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Approaching Coal Harbour

Buoys

This week I've finally created a batch of Coal Harbour, which I intend to close the Perfume4aPlace series dedicated to my favourite spots in Vancouver. However, the concept of Coal Harbour perfume predated all the other scents. In fact, it was in one of those morning walks about five years ago in Coal Harbour that I knew I would soon have to leave the city. Walking there and watching the aquaplanes take off and land on water I felt a pang of melancholy, knowing how much I love the marine aspect of the city. And so I promised myself to make a Coal Harbour perfume before I leave, as a goodbye present to the place I've called home for nearly 18 years.

This idea of course was the seed of the entire collection. And as the time to leave approached, I began rolling out the scents. I felt reluctant to launch Coal Harbour, because deep inside I knew that would mean the last farewell. So I did this gradually, with one perfume in each season... Komorebi in the fall of 2015, Sunset Beach in the winter of 2016, Lost Lagoon in the spring, and finally Coal Harbour for summer.

The scent is now maturing in the vat - a concoction that echoes the juxtaposition of natural aromas in their urban surrounding, contrasting marine notes, fresh cut grass and linden blossoms with the penetrating aroma of jet fuel.

The perfume is still in the maturing phase, but you can pre-order a sample (or, if you know you like marine-leathery-green scents, an entire bottle in your choice of eau de parfum application - mini splash bottle, roll-on and larger spray bottle.

Perfumer's Sketches for Sale

Moving Sale

Good morning & Happy Monday!
Perfumer's sketches + vintage testers for sale, from 15 years of perfuming at Ayala Moriel Parfums - part of our moving sale which I'm extending through till next weekend.

Cobalt Blue Lab Bottles with Spray (50-60ml capacity, but contents vary so read each item listed carefully): 
Finjan (2005) 1oz $60
L'Ecume des Jours 5ml $10
Cabaret 1oz $20 - SOLD
Democracy 1oz $30 
Libra EDT (2001) 50ml contains vintage floral bases (not 100% natural)

Lavender Wood (2002) 25ml $25
Razala (original mod 2002) - Garrigue Chypre 20ml for $20 - SOLD
Cucumber (2002) 20ml $15
Licorice (2002 formulation of Black Licorice) 20ml $20
Boronia (2002) soliflore about 10ml $10

Covet (retro style floral, contains vintage floral bases that are not 100% natural) - 20ml $12 - SOLD
Charisman (Charisma for men) 2002 - 20ml $20 - SOLD
Calibre (2002) woodsy masculine with absinthe 20ml $20 - SOLD
Sabotage (original 2002 mod) 1oz $20
 - SOLD
No. 19 all-natural match experiment to the Chanel classic: 25ml $30 - SOLD

Terlona (tropical-inspired, full-bodied fruity cacao with marigold) 20ml $15
Aqua (31.10.2002) - aquatic, watery floral, au naturelle - 20ml $10
Gaia (Foresty Chypre) 50ml $30 - SOLD
Cacao (Dark Chocolate, 2002) - 25ml $25 - SOLD

Fougere Lavender (2002) 1oz $30
IVY (11.08.2002) - Green, aquatic, resinous violet - 10ml $10
Fete d’Hiver Pour Homme (the original version of Bois d’Hiver - 24.09.2002) - 20ml $18 - SOLD
Clil (2002) - citrusy, herbal garden scent, with lemon verbena, lemongrass, hay, etc. - 25ml $15

Victoria (2002) - violet bouquet 1oz $30
Flowers (2002) - retro style, with vintage floral bases (which are not 100% natural) $20

Perfumer's Sketches & Testers Sale

One-Of-A-Kind Perfumer's Sketches (1/2oz lab bottles):
Assam Oud, mods 03 (SOLD), 06, 07. They are between 8-15ml and go for $20, $40 and $30 respectively (based on size)
Animalic-boozy oud with a spicy garam-masala finish...

Pearly Everlasting (Immortelle perfume, inspired by a 2011 hike in Northern California with Hall Hall Newbegin) - 1/4oz $8 - SOLD
Ruby & Marzipan (grapefruit & bitter almond) - 2015 - 1/2 oz $15 - SOLD
Mirkwood (cherry & chocolate AKA black forest cake) - 2015 - 1/2 $15 - SOLD
Yellow (2001) - vanilla-chamomile-lemon sorbetto - 1/4oz $8
Charisma (2001) - contains vintage flower bases (not 100% natural) 1/4 oz $12

Patchouli & Camphor (2012) 7.5ml $8
Mint + Vetiver (2015) 15ml $30
Thé Vert (2003) - green tea - 10ml $15
Mushroom & Flower (2012) - Tuberose woody animalic $50 
Fungi & Flowers (2012) - Tuberose woody animals; Contains the natural isolate octanol-3 $50

Jasmine et Lavande (2015) 15ml $50
Audrey series - Chypre with oaks, patchoui, hay and vanilla, exotic floral heart of tuberose, jasmine and osmanthus, and intriguing top notes of curry leaf, lime and citrus.
Audrey No.0 (earthy & mysterious) - 10ml $20
Audrey No.1 (bright, green herbaceous top notes) - 7.5ml $20 - SOLD
Audrey No. 3 (also green - but curry leaf and osmanthus more prominent) - 15ml $30
Audrey No. 4 (smooth, creamy, woody-chypre with tuberose & osmanthus more prominent) 10ml $25

Chai Rose 10ml $30
Arsenal III (musky, boozy lemony-citrus) - 15ml for $10
Granium Leaf 10ml $10 - SOLD
Eau de Canaga (ylang ylang eaux) 15ml $20
Pandan & Ylang (creamy, smooth tropical floral) 1/2 oz $30
Ginger Tea (24.05.2008) 10ml $15

Perfumer's Sketches & Testers Sale

Fragrantica Reviews Lost Lagoon

Lost Lagoon

"you will appreciate the zingy, joyful opening: galbanum with citrus tones which pop, juicily vibrant. The heart is comprised of lovingly blended florals, almost buttery beneath cheery topnotes. A little deft touch of labdanum (I'll wager) smiles affectionately upon iris and oakmoss as they provide a resting place.

The distinct pleasure I derive from Lost Lagoon is how smooth and effortless it feels. There are no rough edges, all the aromatic materials play so swimmingly with one another. It's just plain pretty, is what it is. And refreshing. I'd like to see Lost Lagoon offered in liter size so that I could splash around in it like a duck."

Visit Fragrantica to read the rest of Ida Meister's review of Lost Lagoon.

ScentHive Reviews Sunset Beach & Lost Lagoon

Coconut (Cocos nucifera)
Many thanks to Trish Vawter of ScentHive for reviewing Sunset Beach:

"Sunset Beach (...) is milky, smooth and fresh. The overall impression of this fragrance is of creamy woods, gentle spices and a laid back floral flourish. Champaca and ylang ylang reveal themselves in a light, tropical manner that lends a beachy vacation vibe to this perfume, perfect for those of you who love woody florals, but don’t want anything too heavy."

And Lost Lagoon:

"Chypres can be hyper green, icy crisp, or down in the dirt earthy. Lost Lagoon strikes a nice balance, probably because it does not make use of synthetic aldehydes so the initial citrusy-green opening melds gently into its lovely floral heart. "

1804 George Sand

"There is only one happiness in this life, to love and to be loved" (George Sand)

The perfume dedicated to the controversial author George Sand, has a complexity of a real person and a feeling of rummaging through the old bureau of an author to find her own inkwell and notebook. I am not familiar with her work (except for La Petite Fadette which I read translated to Hebrew when I was in elementary school). She lead an unusual life and was ahead of her time in insisting on doing things that were considered taboo for women, most memorable of which were sporting men's attire and smoking in public and her reputation was an androgynous type (apparently, having a masculine pseudonym was common at the time, otherwise no publisher would risk taking on a woman's work). But more importantly - her independence, breaking free from her marriage, following her heart into many tumultuous relationships, the most famous of which is her 10 years love affair with Frédéric Chopin - all the while still raising her two children. She sounds to me like one wild woman.

1804 is a classical spicy oriental, in the great tradition of Tabu, Opium and Asja. Like the latter, it also has some fruity surprises. And like Opium before it - there is a fascinating contrast between coolness and warmth that keeps the tension and interest of the reader from the get go.

The beginning feels earthy and cool yet spicy, with the Mellis accord centered on patchouli, cloves, carnation and jasmine and a hint of plum-like rose notes in the midst. The earthy quality is a bit musty, like a jar of clay or like spikenard. There is a certain cool and sharp edge to this, but as the perfume continues wearing on the skin, it seems to switch over to ambery-oriental world. The patchouli is still there, but it's more of a spice or a nuance, giving the sweet, rich and soft amber a dirty-sultry undercurrent.

Top notes: Peach, Pineapple, Gardenia 
Heart notes: Jasmine, Carnation, Rose, Lily of the Valley Cloves, Nutmeg 
Base notes: Patchouli, Spikenard, Vanilla, Benzoin, Amber, Sandalwood
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