Velvet & Sweet Pea’s Purrfumery Pangolin Violette Rose flacons designed by Verreries Brosse photo courtesy of Laurie Stern©
The marriage of rose and violet is a time-honored, beloved one – a union which has been explored myriad times in perfumery, whether it be under the guise of luxe lipstick and powder, revealed as demure and virginal, breezy and lighthearted, sweaty and breathless or sophisticated and reserved. In artisanal perfumer Laurie Stern’s stunningly lovely latest (and limited) release Velvet & Sweet Pea’s Purrfumery Pangolin Violette Rose, their coupling results in volupté with a purpose.
Laurie Stern of Velvet & Sweet Pea’s Purrfumery photo courtesy of Laurie Stern©
Laurie Stern has always advocated for endangered species; a generous sum of the proceeds from 2020’s Luminous Lemurs went to aid in their preservation. This year, a felicitous happenstance occurred: Laurie had been conjuring up a rose and violet perfume on her own when she was approached by both artist/curator/writer Matt Morris and gallery owner Eric Ruschman regarding the creation of a rose/violet perfume as part of the art installations for an exhibit entitled The Red Wedding – to be held in Chicago this past May.
Pangolins via© the Pangolins Crisis Fund
The exhibit was to be “an experiential journey through the essence of femininity”, and Mr. Morris wanted her perfume to be one of the artworks in the show. For Laurie, it became the conjoining of two paths – the creation of a rare, precious perfume and a way to help the pangolins, who are the most illegally trafficked mammals globally (sought after for their flesh and scales). In fact, fully ½ of the sales generated by Pangolin Violette Rose will be donated towards their welfare, paid directly to the Pangolin Crisis Fund (the largest percentage that I can recall).
photo courtesy of Laurie Stern©
Velvet & Sweet Pea’s Purrfumery Pangolin Violette Rose is quite simply Sumptuous. It is a brilliant example of what is possible when impossibly beautiful materials are utilized in perfumery: Nature’s glory. It’s common knowledge that I adore natural perfumery, but I’ve smelt many well-intended fragrances in this genre which have (quite frankly) left me cold – or tepid, which is probably worse. When natural perfumers don’t succeed, their compositions are ho-hum at best; when they’re gorgeous, there is nothing to top them. Laurie Stern’s latest falls squarely into the latter camp. In fact, I find it to be among the best perfumes this year: its depth and seductiveness, all rondeur and olfactory generosity – make it wearable, comforting and clearly a work of art. While its sillage is delicate, its longevity is not; one benefits from leaning in, applying it to the nape or cleavage, where it wafts up with increasing body temperature fluctuations.
photo courtesy of Laurie Stern©
Laurie Stern notes that her perfume solid reads greener than the liquid perfume, and as she was kind enough to provide me with a sample of each for comparison, I can reaffirm this. The violet leaf is more pronounced; it is luscious in its own right, bewitchingly enigmatic. Pangolin Violette Rose as a liquid perfume smells rosier, with four exquisite ottos and absolutes reigning supreme in the foreground. Orgasmic jasmines and a dash of carnation contribute richness and intensity; a dollop of Choward’s violet candy dangles flirtatiously before your nose. The sly soupçon of cocoa slips in and provides nuance without overt chocolate; lashings of orris absolute and concrete lend a sprinkling of violet powder (more violet than powder, on my skin) resembling fairy dust. Another beguiling facet of this perfume is its utilization of fine sandalwoods combined with an aged Tahitian vanilla in the base: I appreciate that the effect is woody and smooth without skewing sweet. It would be very easy to compose this as an über-powdery floral gourmand – and there are plenty of these fragrances as it is. Pangolin Violette Rose stands out because it presents a floral woody perfume for adults composed of the finest essences one may obtain; it’s a voluptuous rarity which delights the senses. As is the case with each of Laurie Stern’s perfumes, it is a full-throttle, open-hearted fragrance which elevates the spirit – and the fact that it will benefit endangered wildlife is an added plus. I’d highly recommend buying a sample, if nothing else; you’ll not regret it.
Notes: jasmine auriculatum, jasmine sambac, violet, carnation, Indian rose Edward, Persian rose otto, Bulgarian rose, Turkish rose, Egyptian violet leaf, cocoa, Tamil Nadu sandalwood, New Caledonia sandalwood, orris concrete and absolute, Tahitian vanilla
Samples provided by the perfumer – many thanks! They are gorgeous. My nose is my own…
~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor
Thanks to the largesse of perfumer Laurie Stern, we have a 5ml ml spray of Velvet & Sweet Pea’s Purrfumery Pangolin Violette Rose for a registered reader anywhere in the US. To be eligible you must be a registered reader. Please tell us what you enjoyed about Ida’s review of Velvet and Sweet Pea’s Purrfumery Pangolin Violette Rose. Draw closes 10/25/2021 Have you tried any of Laurie Stern’s perfumes?
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