Lorelei

Sheer Spring Floral Femme

“Lorelei is unusual in the sense that it isn’t aldehydic like many other "aquatic" fragrances, and yet it’s almost incorporeal in its sheerness while still providing a distinctive character that is bright and not overbearingly floral” – Shelley Waddington

TOP NOTES: Fresh Green Notes

HEART NOTES: Lilac, Wisteria, Violet, Jonquil, Daffodil, Lily

BASE NOTES: Sheer Musk

Awarded Best Artisan Perfume of 2012 by Portland Examiner

What People Are Saying…

Best Artisan Perfume of 2012: The ethereally lovely floral Lorelei. – Examiner.com

“I have to confess my personal bias toward Shelley’s new feminine scent, which is a lovely and transparent spring floral… I adored it at first sniff; my immediate thought was that someone had finally done a wisteria accord right – it’s one of my favorite floral notes, yet so elusive in perfumery that it’s virtually impossible to find. A vision of crystalline purity filled my mind as I smelled it for the first time, of delicate petals floating on a rushing stream so clear that every rock on the bottom stands out in high relief. Lorelei is the name of an actual place, an imposing cliff overlooking the Rhine River whose name means “murmuring rock” in old German, so named because of a unique sound made by the water swirling about its base, but it’s also the name given to a mythical water-sprite maiden who lures sailors to their doom on the rocks below as she sits high above the river, singing a siren song and combing her long tresses. It is this second meaning that is perhaps most familiar to most of us, and it resonated with me as an avid and lifelong lover of fairy tales and mythology. This perfume is so tenderly evocative as to seem almost otherworldly, so it just seemed like a natural choice.

Lorelei’s listed notes are deceptively simple: wisteria, violet, lilac, daffodil, jonquil and lily, all of which just happen to be things I love. The unique sweet pea and grape skin aroma of the wisteria was my first strong impression, followed by very natural-smelling violet and lilac notes and expanding into the richness of daffodils and lilies as it developed. I don’t know how this was accomplished, but it is a watery floral with no aquatic notes and none of the usual stand-ins such as lotus that perfumers use to create this effect. This is a fresh, luminous fragrance, with a feeling of light reflecting off the ripples in a babbling brook, not an ozonic nose-tickler or boneless wallpaper scent, so don’t let the “watery” tag deter you from trying it. Lorelei also has much better longevity than I expected, which was a pleasant surprise. Projection is good but it does not have the man-eating sillage or synthetic rasp of far too many conventional floral fragrances. Lorelei would be a perfect alternative to those scents for fans of fresh white florals, thanks to the high quality natural perfume essences in the formula. As an admirer of this genre, I am grateful for the talents of the independent perfumers who give us such wonderful choices beyond the mainstream offerings.” – Donna Hathaway, Perfume Smellin’ Things Perfume Blog