Over the past few years I have been fortunate to spend a lot of time with Michael Edwards the man who created the perfume database Fragrances of the World. Whenever we are together, I joke it is like talking to a walking history of modern perfumery. He has provided so many insights for me to explore.
Frances Shoemack
Mr. Edwards lives in Australia, but he was visiting a New Zealand department store when he began speaking with the sales associate. When the young man realized the opportunity to gather information, he took advantage of the serendipitous encounter. The sales associate aspired to be a perfumer. He asked, “What was the best way?” Mr. Edwards told him there was an annual conference in Grasse where he could present himself to industry insiders. Flash forward to a few months later at that conference where the sales associate has used his savings to make the trip from New Zealand to France. Mr. Edwards sees this as a sign of his determination. He would meet the head of Symrise who was similarly impressed. He sponsored the young man’s training in Milan which then lead to a series of positions within Symrise. The final piece of training comes as Maurice Roucel’s assistant for four years. At that point he is offered a position as junior perfumer in Brazil. Ever since I heard this story, I have wanted to try one of Isaac Sinclair’s perfume. I wanted to smell the end of the story.
Isaac Sinclair
I finally had the chance with the introduction of the Abel line of perfumes from the Netherlands to the US. The brand was begun in 2016 when owner Frances Shoemack chose Mr. Sinclair as her creative partner for her new perfume brand. When they became available in the US, I quickly acquired a sample set. What I found within the collection were very focused perfumes designed around sets of three keynotes. What I didn’t realize early on was these are 100% Natural perfumes. Mr. Sinclair elicits the most from this palette finding a quiet power within. The one which captured my attention the most was Green Cedar.
If there is a perfume which advertises itself as green cedar I am always interested. There is a freshness to raw wood. In the case of cedar, it keeps it from becoming pencil shavings; elevating it to something less utilitarian. Mr. Sinclair captures all of this.
It opens with a gentle breath of cardamom and magnolia. Then the woods show up. Mr. Sinclair uses two sources of cedar, Moroccan and Texan. He cleaves it with the use of cypriol. This is the main ingredient of faux-oud accords. Mr. Sinclair uses it here as the rawness of green wood with an ideally modulated amount cutting through the cedar.
Green Cedar has 8-10 hour longevity and average sillage.
As I tried the whole sample set of Abel perfumes, I smiled a lot. The perfumes are all good. They provide the finish to the story begun one night in Mr. Edwards’ voice. Green Cedar is part of the fairytale ending from sales associate to perfumer halfway around the world.
Disclosure: this review is based on a sample set I purchased.
–Mark Behnke
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