I've always been drawn to the same kind of scents - wickedly clean, uncluttered, floral with a finish of sensual woods and musks. But as I get older, not only have my tastes changed - in fashion, decor and food - I crave more complex, sophisticated scents that still have a simple elegance to them.
So it's no wonder I fell so hard for L'OLFACTIF Fine Fragrances.
Not only are they completely unique in scent, they're carefully crafted by visually impaired perfumers.
How cool is that?!
Their Indiegogo campaign is an important one. At L’OLFACTIF, "Physical impairment is not an impairment."
Did you know that there are roughly 286 million visually impaired people and ONLY 50-60% has a full- time job? The owners of L'OLFACTIF contribute a part of their income to educating and giving these folks the opportunity to create fine fragrances.
The perfumers have extraordinary skills - they measure weight by sound and recall scent's names with a single sniff. Whoa.
This "slow and honest" perfumery has created three luscious scents from natural ingredients. Most of the ingredients come from selective gardens in France, with the rest from small farms around the globe, "wherever the ingredients are fresh and righteous."
The result is utterly thoughtful, well-crafted and suis generis (of its own kind) fragrances, made for men and women.
There's nothing else like them. Take a look:
This "slow and honest" perfumery has created three luscious scents from natural ingredients. Most of the ingredients come from selective gardens in France, with the rest from small farms around the globe, "wherever the ingredients are fresh and righteous."
The result is utterly thoughtful, well-crafted and suis generis (of its own kind) fragrances, made for men and women.
There's nothing else like them. Take a look:
- Lavender Ylang
This is lavender like you've never seen before. This one was made for grown-ups.
This is lavender like you've never seen before. This one was made for grown-ups.
A lot of us embrace lavender for its immense calming properties. We buy the essential oils for our diffusers, clutter our counters and tables with candles infused with its scent, and spray our pillows with it, praying its soft fragrance will lull us to sleep.
But mixed with Ylang Ylang - a natural mood balancer - there's a deep plummy smokiness that's utterly captivating.
I normally shy away from anything smoky, but here it adds heft and sophistication. That's in part thanks to the Pepperblack, and that sensual base of Vanilla, Cedarwood and Patchouli? Utterly alluring.
It's like midnight in a bottle. Shockwaves and heart flutters. Acute creativity and clarity.
Lavender finally gets elevated, becoming a rapturous journey that's much more than just a gateway to sleep and stress-free days.
p.s. Don't pass up the lovely soap and hand cream available in this scent as well.
- Tahitian Citrus
I've never experienced a fragrance like this before.
Inspired by the Tahitian figures of Paul Gauguin's paintings, it starts out as very familiar and then suddenly veers into something so unusual, so intriguing, it stops you in your tracks.
Isn't that what you've always wanted from your perfume?
Like a vivid memory, it draws you in and then like a flash, it's gone. But then something else lingers in its midst. Something new. A sharp note of citrusy sunshine (sunny Mandarin, Grapefruit, Lemon mingle with the green vibrancy of Lemongrass) evolves into something soft and slightly sweet (sharp spicy notes of Pepperblack give way to the soft allure of Tonkabean and Sandalwood).
It's easy to see the correlation between these and Gauguin's work. Vivid hues, bold prints and deep emotion leap off the canvas, as does the complex, invigorating notes of this riveting eau de toilette.
- WLR
This too, is a deeply original scent.
WLR's a tangle of wood, leather and rose, that leaves you perpetually perplexed. Such dark, heavy masculine notes with wafts of perhaps the most feminine scent - rose.
The complexity continues with Basil, Bergamot, Vetiver, Petitgrain (an orange citrus) and Cedarwood.
Fresh, yet smoky; dark with bright light notes - the contradictions transform into confluence, leaving you breathless with excitement, never knowing what's coming next.
----
L'OLFACTIF Fine Fragrances are the most distinct scents I've ever come across. Intricate and ever-evolving, they fascinate and engage all your senses. L'OLFACTIF aren't meant to be worn - they're meant to be lived in with verve and vigor.
Can you think of anything better?
