CHRYSALIS PREMIUM 5ML (Spring 2014)

CHRYSALIS PREMIUM FRAGRANCE
Orange Blossom, Grass, Bitter Green Orange, Vetiver, Patchouli, Amber, Yellow Mandarin, Rose de Mai Absolute, Sandalwood and Indian Attars - 5ml

NOT TO BE USED BY WOMEN WHO ARE PREGNANT OR NURSING.


Chrysalis is a fragrance to represent the emergence from a bleak winter into the bright season of spring, teeming with new life, warm sun and clear skies. The first fragrances that permeate the air in our area of North Florida are sweet blossoms from a variety of citrus trees, primarily the orange tree, fresh cut grass and warm earth.

Chrysalis showcases a blend of fresh cut grass, top notes of bitter green orange, yellow mandarin and orange blossom, earthy base notes of vetiver and aged patchouli, rosy and green rose de mai absolute, amber, soft sandalwood and a blend of exotic Indian attars with green and delicate floral notes.

Chrysalis is intended to capture the spring air. It is loaded with essential oils, absolutes and attars and is primarily a natural blend with only a few supporting synthetic fragrances. It is a warm earthy green floral that is not heady. After the bright citrus, grass and orange blossom top notes depart, the rich attars and earthy base notes remain in this lovely blend of the bottled spring season.

As with any SS scent, expect complexity and layers....many layers.  

My first impression, upon putting on Chrysalis, was a strong note of green, very bright green.  But immediately thereafter, I was transported 30 years back in time to the Florida Orange Blossom perfume my grandmother (a Florida citrus grower's wife) used to wear. Sometime after that, the blossoms started.  I had the feeling that I was walking down a tunnel of flowers.  Maybe an English garden in the Spring, perhaps a botanical garden in subtropical Florida, either way a green chasm, redolent, verdant, vivid.

I'm not usually a green or floral type because to me that kind of scent tends to seem too girly-girl and expected. My favorites from SS have been the food scents (and of course Smoky Mtn Mallow!).  But I knew that if I were going to try a green/floral, I wouldn't go wrong with a SS scent.  Don't expect the funky, chemically green/floral you'll get from the department store.  Expect something much more labyrinthine.

This started off rather sharp and a little off-putting, but the longer it wore the nicer it became. (Kind of like a chrysalis/butterfly metaphor!)

After re-reading the description I noticed it is primarily a natural blend. I'm starting to become VERY intrigued with natural blends due to sensitivities I seem to be developing to other, primarily synthetic blends. This has a little more oomph and staying power than Courtyard, but still has a similar breezy, light feel. I also like the fact that it combines notes from different ends of the fragrance spectrum: floral, fruity, earthy. I find these combinations much more interesting and complex that those that focus on one or two categories.

I'm so sad I seemed to have missed this as I'm not sure it will be restocked.

In the vial this is creamy and green with a bitter citrus note in the background. It’s quite strong. On skin it’s somewhat less pungently green, and it’s more of a slightly spicy citrus, bitter rind and all. As it dries down that spicy incense note becomes more prominent and the bitter citrus fades back a bit. I get something a little floral at this point, too, which I didn’t smell at all in the vial. It’s not overpowering, though.

As it dries down further it gets a bit more “earthy” and the whole time it gives me a very distinct texture impression, if that makes any sense – it smells chalky. Not in a bad way, and it’s almost more like it leaves a chalky taste in my mouth? It’s hard to describe. It’s quite interesting, and going back and looking at the description, it’s pretty spot on, but I’m not sure I love it on my skin. I’ll keep my sample and test it out a few more times, but I don’t see myself needing a bottle of this.

We've had some rain followed by balmy days and it's like our flora has exploded almost overnight. There's a scent of rich loamy earth, new buds, and fresh green leaves and everywhere. I treasure this time of year so much precisely because it's so fleeting where I live. Soon it will be hot and dry and dusty, but Chrysalis captures the promise of new growth to remind me how lush it can be. So glad I picked this up after missing it last year.