I was recently chatting with a dear friend and editor of a great perfume blog (Michelyn Camen of CaFleureBon) when in the course of our conversation she mentioned to me that in these challenging times (as they are for so, so many) we crave fragrances that are light of heart, pretty, loving, bright and joyful and just make us happy. Yes, I thought. She’s so right. And I must have already been getting that message from the Universe too, because when I started considering the Spring launches for DSH Perfumes, I kept coming back to light, pretty florals… plus, the re-imagining of what I used to think of as a late Summer / early Autumn scent, Fire Opal. I’m sure that many of you already know all about the incredible benefits of orange oil for uplifting the mind and spirit, alleviating depression symptoms and giving one a sense of joyous, youthful exuberance. Like grapefruit, we associate oranges with happiness. And I can tell you right now, this new Fire Opal makes *me* HAPPY. Every time I sniff it (and I’ve taken to carrying a mini-sprayer of this in my pocket everyday), I smile and just want to huff it in one more time. It’s kind of addicting. Now, It’s not to say that I didn’t really like the older version, but there’s something about the green blast in the topmost notes that sends me right over the edge into bliss in a way that the first variation didn’t. And really, there is something essentially Springtime about this scent… I have moved the calendar for Fire Opal and it’s back in its youth.
In re-imagining a design, it’s not always about updating, but about a creative shift (although that is many times at the heart of the matter for large companies: to create a new audience of younger customers). Redefining is what has been passing through me these past couple of years and I’ve found it very refreshing and renewing, creatively speaking. For Fire Opal, I wanted to really focus on the sense of iridescence that a fire opal stone has. It’s sometimes a bit milky in its translucence and refracts the light in brilliant, sparkling orange with hints of fiery red, but also at just the right angle a surprising hint of cool green. That’s what I wanted to say with this new design: that ‘s still Orange and even fiery (spicy) in places but also there’s that surprise flash of green-ness which makes the overall effect juicy, bright, a little sappy and very happy. Of course, I had to give it a dash of earth, since I was flying so high to the sun. I didn’t want to have my wings singed. So, there’s the oakmoss, to give the whole thing a sense of elegance and decorum…plus, that effervescence could be too fly away if I’m not careful and needs some grounding.
What I’ve found is that the 2014 Fire Opal lifts me up, sails me away and then brings me softly down again, onto mossy earth still with little shimmering flecks of orange and green sparkling about. It’s just what I needed and wanted. Mmmmm: Happiness.
image credits: fire opal gems here; fire opal with green flash here; cute orange here
*** For three lucky readers, I would love to share some bliss: a 3 ml mini-sprayer of your own to carry in your pocket. Just leave a comment about the scent(s) that speaks of happiness for you (it may be a perfume or not) and you will be entered into the drawing. The drawing will be open until midnight : April 7, 2014.
DSH notebook 