Olivier Durbano is a perfumer, poet and jeweler
Who transforms the rock into a pool, the impenetrable stone into springs of water ~ Psalm 114:8
There are myriad reasons why perfumisti gravitate towards Grasseois artisanal perfumer Olivier Durbano: while there exists no dearth of perfumers who create beautiful incense-centric fragrances, few are as self-effacing, sincere, and genuinely modest as Olivier is. Composing in aromatic essence and stone is clearly a devotional act for him – one not to be undertaken lightly. Sacred intention infuses each one of his oeuvres; a rare lightness of being emanates from him and draws others to him like a magnet; and his latest (and 20th!) composition La Pierre Jaillissante) 20 – The Gushing Water Stone – provides us with yet one more insight into the depths of contemplation and the evolution of the spirit.
Rider-Waite tarot deck: The High Priestess, The Fool, and Judgement Ida’s
Mysticism is so named with good reason: multiple layers of meaning may be carefully peeled back, one by one – and yet the enigmatic nature of its essence remains a conundrum. Olivier’s wellspring of inspiration arises from several sources – the Old Testament, New Testament, the tarot, and ancient texts teeming with context. The Gushing Water Stone retains the perfumer’s ongoing relationship with scripture, myth, and primordial wisdom. He cites three tarot cards specifically: the second card in the deck, The High Priestess – as the water element which evokes intuition and the unconscious; the unnumbered Fool, a symbol of rebirth, the alpha and the omega; and card number 20, Judgement – which represents fire, the angel of blessing – which Olivier interprets as opening the gates of intuition towards freedom.
photo by Olivier
The Gushing Water Stone 20 is alive with complementary and contrasting olfactory tones – a characteristic which I have come to associate with Olivier Durbano’s work. There is an ardent base-intense presence of frankincense, myrrh, labdanum, vetiver, musks, and the inclusion of richly complex Aleppo pine – herbal, spicy, citrus-y, and terpenic – as well as the woody-fruity verdancy of juniper. The sole floral employed is multi-faceted broom, a concentrated source of sweetness and coumarinic, haylike charm with attendant honey rose notes. Broom is surrounded by anisic elements which are present in all of the following aromatic contributors to varying extents: in the kitchen herb marjoram, liquorice, gurjum balsam, marine christe (aka sea fennel), and fenugreek – the last of which possesses a lovely maple syrup aspect combined with nuttiness. Fenugreek’s nutty character meets its soulmate in sesame. A touch of cooling bamboo slithers in, as does the warm, dry spiciness of coriander; vetiver embellishes greenness and adds to an alluring smokiness, subtly sweetened with spicy benzoin and ever-versatile ambergris. Musks play their part in a clear but noninvasive manner; they never dominate an already complex composition. Each carefully chosen material has its role – and the removal of any moving part would affect this fragrance adversely. Elaborate as The Gushing Water Stone 20 may appear, it feels precisely a one might hope: a fountainhead of fragrant hope.
Notes: frankincense, marjoram, juniper, coriander, bamboo leaves, Aleppo pine, liquorice, gurjum balm, broom, fenugreek, sesame, marine christe (aka sea fennel), vetiver, ambergris, benzoin, myrrh, musks, labdanum
Sample kindly provided by the perfumer – many thanks! My nose is my own…
~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor
Olivier Durbano The Gushing Water Stone 20 photo from Pitti Fragranze September 13-15
Thanks to the generosity of Olivier Durbano, we may offer a 30 ml flacon Olivier Durbano The Gushing Water Stone 20 for one registered reader in the U.S. and EU. YOU MUST REGISTER OR YOUR COMMENT WILL NOT COUNT. To be eligible, please leave a comment regarding what appealed to you in Ida’s review, where you live, and whether you have a favorite Olivier Durbano fragrance. If you left a comment in Michelyn’s September 10th introduction, your entry will count twice. Draw closes 9/20/204
All photos are courtesy of Olivier Durbano unless otherwise stated
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