Research that Inspired the Creation of Enticing Perfume
On May 21, 2015, I launched my new perfume Enticing,
my 21st Century interpretation of the power of this tiny flower.
As an ethnobotanist and perfumer, I take the artistic license to call it the bad boy of flowers. Of all the “narcotic” fragrant white flowers, such as jasmine and gardenia, tuberose is the only one given the power to make girls lose their inhibitions. Perhaps there is some pheromone in the flower that is unidentified? I think research needs to be done to try to confirm or deny what makes tuberose so different, so seductive.
Perhaps 21st century young girls don’t swoon and lose inhibitions as they did in the past when smelling this narcotic flower at night, but its reputation is still sexy. In all my research over the years, I have never seen a flower given such incredible powers in aiding seduction.
The original warning seems to be pan-European, after the introduction of the tuberose flower in the late 1500s.
From the thesaurus, synonyms for “enticing”
• alluring
• appealing
• captivating
• desirable
• engaging
• fascinating
• inviting
• tempting
• attracting
• bewitching
• charming
• enchanting
• fetching
• luring
• winning
• siren
Yes, those synonyms pretty much sum up what the parents and guardians noted about the powers of this tiny, innocent-looking flower.
Traveling out of Mexico, tuberose didn’t even follow the typical west-to-east route of New World imports, moving from the New World to Europe. It was wayward even then, moving east-to-west, first arriving in Indonesia. Not too much chatter about its seductive powers there, but India, Italy, France, and Britain all sounded the alarm.
The dainty white flower begins releasing its narcotic scent after dusk, and continues throughout the night, and parents and guardians thought the girls could be easily seduced while under the spell of its fragrance.
Enticing, the new perfume from Anya’s Garden, has a superdose of tuberose, lush and loud, announcing the intensity of the flower. 100% natural aromatics that hype the creamy, warm scent of skin were chosen to draw the user – and those close by – into the warm, heady nighttime allure of the tuberose in its most potent form.
The Language of Flowers
The Victorians developed a complex system of nonverbal communication, using flowers as the symbols for emotions. Tuberose was assigned the title of “Dangerous Pleasures”, and this idea is expanded upon:
From The Language of Flowers, published Lea & Blanchard 1848 Philadelphia, no author cited:
TUBEROSE, p197 DANGEROUS PLEASURES
If you would enjoy it without danger, keep at some
distance from the plant. To increase tenfold the
pleasure which it affords, come with the object of
your affection to inhale its perfume by moonlight,
when the nightingale is pouring forth his soul in
song:
The Tuberose, with her silvery light,
That Is in the gardens of Malay
Is called the mistress of the night,
So like a bride, scented and bright,
She comes out when the sun’s away.
Moore
Then, by a secret virtue, these grateful odours
will add an inexpressible charm to your enjoyment;
but if, regardless of the precepts of moderation,
you will approach too near, this divine
flower will then be but a dangerous enchantress,
which will pour into your bosom a deadly poison,
Thus the love which descends from heaven purities
and exalts the delights of a chaste passion ; but
that which springs from the earth proves the bane
and the destruction of imprudent youth.
From: http://www.forgottenbooks.com/readbook_text/The_Language_of_Flowers_1000210452/195
THE POLIANTHES
Voluptuousness
This beautiful and most odoriferous flower, commonly known as the Tuberose, and which is calculated to please all, was brought from Persia in 1632. It flowered for the first time in France, at M. de Peiresc’s, at Beaugencier, near Toulon. The flower was then single; but its petals became double after some time, under the careful hand of Lecour, of Leyden. From that place it spread everywhere. The Tuberose, that superb native of the East, which the illustrious Linnaeus has named Polianthes, from the abundance of its flowers, a flower worthy of cities, has become with us, as it is in Persia, the emblem of Voluptuousness.
A young Icoglan, who receives from the hands of his mistress a stem of the Tuberose in bloom, experiences supreme happiness; for he knows that he may thus interpret the happy symbol of their mutual affection; “Our happiness will surpass our anxieties.” All the world knows and admires the white spikes and stars of the Tuberose; those beautiful spikes are the termination of a tall and slender stem, and they diffuse a most penetrating and intoxicating perfume.
Shelley says of it, “the sweet tuberose, the sweetest flower for scent, that blows”
The Perfume Brief for Enticing
My goal was to recognize the sexiness of the flower and to enhance the buttery, lactonic, deep, dark aspects of it. I wanted to make a skin caressing, long-lasting perfume that holds tuberose close to you, and one that has a silky effect when breathed in. Clary sage is another plant recognized for its power to affect your senses merely by breathing in the essence, both in the garden, and from the distiller’s essential oil. It’s perceived in the opening top note, along with a trace of cardamom, to tease the nose into not quite recognizing the lush floral headiness of tuberose, and then they recede, and the full blown power of tuberose, bold and soft, smooth and velvety, takes over – like it has always done.
Enticing Perfume Ingredients:
Organic Sugar Cane Alcohol, Tuberose Absolute, Scented Alcohol extracted from Anya’s handmade Tuberose Enfleurage Pomade, Butter CO2, Opoponax Absolute, Clary Sage EO, Terpene Acetate Isolate ex. Cardamom, Beeswax Absolute and Anya’s handmade Beeswax Tincture, Patchouli EO, Mushroom Absolute, Siberian Musk Tincture.
I’d love to hear your thoughts about my interpretation of this heady flower, and the ingredients I used to create Enticing. Leave a comment, and you’ll be in a random giveaway drawing to win a 4ml mini of the pure perfume. Giveaway deadline ends 11:59 PM June 4, 2015. I encourage you to subscribe to the blog and to this post in particular to discover if you are the winner. The winner will be announced here in the comment thread June 5. Open to all worldwide readers and commenters.
Enticing is available in both pure perfume form as a 4ml mini, and as an Eau de Parfum 15ml spray from Anya’s Garden Perfumes store. Click here to purchase.
This is so interesting, and the scent sounds amazing!
Enticing sounds like a fantastic scent!!
I adore Tuberose, and the combination you have created sounds deliciously intoxicating. If I could add any other to the combination, it would be the ethreal osmanthus, or maybe even Jasmine. Bergamot also adds a mysterious allure to the fragrance combination. Crushed violet leaves are a refreshing addition to some floral combinations, as is the headiness of the patchouli you have combined.
I would LOVE to try your new fragrance!!
Thank-you for sharing your blog~~~
Sitalea
Hi Anya
I am going to a job interview now, but I could not stop reading this post !!
I adore tuberose. There is something hyper-rose about it, yet it is still supremely and always elegant and has that white flower grace.
I want to thank you for that history, I really did not know it was from Mexico, i thought it was from Asia. Enticing is a great name, and it would be so beautiful to be able to smell the perfume you have made. Handmade tuberose enfleurage pomade —- huh? That surely goes close to a definition of heaven. 🙂
If I can channel the beauty and sensuality of your perfume, I can ace this job interview this morning. Better go, thanks sweet Anya xx
This perfume sounds lovely. I have not yet worked with my beeswax absolute or my mushroom absolute as they do not smell good to me on their own (or diluted). The mushroom smells like soy sauce to me. So I would really like to experience those 2 successfully employed in a perfume.
sounds very intriguing …would love to try it!!
Just the notes sounds divine!
The description makes me want to plant some in my yard to accompany the jasmine growing around my entire backyard on the fence.
This sounds so interesting! I love tuberose, and I’m wondering how the mushroom plays out here. I’m in your perfumery class and I’d love to try a perfume made by the master!
Tuberose is something special.. so fragile yet such a powerful seducer. I adore this delicate flower.
wish I was smelling my wrist with your parfum while digesting all your tuberose words!
Well it certainly sounds seductive! Consider me enticed.
The first time I experienced real tuberose was in a little hotel deep in Mexico. There were tuberose and freesia in little vases around the room and it smelled glorious! I haven’t really fallen hard for a tuberose perfume but I’m sure your magic touch can change that. Prior to Pan I would have said that I hated lavender and patchouli in any amount. Thank you for offering the draw and congratulations on the launch of Enticing!
Anya how Enticing! Your Tuberose sounds delicious. Thank you for your many talents and for sharing your learnings about perfumery with us!
Tuberose………… mmmmmmm! I had no idea it was so scandalous! The ingredient list looks wonderful. And bless your heart you used cardamom! Would love to try this fragrance.
Actually I’ve been wanting to try my hand at growing tuberose. Just can’t decide where to place it. (Also have someone offering cuttings of jasmine sambac. I’m running out of room!) Can hardly wait to start planting now. lol
I have never seen or smelled Tuberrose in person. But this makes me want to grab it to plant here. If I wear this will it make me Enchanting, Bewitching, will I turn into an aluring Siren? It would be so exciting to be a part of that experiment to test that theory out.
Sounds exquisite Anya!
I’m intrigued by the mixture of mushroom into a perfume. I’m sure it smells delicious!
Oh I love love love night-blooming flowers! This one sounds so delicious. I am quite intrigued by the mushroom and especially the skin-like notes I read about in the review on cafleurebon.com.
Tuberose is my all time favourite fragrance and I am always looking for the perfect tuberose scent. Thank you Anya
This is fantastic…as a perfume lover i would like so much to try it 🙂
Congratulations , Anya !
I like this combination and would love to smell it ! I think it gives a “happy marriage”. I am very curious about the cardamom note in this perfume and totally agree with you on the use of the terpenless one.
Great creation !
I love the name. The combination is just that…enticing. I would love to try some. Your blog and your yahoo group are amazing. Thanks for all your contributions to the natural perfmery community!
ONLY Anya has the knowledge and deep intuition to create such a perfume. More than a scent, it is a memorable and even divine, experience.
The ingredients Anya has chosen evoke archtypes of sensuality and love, and those who smell it and those who wear it become part of a special group of knowers and appreciators of the ultimate value of great perfume.
Samantha, you were chosen at random as the winner of Enticing! Please email me your address from the contact page here on my website. Congratulations!
Thank you for all your heartfelt efforts in bringing this precious flower and its legendary effects into the spotlight. The perfume described promises to be a poem of lust and love and yearning from a magical midnight garden.
Bravo Madame perfumeur!
I just KNOW this scent is going to be AMAZING!!! I let you know if it “works” on post menopausal women;)
WOw…..I am truly enticed!!!
I love the scent of tuberose. It is such an enticing little flower!
Dear Anya,
thank you for this giveaway and also for this beautiful description of all these flowers. I’m dying to try this treasure of yours. Kind regards from Slovenia!
Tuberose and musk – sounds enticing indeed. I love tuberose, though I’ve never smelled the actual flower. (They don’t grow up here in cold northern New England.)
I love hearing about the historical aspects of this flower. Those wild and wacky vitorians! Love that… This sounds amazing and the touch of patchouli must really compliment in a dark sexy way.
Great blog. Thanks for the chance!
I am fascinated by your fragrance selection to create the alchemy of tuberose for your new Enticing perfum and would so love to experience it, excited that this is a worldwide opportunity. Thankyou for your amazing dedication to this true art form, regards Kim
It sounds delicious !
My sample of Enticing came today… Oh my goodness! It’s incredibly mysterious. I can’t stop sniffing it : ))
It definitely inspires love but I’m afraid I’ve fallen in love with the perfume itself!
Well done Anya and many thanks for all your knowledge and effort.
Now I only have to cross my fingers for the give away lol !
Samantha Wallace was chosen at random and is the winner of Enticing! Congratulations Samantha, I can’t wait for you to experience this rich, evocative perfume.
xo,
Anya