adorable Sweet Pea!! I love how these notes show the color of the bird and the millet is so perfect. What a beautiful tribute to a loved pet. The artwork is beautiful. It is perfect to showcase Dawn in this month. I do not own any of Dawn’s creations. I’d love to start with this. Thank you. USA, WA.

  • Dawn really is prolific in her creations, and this scent inspired by her sweet bird sounds lovely. Notes of lime-green and yellow with blue touches – a vibrant but comforting companion. Ida, thank you for putting a spotlight on such a sweet creator. I have been following on FB CFB and liked the story on DSH from ‘24.

    I’m in CA, USA

  • ericwaynebiscuit says:

    I’ve only tried a handful of Dawn Spencer Hurwitz’s fragrances, a very small percentage of the whole of her perfumery, and each has been so unique and easy to engage with; Mon Petit Oiseau sounds no different! It’s such a lovely inspiration and Ida’s review makes me even more curious to sniff. Love the literal (the millet, the ambrette seed) and figurative (the yellows and greens) olfactive connections these notes make to the inspiration.

    I’m in Virginia, USA.

  • Kensolfactoryodyssey says:

    I live in California, USA. What touched me most in Ida’s review of Mon Petit Oiseau was the tender inspiration behind the fragrance—Sweet Pea the budgie and the love he inspired. The idea of capturing the scent of warm feathers, millet breath, and his vibrant colors in perfume is so moving and beautifully personal. I especially loved the mention of mimosa, heliotrope, and orris—notes that sound soft, sunny, and nostalgic. I also liked CaFleureBon Profiles in American Perfumery on Facebook.

  • Mon Petit Oiseau is a lovely tribute to Sweet Pea. I like how she interpreted both his bright, colorful appearance, but also the smell of his companionship, and the joy felt interacting with him. It’s hard losing a beloved pet; I’m glad Dawn could share Sweet Pea with us in this way.

    I’m in the contiguous USA. I like CaFleureBon Profiles in American Perfumery on Facebook. Thanks for the giveaway!

  • Angelika1 says:

    Ida Review, highlight in Mon Petit Oiseau Heirloom Elixir No. 38 its “unsullied purity of devotion” and its ability to create a “talismanic veil of wellbeing”. That makes sense based on the Sweet Pea bird name. The fragrance is considered a charming and heartwarming delight, and a soulful homage to sweet peas. The notes like sweet pea blossoms, bergamot, Tahitian lime, mimosa, tonka bean, and a subtle animalic accord make a dynamic and interesting combination of notes. I’m very curios of try this scent on my skin. From USA.

  • How sweet! I had a green budgie when I was young too. I remember tying the millet sticks to the side of his cage as a little treat. I like Dawn’s emphasis on the green in this fragrance. The green mandarin, Tahitian lime and green oakmoss are perfect for the green budgie. The sweet pea and heliotrope are a delicate floral accompaniment and the millet accord is a perfectly appropriate note for the composition. This sounds delightful.MD, USA.

  • What a beautiful inspiration for a perfume, an intangible representation of the ineffable love between beings of different species. As usual, it seems that Dawn has captured many aspects of her subject in what sounds like a glorious perfume, and I would love to try it. Thank you for doing a drawing for this. I’m in Virginia.

  • foreverscents says:

    I am always excited to see where Dawn’s inspiration will take her, with what notes and accords she will create and use to represent and allude to her creations. I recently wore her tribute to Maria Callas. I Fiori Bel Canto. and I could feel the soaring notes of the fragrance just as I could feel the notes of a soaring Callas aria. I am intrigued by Mon Petit Oiseau’s sweet pea and millet accord. I love that Ida wrote that this fragrance could serve as a “talismanic veil of well-bring.” I think Dawn’s fragrances do indeed serve this purpose.
    I live in the USA.

  • I used to have a bird, named Danny (after the character in the movie Grease.) the love we share with our animals is amazing. In maryland.

  • goldenswan says:

    The contrast between fragility and groundedness in Ida’s review stood out to me. I was also curious about the way orris, narcissus, and osmanthus are used. It sounds like a quietly emotional perfume. I’m in the U.S.

  • I love everything Dawn does, so I am sure Mon Petit Oiseau will be no exception. I loved reading about Dawn’s precious Sweet Pea; he sounds like he was a wonderful little bird. Mon Petit Oiseau is a beautiful tribute, and the composition sounds like it captures Sweet Pea’s essence perfectly. The combination of mimosa, heliotrope, and ambrette sounds so comforting. I loved Ida’s comment, “Precious orris concrete wears multiple faces which contribute to an overall naturalism, with its facets of silver, chocolate, earthiness: bready, rooty, and floral all at once.” I love orris, and Ida’s description of it in Mon Petit Oiseau is gorgeous!

    I would love to own a bottle of this beautiful creation. Thank you, Ida, for the wonderful review, and thank you to Dawn for the generous giveaway. I am located in the USA.

  • wallygator88 says:

    Thank you for the lovely review Ida.
    I loved reading about Sweet Pea and the amount of joy and comfort that DSH imbued into this fragrance, especially that note of warmth and familiarity (grain breath).

    Would certainly love to try this.

    Cheers from WI, USA