Castle Island in Boston Harbor by Ida © for Neil Morris Fragrances Voices In Water

“My river runs to thee: Blue sea, wilt welcome me?

My river waits reply. Oh sea, look graciously!

I’ll fetch thee brooks

From spotted nooks, –Say, sea,

Take me!” ~ The Outlet, by Emily Dickinson

Neil Morris with his beloved friend Fredda  may she RIP on Nantasket Beach, 2017

New England artisan perfumer Neil Morris harbors a lifelong kinship with natural forces and the arts of divination. He has studied under the tutelage of such authorities as the late astrologer Helen “Betty” Caulfield and Laurie Cabot – the famous Salem witch. In as many times as we have gathered in his studio, Neil has utilized runes, Tarot decks and other tools to shed light upon my own path over the years. Divination has been as much a part of our custom as the exploration of aromatic materials. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that the elements speak to him – water, in particular. I’ve teased him affectionately (and relentlessly) about his love for aquatics, his utilization of oceanic musks and limpid florals in combination with juicy fruit in his fragrances. Neil adores the sea, the beach, any body of water. So, when he revealed that he’d been working on a fragrance revolving around his awareness of the innate intelligence of moving water – well. It felt perfectly in character (and although a Sun in Virgo man, Cancerian traits in his natal chart are palpable, frankly).

Castle Island in Boston Harbor by Ida ©

Neil relates walking through the woods on a summer day with a friend; they encountered a waterfall and sat down beside it in order to revel in its beauty. A sudden realization struck him: a conversation was taking place in the immediate vicinity – was it coming from the rush of water, or behind the waterfall? His friend heard nothing; it seems. This experience altered Neil’s consciousness, however – and he has been sentient ever since of these voices whenever he’s near running water: ergo, Voices In Water.

Castle Island in Boston Harbor by Ida ©

Neil Morris Fragrances Voices In Water feels both intuitive and a departure from our perfumer’s usual body of work. It’s staunchly marine in nature and bears some of his beloved fragrant fingerprints: oceanic musk, aldehydes, the aqueous lilt of melodic waterlily and freesia tones. Ozone appears in the guise of Floralozone® from IFF: fresh, aldehydic and potent, it contributes a lasting lift and echoes of the ocean. Brininess is also summoned by a dry salt accord which provides a mineralic effect upon warm skin, and the familiar rain note which has been popular since the 1960s (a hippie’s mainstay). Geraniol imparts lovely rosy/herbal/fruity notes; Hedione®’s diffusivity lends a clear-voiced jasmine lightness tinged with citrus. Alpha ionone weaves in nuances of woody, earthy violet and berries. All of these materials are oft-employed colors in Neil’s olfactory palette and wielded with a loving hand.

 Neil Morris Fragrances Voices in Water Castle Island in Boston Harbor by Ida ©

The unexpected arrives in Neil’s choice of aldehydes: lavender aldehyde, with its herbal/green/woodiness – and mandarin aldehyde, fruit tinged with metal. Pineapple is juicy, not overbearing – because balance is all. Recreating a breezy, windblown seascape means uncovering components which – deftly dosed – will anchor its limpidity without weighing it down. How to further embellish an aquarelle without heft? A waft of black tea with its leathery murmur finds itself in bourbon’s embrace – just. Instead of wine-dark Homerian patchouli, the choice is made to favor Clearwood® instead: echoes of aged wood, earthy, minty – without the weedy/dirty must. This woodiness, driftwood-resonant – is augmented by iso mohanol, an aromachemical possessed of spicy intensity and powdery sandalwood-similar qualities. If we are to be marooned at sea, we will most certainly enjoy the sensation. As unorthodox as this melange sounds, Neil has alchemized the lot so that it works brilliantly, from initial crystalline inception to the delicate fluid trail of wood, salt and marine zephyr.

Neil Morris Fragrances Voices In Water is an eloquent, original perfume full of tender revelations – one which took me by surprise, particularly because aquatics in general have been my least favorite genre, as many attempts ring false to my nose. I’m grateful for the opportunity to rectify that opinion, and believe that this is among the year’s finest thus far.

Notes: pineapple, mandarin aldehyde, lavender aldehyde, Floralozone (IFF), iso mohanol, geraniol, waterlily, freesia, Hedione® (Firmenich), rain note, black tea, alpha ionone, dry salt, bourbon note, ocean musk, Clearwood® (Firmenich)

~ Ida Meister, Senior Editor and Natural Perfumery Editor

My bottle of Voices In Water was a gift from the perfumer, and I adore it!  My nose is my own…

 Neil Morris Fragrances Voices in Water Castle Island in Boston Harbor by Ida ©

Thanks to the generosity of perfumer Neil Morris we have one 30 ml bottle for one registered reader worldwide (be sure to register or your comment will not count). To be eligible, tell us what appeals to you about Ida’s review of Voices In Water, where you live and if you have a favorite Neil Morris fragrance. Do you experience an ongoing relationship with any of the natural elements? Draw closes 7/31/2020

To do order Voices in Water– a vault fragrance , go to www.neilmorrifragrances.com and in the comments write “I would like to buy Voices in Water”. Neil ships worldwide with any purchase of $70.

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All photos by Ida unless specified

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