"...to say the truth, reason and love keep little company now-a-days."
William Shakespeare, Midsummer Night's Dream, act III scene i
Eva Luna, a natural perfume by Charna Ethier of Providence Perfume Co. was launched this month as part of a Shakespeare themed midsummer project. Eva Luna uses both the beauty and romance of the dream and fantasy, the moonlit dance in the woods but it also winks at you and refuses to take itself too seriously- love is everything from Shakespeare to the absurdity of a scandalous telenovella (the source of this perfume's name). The result is spectacular.
Eva Luna is supposed to be summery, and it has enough elements that bloom beautifully in the heat. I've certainly been enjoying the effect of tuberose and other the other flowers in this blend on hot and humid days. But there's enough here to make this perfume a lot more than a whimsical summer creature. The carrot-iris lightning that strikes you from top notes to Eva Luna's heart will be just as spectacular on a cold day, where the green qualities that wilt in summer are most evident.
But Eva Luna is more than that. There's heady sweetness (we are talking tuberose here, after all) that's passionate and lusty. It makes you want to throw your hair back in abandon and dive in. It smells joyful (I was surprised there was no orange blossom listed; I could have sworn it was there). The sweetness becomes musky and fuzzy, but the biggest surprise is the balanced dry-down. To me, Eva Luna ends up as a tuberose-violet leaf-incense scent, which is far more balanced than the bacchanalia of love and lust one would expect from the bursting opening. But then again, the mind and nose of Providence Perfume Co. managed to keep her wits, truth and reason far better than many of us.
From perfumer Charna Ethier's blog:
Top Notes: Russian Carrot, Fresh Mint Leaf, French Mimosa, Bois de Rose,
Heart Notes: Tuberose, Plumeria, Rose de Mai, Jasmine, Violet Leaf
Base Notes: Oman Frankincense, Ambrette, Orris
Eva Luna by Providence Perfume Co. ($115, 1 oz EDP, other sizes and samples also available) can be purchased from providenceperfume.com. A sample for review was provided by the perfumer.
Photo of James Cagney and Anita Louise in A Midsummer Night's Dream, 1935, from doctormacro.com.
This one is high on my list to try. Thanks for the lovely review!
ReplyDeleteWow, this sounds really beautiful. I think I'll have to get a sample of this.
ReplyDeleteIt IS stunningly beautiful - I'm so happy to have had the opportunity to try it!
ReplyDeleteSounds amazing! I will have to order a sample.
ReplyDeleteIt is a wonderful fragrance, I was lucky enough to recieve a sample. It is just beautiful.
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