Sarah Horowitz Parfums Rose Gold courtesy of Sarah Horowitz-Thran
“Sarah Horowitz Parfums Rose Gold is an homage to THE woman in the room. She stands out no matter what. The journey hasn’t been without struggle. She’s been tested, and emerged stronger. It’s not about finding yourself – Rose Gold is about becoming, and the confidence and commitment to create the life you were meant to live – originally and 100% your own.”~ Sarah Horowitz-Thran
Sarah Horowitz-Thran of Sarah Horowitz Parfums
Independent perfumer Sarah Horowitz-Thran knows a great deal about authenticity – quite possibly because she is one of those rare individuals who doesn’t possess a single false bone in her body. I find it completely in tune with the character of the very young woman I met on Newbury Street in Boston who ran the Essence boutique with fellow college student Dawn Spencer Hurwitz nearly four decades ago. We were all students: Dawn, at Boston University art school; Sarah at Emerson College studying drama, philosophy and religion; and me at Boston Conservatory, studying applied voice. (Six years ago, I wrote several lengthy pieces about both Dawn and Sarah’s beginnings along with interviews.) Back then I joked about Sarah’s being the “Geza Schoen” of American perfumery, because I was personally surprised at all the places she’s been behind the scenes, mostly officially recognized as ‘collaboration’. This is because Sarah puts her clients first: she views them “as the artist and the visionary – my job is simply to distill their vision and story into a fragrance”. She sees herself more as a translator. For whom has she translated? Olivine, Leila Lou, Rosie Jane, Sage Machado, Barbara Orbison’s Pretty Woman, Edward Bess, Urban Decay, Loree Rodkin, Ron Robinson’s Apothia, Warm NY, Pirette, Pilar & Lucy [The Exact Friction of Stars]. These are just a few…
Marilyn Monroe with a carnation Ceil Beaton 1956
“You with the sad eyes
Don’t be discouraged, oh I realize
It’s hard to take courage
In a world full of people
You can lose sight of it all
I see your true colors
Shining through
I see your true colors
And that’s why I love you
So don’t be afraid to let them show
Your true colors
are beautiful
Like a rainbow” ~ True Colors, written by Billy Steinberg / Tom Kelly
Marilyn Monroe by Bert Stern 1957 at Amagansett Beach
Sarah’s fragrances are all about warmth – even the ‘cooler’ ones. I associate her with a genuine generosity of spirit which is conveyed through the conduit of cozy soft musks, pillowy ambers, tender florals, ample vanillas and tropical notes. Often, they possess ozonic, beachy overtones – the tell of a New Yorker who loved childhood Long Island seascapes and became a fervent Forever California Girl (in this wise she is as much a Left Coaster as I am a New Englander; we embodied those environs which chose us as home). Another primary characteristic of her work is the element of joy infused into every drop; I have sampled many of her perfumes, and I cannot recall any that felt melancholy to me. This too is in keeping with the optimism of Sarah Horowtiz Parfums Rose Gold – not that of the naive and untried, but born from deep consideration, examination and life experience. Her indefatigable energy fuels creativity; these aromatic leitmotifs are woven into her compositions. This is what informs her celebration of THE woman in the room explored in Rose Gold.
Marilyn Monroe 1962 exposing her scars from surgery Bert Stern©
A woman, yes – but the subject could very well be any given gender. All that is required is the confidence to pull it off. Strength, resilience and authenticity are admirable spiritual goals, and the ability to become oneself certainly requires a great deal of courage, especially when conviction may flag behind. Blood orange is a magical introductory top note, bursting with verve, enthusiastic; it opens everything up. Rosa damascena pulsates with vitality – a vibrant, expansive material which eases the heart. Ayurvedically speaking, all three doshas are positively affected by the rose – which explains its inclusion in many medicines, teas, preserves, salves, perfumes. It balances Sadhaka Pitta, the subdosha of Pitta that governs the emotions and their effect on the heart. At the same time, rose enhances the coordination between Sadhaka Pitta and Prana Vata (the subdosha of Vata which governs the brain, head, chest, respiration, sensory perception, and the mind). From gardenia (another mutual favorite; Perfect Gardenia is a real treat) we exact not only fullbodied sumptuous floralcy, but also a definite sense of wellbeing. The spicily fragrant carnation has long been brewed as a tea to assist with relaxation and alleviate anxiety and nervous tension – while its anti-inflammatory attributes (related to eugenol) are well-recognized. Imagine: perfume as medicine. As someone who has (sadly) been given to harping on endlessly about good food as good medicine, color as medicine, music as medicine, ad nauseam – how much more indication do we need to reinforce the assertion that good perfume is good medicine? The glowing charm of Rose Gold is anchored in an emblematic Sarah triumvirate of musk, vanilla and amber. Be your own person. Surround yourself with a mantle of self-confidence and gentility.
Notes: blood orange, Damask rose, gardenia, carnation, sheer musk, vanilla, amber
My beautiful bottle was given me by the perfumer – I cherish it. My nose is my own…
~ Ida Meister, Deputy Editor and Natural Perfumery Editor
Ida’s bottle of Rose Gold Bespoke
Thanks to the generosity of Sarah Horowitz-Thran, we have one 1.7 oz bottle of Sarah Horowitz Parfums Rose Gold EdP Banq de Parfum Extrait for one registered reader in the USA only (you must do that here). Please leave a comment saying what appeals to you about Rose Gold based on Ida’s review. Do you have a favorite Sarah Horowitz Parfums fragrance? Draw closes 2/22/21
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Art Direction: Michelyn Camen, Editor-in-Chief
Sarah Horowitz Thran was inducted into our 2020 CaFleureBon Hall of Fame
Please read Ida’s 2016 Perfume Plume Award-Winning Essay: Scent and Healing: The Transformative Power of Perfume
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