Laboratorio Olfattivo Baliflora bottle by Gail Gross ©
When I first encountered the new Laboratorio Olfattivo Baliflora, I immediately fell in love – but I also found myself somewhat intimidated by the beauty of the fragrance. As a perfume reviewer blessed with an extensive collection of vintage and modern fragrances, I occasionally encounter a perfume that simply defies description. The new Laboratorio Olfattivo Baliflora is just such a fragrance.
Women by the Lotus Pond, painting by Adrien-Jean la Mayeur de Merpres
“I search for phrases to sing your praises, but there aren’t any magic adjectives to tell you all you are!” (Too Marvelous for Words by Richard Whiting and Johnny Mercer). What does a reviewer do when poetry, storytelling, even musical and visual references can’t capture or do justice to the artistic appeal of a fragrance? From my first whiff Laboratorio Olfattivo Baliflora by the legendary master perfumer Jean-Claude Ellena, I found myself at a loss for words.
Jean-Claude Ellena via Jean Claude Ellena
“You’re just too marvelous, too marvelous for words like glorious, glamorous and that old standby, amorous. It’s all too wonderful. I’ll never find the words that say enough, tell enough, I mean they just aren’t swell enough.”-Johnny Mercer.
Jean-Claude Ellena, with a career in perfumery spanning over forty years, has created some of our most beloved and iconic fragrances. From Van Cleef & Arpels First in 1976, to The Different Company (Rose Poivree among others), his years as in-house perfumer for Hermes, collaborations with numerous other brands and as an engaging author, Jean-Claude Ellena has bequeathed a legacy of innovation and elegance to the world of perfumery. His recent works, including Houbigant Essence Rare (2018), Perris Monte Carlo Rose de Mai and Jasmin de Pays (2019) and my new love, Laboratorio Olfattivo Baliflora, present solid evidence that the veteran perfumer is as creative and forward thinking as ever.
Traditional Kecak Dance by Muslianshah Masrie ©
Admittedly, every fragrance presents a challenge to the writer to capture, decipher and translate the ephemeral nature of olfaction into words. The name and the word “Baliflora” suggest the enchanted island of Bali, frangipani flowers, tropical lilies and lotus blossoms. While these elements are certainly floating around in the aether that is Laboratorio Olfattivo Baliflora, my experience of the perfume is inescapably integrated into the temperate environment of the Pacific Northwest. With Laboratorio Olfattivo Baliflora the humid landscapes, exotic blooms and graceful dancers of Bali have managed to find their way into the breezes of my early summer garden.
Balinese Women by a Pond in the Garden of Sanur, painting by Adrien-Jean la Mayeur de Merpres
My first impression of Balifora is that of an extravagant bouquet of lilies, frangipani and orange blossoms painted in Jean-Claude Ellena’s signature watercolor style, pastel hues that merge and meld into each other on textured, ivory colored paper. Diffuse is the word! There are no sharp edges here, no defined lines or stark, startling silhouettes. In Laboratorio Olfattivo Baliflora my perception of each olfactory color is like dipping a brush into pigment, touching it to wet paper and watching the color spread out and open up like a blooming flower. Laboratorio Olfattivo Baliflora is the scented sound of soft bells or wind chimes resonating together. The ancient instruments of the Balinese and Indonesian Gamelon orchestras come easily to my ears.
I sense the heart of Laboratorio Olfattivo Baliflora, born, like master Padmasambhava, from within a lotus blossom. Using modalities of flavor and touch, I taste and feel a smooth, light, citrus mousse, garnished with geranium, jasmine and orange blossoms. The flowers, the confection, the music all cling to and caress my skin, intimate and enduring. After twelve hours I still find myself at a loss for just the right words to describe Baliflora. But of one thing I’m certain, the ethereal, otherworldly Baliflora has to be one of my favorite fragrances for 2019. “…And so I’m borrowing a love song from the birds, to tell you that you’re marvelous, too marvelous for words.” – Johnny Mercer
Notes: Mandarin, absolute of orange blossom, frangipani, lily, geranium, lotus, jasmine and musks.
Disclaimer: I would like to thank Laboratorio Olfattivo for my new love – Baliflora. My opinions (and my words) are my own.
Gail Gross – Senior Editor
Follow us on Instagram: @cafleurebon, @laboratorioolfattivo and @azarsmith7.
Thanks to the generosity of Laboratorio Olfattivo we have one 100 ml bottle of Baliflora for one registered reader in the EU and USA. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what appeals to you about Laboratorio Olfattivo Baliflora based on Gail’s review and tell us where you live. Draw closes 6/17/2019
We announce the winners only on our website and on our Facebook page, so like Çafleurebon and use our Site feed … or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.