Recent Releases from DSH Perfumes: Flowers for Men, Japanese Gardens & Shamanic Woods
Fragrance Reviews

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It is always a great privilege to be able to count a perfumer as an acquaintance. And days are never quite as exciting as when a package of samples arrives at my door from Dawn Spencer Hurwitz. We've covered quite a few of Dawn's creations under her DSH Perfumes label here at Fragrantica and collectively we're consistently impressed by her range and skill, utilizing a large palate of fragrance ingredients to create numerous genres of scent.

This past spring and early summer Dawn has been creatively prolific and I'm happy to share my impressions of eight (yes, eight!) new aromas, seven of which are currently available for purchase and the eighth launches later this year. These new aromas take us on an olfactory journey around the globe.

Let's begin with a most unusual smoke-themed fragrance.

Become the Shaman is, "A grounding ritual mix based on palo santo, copal, tobacco, and sappy milkweed. The result is a lush forest of milky-woody incense, with spice-like hints, and smoke softly curling around you."

Have you ever stood near a bonfire and wished you could bottle the aroma? Or maybe you are a fan of a match upon being struck? How about the scent of burning paper as you prepare the barbeque or the logs in the fireplace? I don't mean the sweet, artistic interpretations of flames that we appreciate in scents like Diptyque's Essence of John Galliano, I mean the actual aromatic smoke.

I was mesmerized by Become the Shaman precisely because of how closely it resembles this natural, burning aroma...well, that and the relative similarity to copal incense I enjoyed smelling on vacations into the heart of Mexico.

And next we have a range of 7 different floral fragrances, each as different as the next. We begin with the traditional aroma French Lily, a gentle, traditional blend of lily, ambergris, lily of the valley and white musk. Of course there is much more going on here than just those four notes but the overall result is deceptively simple. I'm reminded of the vintage versions of Creed's Tubereuse Indiana or Jessica McClintock's eponymous perfume. French Lily is a must try for lovers of white florals. Dawn writes, "Le Premier Mai: the essence of Spring in a bottle. Greens, muguet, and rich animalic nuances in the drydown."

April is a celebration of spring blossoms (sweet pea, freesia and orchid are most prominent) highlighted by a robust and addictive fruit note (pear) that seamlessly blends with the rest of the composition to create a rounded, non-cloying topnote that is green, sweet and dewy. This is set against a grassy (moss), powdery (orris root) bouquet where white rose hovers at the edges. "Just as the name implies, April is a Spring fresh fruity-floral with refreshing leafy green nuances, subtle green fruit notes, and a soft, floral-musk drydown."

Poppy on the other hand is a different kind of fruity-floral where peach and lily create an almost melon-like topnote. Amber, balsams, woods and other oriental notes such as clove, incense and opopnax create a rich background for what otherwise might seem downright sunny. Poppy is a temple on a south Asian coast where incense burns amid tropical greens. What an unusual and enchanting creation! From the DSH website: "A spiced, fruity-floriental perfume with rich peach and fig leaf topnotes that blossom into a fiery heart of jasmine-tea, carnation, and nutmeg. The drydown is a warm and enveloping base of amber, patchouli, clove tobacco, and musk."

Bluedaisy is "An airy spin on a fresh, grapefruit-y floral gourmand. It’s lively and softly sweet, with fresh and tropical fruit notes, green grass, as well as hints at warm candy floss mixed with fragrant woods in the drydown." This juicy burst of citrus fruit, most notably grapefruit paired with passionfruit, has some impressive depth thanks to the inclusion of basenotes that anchor the scent with musk, vetiver and woods. Such a happy scent and one of my favorites of Dawn's creations (but honestly, there are so many succesful aromas to choose from that I have A LOT of favorites).

While all of Dawn's scents are developed for anyone to enjoy regardless of gender, Il Marinaio da Capri (The Sailor of Capri) is part of a new series - Flowers for Men, floral fragrances crafted in homage to genres of fragrance typical in traditional men's perfumery. "Il Marinaio da Capri is an interesting mash up of styles resulting in a crisp, green, honeysuckle chypre with subtle aquatic nuances (salty sea air without the calone / musk combo so often used for marine scents)." Il Marinaio is surprising in that I totally get the honeysuckle, especially in the background, but its watery (the lemon and jasmine really sing on my skin) and slightly earthy (vetiver?) nuances round the edges in an unexpected way. As Dawn notes, "It’s fresh and utterly wearable for both men and women. (It’s kind of addicting, too)."

Next, Dawn takes us to Japan with Tsukiyo-en (Midnight Garden), "A diffuse and succulent Summer scent of green bamboo leaves, white tea, bathing herbs, and mikan fruit (citrus). A Japanese tea garden by moonlight." Tsukiyo-en completely reminds me of the aroma of an herbal sauna at a Japanese onsen I used to visit in Kyoto when I lived in Japan back in the 2000s - shiso, citrus, cypress and mint! Total nostalgia trip! And for a green citrus aroma, this has incredible longevity and presence.

And finally, we have Habibi, not in our database as it hasn't been formally launched yet. Dawn explained in an email to me, "Habibi is actually coming out on the site mid-summer and it's the (sort of) female part to a pairing I am working on with an Arabic influence. I'm describing it as an Orange Blossom - Honey - Oud…but there is a Saffron note (that is where the leathery aspects lie) and yes, there's some jasmine sambac, jasmine grandiflorum, and champaca in the heart to keep the orange blossom from getting too sweet with the honey and to round out the heart. I think a man could easily wear it; it's kinda gender bending - as will be the "male" counterpart which will be deeper, more woody / resinous of course but with some unexpected twists and turns."

Habibi is one of those fragrances that has to be worn to be understood; it's a changer. The fragrance opens with a sumptuous, leather and orange blossom accord. I'm immediately reminded of Caron's Narcisse Noir, but Habibi is so much smoother. The leather is the dominant note throughout the first hour and then amazingly, the orange blossom just grows more prominent as the leather softens. What begins as a leather-oriental changes to an airy floral. Astonishing. I can't wait to see what Dawn offers as the companion to Habibi!

Ok, so now the fun part! I'm happy to share my samples (although I already sent Shaman to another Fragrantica writer). Here's how to enter the giveaway: Go take a look around Dawn's website and come back and tell us in a comment below by July 16th, 2017 about some of her other creations that intrigue you and why. US members only. Winners will be notified by Fragrantica private message.

www.dshperfumes.com

Thanks to Dawn for sharing samples of her newest creations!

Author

Dr. Marlen Elliot Harrison

Dr. Marlen Elliot Harrison Columnist

Dr. Marlen Elliot Harrison’s journalism in the fragrance industry has appeared in international print and online publications such as Playboy, Men’s Journal, Men’s Health, and the New York Times. Marlen works as a graduate professor, thesis advisor, and faculty supervisor for MA programs in TESOL, Education, Writing, and Literature. Learn more about Marlen by visiting www.MarlenHarrison.com.

News Comments

Write your comment
Frenzied

Frenzied 07/15/17 18:25

I've had a chance to sample Become the Shaman, and I *love* it. I haven't done a review yet, because I only tested it once... and it was different enough from everything else I've tried that I want to retest. (Plus, I'm fairly new to perfumes... I'm not sure I can even adequately describe what I loved about it). It was grounding and a little like incense, very calming to me, but with a touch of sweetness. I really did enjoy it a lot... although it transferred to my shirt, and there are still whiffs of it, even after washing!

I also tried Tsukiyo-en - which is absolutely gorgeous! On first test (a few tiny drips) it only lasted 2 hours for me, but I plan to retest with a more generous application ;). Very classy, beautiful, moonlight on the lake at midnight scent for me.

She has so many amazing scents on her site. I'm keeping a list of what I want to sample next. One is her Menthe Moderne - I've been trying different mints, but most don't work for me because of the citrus. They tend to turn funny on me, and smell a bit like male cologne (*cry*). Fragrantica lists it as having lime and lots of trees, so maybe it might work a bit better.

And, the Winter White fragrance sounds so lovely and perfect - white chocolate and white roses. I could see completely wrapping myself up in that!

Rubis Rose is on my list too... raspberry and roses, but with things like frankincense and woody notes underneath.
It sound beautiful, shimmery to start with but solid and grounding underneath.

And - not a perfume - but I *wish* I could get out there to do a "smell and tell", where she sprays you with her fragrance X to bring out your natural smells, and then takes a sniff and tells you what types of notes work well (and what don't) with your chemistry. That sounds so helpful and cool! I'm struggling a bit trying to figure out what works for me (though the sampling is fun!) - so that would be incredibly helpful.
anilinam
Chinatown

anilinam 07/15/17 10:01

@ Weegee:

If it's pencil shavings you are interested in, I recommend Bond No. 9 Chinatown.

It's all PrsimaColor pencil shavings to me. Waxy color shavings included.

Yet somehow, they manage to make this fragrance, sophisticated.
weegee
Safari

weegee 07/15/17 01:41

There are 246 of DSH's fragrances in our database here?!? And her website is navigable by category to boot? How have I missed THIS boat ride?

I'm intrigued by the description of Le Smoking as "green chypre tabac" and it will be the first of her samples I'll order. Then I'll venture back to Old School and get No.2, her pencil shavings fragrance. And reading that Colorado's legalization of marijuana inspired her Cannabis Collection I'm tempted to order its Discovery set because even though I haven't been there for a few years, I've always enjoyed, um, Colorado.

Seriously, would love an intro to the world of DSH.
NathalieMireille
Elegy

NathalieMireille 07/14/17 07:43

Become the Shaman appeals very strongly to my smoke-loving self, and of the many, many lovely-sounding scents at the DSH site, Sud de France and Un Soir d’été Provençal are ringing happy bells. Thank for this giveaway opportunity!
gypsy parfumista
Iris Oriental 14

gypsy parfumista 07/14/17 06:09

Dawn is not only a talented and prolific perfumer but one of the truly beautiful spirits I have met on my journey in perfumery. Her sharing of her art for no other reason than to make the world a more beautiful place is a truly altruistic endeavor. For one who is an indie perfumer who does it all (plus her other jobs: mom, painter, historian and consultant to the DAM), it is amazing and truly touching that she has time to answer her emails personally and speak with customers in the shop and on the phone. Her artistic vision is panoramic, her dedication to her fan base and clientele is as lovely as it is touching and her sweet gentle aura makes Dawn more than a perfumer it makes her a true treasure and I am blessed to call her a friend and colleague. My favorite DSH scent is, of course, her outlaw perfume Mata Hari...but much like our illustrious author I too have in excess of 100 of her scents in sample size and somewhere between twenty and thirty bottles. But, as anyone can see who goes to the DSH site that is really only a few drops in a vast ocean of fragrances. Part of me wants to win these new samples and experience yet another wave of DSHphoria...but another part of me (especially after reading that so many Fragranticans have incredulously never even smelled ONE of Dawn's divine progeny) hopes that one of these folks wins and another might find the light and beauty Dawn distills of herself in each creation.

Blessed be and good luck to all.
GP
ami.alger
Cuir de Russie

ami.alger 07/13/17 21:45

I'm in love with Gekkou Hanami and Foxy. And now I must add Mariniao to my next sample binge! Sooooo many in her repertoire it's easy to get lost. I adore the dram sample option. It's the perfect combo of size and application for her oils.
catwhiskers4
Verbena, Freesia & Musk

catwhiskers4 07/13/17 18:09

Oops. Didn't mean to appear as a 'guest'

I find her website nicely laid out and like how everything is categorized. Reading the different names she comes up with for her creations is fun!
I especially liked the story line behind 'The voices of trees' and it dawned on me afterwards that all the time I spent playing in the woods as a child is probably why I gravitate toward the chypre family today!
Bluedaisy for the grapefruit and Habibi for the leather/orange blossom notes have piqued my interest!
drugstore classics

drugstore classics 07/13/17 12:32

OH, wow. I've yet to smell a single one of Dawn's creations, but impressed is a good word for the feeling I have when reading about them! And YES, Habibi is top of my list to smell someday. :D
lovelyhazel
Green

lovelyhazel 07/13/17 09:40

Thank you for the reviews! I've had a bottle of Au Lait on my "to-buy" list for a long time, but I'd also like to sample the Voices of Trees. Many of my perfume friends talk about that one frequently, and I'm ashamed to say I haven't tested it! Lol! :)
ellementira
n,307

ellementira 07/13/17 09:05

Thanks for the review! There are so many to try, I'll have to add Poppy and Bluedaisy to my list that already includes so many (including their gourmand discovery sets, which I really need to order next, because they all look great). Tsukiyo-en sounds lovely too, and perhaps good for the summer here.
Douceamere

Douceamere 07/13/17 08:40

Thanks for the article, it's interesting to read about her newest pieces!

Dawn is an incredibly talented perfumer whose creations are beautiful and poetic. I love how she manages to take familiar notes and accords and construct something unique out of them. I'm a very big fan of hers.

(No need to enter me into draw, thanks, I have many samples of hers and would love others to experience her house).
DulciusExAsperis
Roses Greedy

DulciusExAsperis 07/13/17 08:20

Shaman sounds amazing. I adore the smell of copal. Would love to check that one out.

1,000 Lilies sounds very intriguing to me. I love fragrances that are based on historical records and recipes...

Gekkou Hanami is another one I've had my eye on. The description and notes sound absolutely gorgeous.
TaleOfTheRose

TaleOfTheRose 07/13/17 08:02

Thanks for the article. Love The Voices of Trees. Have been looking for green florals and plan to order sample of Le Jardin Vert, The Green House, Celadon : A Velvet Green, Jacinthe de Sapphir. April seems to be in the same vein as those. Will definitely want to try it and Tsukiyo-en.
Catanosmia

Catanosmia 07/13/17 07:43

I am always overwhelmed by the choices when I browse her site! Au Lait grabs my attention as a skin scent, but then Souvenir de Malmaison and Chinchilla call out to my retro-scent loving heart. It would be a delight to visit her shop in person and try to narrow my wishlist down!
chinook

chinook 07/13/17 06:56

I was impressed by the range of offerings available on their website. I've heard of the brand being brought up in discussions on natural perfumery. I've always wanted to try their perfumes, so thanks for doing this giveaway!
So I browsed through their effortlessly chic recommendations, and "little smile" caught my eyes. I like simple scents that are easy to wear and bring joy to the day. I thought that was probably the most intriguing one that I've came across.
Thane

Thane 07/13/17 06:53

Sweet Dreams looks like the one I'd be most likely to enjoy. The one I'd be most curious to try would be Rendezvous, because I haven't much experience with animalic notes. Fumee d'Or also looks like one I'd like to try.

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