Scented Snippets: Art&Scents
Columns

Part II - The Eight Perfumes It is never simple to capture the flavor of translation. In all good faith, I am going to attempt a truthful/lyrical translation for you, and for Manuela. [Please permit poetic license!] **Another very important point which I inadvertently omitted [with all due apologies!]: Manuela Pfannes-Völkel has studied perfumery courses in Belgium and Italy, along with valuable time spent in Grasse. I think that bears mention.** NIGHT AND DAWN: A VAMPIRE'S LOVE I am the dark side of night Eternal life timeless power But you You are the morning light Sweet transience Fragrance of utter longing And my heart forever —Manuela Pfannes-Völkel Between the shadow of twilight and dawn, opposing forces are bound together inextricably by this fragrance of love. It is passionately dark yet full of tender light, unique and fascinating. The initial emotion is thrilling: the tingling sensation of sparkling red wine spilled upon flesh. Juicy rosy lychee fruit enthralls, unveiling a smoky heart of white tobacco blossom, delicate buds of tuberose and exotic passionfruit. The base seduces and reveals its intoxicating passion with drops of dark vanilla, patchouli, and bright sandalwood. This perfume is tenacious, warm, earthy—it is what Manuela wore at Elements. I remember smelling it on her: precious, envôutant, voluptuously gourmand, but not tooth-achingly so. It is potent and long-lasting; it loves to cling attentively to your scarf or overcoat, as it does similarly to the nape of the neck. In some ways, I feel echoes of the original Sables by Annick Goutal. There is that smoldering immortelle-like effect, a burnt sugar. I can see why it drew the admiration of fellow sniffers. And Chandler Burr. PAN TIERRA ["Pan's Earth"]

Esprit gourmand, a toothsome perfume delicacy. Pan Tierra extravagantly diffuses the scent of sumptuous delights. An aroma which awakens profound temptation, not too sweet, but full of pleasure.

Here is the earth of the god Pan. The sound of his flute is heard, borne upon heavenly fragrance. This fragrance tells of joyous celebrations accompanied by culinary treasures. First creamy delicate lime sorbet filling comes to the table. Then we indulge in the lure of finest chocolate and freshly roasted coffee beans in a fond of tonka and vanilla dreams. All this served up—the enticement of all the senses in a shell of dark brown caramelized sugar icing.

We have smelled other fragrant concepts of the god Pan, but they differ wildly from Manuela's imaginings. In the land of Anya McCoy, Pan wears a wreath of herbs and lavender about his little goaty throat, complete with goat hair tincture; he's all woodland and faun, raunchy and oddly compelling. In the hands of Manuela Pfannes-Völkel, Pan is Pâtisserie. He's a Burgundian all the way, with huge appetites for sweet [vs. savory]. Not that he's overly sweet—but we want to bite him, quite literally. Lindt Chocolatiers, take note: this would make a formidable truffle. After the intial burst of bright lime, a dulcet and nuzzly gourmand remains, with the faintly leather tone of tonka to modulate the pastry. This is a wonderful comfort scent.

CUERO DE MEXICO ["Mexican Leather"] Mexico, emotion, warmth, temperament, wild romance and a Quantum dangerous thirst for adventure. A classic fragrance with timeless spirit which combines the raw elegance of saddle leather with the sweet temptation of ripe orange fruit. An olfactory ride under orange trees, whose fragrance ascends bewitchingly into the nostrils with the warmth of golden rays of sunlight. It is followed by the captivating provocative tuberose and jacaranda blossoms. Graceful, secretive myrrh and fine leather nuances form a spirited and successful culmination of the perfume. Neroli greets the nostrils, brilliant as the new day, but soon we sense the saddle and a hint of the stable. It is so satisfying, immediate and true; there is no falsity in this fragrance. When Manuela says that it's classic, she's spot-on. Timeless, genderless, exquisite in the grand style. It is not Spanish leather, nor Russian leather, nor English leather, for that matter: informed by the vast landscape, it sings of a beloved space, a barely-tame beast and skilled horseman/woman. This is comfort of an entirely different sort, the sense of ease between horse and rider. I really love this one. WILD CAT MUSK

Jungle, green and impenetrable. Hidden in the dense wood creeps the black feral cat. Perfect beauty, bright eyes, white fangs and an intense musky scent accompany supple movement, muscle tension and impetuous passion.

A hot-blooded perfume, ready to pounce with fiery red chili and jungle grass notes. In the flow of movement tropical hibiscus flowers unfurl, revealing secretively beguiling musk nuances. How elegantly the paw sets itself upon the ground: patchouli, jungle woods and earthy musk drops billow and already the fine cat's nose catches wind of a new trail.

GORGEOUS! Reminds me of old school chypres: greenly floral, animalic, and fierce. Just my sort of fragrance. This is certainly one for the books. The sort of circumstance where I plead: “Never mind the notes. The notes will tell you Nada. But your nose will tell you plenty, and you will like it." Think Carven, Weil, Millot, Raphael, Le Galion. It's not as if Manuela collected vintage perfumes for naught, is it? She's learned a thing or two, and Wild Cat Musk is a glowing example. It's opulently curvaceous with a coiled-steel intensity. If you're concerned about it feeling "dated"—you'd be mistaken.

This sort of goodness never goes out of style. You can be elegant and feral in the same breath. Fortunate you, fortunate me.

A DAY IN GRASSE The scent of blossoms and magical roses, sensuality and this very special charisma of immortal beauty is in the air. Lemon notes and green leaves open the gate to enter the secret rose garden. The evening atmosphere, rose petals, and a breath of aromatic herbs. Charming, bewitching red clover blossoms combine with deep vetiver grass. If you recall the last post, this was one that tickled Chandler Burr [along with Night and Dawn]. It's such a breathtakingly lovely floral: moist, verdant, lemony, grassy. How I love rose you well know, but clover—anything like clover makes me want to wag my tail. It feels like the overture to Mendelssohn's Midsummer Night's Dream.

All that sweet mischief! Ethereal loveliness, richly atmospheric and magical in the strictest sense. I honestly can't see how anyone wouldn't enjoy it, even if they didn't perceive themselves as the "floral" type. CUPIDOS KISS ["Cupid's Kiss"]

A brief flap of the wing, light as a breeze, only a small prick and there sits Cupid's arrow right in the heart, where he eagerly achieves his desired effect. His fragrance, irresistible, covetous, consumes all the senses. Even makes it easy to fall in love.

This charming gift begins with the most tender temptation of neroli absolute, which when wed to the Oriental opulence of narcissus blossoms and rose petals yields at last its most precious secret in exotic depths with the enchanted aid of hypnotic jasmine, sandalwood, vanilla tears and the exhilaration of ginger chocolate shavings. It brings one to the heights.

This is a profoundly animalic perfume, thanks to narcissus and jasmine. Yes, indeed—there is abundant orange and ginger/dark chocolate with a soupçon of vanilla, but my! These magnificent florals are intense, and they lie, odalisque-fashion, upon their sandalwood cushion. I've never smelled anything quite like Cupidos Kiss before, and that's saying something, these days. I imagine it might be polarizing for some, but it is clearly one-of-a-kind and fascinating. Somehow, there is a caress of ozone about it which lifts and diffuses it into the ether. I think it's brilliant and bold, not a fragrance for the timid.

LIGHT OF ORMUZ The splendor of the ancient Persian god Ormuz, the Creator God, Lord of Wisdom, praised and described by many philosophers. Ormuz, the light of this world. This fragrance places glittering accents from the divine Imagining into a sensual experience. Green mint leaves and clear water droplets dispersed by the winds sway gently in the light of dawn. With unlimited energy, spice/herbal buds reveal themselves as aromatic beacons. Vetiver and cedar reveal a sensuality dipped in tonka will-o'-the-wisp which points the way to new paths. Their fragrant secrets are currently hidden. Thus spoke Zarathustra! What is a will-o'-the-wisp? It is atmospheric ghost lights seen by travelers at night, especially over bogs, swamps or marshes. It resembles a flickering lamp and is said to recede if approached, drawing travellers from the safe paths. Manuela's text refers to it as Irrlicht. What a poetic reference! Light of Ormuz feels mystical and illuminated from within. I translated Gewürze as either "spice" or "herb" [it can be both], simply because it feels like both to me, with tonka adding its multi-tonal voice to an unusually arid/limpid duality. We are fresh and light, we are covered in the dust of the desert. Everything is open to our view, yet things are not as they seem. It is this juxtaposition which was Manuela's aim, and it works. Whether you are deep in contemplation or at the office, this is easy to wear and love. It is also long-lasting despite its apparent subtlety. FANTASTIC GREEN BIRD This is Manuela's most recent release, and as yet is not described on her site—so I asked her to tell me a bit about it. Here are the notes. Top: tequila, agave/aloe, verveine Heart: hyacinth, honeysuckle, jasmine Base: artemisia, amber, and sandalwood “It is a perfume of fantasy. Green chypre and the green bird and the winter; spring flowers shall give the imagination of a cool carnival scent, the mask like in very old days, dreams to come true.” Thus spoke Manuela. Fantastic Green Bird is most definitely a wild rollercoaster of a scent. It comes on neon-green and larger than life in the first spritz: fresh fizzy and aromatic with indolic undergarments lurking beneath the glamour and glitz. Be it Mardi Gras or any other Bacchanalian event, this is the perfect fragrance to wear to the party. You could choose to be your own party [that's what I do!]. Why ever not? Yes, back to the perfume. ;-) It's citric, herbal, warm in the drydown and cool as a cucumber. Those fabulous florals sing their very lungs out for you, and they own a fine set of pipes, those gals. They're not subtle, and they're not meant to be; you wear Fantastic Green Bird, and you will be noticed, I assure you. Don't wear this to the office, in an elevator, or a cubicle. Just go out into the crowded street, the wild event, and the masked ball. Go out and howl at the moon in it. I'd like to thank Manuela and Etienne for their time, patience, friendship, and all those samples! I hope that you decide to try them for yourselves. Read Part I of the series, an interview with Manual Pfannes-Völkel, "The Art of Creation." Images: Manuela Pfannes-Völkel / Arts&Scents