One note that I have always loved is iris. Even though I (obviously this is the case) love raw orris butter, the iris accord intrigues me even more. Anything that doesn’t have a true natural material analog allows for pure interpretation, acting as a Rorschach test of the perfumer. What do they smell when they dream of iris, in that state of delirium where they are dreaming of the fantasy scent but are not truly asleep?
I have also always loved how ionone materials play with creamy sandalwood. So for this, I found the creamiest Mysore sandalwood I could find. It is extraordinary. It is the base note, but its presence permeates throughout the entire wearing of this scent.
Next, the iris accord is what will be most present upon spraying this fragrance. The accord revolves around an orris tincture, as well as the powdery notes of ionone alpha along with dihydro ionone beta, which leans a little woody, making it an excellent bridge to the sandalwood. There is also benzyl acetate, a material also found in jasmine, giving it what I think most would label as the sweet, fruity “purple” note in the scent. Finally, Limonene and Fructone give it a fruity zest, with the brightness reinforced by alpha pinene.
I also used Hedione here to help bring in the dreamy, airy amber accord that I needed to create to fill out the scent while not being too intrusive upon the magic between the iris accord and sandalwood.
The amber accord began centered around benzoin, labdanum essential oil (which I believe has a very distinct character as compared to the absolute) and dark-aged patchouli. Those heavier ingredients are toned down by Clearwood, an airy patchouli-like material without the earthiness, as well as Iso E Super, which is an airy, woody note that I’m sure everyone reading is quite familiar with. We’ve all worn Molecule 01 at this point.
Next, the sweetness was provided by a slight touch of the semi-sweet ethyl vanillin and caramel furfural. Just enough to give some pleasantness to the incense and earthiness. An even smaller touch of Pyralone and clary sage adds a hint of leathery green, which helps it bleed into the amber accord. Finally, the spice of Kephalis, the spicy creaminess of bicyclononalactone and the sweet muskiness of Globanone, Sylvamber and Traseolide ground everything and smooth the edges, providing the final touch for the euphorically somnambulant feeling of a waking dream.
This eau de parfum will be available on Saturday, September 6. I will be giving away samples of it with any purchase leading up until the release date, plus samples will be available at American Perfumer as always.
Scent Notes by Shawn Maher 