Liz Zorn is an iconoclastic wonder; by now, she is becoming more widely known and appreciated. I’m so glad…

I find Lizzie- and her work – to be a marvelous amalgam of tender and tough, sweet, sassy, and spicy.

She is both deeply reverent and irreverent concomitantly, and her parfums really reflect this duality I feel so strongly in her work.

Intellectually, she is perpetually curious and eager to explore less-trodden paths.

This quality lends an excitement and freshness to her work for both the creator AND the wearer!

 

 

Waterflower is one of my favorite parfums- spicy, earthy, floral, and intricately nuanced.

Profoundly spiritual, and deeply earthy.

According to Liz, she was inspired by her own lily pond and the transcendent philosophical aspects of the lotus blossom.

It was a true labor of love, and we can clearly sense that.

 

The name has to reflect the three precious lotus absolutes used: white, pink, and the very rare, costly blue.

[I say this, because there is nothing else ‘watery’ at all, about this scent.]

This is only the tip of the iceberg; Liz enjoys the juxtaposition of unusual pairings and combinations…

So she commences with a juicy blood orange to awaken our senses.

Once she has our full attention, she goes SPICY.

Pink pepper and clove tingle in our nostrils.

Pandanus- so very fulsome, voluptuous, and beloved of mystics and Burgundians alike- nudges its way into the throng.

So we’re getting spicy, floral, earthy, soil-rich [once the effusive blood orange exits].

The lovely lotus, so emblematic of the union of the earthly and the Divine-

With its roots in the muck and its petals stretching up to the heavens, aligns itself.

All THREE of them.

We feel like olfactory gluttons . So much of a good thing…

 

But that ain’t all- not by a long shot.

Miz Liz wants us to be fully sated; she has beeswax absolute up her perfumer palette’s sleeve.

Yummy, unctuous beeswax, to smooth everything out.

Mmmmm.

 And my guilty favorite, real Mysore sandalwood.

Vanilla, ambrette, and her own chypre base [a trade secret, no doubt, and not a bad idea, at that].

 

If this were a meal, I would walk away completely contented; if it were a concert, my soul would be greatly gratified.

As it is, I think you can appreciate my sentiments.

 

More validation comes from the talented Ayala Sender: http://ayalasmellyblog.blogspot.com/search?q=waterflower

She’s a fan, herself.

Notes from Ayala’s site, via Liz’s previous comments:

Notes: Blood Orange, Pink Pepper, Clove, White Pink and blue Lotus Absolute, White Lotus Concrete, Pandanus, Beeswax Absolute, sandalwood Mysore, Vanilla Absolute, Ambrette Seed, Chypre Base

 

Younger son [who resembles Claude Debussy’s head atop a #2 Ticonderoga pencil, LOL- and an experienced perfume lover in his own right] sniffed this most eagerly, with intense delight.

“How complex ! Delicious! “quoth he, this a.m.

My discriminatingly hyperosmic spouse [how CAN he live with me, you may well ask?] finds Waterflower to be a pleasure that doesn’t assault his senses-

Translated loosely, he’s very fond.

 

Given the nature of the fine caliber of ingredients, it’s no wonder that these sorts of delights are pricey; you can smell quality, and you don’t need to be an expert to do so.

 

You can find this- and other fragrant pleasures, here:

http://www.soivohle.com/n.waterflower.html

[I bought my own bottle several years ago, and I’m happy I did]

 

 

 

P. S.: In light of my previous posts, I’d like to breach a subject with you, dear readers.

In my personal relationships with perfumers, there is unquestionably a great deal of affection [hopefully, mutual!] which is more than apparent.

Friendship is sacrosanct to me; what is confidential will always remain so.

No amount of money or pressure can induce me to reveal that which should remain private; I make no secret of this.

I also possess the disquieting ability to remain objective; this is both the forensic scientist in me, AND the artist, too.

This distressing, helpful quality extends to my friends, myself, and all things / folks that cross my path.

When you read what I write, I feel that it’s important for you to know this.

Integrity ’R’ Us.

–Ida Meister, Senior Editor