May Day Muguet- A Joint Blogging Project

And all of a sudden it's May.

Green and lush, sweet, intoxicating, lusty but also innocent and full of hope. May is a month of birthdays (my husband and wonderful almost three year old niece) and wedding anniversaries (my sister). Happiness is in the intoxicating air and it has a scent- lily-of-the-valley.

Lily-of-the-valley, muguet in French and in perfume-speak, symbolizes the return of happiness. It was a significant flower in Kate Middleton's bridal bouquet, which I'm sure smelled heavenly. It's also an important note in many a classic spring perfume, such as Diorissimo (at least originally) and Coty Muguet de Bois. Normally I have more than a minor aversion to muguet in perfume. There's something there that rarely sits well with me. The real thing is lovely, though nearly impossible to capture naturally. But over the last few months I've discovered a new appreciation for this note when done right.

Dawn Spencer Hurwitz of DSH Perfumes does it right.

Very very right.

Muguet de Mai (feminine) and Muguet Cologne (masculine) are both natural perfumes, something that is close to a miracle. And they smell like one. As true to the flower as it can be, both  in the tender green feel and in a heartbreaking beauty. Muguet de Mai is soft, warmed by the sun, sweet and smooth as honey. It's joyful and looks up at the blue spring sky. Muguet Cologne is earthy and a little smoky. Its green part is almost juicy and I can almost taste it. The smoky and woody elements are smooth and mellow- on my skin they become sweeter than on my husband's, and despite the "Cologne" part of the name, it lasts on me for very long hours.

Wearing Muguet de Mai is uplifting and centering. The way this DSH perfume melds with the skin is typical to natural perfumes- it becomes part of you and feels a lot more warm and intimate than regular floral perfumes. It's all that's good about spring and summer and is.  As for Muguet Cologne's masculinity, it is still very wearable for women who like  leafy greens and have been borrowing (vintage) bottles of Grey Flannel from the men in their lives.



Muguet de Mai notes:
bergamot, lemon, galbanum, violet leaf, freesia accord,  hyacinth accord, Tunisian neroli, linden blossom, cyclamen accord, broom, boronia, sambac jasmine, rose otto, ylang ylang, jonquil, lilac accord  , orris co2, cassis bud, honey beeswax, aged East Indian sandalwood, Virginia cedarwood, tolu balsam, olibanum and styrax resin.

Muguet Cologne notes:
lemon, bergamot, white grapefruit, galbanum, coriander, chamomile, hyacinth accord, Tunisian neroli, geranium, jasmine sambac, orris co2, linden blossom, rose otto, violet leaf, Australian sandalwood, Virginia cedarwood, olibanum, tolu balsam, vetiver, patchouli, and oakmoss.

Please visit the other participants in this May Day project:
DSH Notebook
Scent Hive
Indie Perfumes
Perfume Shrine
CaFleureBon

DSH Perfumes Muguet de Mai and Muguet Cologne are a very limited edition, available from dshperfumes.com:  There are only nine antique presentation flacons of Muguet de Mai perfume,  at $125;  a generous size sample at $22 and varying sizes of the Muguet Cologne from a sample vial for $5.25 to 10 ml $45 and 1 ounce at $98. My samples were sent directly from the perfumer.

Images:
Muguet de Mai by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz
Kate Middleton's bridal bouquet from the official Royal Family photo album on Flickr, courtesy of Clarence House.

Dawn Spencer Hurwitz- Rose Vert EDP

The first time I randomly pulled out the sample of Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Rose Vert and sniffed the tester it hit me with a chaotic multi-colored rose. I wasn't sure Rose Vert and I were fully compatible, but this DSH creation, like all natural perfumes, cannot be judged or appreciated until they get a chance to develop and interact with one's skin.

It's not so easy to pinpoint exactly what makes Rose Vert such a superior perfume, rosy or not. There's the abundance of just about every raw rose material known to men- Bulgarian Rose Absolute, Centifolia Rose Absolute, Damask Rose Absolute, Moroccan Rose Absolute and Turkish Rose Otto that paints a round, sweet and full picture of the flower, as though it was captured in its most flattering pose and angle. Then there's the pairing with green notes- from the light citrus of the opening to the dark velvety moss that draws you in, deeper and deeper into the wood, away from the sun... there's magic in there, sensuality and a delicate and sophisticated sweetness that comes from the rose itself with no discernible additives.

Rose Vert is an emotional experience as much as an olfactory one. DSH has created such depth in this perfume- color and texture that create longing to experiences and moments that linger on the edge of your memory and awareness. If you think about it, good poetry is often made of similar mental building blocks.

Rose Vert is part of Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Perfection Connoisseur collection, based on fine natural essences, seldom used in commercial fragrances due to their extreme rarity and cost. Available in several sizes, concentrations and bottles (for example: $60 10ml EDP) from dshperfumes.com.

Art: Wild Roses by David Densley, 2009

Dawn Spencer Hurwitz- Epices d'Hiver

We're having a cruel winter. It looks and feels like Narnia under the reign of the White Witch. The world is covered by a thick coat of snow that only grows deeper every week, Christmas is not coming any time soon and as much as much as I like my wardrobe, it only contains dresses and sweaters, not a magical lion. Perfume is a different matter, though. A good warming fragrance like Epices d'Hiver by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz can make things (and me) feel a lot better.

Too many perfumes of this genre can be too much of a good thing and hit you on the head with a spice cake. But the thing about DSH's Epices d'Hiver (winter spice) is the perfect balance. It starts very peppery and a little masculine, but the other spices kick in quickly and make a warm and delicious wrap that lingers close to the body but has enough kick to be felt and smelled. The dry-down is even better: an ambery vanillic incense thing, soft as cashmere and musky in the nicest possible way. Epices d'Hiver is almost foody but not quite, and almost animalic without going there all the way. Dawn Spencer Hurwitz created a beautiful, wearable winter scent, perfect for a snow day snuggling as well as when you need something to help face the elements.

Epices d'Hiver has great longevity (8 hours on my skin) and a very polite sillage. The clove, cinnamon and vanilla notes cling to scarves and shawls for more than 24 hours. This  Dawn Spencer Hurwitz creation can be easily worn by both men and women and I'm oddly curious to experiment and see how it behaves in warm weather. That is, if spring and summer  ever come back.

Epices d'Hiver by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz ($120, 1oz EDP) is available from dshperfumes.com where you can get samples and various concentrations and sizes, including a body cream.

Photo by Norman Parkinson.

Dawn Spencer Hurwitz- Cuir et Champignon

The first ten seconds of Cuir et Champignon are scary stuff. Smoky, meaty, salty and very carnal. I've been a vegetarian for years now, so wearing a brisket is as appealing to me as cooking and eating it. But before I have a chance to say "tofurky", it becomes clear that this Dawn Spencer Hurwitz creation is, indeed, a perfume. A very fine one, actually.

To those new to American indie perfumes, Dawn Spencer Hurwitz is a perfume artist who lives and works in Boulder, Colorado. Her Parfums des Beaux Arts line is among the most interesting and original I've come across, without compromising beauty and accessibility.  Cuir et Chamignon was released this fall and has already won some fans. You can count me among them.

Once the grill and BBQ sauce go away I'm left with leather. Smooth and warm, as dry as they come with a hint of smoke. Cuir et Chamignon is just animalic enough to keep things sexy, but also surprisingly elegant. There's a floral note there that to me is better and has more bite than in Chanel's Cuir de Russie (definitely smoother than the current Les Exclusifs EDT formulation). It adds just a tiny amount of sweetness, which works to give it that lovely "perfuminess" and prevent the fragrance from becoming a hide soup.

A look at the official note list explains how DSH has managed to create the luxurious feel and old world charm of Cuir et Champignon:

Top notes: Bergamot, Clary Sage, Galbanum, Neroli, Wild Chamomile
Middle notes: Cepes (mushroom absolute), Clove Bud, Gardenia, Honey, Orris, Sandalwood, Tuberose Absolute
Base notes: Castoreum, Civet, Guiacwood, Hiba Cedarwood, Indonesian Vetiver, Leather, Peru Balsam, Tobacco Absolute

The perfume is rich and thick. It wears like a favorite winter coat that got a little wet in the rain and caught a waft of smoke from the hearth. It's a lot more romantic than champignons or even cepes (porcini mushrooms) suggest. The sillage is noticeable even after a few hours and longevity is excellent.

Cuir et Champignon by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz ($40 0.25oz EDP. Other sizes and concentrations available) can be found at dshperfumes.com. There's a 20% discount with code HOLIDAY10 until December 13th. The sample for this review was sent by the perfumer.

Photo:  Angela Dunn by Lincoln Clarkes, London 1988 from Killerbeesting on tumblr (please note the photograph collection is NSFW)

Outlaw Perfume- Mata Hari by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz

**For more about the Outlaw Perfume Project, please read this**

When you search the Life.com website for Mata Hari photos you will find them with the tagline "Dancer, Stripper, Spy". Historical evidence shows she wasn't much of a spy, at least not a real double agent, but Mata Hari still paid with her life. Her notoriety had probably had something to do with that. She was a legend in her life and became an even bigger one when Greta Garbo put on the exotic headdress and took on the famous role.

This was the inspiration for the Outlaw Perfume Mata Hari by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz. The perfume does justice not only to the complex and mysterious women- both the spy and the actress who immortalized her, but also to the time period (the turn of the 20th century) and to the genre. Mata Hari is a fruity animalic chypre, and it doesn't get any better than that. Like many of us, I'm somewhat familiar with vintage classics. I own a few, but most of my bottles are from the early days. I have often wondered what the very first bottles of Mitsouko (1919) and other perfumes from that time were like. It seems like Dawn Spencer Hurwitz has given us a very good idea.

There's a lengthy list of notes on DSH website and on her blog, but deconstructing Mata Hari wouldn't be doing it justice, because this perfume is all skin, emotion and sensuality. There's a bitter bergamot opening, an exotic full heart of spice and pulpy fruit and a dry-down that is all leather, oakmoss and a gorgeous musk. The fact this is 100% botanical perfume is a(nother) wonderful testimony to the perfumer's talent and skill. It also proves a certain point regarding natural perfumery. The sillage is modest but the staying power quite phenomenal. I can still smell it on my skin 10-12 hours after application, and believe me- I've been using it sparingly.

The bottom line is that Mata Hari is a rich, dark and sensual perfume. When you wear it, the last thing on your mind is eco-whatever and the crunchy granola image of natural products. This is a real perfume, evocative and sexy. It lingers on skin, warms up and envelopes you discreetly (trust me- you wouldn't want Mata Hari to announce your and her presence to the entire boardroom or teacher lounge), draws in the few deserving ones and leaves a delicious leather and peach aroma on your sweater and (his) pillow. It's eye-rolling/toe curling good. Between this lively creature and DSH's other recent brilliant creation, Cuir et Champignon (review coming very soon), I'm in very deep trouble.

Mata Hari is a (very) limited edition (which makes me want to cry). You can read more about Dawn's inspiration for the perfume and the creative process on her blog.  A 5ml flask bottle is $85 while the beautiful antique bottle presentation (15 ml) will set you back $225 (dshperfumes.com). A sample for this review was provided by the perfumer.

**DSH is having a holiday sale at the moment- 20% off with code holiday10 (until December 13th).  **

Photo of Mata Hari in 1904: life.com