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An Oud With A Grin


Shaking Snowdrop, originally uploaded by flickrolf.

I woke up this morning noticing something unusual from my window: full-strength sunshine and trees covered in green plumage. Of course, that did not mean a warm day; on the contrary: it was a wind storm that blew away the clouds and let in the sun. Nevertheless, this was a perfect day for wearing Grin!

Grin was a tribute to the crisp spring in the Northern hemisphere: bulb flowers springing from the cold earth, heady and fragrant in contrast to the brisk air, cool rocks covered in rain-soaked moss and the frost-covered earth that if anything, emits a harsh, dusty and marshy smell.

But there is also another element altogether: light. Luminous light as it shines through the word-shaped bulb-plants’ leaves as they cut through the chilly air; and backlit buds of tree leaves shimmering against blue sky.

The creation of Grin was greatly inspired by Diorissimo, the legendary perfume by Edmund Roudnitska, which I also wore on my wedding day. This perfume is, in my opinion, one of the most perfect perfumes in the world, pure beauty in a bottle. It’s also one of the very few commercial perfumes that is said to contain boronia. It is particularly breathtaking in the parfum extrait, where the boronia is actually noticeable, as well as the jasmine and rose, giving the lily of the valley depth that can’t be quite complete in the lighter eau de Toilette. It was not possible for me to create lily of the valley accord with naturals alone, but I wanted to capture the emotion that I get when I smell this lily of the valley perfume. It always brings a smile to my face. And that’s what I tried to do with Grin.

Although not a soliflore by any means, the star of the show here is Boronia. This rare flower absolute from Tasmania brings a ray of light into the perfume. Crisp galbanum brings out its fresh-cut flower personality, but also an outdoorsy fresh-cut-grass smell, that makes me want to fill my lungs with air. Green pepper accentuate the peppery freesia-like character of boronia. Violet leaf brings out more of the ionone character of boronia. Jasmine and rose make it shine even brighter, bringing out an opulent richness. And than, what we need to talk about next, is the base.

“I've often seen a cat without a grin,' thought Alice; `but a grin without a cat! It's the most curious thing I ever saw in my life!'” (Lewis Carol, “Alice in Wonderland)

On its own, agarwood is rarely perceived as a cheerful note that would make one jump up with joy; but in this perfume from 2006, this is the role it takes. Wet stones, mossy forest floor and earth awakening to the sun was what the base needed to evoke in Grin. And agarwood, surprisingly, makes this happen, juggling the dense oakmoss on one hand, and the nearly effervescent and green Haitian vetiver, which extends galbanum and violet crispness till the end. It stands in the middle with its musty woody personality, smelling clean and balanced and mysterious. It’s an extension of the green leaves and the forest and the woods from where the fragrant bulb flowers emerge with their defiant optimism, provoking the sleepy world and welcoming the sun.

Boronia & Grin Stock Updates


Boronia, originally uploaded by Helen Boronia McHugh.

Boronia absolute is finally back in stock after a long absence of nearly 6 months. Now I'm able to finally make a batch of samples for Grin (which up till recently was only in stock in full bottles of roll-on oil or extrait). If you were curious to try it but wasn't able to now is a good time to try it, when spring is approaching!

Grin is a Green Floral spring fragrance that will bring a smile to your face and flowers to your garden . It was originally designed in spring 2004 and 2005 as two different limited editions; than introduced into the permanent collection with this formulation in 2006.

Top notes: Galbanum, Green Peppercorn
Heart notes: Boronia, Rose, Jasmine, Violet Leaf
Base notes: Agarwood, Vetiver, Oakmoss

Boronia


Boronia, originally uploaded by Helen Boronia McHugh.

Boronia, originally uploaded by Helen Boronia McHugh.

Boronia is one of the rarest and most magical natural raw materials. It grows on the shores of Tasmania, in western Australia, and has a scent that is unusually complex and alluring: it is floral, sweet and peppery, reminiscent of yellow freesias; green and suave like violets (due to the high precentage of beta ionones, some alpha ionones and other carotenoids - which is not surprising given its orange-brown colour); and also reminiscent of raspberry, green tea and the sea shore and has a hint of hay and wood at the dryout phase.

Boronia notes are rarely found in mass-market perfumes because of its prohibitive cost; but also because it is susceptive to much adulteration, and the world production is extremely limited (Arctander mentiones under 1 metric tone per year but that was quite some time ago - I don't know if the production has gone up or down since than).

The only one perfume I could actually detect the boronia in is Diorissimo in parfum extrait (I bought a flacon some 8 years ago and it's pure heaven). Although Folavril lists it (along with mango) I can't say I've noticed it there.

Boronia serves an important role in the flavour industry more than in the fragrance, especially in berry flavours such as raspberry and strawberry and even peach - but most importantly cassis (black current). A little Boronia absolute goes a very long way in creating berry and fruit flavours, so it may be more popular in flavouring than in formulas for fine fragrance.

In my line I've used it in three perfumes - all very unusual as a result of the unique presence of this precious raw material:
Indigo, where it contributes to the mystique of cool vs. warm: violet, anise and orris against the warmth of amber, incense and spice.
l'Ecume des Jours, where it serves as the last catalyst to create a waterlily accord - the one that grew in Chloe's lungs and brought the doom on the entire cast of this surreal tale.
And Grin, where Boronia's eternal sunshine brings a stream of light into a forest clearing blooming with wild roses and smiling jasmines. I have to admit this one was largely inspired by Diorissiomo in the extrait.

Boronia is extremely rare and in fact the world supplies have reached bottom low this year already. So much so, that a supplier won't sell you more than 50gr until 2010, when the new harvest will be processed. The current price is $8,600 per kilo, the highest amount for any raw material I'm aware of other than agarwood essential oil. As a result, I had to increase the price of all of my perfumes containing Boronia - l'Ecume des Jours, Grin and Indigo.

Welcoming Spring with a Grin

"After three years in this northern city
I experienced a deficit in sunlight
The chlorophyl in my green eyes has diminished
Making room for more whitenesss
And my pupils are growing, more eager to find the truth

After three years in this rain soaked town
My lungs, like dead logs in the rainforest
Are underlined with moss and undergrowth
I’d rather it be a waterlily, and die
A heroic death
Nurtured by a true love rather than
Sacrifice my voice to the wind of the snowdrops"

(March 1st, 2003)



I was born in the spring, and spring has always been my favourite season. In my home country, spring is gently warm, and blessed with millions of fragrant flowers in all shades of colours. I have missed spring ever since I have moved to the rainy West Coast city of Vancouver. The frequent rain washes off, along with dirt and pollution, the fragrance of anything that has the potential of being fragrant in other places. Even out in the nature, the bloom is not abundant in the spring as it is in desert lands... If there are any flowers they will appear later in the summer and will have little colour and scent that pales in comparison to the desert-flowers show-off parade of colours and scents. One needs to climb all the way up to the peaks of the mountains to observe the Alpine meadows... And so after a while I have learned to accept that there are different types of spring. The spring here is crisp and brisk, even (or more so) on sunny days. And although the cherry blossoms are now in full bloom, I still experience the spring here as a green spring, rather than pink or yellow as the cherry blossoms or daffodil flowers. And so, about three years ago, I have decided to create a scent dedicated to a cool, green spring - reminiscent of the first shoots of grass awakening and sprouting out of the earth and the mossy undergrowth of the forest, decorated only by hints of flowers that conform to this green concept and do not overload the scene with indolic exhibitionism.

As the spring approaches, it is time to announce some of my new fragrances for the spring. The new version of Grin is green as the one from the previous two years. This time it is less herbal, more floral yet much greener than ever. Grin opens with the sappy, crisp greenness of galbanum, leading to a cool-cucumber, green violet leaf note, spicy-green fresh-cut freesia notes of boronia from Tasmania , softened by jasmine and rose to create a full bodied floral bouquet. Underlined by oakmoss, green vetiver note and woody-musty oud oil that brings to mind a mossy undergrowth of the soil awakening at springtime.
Grin is available as pure parfum, in both alcohol and jojoba oil base.
This new Spring limited edition of Grin will be officially released on March 21st. Samples can be pre-ordered prior to that via email - Ayala@Quinta-Essentia.ca.
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