Showing posts with label profumo.it. Show all posts
Showing posts with label profumo.it. Show all posts

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Free Aromatherapy Course

Abdes Salaam of La Via del Profumo (Profumo.it) announced some wonderful news: a free aromatherapy course which is available online at www.profumo.it/aromacourse.doc
The scope is meant for the benefit of people and not for commercial reasons while Abdes describes some of the stunning effects that aromatherapy can have, with reports and pictures from my Timbuktu experiences. You can reach those on the following link. http://www.profumo.it/Blog/index.php (scroll down a few texts)


More info on La Via de Profumo and Abdes Salaam: http://www.profumo.it/
Check our reviews of his scents on the widgets below.

Monday, February 8, 2010

La Via del Profumo Mecca Balsam: fragrance review & bottle giveaway

O Marvel! a garden amidst the flames.
My heart has become capable of every form:
it is a pasture for gazelles and a convent for Christian monks,
and a temple for idols and the pilgrim's Kaa'ba,
and the tables of the Torah and the book of the Quran.
I follow the religion of Love: whatever way Love's camels take,
that is my religion and my faith.
~Ibn al-`Arabi, Tarjuman al-Ashwaq, in The Mystics of Islam, translated by Reynold A Nicholson

Mecca balsam 4
Balsamo della Mecca, or Mecca Balsam in English, is the latest all-naturals fragrance developed by perfumer Dominique Dubrana, whose nom de guerre is Abdes Salaam. It was inspired by a trip the perfumer took to Mecca during Hajj. Salaam parallels the aromata invading the streets of Mecca with a river carrying labdanum, franincense,benzoin and agarwood, and which pours to the street 5 times a day along with the pilgrims who walk up to the great mosque. Accordingly Balsamo della Mecca/Mecca Balsam contains autocthone notes of: cistus labdanum, frankincense, benzoin, agarwood, tonka bean, tobacco, Indian tuberose and Damask rose.

Mecca Balsam 2
The olfactory landscape of Arabia and Mecca in particular is unusual for a westerner, the proflugation of scents unforgettable, the catchartic ritual requiring the lavish use of perfumes up till taking the simple white dress of Ihram... This aromatic ambience was recreated through the artistry of one of the best all-naturals illusioninsts of this world, Dominique Dubrana of La Via del Profumo, an Italian niche line which includes the esoterically-named "Scents of the Soul". Regular readers will recall how the vetiver-infused Samurai as well as the euphorically tangy neroli marvel Morning Blossom have occupied these pages in the past. This time Salaam was most generous in offering one full-size bottle of the latest fragrance to one of our readers, which I took some liberties in photographing for your enjoyement (So if you want to win, you know what to do, leave a comment!)

Mecca Balsam 3

Comparing Mecca Balsam to other scents
, one would be inclined to classify it alongside the rich ambience of Amouage oriental attars (Amouage attar Tribute isn't at all foreign to this idea) with their majestic sweep and incredible lasting power. Even though most all-naturals have a more fleeting appearence, some of these base-heavy Arabian inspired compositions, such as Mecca Balsam, anchor themselves with conviction through the marriage of resinous and balsamic touches.

Indeed Mecca Balsam feels like it is all base, all depth, all the time! Its wonderful, smoky-ambery leather core is comprised mainly of labdanum and incense (both benzoin and frankincense for the latter; interpolating warm and cool, sweet and sour respectively) and these two notes reverberate throughout the duration of the fragrance on the skin almost audibly, such is their bass & drum dynamics! Lovers of the shredded tobacco and "cola" effect (due to the synergy of tonka bean and the balsams) that hides in the heart of classic orientals such as Youth Dew, Tabu and the percursor Coty's L'Origan, or more modern interpretations such as YSL's Opium, Escada Collection and even Eau d'Italie's Paestum Rose (with its root beer vibe), will be delighted to find a replicable effect in Mecca Balsam. These would also provide great layering partners in lotion form, to traject the tracks into the night. Aficionados of the mini-cult that is Madame X by Ava Luxe will find in Mecca Balsam a luxurious upgrade using only the finest ingredients.
Even though agarwood (oud) is mentioned within the notes, its inclusion is not the -be-all-end-all of the presentation like it is with several Montale oud fragrances or indeed some of the other "ouds", such as By Kilian or Tom Ford's. Instead working its magic in the wings, it only hints at its presence, as do the precious flowers (rose and tuberose). Mecca Balsam could be worn by both sexes with ease and is sure to create both a warming, reassuring ambience around you as well as a pulling, sexy effect that won't go unnoticed.

Photobucket
Balsamo della Mecca/Mecca Balsam is available directly from La Via del Profumo in 16ml bottles (for €34,17) or 55ml (for €91,67) of Eau de Parfum.

This is the actual bottle that will be given to one lucky reader, courtesy of Profumo.it. State your interest in the comments! (Draw is now closed, thanks for participating).

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: Labdanum, an important material, Abdes Salaam/Profumo.it scents, Scents with leather notes, Labdanum scents and info

All photographs © by Elena Vosnaki/Perfume Shrine.

Sunday, May 10, 2009

Mona Lisa by Profumo.it: fragrance review

If Mona Lisa were Parisian and one hell of a sexy lady she would have worn Mona Lisa, the all natural perfume by Abdes Salaam/ Dominique Dubrana. Mona Lisa is a bespoke fragrance composed for a certain lady in the all too real life of Aspen, Colorado and Dubrana interacted with Laura Donna on mapping out the preferences of the lady in question.

She settled on a trio of natural civet, tuberose absolute and mandarin which Dubrana garlanded with other precious essences. The client, an entrepreneur and owner of Main Street Reprographics, a digital graphics company, named Mona, had asked for something "subtle but killer" - because for her, wearing fragrance is a social act as well as a personal pleasure.

The result? An Ava Gardner of a scent with the feel of Sarah-Moon-does-Seurat, laden with mystery and mock innocence. The real Mona was elated! "“I got it!! I just got my perfume. It is like nothing I have ever smelled before. It is a little bit musky, powdery. It is very light, like a feather. It is not an old scent, it is not a young scent, it seems very natural. As soon as I can I would like to create another. What fun having my own scent. I feel sooo special.” (through the Laura Donna blog)

Mona Lisa by La Via del Profumo doesn't really segregate into billows and notes, but has an amalgamated feel about it, very smooth, very soft, very feminine; the civet-animalic feel is so powdery velvet it gives a soft-focus effect to all the other notes and the florals especially. You can't pinpoint it as a tuberose scent for sure and that's a plus sometimes as too often tuberose scents are so focused on the glorious tuberose they become like a stage performance where only the central diva is noteworthy and all the others are in attendance. Here one has trouble seeing it predominate and it blends seamlessly and delicately. I would think that there was actually a tinctured alcohol with tuberose and civet in use for the composition and the rest of the ingredients are married to it through osmosis. Hardly recognisable as the intense floral of other compositions, it emits a slight hint of coconut. The animalic civet is giving such a powdery, plush feel, I am immediately seduced by my own arm! Mandarin remains succulent and juicy, especially lingering on clothes, a surprising effect given that after the initial outlay Mona Lisa stays very close to the skin. The background has an almondy, tonka bean ambience about it with the individual muskiness of ambrette seeds.

Mona Lisa smells enticing, like a proper French perfume of old instead of a random mix of natural essences and yet retains a vibrancy that instantly makes you feel good, reassuring, leaning to smell the scent on your arms again and again and again in all stages...
How does Dubrana do it? He doesn't say. It should remain thus: the enigmatic, sphinx-like smile of Da Vinci's Mona Lisa.

You can buy a batch of Mona Lisa on the Profumo.it/Via del Profumo site. (The incensy Persona and the heavenly neroli-ladden Morning Blossom are also highly recommended while you're at it!)

Photo Metro by Kees Terberg via les-leves.com, Photo by Sarah Moon via jessnewyork.blogspot.com

Monday, April 13, 2009

Natural Pefumery Course in idyllic Italy

We have often announced olfactory training programmes on Perfume Shrine, but this is truly exceptional. I was sent the news and I share them with you with enthusiasm. Not only you have a chance of smelling real ambergris, natural orris, and tuberose and many other costly materials, but you get to test your own hand and nose in creating accords and fragrances following a simple method.

Bespoke Perfumes, A COURSE IN NATURAL PERFUMERY – May 18 – 20, 2009 or September 14 - 16, 2009 Monte Colombo, Italy, April 10, 2009 - Making perfumes is easy!

Not everyone who chooses to learn about scent will become a professional perfumer but anyone can make good perfumes. AbdesSalaam Attar’s perfume course in Italy is ideal for those who want to discover the little-known world of olfactory psychology as well as for aspiring natural perfumers. You will compose perfumes and learn how scent links to mind, emotion and spirit. The course admits only 10 students – the intimate group size assures that each student gets a high level of personal attention.
The Germano Reale is a small country resort in the hills of the Italian Riviera, in the province of Emilia Romagna. Mario Batali, noted Italo-American chef, thinks that this province offers some of the best food in all of Italy. And Venice, Florence and Pisa are all within 3-4 hours by car.

Day One - Introduction to Bespoke Perfumery
Dedicated to the discovery of scents and their meaning, to the ethics and philosophy of perfumery. In the morning, you will experience the animal scents, their story and meaning, understand pheromones and why they belong to perfumery as well as archetype ingedients. In the afternoon, you will discover the perfumer’s tools and learn how to use them. Every student will make a bespoke perfume for someone else.
Day Two – Professional Perfumery
The day is built upon practical exercises. In the morning, you will discover 14 new essences, learn how to smell, to "listen to the soul," to verbalize and categorize smells. In the afternoon, you will compose three perfumes in the manner of a professional perfumer, working from real requests from the market. Day two teaches the criteria and rules for building successful fragrances ranging from ambient fragrances, paper scenting aromas used in olfactory marketing and, of course, wearable personal perfumes.
Optional Day Three - Studen-driven Perfume Discovery (no extra charge)
The perfumer will make himself available for those who wish to delve more deeply into perfumery, clarify what they have learned so far during the course or discuss their personal projects with him.

COST: Course (Two days and optional third day): Euro 570 / US Dollars 748 (plus VAT for European students)

LODGING AND BREAKFAST: § For course participants traveling alone: You will enjoy a double room plus breakfast for the price of a single room – Euro 55 / US Dollars 72 per night
§ For course participants traveling as a pair: If you come accompanied, the cost of the double room plus breakfast for two persons is Euro 85 / US Dollars 111 per night (US Dollars 55.50 per person)

Buffet lunch each day - Euro 15 / US Dollars 20 per person

Dinner each night at La Grepia restaurant Euro 20 / USD 26 per person
Based on information above, your per person daily costs above and beyond the course fee, for lodging and food, are: Euro 90 / USD 118 if you come alone and Euro 72.50 / USD 95 if you are accompanied.

LODGING RESERVATIONS
You may book your stay directly at the Germano Reale or ask us to book for you, once you have subscribed the course. Payment for the first night is required in advance, using Paypal or credit card. The advance is refundable until a week before the date of booking. You may complete your payment upon departure.
COURSE REGISTRATION
As the number of students is limited to ten, please register quickly. Your space will be reserved by advance payment of half the course fee, either by credit card on our bank secure server. You may complete your payment for the course at the end of the formal course on the second day.
LINKS FOR REGISTRATION AND FURTHER INFORMATION
Some good links for course information are here and here, but certainly contact us for help finding the information you seek. Just mail us at profumo@profumo.it, or call us either by phone (0039 0541 86 30 13) or by skype (Profumo.it)

Link to Profumo.it page.

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Morning Blossom and Samurai from Profumo.it: fragrance reviews

Abdes Salaam is the Sufi name of Dominique Dubrana, a Frenchman living and working in Italy and creating all-natural perfumes that shatter every preconception you might have of what those entail. Even Luca Turin had to munch his hat his words upon the issue when he commissioned a bespoke fragrance simply tagged "Luca" (choosing rose, chamomile, carrot seed, sandalwood, tonka, benzoin and castoreum in a cunning, secret experiment to resurrect Elle, Elle by Lucien Lelong; which we surmiss was proven successful). Not to mention his being enthusiastic about others in the line in his Guide and in general ("His compositions just happen to be really good").

Two of Salaam's latest fragrances I sampled are like a breath of fresh, moist air amidst the cold, sleet and snow of winter: Morning Blossom and Samurai.

Morning Blossom is built around the noble essence rendered through steam distillation of the flowers of the Citrus aurantium tree (Seville orange or bitter orange tree) which is blossoming under the Mediterranean sun in spring: Neroli. This is the heavenly aroma that greets farmers as they begin another spring cycle and the one which puts me in a joyful, optimistic mood in the final long days of March when I gather the small white flowers to put in little glasses to aromatize the house with an uplifting dose of the coming spring. Discovered in the late 17th century and named after the princess of Nerola, in Italy, the relaxing pale yellow essence 'whose perfume, sedative and relaxing, keeps off from us all material concerns' [1] is weaving its own magic with every intake of breath.
The Morning Blossom fragrance by Profumo.it was initially developped for another line, but the deal wasn't sealed and the scent remained in the vaults of Dubrana who decided to go ahead and launch it himself. The inclusion of 25% neroli in it renders it exceptionally true to the essence with its tangier, slightly more bittersweet and thus "fresher" ambience as compared to the fruitier, smoother and overall sweeter note of orange blossom absolute. Morning Blossom develops in a sheer, gauzy way with a brightness that highlights a child-like joy at the world, yet without frivolity; instead with the slightly nostalgic wisdom of an older person in retrospect. There seems to be a garland of other floral notes of a white and non-white nature (some rose?) shooting through the greeness, a hint of the slight bitterness of petit-grain. The whole is resting atop a lightly woody base (with what I perceive as creamy sandalwood inclusion) kissed off with a discreet warmth that progresses into sweetness the more the fragrance develops on the skin.

Kare eda ni
Karasu no tomarikeri
Aki no kure.

(On a bare branch
A rook roosts:
Autumn dusk.)

~haiku by Matsuo Basho (1644-1694)

The above haiku perfectly captures the mood which Samurai produces in me.
The composition is a more "civilized" version of Salaam's Oak Moss of the "Scents of the Soul" line, a collection of fragrances he has been composing in the last 20 years, presented in chronological order. Contrary to what you might imagine it of being a Japonesque Heike Monogatari fit for a modern noble warrior, Samurai was originally conceived for the "senatori" of the Italian Parliament in Rome. I guess that could stand for "noble warriors" in the service of the noblest body of all, the people, if only politicians were noble in the ancient Greek άριστος sense of the word or they really fought for ideals and making the world a better place; but I am probably digressing. Salaam kept the formula for his private business and it is now available to anyone who has a hankering for an excellent, refined and unisex cologne that features a healthy smathering of earthy vetiver and mossy notes with a whiff of sturdy woodiness. The classical composition reminds me of the elegance of Guerlain's Vétiver with its restrained sobriety but with a thicker base. The treatment of vetiver in its modern rendition of vetiver acetate is helping fragrances smell truly "modern". One would be hard-pressed to distinguish between a high-quality niche composition and this all-natural perfume if blindfolded, exactly because there is a very contemporary sensibility about it, opening vistas of a true mergence between the two divisions within the art which I personally applaud.
Men would be a natural contender for the charms of Samurai but women who do not feel the barrier of perceived expectancies of what they should wear are welcome to its beguiling and lasting allure. Samurai is versatile much like this eulogy: "Tadanori was a great general, pre-eminent in the arts of both sword and poetry."

Very generous "samples" can be ordered in mini flacons on the Profumo.it site. The mignon bottles of 5.5ml are practical as well as cute, as they allow several wearings for anyone to fully appreciate the composition before proceeding into investing in a bigger bottle, usually available in either 16ml (about half oz), 30ml/1oz or 50ml/1.7oz. There are also ready-made packages of 8 mignons, each allowing for a diversified experience, but you can pick your own selection of 6 in a wooden box.

I will leave you with a quote of Salaam himself that I find genuinely dreamy: "A natural perfumer leaves behind himself a “sillage” like a river, he is in love with perfumes. They are a joy to his heart and sanity to his mind." [2]

Related reading on Perfume Shrine: Scents of the soul, Orange Blossom Series, Vetiver Series.

[1]P.Davis, Subtle Aromatherapy
[2]quote via
Sniffapalooza magazine)



Pic of bitter orange blossom via Profumo.it. Painting of Minamoto Yoritomo from the 19th century, courtesy of geocities.com/azuchiwind

Friday, May 9, 2008

Scents of the Soul

It's not without precedent that Perfume Shrine occupies itself with all natural perfumes. We had done so in the past and we will do so in the future, hopefully, each and every time guided by the belief that as much as more commercial or more "modern" perfumes, artisanal lines that deal with delicate wonders of nature have a place in a perfume lover's heart when they sing melodiously and with conviction.
The difference is that today I have the distinct pleasure of introducing you, dear readers, to one of the most exquisite and informed lines of them all: the profumo.it line by Abdes Salaam.

Although Profumo.it is the purveyor par excellence of wonderful, top quality raw materials for the amateur perfumer (in the Latin sense of the word of lover), as well as for educating oneself with the building blocks of perfumery, the creator himself is shrouded in mystery. Who is Abdes Salaam Attar?
This Sufi mystic who has such an esoteric approach to perfumery, who mingles the philosophical with the pious, calligraphy and didaches? Who knows how to instill awe and wonder while talking about the famed properties of musk deer (moscus moschiferous) on the psyche; and at the same time titillate the senses talking about a kit diffuser which emanates a scent purposely created in order to evoke feelings of satisfaction, well-being, and healthiness of good handmade ice cream for the customer shops of the “Fiordiriso & Sapa”?
His perfumes work as Ayurvedic medicine as well as exits to a word of reverie.

That man is French-born Dominique Dubrana and I was honoured to receive a mail from him a while back, stating he enjoyed my work on Perfume Shrine and consequently was lucky to receive samples of his wonderful fragrant creations for appraisal. I was quite impressed with what I smelled and so upon seeing that he was the one natural perfumer who was included in Perfumes The Guide with enthusiastic commentary by Luca Turin, I smiled an inward smile. I predict he will receive more attention very soon, as he so justly deserves.

The mignon bottles of 5.5ml are practical as well as cute, as they allow several wearings for anyone to fully appreciate the composition before proceeding into investing in a bigger bottle, usually available in either 16ml (about half oz), 30ml/1oz or 50ml/1.7oz. There are ready-made packages of 8 mignons, each allowing for a diversified experience.
The collection is comprised of several "Scents of the Soul" in different families, from floral to woody to resinous to fruity, even! Something for every taste and with the sonorous, intensely complex ring of natural ingredients.
Everything I tried was memorable in one way or another, but due to lack of space let me highlight those which made a particular impression.

Chocolate Amber blends Chocolate and Vanilla with Tonka, "the exotic fragrance of the famous Indian Amber" in a uniquely sensual fragrance. The endorphin rush experienced by nibbling on a carré of Valhrona is evoked in this fragrance which marries the hay and caramel aspect of tonka with the aphrodisiac and relaxing, soothing notes of vanilla and theobroma cacao. "Theobroma" is a Greek word, meaning "food of the Gods". It's not hard to see why...The fragrance is ambrosial in feeling and truly like melting real chocolate on yourself to the point that you will want to lick it off. Appetising and well balanced, never veering into too sweet territory, it immediately caught my attention.

16ml for 27.59 euros
50ml for 70.83 (now discounted: 54.17 euros)

Frutti Paradisi I approached with some hesitation, given both my natural aversion to fruit notes in perfumery (with the exception of the hesperide family) and the knowledge that most fruity notes apart from citrus are in fact synthesized in the lab, therefore what was the alternative for an all-natural line? Perhaps due to the curiosity piqued because of the latter reason, I was eager to see what Dominique could do with fruit, fruit tagged as "heavenly", no less. The result caught me by surprise: the exotic apricot fruity aroma of Osmanthus flower absolute served as an inspiration blended with jasmine flowers, vanilla and the absolute from blackcurrant, turning into a multifaceted liquid jewel which shines and sparkles with every twist. Although not my first choice in the line, it is however astonishingly realistic, pulsating with raw energy.

16ml 38.33 euros
30ml 104.17 euros

Grezzo d'eleganza is a dry masculine composition "for a man who in society does not like to pass unnoticed". The base of precious woods and aromatic herbs, assertive and a bit wild (due to the inclusion of natural castoreum from beavers), is tamed by the underlayed sweet sensuality of vanilla and fresh neroli, while a subliminal touch of mysterious incense and rose confers to the person who wears it a spiritual dimension that still does not overcome the elegance of the aura that emanates from him. The inspiration was a custom creation for an Italian designer and the style of the perfume reflects the approach to his fashion designs perfectly, Dominique confesses.
The composition can still be worn by self-assured women who enjoy an outré approach: I would love to smell it paired with a smoking-style pantsuit and deep claret hued lips. Thus, I very much liked Dominique's analogy of Grezzo d'eleganza to a "steel fist in a velvet glove".

16ml 38.33 euros
50ml 104.17 euros

Last but not least, Angelica Water is the type of slightly bitter, herbal composition with a tentatively wistful character which I enjoy a lot. Tagged as "the cologne of angels", it derives this fetching epithet from medieval pharmacopoeia, whenupon Angelica was held to attract the presence of angels and protect people from negative influences. The precious natural essence of angelica with its fine aromatic odour profile, a little like Juniper berries and with the bouquet that aromatizes Chartreuse, is evident in a sparse composition that lets it ring in the resonant frequency of translucent fine crystal of a high lead content under a wet finger. {click to listen to a sample of glass harmonica in action}
I personally love it!

16ml 25.17euros
50ml 68.33 euros


Prices: valid for USA, but 20% VAT added for ECC countries.
You can order online at Profumo.it.

For another approach to Dominique Dubrana and his art, please visit Natural Perfumers' Guild Blog.



Pic of mignon bottles and leaf courtesy of profumo.it
Chocolate bars courtesy of beautynews.nyc

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