Neil Morris in his lab
“We can do no great things; only small things with great love.” ~ Mother Teresa (Neil Morris’ favorite quote of hers)
Neil’s photo of Fredda on the beach
Often there is a presentiment as I ferret through my drawers, shelves, boxes searching for a specific something. Such was the case last week when I was rifling through flacons from independent niche perfumer and dear friend Neil Morris. It wasn’t coincidence when the fragrance he created for his lifelong best friend Fredda came to hand: it’s been a year this month since her passing. They first met in 1971 and their friendship continued to flourish, spanning nearly 50 years.
Neil and Fredda on Nantasket Beach, 2017
As I sprayed my hand, I mused upon the nature of kindred spirit and that attribute which genuine friendship possesses: the capacity to transcend time and space. Neil Morris Fragrances Forever Friends is a lasting tribute to their relationship and her inner and external beauty. I can’t properly explain why it hasn’t claimed my attention since – but now feels the right time to share this marvelous classic perfume with you.
Fredda was above all a joyous, elegant soul filled with hope and humor. She lived and laughed large. When she was diagnosed with a rampant cancer which did not respond well to treatment, Fredda and Neil traveled great distances to seek alternative means as conventional therapies failed. Like any gentle warrior, she fought until it was absolutely infeasible to do otherwise – with courage and conviction. It is this indomitable essence which Neil wanted to celebrate in fragrant homage, and I think that you will experience his parfum filled with exuberant loveliness much as I do.
Photo courtesy of Neil
If one is of a certain age (and even if you’re not), aldehydes frequently spring to mind when you reflect upon elegance in perfume: a diffusive introduction which bedazzles enticingly and tickles your senses. They can provide a lively and tonic, often playful facet which grabs you by the nostrils. If you’ve been raised in the heyday of aldehydic florals (Chanel No.5 or Lanvin Arpège, for example) it’s second nature to you – so their employment was absolutely (sic) intuitive. Aldehyde C8 emphasizes orange and it’s reprised in Neil’s choice of mandarin orange (a favorite note of Fredda’s which also pops in Hermès’ Elixir de Merveilles, which she loved)) and the delicate succulence of tender pear. A dash of geraniol imparts that rosy herbal note with a hint of lemon; it’s very soigné in the company of grassy, bell pepperish galbanum and heavy, balsamic floral narcissus accompanied by an equally balsamic vetiver. There exists a warm/cool duality within Forever Friends: these companionable notes nestle themselves into an amber eiderdown – again a tribute, this time to Fredda’s beloved Must de Cartier with its distinctive paradoxical Oriental allure. Fredda adored musky, ambery vanillic fragrances – and Neil lovingly obliged with a plush bed of amber, vanilla, sandalwood, olibanum and benzoin. The murmur of a sheer musk coupled with cedar completes his aromatic tapestry.
May we each be blessed to experience such enduring, selfless love in our lifetimes. Through the medium of perfume we are privileged to share their affection as it assumed fragrant form – and that is its own singular gift.
Notes: aldehyde C8, mandarin orange, pear, red currant, geraniol, galbanum, French narcissus, vetiver, amber, sandalwood vanilla, sheer musk, olibanum, benzoin, cedar
My bottle was a gift from the perfumer – but my nose is entirely my own…
All photos courtesy of Neil Morris unless otherwise noted
~ Ida Meister, Senior Editor and Natural Perfumery Editor
In speaking with Neil, it came to our attention that Fredda was an energetically philanthropic person who found the suffering of others excruciating – particularly that of children with cancer. Her favorite charity was St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital. Not for guilt purposes or coercion, my friends (please!)
Neil Morris has informed us that he plans to donate a portion of the sales proceeds to St.Jude’s in her memory. To do so order any vault fragrance and in the comments write “I would like to buy Forever Friends”. Neil ships worldwide with any purchase of $70.
Forever Friends by Ida
Thanks to the generosity of perfumer Neil Morris, we are offering a 30 ml bottle of Neil Morris Forever Friends for one registered reader reader anywhere in the world. To be eligible, please leave a comment explaining what appeals to you about Ida’s review and Neil’s fragrant tribute to Fredda through Neil Morris Fragrances Forever Friends and where you live. Do you have a favorite Neil Morris fragrance? Draw closes 1/27/2020
Editor’s Note: Be sure to read Ida’s the three Neil Morris Fragrances you should be wearing for a start! Also there have been so many reviews since 2010 including former Contributors Mary Beth Devine’s Chasing Autumn, Michael Devine’s Vision in Black, Elena’s Spirit of Water, Lauryn Beer’s Rose Vampyr and Gail’s Top Ten of 2019 Psychedelic Luau
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