Maher Olfactive Waking Dream collage with Dune image by Michelyn
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream? ~ Edgar Allan Poe, A Dream Within a Dream
Thou dream, O blessed dream!
Spread far and near thy veil of haze,
Tone down the lines so sharp,
Make smooth what roughness seems. ~ Swami Vivekananda, Thou Blessed Dream
To dream a lucid dream: that state of consciousness which lies between wakefulness and sleep, in which the dreamer is aware that a dream is taking place. The first known documentation of waking dreams was penned by Aristotle in his treatise, On Dreams. It is felt that those who have had extensive experience with meditation may be more likely to elicit lucid dreaming states – during which they may prove able to exert some influence over their dream – and move towards the resolution of recurrent nightmares, phobias, improve their quality of life and promote creativity.
Shawn Maher, founder of independent fragrance houses Maher Olfactive and Chatillon Lux (apped by Michelyn)
This fostering of creativity is pivotal to artisanal perfumer Shawn Maher’s latest eau de parfum, Maher Olfactive Waking Dream. In his description of this fragrance, he refers to the “euphorically somnambulant feeling of a waking dream” – and inquires of the perfumer: “What do they smell when they dream of iris, in that state of delirium where they are dreaming of the fantasy scent but are not truly asleep?”.
How can we hang on to a dream
How can it, will it be, the way it seems? ~ Tim Hardin
Iris via pixaby
Maher Olfactive Waking Dream is a gauzy iris reverie which ensnares us, brimming with the detailed, thoughtful composition of chimerical olfactory accords employed to superb effect. To laconically categorize his notes solely as ‘iris, amber and sandalwood’ pays Shawn short shrift and does neither the perfumer nor his perfume justice. The multi-faceted iris of his envisioning presents as an initial burst of blue-violet energy comprised of orris and ionones which are bolstered and offset by a radiant Hedione and benzyl acetate’s fruity jasmine tones; terpenic limonene and herbal/woody alpha pinene garnished with a dash of Fructone® (IFF) – which imparts a fruity, berry-like aroma. It segues into a carefully constructed feathery amber accord which brings into play a fragrant chiaroscuro: benzoin for delicately spicy gentling; labdanum essential oil, with its rich woody/incense/balsamic/ambergris aspects; both a sensuous dark patchouli and a cleaner, ambery one (Clearwood® Firmenich); the satiny cedar of Iso E Super® (IFF); a kiss of ethyl vanillin’s sweetness, tempered by the burnt caramel/baked bread of furfural. Traces of powerful elements are grace notes which embellish and flesh out the unique character of Maher Olfactive Waking Dream’s amber: Pyralone® (Givaudan) contributes a verdant wood/leather/fine tobacco nuance – so it’s dosed with a light hand; Kephalis® (Givaudan) and its potent wood/amber/tobacco odor; just a dash of sweet/bitter herbal clary sage – wine-like, with hay and tobacco dimensions; Globanone® (Symrise), with its freshly laundered, waxy musk; Sylvamber, with its dry old cedar/ambergis effect, and Traseolide – a creamy musk ketone which bears an undertone of sandalwood. The final coup is beloved Mysore sandalwood – the gold standard: beyond creamy, unctuous and utterly seductive.
Paul Atreides (in Fremen stillsuit) on Arrakis played by Kyle McLoughlin movie still 1984
Maher Olfactive Waking Dream conjures my most vivid image of David Lynch’s 1984 Dune, written by Frank Herbert. Paul Atreides (Paul Muad’Dib) accompanies his father, Duke Leto, and mother, the Lady Jessica – to the barren desert planet of Arrakis (otherwise known as Dune), which is home to the mysterious Fremen and the mining of all-important spice Mélange. Dune is a “wasteland of the Empire, and the most valuable planet in the universe. Because it is here—and only here—where spice is found. And he who controls it, controls our destiny.” Paul befriends the Fremen and rises within its ranks as a great leader – but his customary visionary dreams cease, and he realizes that he cannot fulfill his destiny until he drinks the deadly Water of Life (a toxic exhalation of the dying sandworms on Arrakis) which conveys wisdom and prescience. Only holy women have imbibed it and survived; it was believed that the only man, should he succeed (without dying in his attempt, as all others did) would emerge as the Kwisatz Haderach – a Messianic figure who would change the universe for the better. The lucid, hallucinogenic-like nature of Paul’s revelations as he imbibes the Water of Life mirror Waking Dream: dreams within dreams, realization of truths, a future path. Paul survives and changes history, because the sleeper must awaken. In this manner, perfumer Shawn Maher has materialized his own lucid slumber. Perhaps, if sleepers must awaken – may it prove as dulcet an experience as Maher Olfactive Waking Dream. Notes: iris accord (orris tincture, ionones, benzyl acetate, Limonene, Fructone® (IFF), alpha pinene, Hedione), amber accord (benzoin, labdanum eo, dark-aged patchouli, Clearwood® (Firmenich), furfural, Iso E Super® (IFF), ethyl vanillin, Pyralone® (Givaudan), clary sage, Kephalis® (Givaudan), Globanone® (Symrise), Sylvamber, Traseolide), Mysore sandalwood.
Sample provided by the perfumer – many thanks! My nose is my own…
~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor
Maher Olfactive Waking Dream courtesy of the perfumer
Thanks to the generosity of Maher Olfactive, we have a 100 ml bottle of Maher Olfactive Waking Dream for one registered reader in the U.S. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what strikes you about Maher Olfactive Waking Dream, and whether you have a favorite Maher Olfactive fragrance. Draw Closes 9/15/2022
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Shawn Maher was named Michelyn’s Best of 2020- Artisan Perfumer
Maher Olfactive Treachery Barrel Aged was a best of 2021 by Ida
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