Wild Roses and Killer Tuberose, Oh My!

I didn’t try many new releases in 2012, but I wanted to mention two all-natural floral perfumes that I enjoyed trying this year.

Ayala Moriel’s Treazon is a gorgeous tuberose scent that has more tuberose absolute than any perfume I’ve ever smelled (she referred to it as her killer tuberose while she was working on it). If you judge tuberose by perfumes like Fracas, then you’ve not smelled anything like this. Mixed media perfumes blend synthetics with tuberose absolute to produce a tuberose accord that is different than what you’ll find in an all-natural perfume. If you’ve smelled the all-natural perfume Honoré des Prés Vamp a New York, then you are familiar with the scent of natural tuberose absolute, though I like Ayala’s Treazon better. Tuberose can be a difficult note for some people, and some will find the first few minutes of Treazon to be unusual. The birch adds a wintergreen note, and it combines with the anise and tuberose to produce a medicinal effect. The wintergreen gradually fades as the tuberose blooms. Benzoin, vanilla absolute, and massoia bark create a sweet and delicious base accord. Massoia bark has a wonderful lactonic coconut scent and is very long lasting on the skin; it is prohibited by IFRA, so I have not used it in a formula even though I love the scent. African stone tincture adds a subtle animalic note to the base of Treazon, and orris provides some beautiful powdery/woodsy/ionone notes. The drydown is truly gorgeous and lasts quite a few hours. The price is painful because of the high level of tuberose absolute, but if you love tuberose it is fun to try.

Mandy Aftel’s new Wild Roses is a beautiful and exuberant blend. The rose accord is lush, and as a rose lover I find it irresistible. The heliotrope, pimento berry, and apricot add delicious supporting notes, and the indole (combined with the patchouli) adds just enough dirtiness without becoming overly animalic. The natural isolate dimethyl anthranilate adds a soft, fruity orange blossom floral note. The tarragon is noticeable but not strong, so it adds interest without distracting from the main show. The drydown features vanilla and patchouli, and the rose note lasts for a long time considering the perfume is all natural. The ingredients come together to give the impression of a rose garden in full bloom, perfect for those who love lush and spicy rose scents.

I long ago gave up trying to sample all, or even most, of the new niche releases, but I’m trying to sample a few of the indie releases that sound most interesting to me. I’ll try to do more of that next year.