Last summer, a very generous friend in perfume surprised me with a beautiful little bottle. I had no idea what was inside...and as curious as I was about the contents, I was enchanted by the potion's presentation. No clues... Beaux Arts, said the label... its appearance reminded me quite a bit of a couple of vintage Coty minis I have (L'Aimant and L'Origan). I became distracted just by the bottle. What a beautiful little something, my eyes said.
My nose did not yet know.
I dabbed some on, and was immediately happy. Neither clean nor green, but not far from either, it started off bright and cheerful but not in a high voice. Not long after, it moved on into other territory. Other territory meaning at first it introduced a bit more depth, then left the light for the opaque depths, molting the brightness nearly entirely. It became...powdery, a bit, but that's not quite right. Denser. Hints of richness, but easily breathed through. I'm thinking of a fog that isn't oppressive.
When I tried it again today, it was those things, with a big "a-ha!" as the drydown proceeded. It is the feeling of L'Heure Bleue (and some of its descendents), if blue was green. There's a certain palpable element to the space the scent inhabits. You can kind of taste it, kind of feel it...whereas in Bleu, that piece is violet-ish perhaps melancholy perhaps the trailing denouement of a happy story arc, here in Celadon the miasma breathes in green with cheer dominating the pondering.
Both are scents that make me daydream, and continually (if often absentmindedly) return to my wrist for a gentle huff, which keeps the creative thought zone gently humming. Celadon has a bit more lift, L'Heure Bleue a bit more transport. I'm happy to ride with either...both are a bit of a magic carpet for me.
Celadon is from Dawn Spencer Hurwitz' Beaux Arts "aroma color" collection. See her website here.
8 comments:
Oh they sound lovely. I love Celadon everything. I fact I painted my office "Celadon Green". The bottles are really cool too. What a great thing to be so pleasantly surprised.
wow L'heure Bleu in green sounds like the perfume I've been looking for all my life! That's quite a description- must be quite a scent.
I tried Blanche yesterday by the way. It is bizarre how much it is laundry- just laundry- lovely but strange! I did keep getting wafts of myself and thinking damn I smell clean!
DC, that package was layers of surprise delights, starting with the simple act of it arriving at my door. :)
So you are a celadon fan? I would love to see what you do with it...I have often found it to be a tricky color, but I often enjoy it when other people play with it.
Rose, thanks for telling me about your Blanche experience. It is lovely laundry, isn't it?
You know, as I write my response to you about Celadon, it starts haunting me again. I may have found another It perfume for me...I hope you do get a chance to try it.
Celadon's been on my DSH wish list for several months. I plan to buy a small bottle of The Silk Road soon for fall, and I think a sample of Celadon might slip into my cart... The DSH website is so jam-packed with goodies that it's easy to overlook some of the gems there. I really enjoyed your "magic carpet" description and the comparison to L'HB, which I never loved until I tried the parfum.
The Silk Road is really richly detailed - tea, spices, leather, amber, florals, and tobacco. My sample is nearly gone, and I need more!
Love the pic of your old Coty bottles! I bought L'Origan parfum in a similar bottle recently, and it's beautiful. I've also recently purchased a small 5ml bottle of vintage Emeraude parfum, and it's heavenly too.
Mals, aren't those little bottles something? I have a thing for sample bottles...such a space- and budget- efficient way of collecting a scent "library"...and I love how attractive (beautiful or charming or unusual) some of them are. Vintage Emeraude...that's a kick, isn't it? Musette, who comments here sometimes, found some at a flea market. Smells great.
I'm going to look for a post on your blog about Silk Road...have just spent my budget on samps for now, including some more DSH, so shall need to live vicariously as far as that one goes. The notes list has a lot of my faves: tea, leather, amber, tobacco, with spice often being a happy zone. Mix the floral in in the right way and...oh, but I need to set that thought aside. ;)
I can't wait to try this fragrance - it sounds wonderful and the bottle is adorable, xv.
Vicki,
So nice to see you here! Obviously, I think Celadon is worth a visit. Would be curious to hear what you think about it. And yes, that bottle is a charmer. :)
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