I’m participating as one of the evaluators behind the Summer of Patchouli LOVE project organized by Monica Miller at Perfume Pharmer, a project showcasing patchouli as the main ingredient in a collection from thirteen indie perfumers (Ms. Miller is an indie herself — a “master herbalist” and founder of Skye Botanicals).
There are thirteen different perfumes in the project, each one of them all-natural and at least 25% patchouli in the final blend, which is a challenge for any perfumer as patchouli can tend to overpower a composition with a great big wallop of raw intensity if not carefully restrained.
*NOTE: Patchouli leaves were formerly wrapped around packages of silk to ward off invasive bugs and pests during the long hauls from Asia to the Middle East to Europe, which is how patchouli originally became popular as a luxury scent — the precious silk shipments arrived infused with the strong, complex smell from the patchouli leaves. Patchouli perfumes naturally followed, and like anything fashionable, the wearing of patchouli eventually trickled down to the masses once the material became easier and less expensive to obtain.
Thirteen different variations on one specific flavor
The samples are each numbered, with no indication of a fragrance title or the name of the perfumer who created it, so that the evaluators in the project (like me) couldn’t be swayed by personal likes, dislikes, favoritism and/or loyalty to a brand, and I have to admit — I’m having a difficult time. I’m supposed to choose only three out of the thirteen that I like best, but with the high concentration of patchouli oil in the finished projects, I find I’m burning out on the intensity of patchouli . . . fast.
And I’m only halfway through the box.
Not to mention that my partner now calls out, “Hey patchouli boy!” whenever he walks by my desk on his way to grab a cup of coffee in the kitchen.
So far, Patchouli #5 is my top pick of the bunch (though I’ve only tested #’s 2, 4, 5, 10, 11 and 13, as yet). Patchouli #5 made its mark by being instantly accessible and easy to wear from start to finish, which is where I’ve set the bar for evaluating the group of thirteen. Other evaluators may go for drama or experimentalism, but I wanted to reward a creator who could successfully finesse his/her way through the minefield of a 25% patchouli oil formula without blowing up.
Because that can’t be easy.
It’ll probably take me another week to finish testing the batch, and then going back and doing some comparison testing, but Patchouli #5, you’re a contender!
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