blue-violet-grey = the color of “perfume” {aka carrie meredith’s bespoke perfume part 1}

09/11/2011 by DSH

the * blue-violet-grey hue

Today is a special day… not just because it is 9-11 or my birthday (yep: really) but even better, I am here to tell you a little about a most exciting project: carrie merediths’s bespoke perfume. For those of you who missed my 1 year blog-iversary drawing, I offered up a bespoke perfume to the winner to commemorate the day. Carrie meredith (from the fabulous “eyelineronacat” blog won he random draw, but I have to say from the start, I felt her vision as she described it in her winning post: “…I have many ideas for bespoke perfumes, but I’ll settle on this one for now, since it’s where I’m at in my creative head space: Iris, violet, milk, powdered sugar, ozonic note, bitter almond, anise, civet. The goal is a dreamy gourmand with a musky quality.” That enigmatic vision has (nearly) become a reality at this point but we are still making minor changes to get it ABSOLUTELY PERFECT.

Being a synesthete, I had a palpable reaction to her description in my mind. I saw a lovely swath of silk charmeuse in a blue-violet-grey color moving gently in a breeze. The weight of the fabric and it’s lushness balanced perfectly with it’s hue and value. This is what I have worked from when interpreting Carrie’s concept. Of course, I have also worked from her note list and a sense of incorporating “classic Guerlain” sensibilities and a modern gourmand aesthetic to make her ‘holy grail’ perfume. She mentioned that she is a huge classic Guerlain fan (who isn’t?) and also her love of the iris/gourmand. All I could say is YUM. So, the first run of samples was just to get the structure down. It occurred to me when starting on Carrie’s perfume that I had had an idea in the back of my mind for some time which was to create a classic accord, a base really, that was a touch dry, a little creamy wood and warm in an orris/ iris mode. So, I started with that. It’s actually called: “blue violet grey accord”. That is the center heart note of Carrie’s perfume. I then worked my way out from there. Here’s what we have so far:

bergamot, bitter almond, ozone note, violet leaf, aniseed, lemon, powdered violet, rose otto, *blue-violet-grey orris accord, sandalwood, honey beeswax, cocoa butter, cocoa bean, heliotrope, tonka bean, virginia cedarwood, vanilla absolute, green oakmoss, vetiver, civet.

"This one is just right!"

And I have to say that it is, so far, unlike anything else I have made. How incredible! I just love this process… the bespoke is always completely unique and each perfume is full of idiosyncrasy; a very special beauty. That is not to say that this perfume would only appeal to one person… no. It is lovely, warm and inviting as well as chic and a little mischievous. (Remind you of anyone you know? I’m looking at you CM…:) ) I think it has real appeal and it is thrilling for me to work on this design with such a creative mind as Carrie’s. What fun it’s been and it’s not over yet. There are a few more mods as I mentioned before and then the big reveal: the name. (Yes, we have a name but I’m not telling just yet. I think the perfume needs to finished before we know for sure that this is a match of concept, name and essence. But I’m sure we’re going to get it , as Goldilocks says, “just right”.

ps: * this color, the blue-violet-grey hue I saw in my head is aptly called “perfume” from a super fun color /design website just type in this code to see it: B7A2D8

** image credit: goldilocks image found here

Posted in perfume | Tagged almond cocoa bean anise perfume, carrie meredith, Dawn Spencer Hurwitz Bespoke Perfume, eyeliner on a cat blog, iris based perfume, one of a kind perfume, soft modern gourmand perfume | 22 Comments

22 Responses

on 09/11/2011 at 11:45 pm | Reply Joey Alycia (@glowyjoeybunny)

Carrie is so lucky! I cannot wait to read about the finished project.

I hope you had a lovely birthday =)
- on 09/12/2011 at 10:27 am | Reply DSH
  
  Thank you, Joey Alycia! I did have a WONDERFUL birthday and feeling everyone’s well wishes was like bathing in the ocean when it is the perfect temperature and it’s glistening beauty seems to go on forever…pure happiness.
  And yes, Carrie’s perfume is coming along and we’ll not only be telling you the name in the next post about it but also having a draw for samples and a full bottle. Oh YEAH! so, stay tuned…
  Have a wonderful start to your week~ Thank you for stopping by and commenting, too. oxo~ D
on 09/12/2011 at 12:13 am | Reply Flora

Wow, that perfume sounds drop-dead gorgeous! We are all going to have “bespoke envy” once it’s finalized. I am really curious about the name too. And if you took out the cedar and civet from that list of notes, it would make a fabulous ice cream flavor too.

How cool that the name of that exact color is “Perfume” – I guess it was just meant to be. That color site is a great find!
- on 09/12/2011 at 10:34 am | Reply DSH
  
  Flora!!! You’re so right! That would be a great ice-cream (even with the civet and cedar, I think but we’d have to adjust it way down on those two). Hmmm… maybe we should talk to Mandy Aftel about that for ice-cream. We’d have to do a botanical civet equivalent…
  And, isn’t that color site amazing? I LOVE that site… and when I tooled around to find just the right color that I had in mind, boom! it’s called “Perfume”. I almost fell off my chair when I saw that for the first time. Wonders never cease… The next post about the bespoke will reveal the name but also we’re going to have a draw for samples and a full bottle so you may not have to have full tilt ‘bespoke envy’…LOL.
  Much love to you and a box of decants and samples ARE finally coming your way this week: woo hoo! oxo~ D
on 09/12/2011 at 1:05 am | Reply BeTrue2B (@BeTrue2B)

Sounds like this creation will smell absolutely delicious!
- on 09/12/2011 at 10:37 am | Reply DSH
  
  Thank you, BeTrue2B! It IS delicious but even better ( to me, anyway ) it has a real perfume quality beyond the gourmand yumminess. We’re just smoothing it all out to be perfect. stay tuned for the next bespoke post as we’ll be doing a draw for samples and a full bottle so you may get to try it! HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY! ~D
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on 09/12/2011 at 8:56 am | Reply Scent Hive

This sounds so glorious! I need to try it. I am curious about the civet though. Is it the real deal or synthetic? My vegetarian leaning self is hoping for the later
- on 09/12/2011 at 10:40 am | Reply DSH
  
  Hi, Trish! Not to worry: it is synthetic civet. (That also means that there’s not that much needed because that stuff is S.T.R.O.N.G.). I sometimes use a botanical accord civet but it was making the design too green so I had to opt for the synthetic, which in a weird way is warmer. In the next bespoke post we’re doing a draw so you may just get to try it sooner than you think! oxo~ D
  - on 09/12/2011 at 7:34 pm Scent Hive
    
    That’s great news Dawn! Sounds like opting for warmth over green was a good choice for what you and Carrie are going for. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for the draw!
    
    XOXO
    ~T
  - on 09/13/2011 at 10:45 pm DSH
    
    Thank you Trish! Good luck in the draw… hee hee!
on 09/12/2011 at 12:35 pm | Reply Lavanya

Hope you had a lovely Birthday, Dawn! That silk charmeuse and the violet-blue-grey color are so evocative, I feel like I can almost smell it..That is so interesting that you are a synesthete. (I am very interested in the neuroscience of synesthesia, especially because it is such an obvious basis for multi-sensory metaphors)..I am not a hard-wired synesthete, I don’t think. But I do ‘see’ color and texture when I smell something..

This sounds like such an exciting project- cannot wait to read more!
- on 09/13/2011 at 10:26 pm | Reply DSH
  
  Hi, Lavanya~ Thank you for your Happy Birthday wishes and your comment! Synesthesia is an all engrossing topic, isn’t it? It’s an ongoing fascination for me. Thank you for sharing your experience…I hope you’ll enter the draw (in the next post) to win a sample of Carrie’s bespoke design..
on 09/12/2011 at 1:30 pm | Reply Carrie Meredith

A Blue Violet Grey daydream, but it exists in the space of twilight. I’ve been so honored to be a part of this process, it’s been so much fun for me- an exercise in pure pleasure.

I love that you knew that the rose otto wasn’t going to bother me, even though I have a troubled relationship with rose. I can’t wait for the big reveal! I feel like it’s our baby and we need to send out pink candy cigars to all the readers.
- on 09/13/2011 at 10:31 pm | Reply DSH
  
  HI, CM~ YES! PINK CANDY CIGARS!!! I love that!!
  It is I who is honored… really. This project has been so so much fun for me. I love working with you and there’s more to come!
on 09/12/2011 at 5:01 pm | Reply Undina

I’m envious too. But not as much of the fact that Carrie will have a perfume created for her by you (though it is really impressive) but because Carrie knows what she wants and is capable of describing it the way which is appealing for you as a creator. If it were me, I would be horrified: I wouldn’t want to waste such an extraordinary chance but, at the same time, wouldn’t know what to wish for.

Are you (or Carry) going to tell more about the process? I’m really curious about how it works, especially when it’s done remotely.
- on 09/13/2011 at 10:33 pm | Reply DSH
  
  Hi ,Undina! Than you for your comment! Yes, absolutely, I will describe more of ‘how it all works’ in the next post. Thank you for the inspiration! In the next post you’ll also be able to enter a draw to try Carrie’s design… who knows: it might be just what you would ask for.
on 09/12/2011 at 6:34 pm | Reply ahsu78

great post — love hearing about the process
- on 09/13/2011 at 10:37 pm | Reply DSH
  
  Thank you, ahsu78, for your comment! The next post will have more in depth info about the process of the bespoke… and of course, the draw. WOO HOO!
on 09/12/2011 at 7:22 pm | Reply Holly Simpson

My oh my Dawn ~ I looked at those notes and thought ‘its almost as if DSH is bespoking this scent for me!’ I adore Carrie’s scented vision and your take on it. My mind went straight to powdery Victorian opulence.

I’m with Flora ~ major ‘bespoke envy’ going on over here! lol

Holly
- on 09/13/2011 at 10:44 pm | Reply DSH
  
  Hi, Holly~ Hee, I love your comment: Thank you! I’m sure that Carrie is thrilled as well that you two are on the same wavelength for the perfect soft violet gourmand.