Scent of a wolf

Recently I was part of a gathering of people who get together periodically to go fragrance sniffing in New York City. I've made some wonderful friends and met many amazing new people, as the group changes and grows. This gathering is very much anticipated in our home.

At the last one, a beautiful young woman with purple hair and a smile that lights up the room handed me a sample of a fragrance she had created. I had met this woman before, she is known to many of us as Lupa, but we had never really talked much. I didn't know what to expect at all and was a little nervous (what if I hate it?) but curious to see what a fellow perfume lover had created herself. I'm always touched when somebody creates something and is able to share it like that. Musicians, artists, perfumers...obviously when one reaches a certain level it's about marketing and not paying attention to any negative feedback, but at this level, a friend handing me a sample vial is very meaningful. "I created this and I want you to try it" is a way of sharing herself on a different level.

I went home with my bags and bags of goodies and samples and purchases, dumped them all out on the bed, pulled out Lupa's and set it on the dresser for sampling the next day. It's called Exult: Summer Fling.

I put it on and a hefty dose of nutmeg greeted me immediately. This settles down pretty quickly and a beautiful jasmine comes into play. I can smell some vanilla in there, but it's not a foody vanilla, and it's not sweet. It anchors the fragrance and helps to balance the nutmeg and jasmine. After about 20 minutes, it settles into the fragrance it remains for a good while, with nutmeg in the fore followed immediately by the jasmine.

I should say here that Exult is a natural perfume and so is made using only all natural essences. If you've never smelled essence of jasmine, it's really something different than what you get in commercially marketed fragrances. I don't personally believe one is better than the other, but they are quite different. Natural jasmine is a rich, sexual earthy scent. It's rich in indoles, which are found naturally in jasmine and orange blossom, as well as coal tar and fecal matter. Which is not to say it smells like poop - as anybody who has ever smelled a jasmine flower will know. My point is that if you've never experienced natural jasmine, you might not know immediately what it is that you're smelling.

In the drydown, finally the frankincense pokes its head out. So by then, I have nutmeg on a bed of jasmine flowers, with a few drops of vanilla and bits of frankincense here and there. For a fragrance with only 4 ingredients, it's surprisimgly complex and changeable, and ultimately intriguing. I know what's in there and still each time I wear this fragrance, it's a little adventure on my skin. It's a beautiful fragrance and I'm honored that Lupa has chosen to share it with me.

My one disagreement with her is the name. Exult works, but Summer Fling doesn't sit right with me. Maybe because it's freezing cold outside, but to me nutmeg = winter. Add vanilla and frankincense and you've got a recipe for a perfect winter fragrance. Jasmine gives it wings.

You can find lupa at her blog, no one knows why the wolf laughs.