Sherri Sebastian

Sherri Sebastian, the owner of Sebastian Signs, is an experienced perfumer who has been employed as a nose by Fragrance West for several years. With a chemistry degree and a background in wine and flavor, she turned her attention to her true love, perfume. She decided to start her own perfume company, Sebastian Signs, specializing in custom blends. Recently, she launched a new line of products under the name Purusa Naturals. 

I was intrigued by these perfumes not only because they smell good, but are in a base of argan oil that has been transformed into a gel and makes an excellent carrier for the scent. One thing that can happen with a lot of solid natural perfumes is that they are so waxy that you need to dig into the container to get enough to rub in, or the wax imparts a lot of its own fragrance. I have some solids, but it’s not my favorite perfume form. Oils can also be a problem for people, because they can make the skin feel greasy. The Purusa Natural gel perfumes are a great hybrid; they spread onto the skin easily, and leave little to no residue, just softness. There are four fragrances in the Purusa line, based on essential oils derived from roots, seeds, leaves, and petals.

Root Sculpture 86 by Nilo Udo

Root is a fine vetiver scent, laced with ginger. It is warming and supremely comforting. Vetiver can get pretty loud in perfumes, but the balance of it with the ginger and background notes is perfect.  I was glad to have a root-centric fragrance that didn’t have orris. I like it, but it can often add a bit of chill, which would have negated the warmth of the ginger. I wore it the day after Thanksgiving, when I had decided not to go anywhere and just work on a writing project. It was perfect; grounding, soothing, and uniquely “me”.

Notes/Ingredients: Certified Organic Vetivert Madagascar and ginger oils, Italian Bergamot, California Lemon, Black Pepper, Lemongrass and patchouli

The Spice Shop by Paolo Antonio Barbieri

I love the smell of the spices used in exotic cuisines; cardamom, cumin and coriander are intriguing, aromatic seeds with pungent, delicious aromas. These scents have been blended together expertly in Seed.  This is more wearable than I thought it would be, to be honest. I tend to not like smelling like savory food.  What is nice about this fragrance is that all the spices are there, but nothing sweet or fatty has been added that would tip the scales over to feeling like you are wearing a nice meaty curry. Instead, you get that heady aroma of stepping into a spice shop, and there have been times I have wished I smelled like that. Now I can.

Notes/Ingredients: Coriander, Cardamom, Cumin, Peru balsam oil, Sandalwood Australian

No Title by Lorenzo Duran

Leaf is a delightful green, lightly sweet perfume that put a smile on my face immediately. It has a lift that can be difficult to obtain in a natural perfume, and opens beautifully.  As it mellows, the orange and bergamot keep a liveliness going, and there is a pleasing herbal tinge. I would wear this in the springtime for sure, when all the leafy buds are emerging. This perfume is very easy to wear, and uplifting.

Notes/Ingredients: Petitgrain, Violet, Bucchu, Italian Bergamot, California Orange, Galbanum oil

The Lattice Tower by Alette Simmons-Jimenez

I am always intrigued by floral notes in natural perfumery.  They can have a vegetal undertone that can add an interesting twist to a fragrance. Petalum is one of these perfumes.  There is a nice dose of osmanthus in here, which is one of my favorite notes. It is apricots and leather, and combined with the sweet jasmine belly of the scent, it creates a unique take on a perfume inspired by petals. It took me a few minutes to warm up to Petalum, but I can’t stop smelling it now. Osmanthus fans must try this one; it is a nice example of the fruity, animal qualities of the note.

Notes/Ingredients: Osmanthus, Jasmin Moroccan, Davana, Elemi and Mimosa Absolute

This is, all in all, a nice line of scents. I will add Root, and possibly Leaf, to my collection, and would not turn down any of them. They sit fairly close to the skin, with some waft, and have varying degrees of longevity. The nice thing about the gel is that it is easy to apply a decent amount if you want to, since you can scoop it out easily and it has minimal skin impact thanks to the gel.

I received my samples from Sherri Sebastian, and she has a sample pack for one lucky reader that includes all four gels plus a sample of her unique Purusa Dream Extract pillow spray, made with Australian sandalwood, French clary sage, and Italian bergamot (it’s a nice departure from the standard lavender and chamomile sleep scents). Let us know which Purusa Naturals perfume appeals to you the most in the comments. Draw ends on December 1, 2012.

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.

–Tama Blough, Senior Editor