Social media is a wonderful thing when sharing good news. It can be less enjoyable when the news is not so happy. When you see a post where someone has had some kind of adversity you feel for them and reach out knowing there is little more you can do. A year ago I woke up and was checking in when I saw a post from Charna Ethier the independent perfumer and owner of Providence Perfume Co. Her store in Providence, RI had been damaged in a fire. After being patient with the reconstruction it turned out she still needed to move. She spent a couple of months doing that. She has now re-established her brick-and mortar presence which has allowed for her to return to that which she does so well; design beautiful perfumes from memorable ingredients. Her latest Love-in-a-Mist does just that.
When I make the statement that independent perfumery’s advantage is in exquisite small batch raw materials Ms. Ethier is one of the best at doing this. From designing her own tinctures to sourcing unique materials to use as a keynote the majority of her perfumes have a special note or accord within; put there through her persistence. For Love-in-a-Mist Ms.Ethier wanted to create a playful summer wildflower fragrance and she wanted to use the flower that is in the name. That flower is known as Nigella damascene. Ms. Ethier sourced one of the few distillers of this flower and made this note the nucleus of Love-in-a-Mist. Another thing I laud Ms. Ethier for is she spends time understanding her new material so she can choose just a few supplementary notes which display it like the fragrant jewel it is.
Charna Ethier
Ms. Ethier describes the scent profile of Nigella damascene as a “honeyed floral aroma”. While I think that is probably technically true there seems to be more on display than a honeyed floral. As pink pepper opens the fragrance with the Nigella damascene already in place I get a more lilac feel from it. As mimosa comes forward it becomes more expansive reminding me strongly of honeysuckle. Sweet clover adds in the soft green aspect of a summer field. Finally, in the base sandalwood pulls out an ambery character.
Love-in-a-Mist has 8-10 hour longevity and low sillage.
I have truly enjoyed wearing Love-in-a-Mist through these summery days. Even in a place where I have my own wildflowers there is nothing which smells as good as this does. After a year of adversity Ms. Ethier has found the sunny side again and put it in a bottle. I have to also mention that the past year’s travails seem to have fired her creativity again. I think Love-in-a-Mist is the best perfume she has made since 2012’s Moss Gown. Love-in-a-Mist is a spectacular summertime floral.
Disclosure: This review was based on a sample provided by Providence Perfume Co.
–Mark Behnke
