Puredistance No.12: She walks in beauty…so soft, so calm, yet eloquent (as Lord Byron would say), and she has come to stay.
One of the best niche perfume releases this year, and (yet again) a timeless beauty coming from Puredistance Master Perfumes.
Congratulations, Nathalie Feisthauer, and thank you Jan Ewoud Vos for – being yourself. Here’s my review, and the full behind-the-scenes story about Puredistance No.12!
She walks in beauty, like the nightOf cloudless climes and starry skies;And all that’s best of dark and brightMeet in her aspect and her eyes;Thus mellowed to that tender lightWhich heaven to gaudy day denies. ” – Lord Byron
Starry, starry nights, pure elegance without a trace of gaudiness, Lord Byron in all his flamboyance, and Vincent’s palette and shades of blue (Cobalt blue, rather than Prussian blue): that’s what I kept thinking of while testing and wearing Puredistance No.12. And I did wear it thoroughly, after letting the fragrance macerate for full 30 days.I did so because Jan wrote to me in early September: “Another thing I like to mention is the fact that No.12 needs an exceptional long maturation time in order to reach her full beauty and longevity. Since the perfume we shipped you is quite young, in the upcoming weeks Puredistance No.12 will become more and more potent and beautiful. So please take your time!” Treating it the way it deserves…No rush, no speed, no greed.
Jan met with Nathalie, and she presented her latest creations, among them a “sophisticated chypre” – labeled Gold Taffeta. That one stuck in Jan’s and Nela’s memory the most and touched the core of Puredistance, but the only problem was – that Gold (later created by Antoine Lie) – was already an existing idea, and Jan was looking for a perfumer to realize it!
Gold Taffeta fitted perfectly the idea of another dream, of a “dream come true” for Puredistance, the ONE that would round up the whole collection, while touching the base with the first fragrance in it, and so Tafetta became – Puredistance No.12. The whole collection from now on is called the MAGNIFICENT XII COLLECTION.
Nathalie Feisthauer (LAB Scent), a lady with an arm-long list of creations, trained in the prestigious Givaudan Roure Perfumery School in Grasse (swoon…), a master perfumer now working independently – has created quite a few fragrances I appreciate deeply, and Puredistance No.12 is now one of them.
Blue is the favorite color of Jan Ewoud Vos (I remember always seeing him in blue shirts and suits), and the feeling that smelling Tafetta gave him in moments he couldn’t stop thinking about it, thus the Puredistance No.12 was nicknamed “Beauty in Blue“, and the whole (lush and detailed, as ever) presentation revolves around a wonderful hue of deep, rich blue color.
She walks in beauty, like the night…So she does, smoothly, and ever so gently. Dreamy, her feet barely touching the ground, dark blue silk swirling around her ankles.
Wearing Puredistance No.12 feels dreamy, like walking on the thin line separating past from present, day from night, with your eyes closed, and yet in perfect flow. Like entering the state of Flow, and flying in the Zone.
You are aware of everything surrounding you, everything you do seems like it requires no effort, action and awareness are merged, and your mental and physical performance go up with such ease. Puredistance No.12 is about feeling elegant, without an effort to BE elegant – spontaneously so, fixated on now and here, but still being aware of the past, leading to a sense of calm and rush coming from deep within, a rush that is enthralling. I could see that kind of a feeling – as a color of Blue.
If you’ve ever experienced being in the Zone – you’ll know that feeling of perfection mixed with utter ease! And it is beautiful!
There’s no blue without yellow and orange, as Vincent (Van Gogh) said, so the opening of Puredistance No.12 sparkles like vintage, cristal champagne glasses, filled with aldehydic-brightened citruses. Crisp and yellow, dusted with some pillowy soft orange streaks that provide depth and warmth.
Once you are drawn into the dreamland, the fragrance continues to develop. Ever so gently, the petals of flowers start to emerge, still dancing upon puffy volume and depth given to lemony tones, featuring a freshly budding rose amidst a swirl of white, yellow, and now turned sensual atmosphere. A flowing creaminess with undercurrents of very gentle spices blended to perfection takes over, with whiffs of freshness still hovering around the edges.
Slowly, at a gliding pace, Puredistance No.12 shifts again: the air of tender powderiness gets stronger, feeling slightly buttery, like a nutty orris, and it feels so relaxed and dreamy. This phase lasts a bit longer on my skin, and I’m enjoying it enormously. So elegant and very distinctive!
What I also admire is the fine use of Ambroxan in Puredistance No.12, just when and where needed, adding depth and preventing that beautiful cloud of dreamy powder to become too sweet or dense, tipping it more on the floral-woody-musky, and slightly salty side.
Skin-salty, skin-musky tones rise before the fragrance reaches its final stages, much later in wearing, and if we stick to Vincent’s palette then I feel them as a color of warm white, blending well with brownish tones of sandalwood and tonka. The final stage of development reveals fully the chypre nature of No.12, with a fine mixture of sweet-leaning woods with a very refined patchouli, and oakmoss in the background – again, if we stick to Vincent’s palette – appearing like a lighter, faded shade of Vandyck brown.
But, since every painting is more than the sum of colors used, so is Puredistance No.12 larger than any and all notes felt: yes, I can see the Beauty in Blue, and I hope you’ll see it and enjoy it as much as I do.
Notes (as listed by the brand): Bergamot oil, Mandarin oil, Cardamom oil, Coriander oil, Ylang Ylang oil, Narcissus abs, Jasmin abs, Rose oil, Geranium oil, Lily of the Valley, Orange Blossom, Osmanthus abs,
Orris butter, Heliotrope, Hedione HC, Vetyver, Sandalwood oil, Patchouli oil, Oakmoss, Tonka, Ambrette note, Ambroxan, Vanilla, Musks. Perfume extrait: 25% pure perfume oil. Available at Puredistance Master Perfumes or authorized retailers listed on their site.
Let me share more news from Puredistance: A new fragrance shall be released every year or two, to replace a perfume from a current collection, BUT “All future displays and presentations will always consist of 12 perfumes only and showcase the Magnificent XII Collection.
At the same time, we (Puredistance) will NOT discontinue perfumes that are taken out of this collection, but keep them in our ‘Private Collection’ that is not actively marketed, but sold on request only.
Puredistance has also created a special display, created by the interior architects Vadim and Vika Liskovich from Belarus:
The Plum Girl
Elena Cvjetkovic
Photos: Puredistance, Elena Cvjetkovic
A 17,5 ml bottle of Puredistance No.12 was kindly provided by Puredistance Master Perfumes for my consideration. Opinions are – as always – my own.
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2 Comments
This is the first time I’ve read your blog and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Yes, I do like what you do, and if you ever venture north of Manhattan, I will certainly treat you to the best coffee on the planet made by Utica Coffee. I order it by the 10 pack every 10 weeks. 🙂 I have several Puredistance frags and this one sounds just right for me. Thank you for the lovely review.
Thank you. That coffee must be good then! Happy to hear you’re enjoying Puredistance!