Dawn Spencer Hurwitz- Epices d'Hiver

We're having a cruel winter. It looks and feels like Narnia under the reign of the White Witch. The world is covered by a thick coat of snow that only grows deeper every week, Christmas is not coming any time soon and as much as much as I like my wardrobe, it only contains dresses and sweaters, not a magical lion. Perfume is a different matter, though. A good warming fragrance like Epices d'Hiver by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz can make things (and me) feel a lot better.

Too many perfumes of this genre can be too much of a good thing and hit you on the head with a spice cake. But the thing about DSH's Epices d'Hiver (winter spice) is the perfect balance. It starts very peppery and a little masculine, but the other spices kick in quickly and make a warm and delicious wrap that lingers close to the body but has enough kick to be felt and smelled. The dry-down is even better: an ambery vanillic incense thing, soft as cashmere and musky in the nicest possible way. Epices d'Hiver is almost foody but not quite, and almost animalic without going there all the way. Dawn Spencer Hurwitz created a beautiful, wearable winter scent, perfect for a snow day snuggling as well as when you need something to help face the elements.

Epices d'Hiver has great longevity (8 hours on my skin) and a very polite sillage. The clove, cinnamon and vanilla notes cling to scarves and shawls for more than 24 hours. This  Dawn Spencer Hurwitz creation can be easily worn by both men and women and I'm oddly curious to experiment and see how it behaves in warm weather. That is, if spring and summer  ever come back.

Epices d'Hiver by Dawn Spencer Hurwitz ($120, 1oz EDP) is available from dshperfumes.com where you can get samples and various concentrations and sizes, including a body cream.

Photo by Norman Parkinson.