Puredistance Papilio, The Butterfly

 

I took a little break from blogging. I wasn't feeling inspired by what I was smelling, life was busy and a bit chaotic, and I took to wearing perfumes in the "easy, breezy" category that smell nice but don't require much notice from the wearer. Recently, though, I felt those stirrings coming back that have made me eager to explore new scents, and to write about those that touch or inspire me. So I finally reached for my sample of Puredistance Papilio which came to me during this off time.

I had the pleasure of meeting Jan Ewoud Vos several years ago when I lived in Singapore. Not only was I impressed with the quality of his fragrances, which numbered around seven at the time, but I liked his absolute commitment to producing a quality product that would withstand time. To do this, the creation of a new Puredistance perfume starts to germinate with an idea in the very creative mind of JEV, and then goes on to a storyboard. Picking a perfumer is key, and I can only imagine how exciting it must be to be picked as a creator of a Puredistance perfume, knowing that cost of materials takes a back burner and quality and execution of the scent are all important considerations.

Nathalie Feisthauer had completed work on Puredistance 12, and JEV decided to have her bring his vision of Papilio to life. I can understand why. When I wrote about Puredistance 12 here I spoke of how its subtle beauty and quiet presence stood out to me as a departure for the line, which in the past has not backed away from making a bold statement. Butterflies are ethereal, fluttery things, so when expressing that in perfume, one would look for a light touch. Perhaps this delicacy is Ms. Feisthauer's signature, at least in regard to Puredistance creations.

What are my impressions? Knowing that it is about butterflies and their cycle of life, I let me mind go with what I smelled. Fragrantica lists this as a floral musky scent, which are a favorite category of mine. When I first smell Papilio I get a woody, musky scent, with just a touch of light in the form of bergamot. The cumbersome caterpillar has transformed into a chrysalis. It hangs by a slender thread, waiting for the transformation into a beautiful free being which can fly through the skies. The smell is quiet, musky, cocoon-like if you will! On my skin there was no dramatic moment of transformation as the figurative butterfly transformed from its pupa state to a fluttering winged creature. Instead there was a light emergence of florals, unveiling their scent as if carried on the wind, the overall effect a gossamer lightness and transparency.

The notes listed in the heart of the fragrance are gentle and quiet. They are magnolia, orris, heliotrope, carrot, lily of the valley, and peach. The notes seem to speak more of the ethereal nature of the butterfly, with its delicate wings and floaty, airy movements. Some other butterfly themed perfumes tend to gravitate to using notes of the nectar it consumes, with strong white florals or honeyed notes. That is not the case here. Ms. Feistheuer has chosen to zero in on the butterfly in all its stages. It is always delicate, understated, but a airy, beautiful and transparent scent.

I found Papilio a gorgeous scent, but it hasn't replaced my love for some of the heavier hitters in the Puredistance family. Warszawa will always be my number one, and I love Antonia and Gold, in particular. But there is a place for quietness and understatement, and Papilio will cloak the fortunate wearer in their own gossamer wings of flight

Thank you to Puredistance for the sample of Papilio. The photo is from their website. 

Jo Malone Honeysuckle & Davana for Autumn Transition

 

I am currently in Australia, now that we live this retirement life of wintering in the Australian summer during January through April at my husband's home city of Adelaide, and then back to Texas spring once autumn arrives here. If you can see the tree in the background of the photo above, the leaves are beginning to turn rust and golden colors. In another two weeks the tree will look like a ball of fire, but by then we will be on our way to Texas, transitioning from autumn to spring.

Many of us who wear a lot of different fragrances, loyal to none, are vitally influenced by the changing seasons and even the daily weather forecast. The scents I will choose for spring when I'm back to Texas will be ones of light green hopefulness and gentle florals. For autumn, something totally different is called for. I want scents that may have elements of the fading summer but that strongly allude to the cooling nights and crisper air. Jo Malone Honeysuckle & Davana fills this need perfectly.

Honeysuckle has always been a favorite note of mine in summer scents, referenced here and here in posts about finding the perfect honeysuckle scent. I think as I get older, the memories it stirs of childhood roaming and the joy of smelling wild honeysuckle trailing across a fence are sweet souvenirs of the past.

Jo Malone scents are very hit and miss for me these days, as I find their newer releases never offensive but also never exciting. However, they have had a few releases in recent years that I do like, and this is one of them. This is one instance where I think the descriptive copy for the fragrance really does capture the essence of the picture the fragrance conjures in my head when I wear it. From the Jo Malone website:

The wildness of honeysuckle, winding through the English countryside. Climbing. Twisting. Ever more alluring after dark. Fresh with rose, and the aromatic, fruity twist of davana. Woody with moss. Warmed by sunshine. 

The juxtaposition the aromatic, woody, mossy notes, but then warmed by sunshine is the essence of the autumn transition to me. Here in Adelaide our days are usually filled with golden sunshine, but the sun's bite is gone and the glow is softer. Then at night the coolness moves in like a cloak of fog, a harbinger of what is soon to come. 

My little bottle of Honeysuckle and Davana that I have here in Australia is a few years old, and I feel that it has mellowed and aged a bit, like a wine. The initial spray does give the aromatic notes from davana, a bit of tea and fruit. But it now feels like it is fermenting, infused with a wine-like presence. This gives it a more formal "perfume smell" than many of the lighter offerings in the Jo Malone range.

The davana is the top note. It is an aromatic plant from India and has a smell reminiscent of dried fruits. The fruitiness is pleasant but not at all sweet or tart, more rich and edible. Heart notes are honeysuckle and rose. The honeysuckle doesn't have the fresh innocence of a summer scent. It smells more of the honey aspect and less of the floral. The rose is very subdued and just a subtle sweetness underneath. The base is mossy, and this is what gives the perfume the autumn vibes for me. 

Overall, Honeysuckle & Davana comes across as a more polished, old-school perfume scent than the name might imply, but being a Jo Malone scent it is not in the least overbearing. The honeysuckle does give the scent a warm, golden feel to me, which feels like the waning days of summer and the more chilly days to come. Try it if you're looking for a scent which hasn't totally said goodbye to summer, yet brings the comfort of autumn days.

The perfume and photo are my own.