Incense week: 1.Palm Sunday and its exotic fragrances

Incense is inextricably linked to liturgy and religious ceremonies since pagan times and as I am not particularly religious myself, but more interested in aspects of history and tradition, I chose to simply grab the chance to talk about a very popular perfume note that never fails to put scent lovers in a mood. Therefore the reader should not see this series of articles as any attempt at catechizing or preaching of the wonders of any faith or sect, as my objective is to provide a fun and hopefully interesting method of attributing specific incense perfumes to certain moods as reflected by tales from religious texts and categorizing them into broad categories that encompass certain commonalities. I am sure this could be done for any religion and faith existing in regard to perfumes. Let’s just say it seemed a novel idea to me. This first article aims to also provide a little introduction to the relation of incense and Christian practice.

Incense of course has a noble history since antiquity as a means of pesticide, air cleanser and for medical and poisonous purposes as well. It was also used in sacrificial liturgies and this practice was picked up by Christians who blamed pagans for their habits, nevertheless soon adopted several of their common habits in their own liturgical usage. The Hebrew tradition is of course rich in the aromatic on its own and Song of Songs is only a smidgeon of that aspect.
Tracing back the beginning of such incense use as a pathway to the divine in Christian church we stumble upon Ephrem and the Transitus Mariae, after its 300 years of exile from Christian practices. Later on, stylite ascetics ignited such admiration for their superhuman feats and willpower that their position as literally and spiritually above and beyond was linked to the smoke rings rising from incense burning in censers, like the bodily matter immaterializes into the spiritual. Incense piety had begun in earnest for the Christian faith. Saints were said to exude the paradisial scent of myrrh, while devil and his disciples were inextricably linked to sulfur (as supposedly witnessed by Martin of Tours). Foul smells also recall decay and disease and thus invoke an image of human fall and corruption which is metaphorically linked to a moral low.
Ambrose of Milan calls Christ the flower of Mary, denoting a pleasant sensory experience in the presence of the holy and the continuation of fragrance emitting even after death, just like flowers do after being cut. It is no accident that even today in churches and monasteries there is myrrh and frankincense anointed to the mortar and sold to the devout while ascetic places now open to visit for the public smell potently of that most holy of aromas.
Myself I adore ecclesiastical incense which I buy in “tears” not from shops or internet e-tailers but directly from church and flea markets, made by monks usually at the Athos monastic community in Greece. I will elaborate on it on an upcoming post as it is interesting in itself, but suffice to say that the variety I prefer called “moscholeevano” ("leevan" etymologically derives from Levant, the east, or Lebanon) which is a deep, dark, resiny smell with a piercingly sweet top that makes the heart ache a bit and is on the whole likened on various fora to the exhaust fumes of a diesel engine vehicle. I think not, but we will have plenty of time elucidating that in a forthcoming installment.

It is worth noting in passing before we proceed any further that incense as a term is not a single note or ingredient but that it can in turn have various notes in itself. The classical ingredients for incense are frankincense or olibanum while myrrh and labdanum are also used, along with many others. Many recipes exist and each perfumer –professional or amateur- is composing one’s own mixture.

We thus begin our exploration of incense in relation to the celebrations of the Holy week with Palm Sunday, the first day of the holy week and the aftermath of Lazarus’s resurrection, perhaps the most famous miracle supposedly performed by Jesus.
The last Sunday of Lent is commonly referred to as Palm Sunday. On that day religious texts tell us that Christ entered Jerusalem on a donkey, to be greeted by the crowds gathered for Passover carrying palm branches. By doing so he enacted the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9 and also showed the humility with which he envisioned the Kingdom he proclaimed. However this is also the beginning of the Holy week that culminated in Crucifixion and Resurrection and is thus also called Passion Week.
Although Jesus was greeted with “Hosanna to the son of David”, recalling the famous King David of the Old Testament, it is perhaps an irony that that same crowd was against him just days afterwards. However this is only human nature and does not reflect on any religious antagonism in my opinion, taking in mind too that in the name of Christ lots of those holy places were pillaged and people were slain in later centuries.
To revert to semiotics, the traditional Lent colour is purple in Protestant churches, while in Catholic tradition on Palm Sunday it changes to red with all its connotations to life and blood, hence its use to connote the martyrs of faith in Christian iconography.
First mention of Palm Sunday procession is to be found in the travel journal of Etheria, a nun from northwest Spain who made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem toward the end of the fourth century. In her writing she refers to Palm Sunday as the beginning of the Paschal Week (pascha=easter, deriving from the Hebrew peschah).

Therefore as this plethora of symbols and inferences is not lost upon me, upon reflecting on specific perfumes that explore one aspect of incense I came up with the following suggestions.

Ouarzazate by Comme des Garcons Incense series: The first images that came to my mind upon resniffing this were the locales of exotic Morocco of which it is inspired and named after (there is indeed an ancient city by that name in the Atlas mountain area). Scenery for a lot of movies recently, some of the sandal-and-sword type, Ourazazte the fragrance has a dry and hot character immediately. The initial harsh top note of clary sage gives a very pungent, herbal aspect of disinfectant, which I am sure would be useful in those hot places, festering with bacteria, and it is this which had initially deterred me from further appreciating the composition in this rendition of incense in the infamous and revered Incense series by the Japanese brand. The hotness and coolness of peppercorns is tickling-but not singeing- the nostrils supported by a lemony phase that is actually the best part for me personally, while the incense is only hinted at and never as rich and full as the type used in liturgy. However it is not the far eastern variety but reminiscent of western tradition. The ethereal and resinous quality of wenge and labdanum is anchored by dry woods, soft clean musk (the synthetic cashmere woods) and a mineral veil of hard rock that is very a propos the exoticism of the proposed association.
It smells white and is illuminated by a hopeful and clearing tone of people walking great distances in rugged territory in anticipation of something worthy.
The whole does not last long, just as the triumphant procession through the streets of the holy land did not either.
This is a thinking person’s incense for outdoor activities in a hot climate and suitable for both sexes, not a sensual, cuddly, warm type at all, despite the mentioned inclusion of vanilla which is absent to my nose.

Timbuktu by L’artisan parfumeur: Another atypical incense and woods fragrance, chosen because of its outdoorsy air and exotic character that smells of the Middle East and Africa. Not terribly popular, because of the weird ambience of it, however it is one of the most interesting compositions I have ever smelled and it retains a place in my heart for its limpid and soft medley of notes. Contrary to internet tails that it actually contains real animal matter (surely, this is just sensationalism to you and me and I doubt L’artisan intentionally hinted at such notions) it has a woody, black soil character that overcomes the feline urinous smell it is so often accused of possessing. Frankincense takes a slightly bitter turn in this one and it is an airy and light incense note like that in Passage d’enfer; its marriage with spicy cardamom, a middle-eastern favourite aroma used for scenting Arabian coffee is very successful.
It has a tart but not really sharp acidic note throughout that is balanced by the earthy dirty plant scent that reminds one of unidentifiable leaves and roots. Abstract dryness is the overall tone of the composition and a verge towards the unisex or even to the masculine end of the spectrum is not uncalled for. This is not to imply that it doesn’t smell good on woman’s skin, because it does, but it is not what most people in the West associate with a feminine smell, although it is said to have been inspired by a traditional recipe of African women as an attraction elixir. Bertrand Duchaufour,the nose behind this oddball, visited his brother in Mali where he learned that the women there concocted a fragrant alloy of flower petals spices, fruits and woods which they used to scent themselves. The fruits in Timbuktu are nothing like the department store variety of saccharine persuasion we have come to expect and do not make a pronounced appearance. In fact it is not very unlike the niche green mango note that is present in Jardin sur le Nil (although there it manages to also evoke the peel of fresh grapefruit to me). The inclusion of patchouli of the Voleur de Roses variety, vetiver and myrrh provide a backdrop for good lasting power allied to the powderiness of benzoin which makes a short vanishing act at the end.
I do not find it similar to anything else on the market, although a slight relation to Kyoto from CDG Incense series might be detected if hard pressed.
I find it is best suited to in-between weather: neither too cold, nor too cold, so autumn and spring are its shining seasons. It comes in eau de toilette.

Costes by Hotel Costes: I hesitated before including this one in today’s procession, because it is rather warmer and somehow richer in its ambience, with its spicy cinnamon and white pepper character, but the notion that it is inspired by a hotel in Paris (thus having a hospitalier connotation) and made for them and the red colour designated to this day -which is reflected in the packaging of this perfume- convinced me to mention it just as well. The nose behind it is Olivia Giacobetti, a young and quirky perfumer who has worked on many inriguing scents such as En passant, Passage d'enfer, and Dzing! Initially conceived as a candle and then as a fragrance by people who have also ventured into musical CD compilations aiming at providing lifestyle options, it manages to smell different on different people.
It still has the green and herbal character that is tied to the vision I have of this day in my mind, with a touch of evergreens, crushed coriander and laurel leaves that remind me of a good stew or lentil soup being made.
Luckily, although it is said to be included among the mix, rose does not make a pronounced appearance on me, meaning it is not the old-fashioned powdery rose which might take a turn for the sour on certain skins (or brains...). There is also a soap element like that of alkaline suds of slightly sweet sandalwood old-fashioned men’s soap allied with pure lavender that is surfacing on my skin and thus it takes a clean turn that is rather welcome in warmer weather. That aspect is not antithetical to the notion of incense fragrances as lots of them do explore the pureness and spirituality of cleanness. It is not only the deep, pungent efforts that might reek of pretence that capture the mysterious. The incense in Costes is smoky and not too rich, slightly recalling a much lighter (and thus perhaps more wearable for lots of people) of Essence of John Galliano by Diptyque which also started as an ambience smell rather than a personal fragrance (more on which later on).
I think Costes can be enjoyed in any season by both sexes, as long as the wearer has a little individuality and a modern air about them and is not up against a heatwave. Its lasting power is average for an eau de toilette concentration.


Next installment in the series will tackle a different aspect of incense.




Greek orthodox icon pic comes from saintbarbara.org

Is perfume political? You bet!

In times such as ours every single matter that entails a minimum of two people has to make it through the media circuit and perfume is not an issue that has been left off the equation either.
It might seem rather heavy and ominous to title my post “is perfume political?”, because what reference does perfume have to political parties or administrations and so on and so forth? Let me explain myself.

In ancient Greek the term “polis” referred to the city states of classical antiquity. In those the voting system was not representational, but direct and frequent, due to such factors as lack of manual labour that would consume hours (slaves were doing it), closeness of people to the voting centre (the whole state was just the city), small percentage of active voting population anyway. Hence decisions were made on everything by “polites”, aka free citizens directly (the word derives from the Latin “civitas” which also means city). That entailed whether ships would get built for merchandising, who would be the committee to decide on theatrical competitions or whether the city would go to war with another city-state; and then indeed voting on such seemingly trivialities as whether they should allow preening or depilation to slave women (apparently not and it was a sore point for them).
You see my point. Everything becomes political in that sense. An active citizen who is considered an integral part of society (and they were adamant on the participation in decision-making on penalty of exile) has to take a stance on a wide diversity of matters pertaining to that society. This is a theoretical position of admirable conscientiousness. If only people were that active today instead of apathetic to what is happening around them…..

However that notion can get hued in sinister nuances still. And it has to do with that most ephemeral yet subconsciously influential matter of all: the olfactory stimulus.
Witness the case of a woman in Calgary, Canada, as reported by the Globe and Mail.com, who was asked by not one, but two different bus drivers to abandon the bus if they were to go on with their routes, because of her “offending” perfume.
Although I am tempted to give a good break down on said perfume (it was Very Irresistible by Givenchy) and why it would have such a dramatic effect, I feel that the core of the issue is more complex than just attributing it to overapplication or dislike of that specific composition by the bus drivers.
Reading the article and seeing the photo of Natalie Kuhn, a 25 year old chiropractic assistant I saw a pleasantly turned out black woman who seems tidy, professional and groomed and would be unlikely to wear such copious amounts of any fragrance, especially since her fellow bus passengers did not complain. Although the quote that making her sit at the back of the bus made her feel like “a modern day Rosa Parks” might seem a little excessive (hopefully we’re past such despicable lows in human dignity) it does seem that the repetition of the incident with a different driver was humiliating and a little suspect in itself, especially so as the first occurrence had already been publicized.

The matter takes on another political nuance as it is linked to the invasion of other people’s privacy as witnessed by the perfume ban on all municipal buildings at Halifax. The rhetoric behind this is that “with rising rates of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, irritants in the air can have a greater effect”. Of course health is a very serious matter and it is true that there has been an increasing percentage of asthma and pulmonary afflictions that are triggered by irritants in the air in the western world. However one would have good cause to pause for thought and wonder whether those irritants are mainly comprised of chemical substances in exhaust fumes, toxic substances in cleaning products and the ubiquity of artificially scented matter all around us in a consumerist world that uses the olfactory to sell more product inundating our perception and leaving us unable to take it anymore. Does everything from bleach to erasers to stationary to dry-cleaners’ bags has to be scented, I wonder?
Would cutting down on those, offer a palate free to enjoy an occasional whiff of a nice perfume on somebody? I think that it would.

There is also the issue of modern day perfumes being comprised almost in their entirety of synthetic aroma-chemicals (and it is sadly obvious that Very Irresistible is one of them), not much different than those used in the cleaning products industry which contribute to a catch in the throat reaction for many people who have obviously reached their limit and are justifiably (according to them, at least) embarking on Philippics against perfume en masse. Nevertheless the issue of re-introducing natural essences is neither economically viable in a market that is in to make as much as possible in the here and now domain nor practically doable with all the recent developments of which I have blogged about in the recent past.

The following comment cited in The Globe and Mail article made an impression of irrelevancy to me and I am sure I am not the only one: “Roedy Green, who said he has “a very keen sense of smell,” believes people often don't realize how much perfume they're putting on. The worst offenders are older people whose sense of smell has faded, he said, leading them to pour on perfume until they match the way they remember smelling as a youth”. Surely that does not apply to this specific case of Natalie Kuhn who is only 25 years of age and probably in full functional capacity of her olfactory abilities? Or is this a general bash against people who like to put on perfume perhaps a little more enthusiastically (to put it politely)? It seems so.
The accompanying comments from lots of readers who are almost all of them condemning the wearing of perfume is very revealing and just a bit foreboding on the direction the public is getting their opinion shaped.

On the other hand there is the opposite field of perfume enthusiasts who are not eager to back off their habit and sometimes provocatively insist in crude terms to carry on with impunity offending colleagues, fellow public transport passengers, and close friends and family, oblivious to the fact that toning it down a bit would result in a greater leniency from those perfume haters and thus would guarantee the continuation of the noble practice of perfuming. Ms. Natalie Kuhn did display such an obstinate stance, in my opinion, perhaps on the premise that it was her right to wear what she likes and assured in the knowledge that no policy allows drivers to refuse passengers because of their scent. Nevertheless the repercussions of such an incident might tilt the balance not in her favour and to the detriment of all of us perfume lovers. Is it far off the day when a general perfume ban would be introduced on all public transport, thereby practically eradicating our right to scenting ourselves lest we have a private vehicle (and it shouldn’t be a convertible missy, mind you!!)? We have to stop and wonder: if smokers -who have been also practically exiled from civilised society in recent years due to their habit- had been a little more considerate and less headstrong about their right to light up whenever and wherever and all present company be damned, would we have reached a point where they are the outcast of society? I think not.

For that reason and with that reasoning, I would pray for a little compromise on both sides of the argument.

Painting is "Demosthenes practising oratory" by Jean Lecomte du Nouÿ, courtesy of Wikipedia.

Reverie au Jardin by Tauer: fragrance review

This must be the first review of Andy Tauer’s newest perfume in the line-up of his marvellous creations as I was honoured to receive samples of it ahead of time and I must admit that with each and every one of them Andy manages to evoke a different landscape and a distinct mood.
Andy worked on Rêverie au Jardin for quite a while, informing us through his blog about the process of creation which I find fascinating and a first batch that was kindly sent to me affirmed that he was working on something different than his previous offerings which were exploring the ambery musty rose (Le Maroc pour elle), the beloved dry and yet ever changing mysterious depth of L’air du desert marocain, the multi-facetious image of tarry leather (Lonestar memories) and the earthy delights of Orris.
This was an exploration into the depths of lavender, that classic note between herb and flower that is so often used in men’s colognes, yet it remains a conundrum as to how to interpret it in a fresh and modern way.
The name of the perfume which translates as Daydream in the Garden gives half the game away as the green promise is there, yet there are hidden pleasures to await in that secret garden still.

As Andy himself describes it in the accompanying flyer: “Rêverie au Jardin, a classical fragrance. Twinkling like a star. Caresses your journey though green lands”.
His vision was to create something that interpolates other interesting notes into the context of lavender from the high French Alps in order to show the bloom “in all its facets ranging from herbaceous, spicy green notes to sweet, clean flowers and woody, vibrant chords. I wanted to create a fragrance that captures this complexity and transform it into a perfume. A perfume that melts into the skin, and makes me dream of green lands and twinkling stars.”

It is perhaps time to admit that lavender is a note that rarely if ever catches my interest. Its medicinal character in the raw as well as that of clary sage as well is something that reminds me of mentholated back rubs for alleviating a cold and humidifiers brought in to calm affected sinuses and moody dispositions. It’s no secret I have long been tonsillitis-challenged ever since my childhood and thoughts of that ambience bring me back to unpleasant gulping with difficulty.
However lavender doesn’t have to breach into the medicinal and it can be warm and fresh as well with many admirable qualities; I believe Andy has captured most of them in this new offering.

The first batch I had received months ago was quite incensy and deep and it did not feature too much of the lavender-galbanum opening that the finished product does, which is certainly greener and crisper.
As the final product Rêverie au Jardin is first spritzed on skin a very fresh note of true essential oil of lavender hits the nostrils with the promise of green open lands and clear air like that on the Alps. The inclusion of galbanum, that bracing note of “tossed green salad” according to perfume guru Arctander that is makes a tour de force in Germaine Cellier’s classic Vent Vert is adding to the greenness and there is also a slight citrusy and spicy quality in there which is very welcome.
Yet soon the stroll along the green reveals hidden assets of a warmer nature, like clasping hands of a loved one and inhaling a little human warmth amidst the roses, the iris and the blooms. It is too often that a perfumer is at fault of opting for over-attending either to the top notes in order to catch an audience’s attention or alternatively the base notes in order to make the scent memorable and lingering. In Reverie au Jardin the progression is smooth and justified culminating in heart notes that feature the original incense mood of the first batch, without turning the perfume to a different olfactory family as it happens with Encens et Lavande by Lutens, a perfume that starts as a classic medicinal manly lavender to turn abruptly into an oriental mystic crypt.
In Tauer’s case there is less a desire to shock and more a desire to evoke a uniform vision. The progression into the base notes is seamless from the warm musky heart that is due to the rare and costly hibiscus abelmoschus seed (ambrette seeds, which were explored recently in Chanel’s no.18 from Les Exclusifs with more alarming results) culminating into woodier and balsamic accords of which rich sandalwood is more distinct to my nose married to a sweetish and cosy element which I find out derives from the lovely tonka bean, rich in vanillic undertones with a slight almondy touch, like a cosy cashmere scarf wrapped around the neck as the cool breeze is blowing upon dusk .
Andy also includes oakmoss absolute (to his credit!), vetiver, ambergris and cedar which undoubtedly contribute to the complexity and anchoring of the scent, yet they do not make their presence known per se which is testament to a good blend and a smooth development on skin.

The lasting power of the Eau de Parfum is quite good, with the warmer elements remaining poised for long, while the lavender never ceases to sing atop of them in varying degrees of pitch and it stays within a comfortable radius of the wearer meaning you won’t offend with the sillage but you will also definitely be able to smell yourself without gluing your wrists to your nose all the time.
Andy Tauer uses mostly natural ingredients, natural CO2 extracts, high quality essential oils, absolutes and resinoids. The result is evident in the luxury of the finished product that is as distanced from bourgeois as possibly but never veering into the faux-artistic that so many niche lines pass for novelty and innovation.
His Reverie au Jardin is truly beautiful and I can see myself, a self-proclaimed lavender foe getting a bottle of the cleverly, hip packaged scent for the summer season and revelling into green thoughts of faraway emerald lands.

Rêverie au Jardin officially launches April 21st 2007 and will be available from:

Luckyscents, Los Angeles, USA, click here

Luilei, New York, USA, click here

Eie Flud, Uppingham, UK, click here

Aus Liebe zum Duft, Bruchsal, Germany, click here

Tauer perfumes, Zurich, Switzerland, click here

Medieval art & vie, Zurich, Switzerland, click here

You can also visit this page to download the flyer, the bottle and the packaging of the new Tauer perfume.


Pic is of Holy Maze at Governor's Palace sent to me via email.

Interview: Konstantin Mihov of "Parfums d'imperfiction"

It is always exciting to learn how a perfumer's mind ticks and Konstantin Mihov is such a case: his mind has creative ideas and searches for techniques that might apply these ideas into tangible reality for the delectation of perfume lovers.
Here at Perfume Shrine we have dealt we his work once before, when reviewing Alice In Wonderland, a fairy-tale creation of mint tea and violets that brings us back to our magical and twisted childhood of Alice and the magical creatures she meets, seeing just how deep the rabbit hole is.

Now, Knostantin Mihov is revealing the thinking that goes behind his creations and the things that fascinate him about perfumery in the first place.
Let's hear it from him...

Talk to us about yourself a bit: what are you involved in, what do you do besides making perfumes?

Talking about myself is perhaps the one thing that takes ages and that I am most clear about (at least when it comes to my current aspirations, ambitions, positions, etc. - if you ask about the past, I can sum it up in 5 sentences). At the moment, I am in my last year of BA degree in integrated social and cognitive psychology and I am currently in the process of finding another university for my PhD degree in theUK in social neuroscience. My aspirations are to stay in academia forever - PhD, postdoctoral fellowship, professorship, research, until retirement (possibly at different places, possibly in different countries - I consider myself citizen of the world). My current research interest varies and will perhaps continue to change and with each step in the academic development I will experience a new field of exciting insight and will probably be switching specialization areas from time to time. Currently, I am very much interested in gender differences in language use,attribution mechanisms, facial expressions and particularly smiles (oh, and yes, we are talking about basic research and not so much about applied research although I have done some applied things as well - currently I am working with several other colleagues on an intercultural competence e-learning programme for a big multinational company with head-offices in Germany).

My other hobbies include piano playing, bookbinding, and photography. For the latter two I haven't had much time lately (no surprise) and probably won't have time in a long time but I do still enjoy taking pictures at some particular events (recently I was taking photographs of a performance of the Vagina Monologues).
The one hobby which is perhaps never going to die whatever happens is piano playing.
I have been performing for the past 8-9 years (which may sound as a long time but I started too late) and I have never had the intention to make a career out of it but it certainly is very rewarding to set up a piano recital once in a while (my next one is on the 20th April), to invite your friends (as well as open it for the public) and donate all the proceedings from the entrance fee to a good cause. It is an extremely rewarding experience to stand in front of an audience and to literally play with their emotions. And although I am far from being a professional making no mistakes (in fact, I make quite many), it is for the sake of passion - and I think this manages to compensate for my mistakes and makes the people come again and again. My next recital, btw, is entitled "Alice in Wonderland: a Story in Characters" and is going to tell the story of Alice and all the people and creatures she meets in terms of musical pieces. The room will also be scented with my perfume Alice In Wonderland(the last concert was dedicated to the Ambient Rose and the room smelled of roses).

Sounds like you have a great time there, Konstantin! Tell me however how have you become involved with perfume in the first place? When did you first realize you liked it?

My entrance in the world of perfumery was "accidental". If it weren't for my aunt who is very much into botanical essential oils, basis oils and all these cosmetics (she makes everything that she uses herself), I wouldn't be doing what I am doing. I have always enjoyed fragrances but I would have never thought of making my own if it weren't for these first experiences.

Uh huh...those formative experiences are always interesting. Was there a specific incidence that inspired you?

My very first fragrance mixtures were made entirely of naturals and I do remember one that I wish I still had the formula for (it got lost in all the move from Bulgaria to Germany 3 years ago when I switch to another computer and lost some of the information I used to have) - it was a very raw green earthy and leathery scent -very much along the lines of Bandit but it was lighter and smoother and less sparkling. And I have been working ever since (that was about 7 years ago). Only about 3 years ago, did I discover the charm and possibilities of synthetically produced molecules (both that occur naturally in some plants and those that do not exist in nature) and have been experimenting with them little by little into rounding formulations, into accenting what is needed, and into providing nuances that could not be achieved otherwise.

Now that you mention Bandit...What were the perfumes that you held as prototypes or inspirations in your mind before becoming involved in perfumery? The perfumers who influenced you most?

In the very beginning of my perfumery obsession, I was familiar with the usual department store fragrances. And I always had the tendency to go for thicker, oriental type of fragrances although I did enjoy occasionally musky, woodsy scents. But as soon as I was introduced to Serge Lutens fragrances, I was fascinated beyond comprehension. And I still am - there isn't perhaps a single fragrance from his collection that I would not love to have a bottle of - they are all in their own right personal and in terms of the entire collection they create perhaps the most coherent and yet innovative palette that is on the market. And I am still inspired by his creations - his new ones (which show a certain change from the earlier ones)
as well as from the old ones with their magical connotations. I am also very much enchanted by Jean-Claude Ellena's minimalist style which is unattainable for me (I tend to have a less patience in the fragrance exploration that he does). I also admire the vision of Edmond Roudnitska - not so much the fragrances per se; rather the fact that he took his time in the careful evaluation of his fragrances and his critical evaluation of publishing only 16 in his lifetime.
I also must pay due respect to Andy Tauer who has also been an inspiration esp. considering the size of his small business and his reliance on natural ingredients much as I do.

Very heartening to hear for Andy who is a great person, no doubt about it. Speaking of ingredients, what ingredients do you mostly use and why did you choose to work with those? Is sourcing them hard to do?

I have a particular interest in flower absolutes as well as animalistic notes. With each perfume I have created so far (and maybe I should say that of all the mixtures variations, etc, I would consider only 3 to have been completed) there is a very different line explored in each. Alice in Wonderland relies on the synthetic representation of violets enhanced by natural woods, green essences and fresh citrus. Eleven Minutes (a perfume that was created specially for an exhibition) was centered around green absolutes with exploration of a particular citrus line in it. And O Alquimista (perhaps the next perfume that I will release) was an 8-month venture in exploring tobacco absolute, rose absolute, amber and plums to end in a typical Oriental fragrance with a touch of transparency and certain wetness - characteristics that are not typical of any of my other creations.
And this is what I find particularly enchanting and educating - the exploration of different nuances, different characteristics, different tastes.

Do you find there is a different aesthetic working with naturals or synthetics? Why? The topic seems to be somewhat controversial.

I would not really make a difference between synthetic and naturals when it comes to the aesthetic creation of the scent per se. There are naturals that smell absolutely vile and poisonous in their raw form but so do some synthetics. On the other hand, there are naturals that smell divine in their raw form and so do some synthetics. There are some effects that cannot be achieved with natural ingredients - for example, the creation of a musky note is challenging; velvety amber, suede, and some floral accords are unthinkable without the synthetics. And since I have never been driven by the idea of creation a scent with either natural or synthetic excluisively, I am treating them with equal respect - for me they are just part of the palette - and I use the entire range of the palette that is available to me. Alice in Wonderland would have been unthinkable without the synthetic violets or the coumarin.

Coumarin...it's going to be a restricted commodity if that IFRA restriction thing prevails. But to return to Alice in Wonderland : it makes use of ionones for violet notes, you say. Did you find them easy to work with? What problems did you face, if any?

There are 3 types of ionones in Alice in various concentrations. Ionones are very diverse - the differences are very small but they can influence a mix
greatly. I find them really lovely to work with because they add a certain smoothness to a composition. On the other hand, they do not have any sparkle of their own and sometimes, it can be hard to create a sparkle without destroying their character. For Alice, I think the two types of Cedarwood (Virginia and Atlas) did the trick as well as the minute quantities of coumarin, vanillin, amyris and ambroxan.

It deeply impresses me that you openly talk about what goes into your perfumes. Why do you think there is such secrecy in the perfume world, in general, though?

I believe the secrecy is guided purely by the commercial grip that surrounds the perfumery world - in particular, it is amazing that commercial successes will get copied in all forms and shapes. And this is what drives the secrecy I believe. SinceI never envisioned this into becoming a large scale endeavor, I do not feel particularly threatened. Esp. when I do not aim at creating commercial successes (because that would mean that it is liked by many and I would in fact prefer if my perfumes are liked only by few but also not just liked but loved). And if a perfume works like a vision for some, this is all that matters to me. Besides, from purely statistical terms, the chances of recreating a formula given the initial ingredients are very low - and they get lower the more complex the formula is.

Too true. Which is your favourite essence to work with? What aspects of it do you like?

I particularly love Ambroxan - it is a synthetic molecule that has a very peculiar wet cardboard, leather, amber nuances and extreme diffusive power. I also like a lot guaiac wood concrete which has a very doughy quality which I adore. Rose and Jasmine absolutes are also favourites of mine along with benzoe and beeswax absolute. From the synthetics, I am always fascinated by melanol for its extreme strength and its ability to create the impression of water - pure water in a perfume. Tobacco absolute was a love at first sniff but it is difficult to work with. For example for my O Alquimista, only about 0.6% of the entire formula (of the concentrate) consists of tobacco absolute but it is so strong. And I used a lot of benzyl-benzoat to soften it (I found this combination to work quite by accident) and it works. I also like a lot some tinctures, in particular castoreum tincture which has a
fantastic leathery and quite animalic character as well. I also employ quite a lot of propolis tincture in my mixtures (there is a lot of it in O Alquimista and in Eleven Minutes) although it does not really have a strong smell - to me it adds a touch of density, smoothness and rounded sweetness. Propolis is one of the most wonderful things that I have smelled and I still dream of creating a fragrance that captures its facets (and beeswax absolute is very different).

What are your plans for the future? Do you see yourself expanding the line?
The line may expand little by little with inclusion of new scents from time to time but since this is not my day job if at all, any expansions will be problematic. I would of course dream of finding a cooperation with a small perfume producer or a company that can handle the publication of one or two of my perfumes but I personally would not have the capacities esp. with respect to the pursuit of an academic career. I see the whole adventure as a slow progression, a bottle here, a bottle there, a new perfume once in a while, perhaps retirement of old ones until requested again. The whole process may be also problematic in the coming year or so due to my probable moving to the UK and the need to find new suppliers and settling in the new place. So, the whole process is not going to be a smooth progression by any means.

Let's hope for the best. On another note, do you have any advice on those starting in perfumery?

Don't try to please everybody - if you make one person love your perfume, you should be proud. And aim at intellectual creations - something that tickles your brain - whether it will be the combination of notes, or the name in conjunction with the perfume, or the bottle - perfumery is rather an intellectual experience (I think it was Luca Turin who also said that perfumery is about chic and intelligence).

You are correct and I agree with this view. If you had one wish for the perfume industry what would that be?

The one wish I would have would be to break free from the consumerist society. However, as a psychologist (and someone not so blank in market economy as it may seem) I know that this is not possible in my generation. So, more realistically, I would simply request aesthetics (which is not the case for most of the 600-800 fragrances launched every year).

Thank you very much Konstantin for the interesting interview and honouring me with your time.

Thanks for giving me a chance to air my views.


Please visit Konstantin Mihov's site clicking here.


Artwork "Amateur Philosophers" by Jack Vettriano courtesy of Allposters.com

The bittersweet smell of laurels: 300 Spartans

Today I chose to include an adored poem that really depicts best of all just what the sacrifice of those tragic and noble 300 Spartans really meant. In an age when anyone can interpret facts any way one wants and present them for the sheer monetary gain at the box office, let's pause for a second and think how some things in life do mean much more and how not everything is for glory but sometimes it's for honour.
There is a difference.

The ancient epigram/epitaph by Simonedes, friend of Megistias (the Acarnanian seer, who foretold the death of Leonidas and his warriors) is immortal.
It went like this:
"Stranger passing by, go tell the spartans that here, obedient to their laws, we lie."

The poem I chose is much more recent, it doesn't pertain to the olfactory, yet it does evoke the bittersweet smell of laurels. The laurels of noble defeat...
Written by my favourite poet Constantine Cavafy, whom I have also reference while talking about Mitsouko.
It's called "Thermopylae" and is inspired by the famous battle as a lesson in life in general.
I leave you to enjoy it by yourselves.

Thermopylae

Honour to those who in life they lead
define and guard Thermopylae.
Never betraying what is right,
consistent and just in all they do,
but showing pity also, and compassion;
generous when they're rich; and when they're poor,
still generous in small ways,
still helping as much as they can;
always speaking the truth,
yet without hating those who lie.

And even more honour is due to them
when they foresee (as many do foresee)
that Ephialtes will turn up in the end,
that the Medes* will break through after all.

1903 by Constantine P. Cavafy (Kavafis)

*Medes (plural of Mede) is another name for Persians en masse (historically they were an older tribe who intermingled and interbred with the Persians)



Pic of classical statue of mid4th century BC courtesy of greeklandscapes.com.
Painting of Leonidas at Thermopylae by Jacques Louis David courtesy of wikipedia.