Gallagher Fragrances Purple Powder bottle, photo by Michael Devine©
“All the other colors are just colors, but purple seems to have a soul.” — Uniek Swain
When Daniel Gallagher announced his newest creation, Purple Powder, on Instagram, it took me all of 30 seconds to add that purple-powder-promise to my online cart. Already a fan of his work (I think Wicked Good is wicked great, I get misty for Mists of Time and I’ve long beheld Behold Patchouli), all I needed was the note breakdown and the Gallagher signature. According to Mr. Gallagher, who, with his wife, Mindy Ruiz, are the creative force behind the brand, “Containing nearly 50 ingredients, Purple Powder is my most ambitious formula yet. I wanted to create a fragrance with many different layers, a concept which seems to be far removed from the relatively simplistic mainstream singular-enduring-note releases we experience in vast quantities today. Don’t get me wrong — I have several simplistic fragrances in my collection because they are usually quite versatile, but sometimes you want to go on a much longer olfactory journey.”
Photo: Daniel Gallagher and Mindy Ruiz at the WPC in Miami at the Art and Olfaction Ceremony where Behold Patchouli was the winner in the Aftel handmade category 2022 courtesy of Gallagher Fragrances
In my experience, a singular composition with a list of notes that reads like an annual order from The Perfumer’s Apprentice can be a risky endeavor. But in the capable hands (and nose) of Daniel Gallagher, I was confident in this blind buy, my interest piqued by notes of sweet acorn, litsea cubeba (a lemony herb used in Chinese medicine), iris powder (of course!) toasted cinnamon and hay absolute—infused with what I perceive as the Gallagher house DNA: Madagascar vanilla absolute and patchouli (in this case a “patchouli heart” note from IFF-LMR). Moreover, the composition contains five different musks. Gallagher Fragrances Purple Powder is an intriguing counterpoint to earlier compositions like Wicked Good, a gourmand which capitalized on three key ingredients (milk chocolate, tonka bean absolute, and genuine Madagascar vanilla absolute). Wicked Good is, incidentally, one of my most complimented fragrances and my gateway to the brand. It was also featured on ÇaFleureBon as one of the ten best chocolate perfumes.
Purple Petals via Unsplash
Gallagher Fragrances Purple Powder opens with immediate depth; the citric top-notes of yellow mandarin, Calabrian lemon, bergamot and bitter orange play treble to the underscoring of harmonic warmth from the mid, already in tune. One can sense the aforementioned Gallagher-ness immediately, but before the “purple powder” reveals itself, there’s an autumnal aura in the earthy elements of pepper, cedar, hay, cinnamon, vetiver and what must be the “sweet acorn” accord. It’s stunning. It’s also calming and comforting, like being warmed by an outdoor fire amid the chilly autumn air as leaves fall around you in hues of brown, red, yellow, orange and … there it is … purple.
via Unsplash
The iris powder note, which emerges in the heart, fulfills the promise of purple powder. In my perception, however, the composition is not iris-centric; the note is a stalwart member of the ensemble. The powder, it should be noted, is nothing like baby powder or talc, but rather an earthy, pulverized iridescence which casts a purple glow on the surrounding accords. The perfume manages to embody the color’s duality—regal yet approachable, calming yet vibrant. It’s also surprisingly cohesive and intentional. I wore Gallagher Fragrances Purple Powder for a week straight (unusual behavior for a fragrance addict), partly to prepare for a learned review, but partly because it’s absolutely addictive and easily one of the best releases of 2023. It’s clear Daniel Gallagher recognizes when to exercise restraint, but also when and how to harmonize seemingly-disparate accords to create something entirely new and fun and beautiful. And that, purple-hued and beyond, is a sign of mastery.
“Featured Notes” per Gallagher Fragrances: Yellow Mandarin, Calabrian Lemon, Litsea Cubeba, Bergamot, Bitter Orange, Black and Pink Pepper, Magnolia, Lily, Iris Powder, Texas Cedar, Sweet Acorn, Amber, Benzoin, Toasted Cinnamon, Patchouli Heart, Hay Absolute, Labdanum, Madagascar Vanilla Absolute, Styrax, Vetiver, and Musk.
Disclosure: Based on a bottle of Purple Powder purchased by the author
—Michael Devine, Senior Contributor
Thanks to the enormous generosity of Gallagher Fragrances, we have 50 ml of Purple Powder to give away to one registered reader in the contiguous U.S. or Canada only. To be eligible, please leave a comment indicating what intrigues you about Purple Powder and note if you live in the contiguous U.S. or Canada. Draw closes 11/24//2023.
Please read Daniel’s Profile in American Perfumery Here
Mists of Time received a ÇaFleureBon Best of Scent 2022 award from Micheal here
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