JoAnne Bassett

JoAnne Bassett is a natural perfumer and aromatherapist who is truly a pioneer in natural perfumery and who flung open the doors of this genre for the world to see, and sniff, since the millennia turned. Her catalog is impressive, as are her perfumes. Her two newest releases are a beautiful duo of rose anointing oils, just in time for summer weddings, falling in love and celebrating the Queen of Flowers while she is still in full bloom. All JoAnne’s scents are natural. Not that they use a few oils and some other “stuff”-these are all natural essences, a great deal of which were grown organically by the perfumer herself, in a base of organic alcohol. One of the reasons she took the leap from aromatherapy to perfumery is to be able to create and blend Nature into her art and take others on perfumed journeys and help to open people up to the subtler energies in the flowers, fruits, spice and woods.

Sergio Lopez heliotrope

Without any synthetic compounds to “confuse” the nose, Ms. Bassett has once again created something beautiful with these two scents. I was not always the biggest fan of rose in perfumes and loathe smelling “rose-in-a-blender” scents. I am always a bit skeptical of rose perfumes; especially if the perfumer in question has already released some rose perfumes. Though there are many types of roses, most perfumes always seem to have that same accord to them that smacks of something somewhere between Avon’s (bombastically shrill, and thankfully discontinued) Roses, Roses, a lotion sold when I was a lad called “Rose Milk” and just plain old rose essential oil. Here the words of the Bard come to mind: “Would a rose by any other name, smell as sweet?” The answer, here, is a resounding YES.

This duo is not your typical day/night pair or even his/hers, both are unisex. It shows us two very distinct sides of the rose, with the rose(s) used and dramatic orthogonal accenting notes, while shining a spotlight on its beauty, complexity and richness. These are perfect for weddings, commitment ceremonies or anything that involves sharing and showing love. They can be worn alone, or layered together. They would make an awesome gift to give to someone you loved, instead of real roses which will wither fade and die eventually. This is something that will keep that loving feeling alive, in a way no true rose ever could: you can enjoy it whenever you want, and instead of enjoying just the smell of some short-lived flowers you can waft their true beauty and share it with others.

Sergio Lopez Goldya

Rose Kiss centers around Egyptian Damask rose absolute (rosa damascena) and captures her floral and fruity nuances without forgetting about the greens and the stems. It radiates an aura of rosiness, yet never gets overpowering or too much to bear; as some rose perfumes can, even naturals. This is the aroma of the sun-warmed rose still on the bush, not the cut rose stripped of her foliage and placed in a cold glass vase with water. Her warmth and softness shine through as do her subtler, more oriental, qualities. Though the notes are listed as if this were a linear fragrance, it has some development. Sheer warmth and bright floral notes pervade then move softly aside, but are not completely out of the picture, as a deliciously dynamic duo of French vanilla and cocoa absolutes emerge-adding that “golden glow” and a soft dry sweetness and drawing out its more carnal and sensual qualities.

Sergio Lopez  Cromatella

Described as “sweet, and slightly musky” on the company’s website, this lists no musk whatsoever. What the perfumer has done with Turkish Oman frankincense and balsam is gorgeous. The colder smoother incense resin is balanced and held in check by the green woody balsam and neither is too sharp nor too medicinal. They way in which Ms. Bassett has lovingly enmeshed all the raw materials is really most impressive. The natural sheer muskiness of the roses themselves, heightened by heavenly resins and edible sweetness, make Rose Kiss sexy, but never common. Mature, but never old or dated, with an eternally youthful heart this perfume takes the timeless association of roses with love and romance, bottles it and seals it with a fragrant lingering kiss. Sillage: above average. Longevity: good.

Sergio Lopez Rose Noir

Rose Smoke lists no “smoke accord” or even any birch or vetiver, yet it presents as this delightful slightly dirty smoke infused rose. Even though this flower has been scorched on its edges and been covered in smoke it still smells fabulous. The rose featured here is Rose de Mai (May rose). A softer gentler rose than the Damask, this rose has a creamy texture to it that may not smell as strongly as its Turkish cousin but is denser and richer. The intrinsic charm of this particular rose is magnified with the sweet aura of French vanilla and the dark earthy tobacco absolute. The smoke stains and charred edges cannot hide the true beauty of this bloom as she opens, thick and full, to embrace you lovingly and sincerely.

Sergio Lopez Gemini Molyneux

When one hears of a new “rose duo” being released, one thinks: two iterations of the same rose…with minor changes here and there. What is unique and wonderful about these perfumes is the key rose note is different in each one, as are the modifying sweeter notes. What remained the same was the balsam and frankincense pairing that kept them both exotic but down to earth. In Rose Smoke the resin pair helps add the woody smokiness and the sweetness of the other notes is actually turned down a notch. The May rose is shier, not quite as pretty as and more retiring than the Damask; yet, I find it infinitely more interesting and definitely more lovely and charming. I vacillated back and forth the entire time I was testing and wearing these oils to decide which one was my favorite. After multiple wearings, this one eventually won out. Sillage: average. Longevity: very good.

When I received these delightful oils for review I also received a copy of JoAnne Bassett’s new book “Sacred Scents”. As I sniffed my rose-coated wrists again and again while reading her words, it made me feel what the author was saying. Part story, part memoir, part spiritual treatise this book was like sitting and chatting with the author/perfumer herself. She speaks of the virtues of natural perfumes, her own personal journey to perfumer and tries to peer behind the curtain at why scent is so powerful to us and how it can be harnessed for personal growth and spiritual happiness. It is a quick read, but quite profound. I am one of those who, when sniffing a great scent, try and imagine just what the perfumer must have been thinking….now, we know!

Disclosure: Reviews based on samples of rose duo anointing oils and a proof of “Sacred Scents” sent to me by JoAnne Bassett.

JoAnne Bassett Two Sides of the Rose

Thanks to Joanne Bassett we have a draw for a coffret of these oils one for the US and one for the rest of the world. To be eligible leave a comment on which one you believe will be your favorite and if you are a non USA reader. The draw ends July 20, 2013.

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.

–John Reasinger, Senior Editor

Art Direction Michelyn Camen, EIC- I chose the beautiful work of Bay Area Artist Sergio Lopez's Painted Roses Series which are available for sale or learn more about his work at the Modern Eden gallery click here

Editor’s Note: JoAnne’s book Sacred Scents is available in a Kindle edition for those who like their books in digital format.