Hey POSSEE!
Portia from AustralianPerfumeJunkies bringing you something brand new to me and, as always, thrilled to be spending some quality time with you before the madness of the silly season has us completely in its grip. We are talking here about an Icelandic artist Andrea Maack and her addition of scent to her artworks, some of these scents have become available for purchase and they have short, opposite/ironic/clever clogs names that make me feel like I’m missing the point. Here is my first,
Sharp by Andrea Maack 2010
Photo Stolen Fragrantica
Fragrantica gives this ridiculous list of featured accords:
Orange blossom, angel skin, sweet vanilla, white musk, soothing softness
For such a short note list Sharp by Andrea Maack has a remarkably complex fragrance story. The orange blossom is not at all as expected, like they have added some herbaceous spiciness, and the vanilla is an inedible warmth that is fuzzed up by the musk. At once bright and cozy like the smell of brand new polar fleece with dirty, morning bed-hair. There is a sweet indolic weirdness that is at once repulsive and alluring up close but merely pretty and inviting from further away. Sharp seems to be a complete misnomer here and I wonder if that is intentional?
Average to good fragrance life at around 4-5 hours with a linear lifespan that weaves rather than evolves but as it dries down Sharp by Andrea Maack is a musky sweet vanilla. So from an awkward, confronting beginning we get a very soft and floaty finale. Like Andrea Maack’s art it takes a little time to get to know but I feel a FB coming on when I finish this decant which I was lucky enough to snaffle in the 40% off sale a SurrenderToChance.
Photo Stolen article.wn
Further reading CaFleurBon and ConfessionsOfAPerfumeNerd
AndreaMaack site has 50ml/€85
SurrenderToChance start at 1ml/$7
Have you tried the Andrea Maack fragrances? Do you think it makes sense to add olfactory experience to visual arts?
Hopefully you’ve enjoyed a little look at something different, if you liked this why not drop in on us over at AustralianPerfumeJunkies there’s usually something fun going on over there too.
If the world ends tomorrow THANK YOU!! it’s been a blast, if it doesn’t THANK YOU anyway.
Portia xx
Andrea Maack creating a charcoal picture
Making of a new COAL drawing from ANDREA MAACK PARFUMS on Vimeo.
I wonder if this is unisex.
Hiya SwagScent,
Totally and utterly unisex. i have worn it comfortably in both genders.
Portia xx
Hi Portia, I’m a Maack newbie as well. This sounds interesting, so maybe one day, but I don’t have a good track record with too, too offbeat scents. BTW, what is the “silly season”?
Hey Ann,
Silly Season is the multiple religious and lay festivals all concertina-d together over about a 6 week period, we all eat, drink and celebrate a lot. I think it might be an Australian-ism.
If you can brave the quirky arty opening then the heart and dry down are scrummy.
Portia xx
I tried this and it was love at first sniff! I plan to get a FB down the road. It is just comforting, yummy, and addictive.
WOW! Love at first sniff, you are hardcore. That first sniff had me reeling, it wasn’t till midway through that I was captured body and soul.
After the silly season I think I will probably invest too.
Have you tried any other Andrea Maack frags?
Portia x
I also tried “Smart” by AM but sadly, it was not for me. May sound crazy, but “Sharp” reminded me a bit of Love…don’t be shy..By Kilian. MMMM delicious stuff!
Interesting correlation. i now want to go and try LOVE… Don’t Be Shy.
I think Smart is in my sample set. I am going to be careful with it then,
That was a lie, I’m going to spritz myself as usual and wait for the ride.
Thanks Jen
Portia xx
LOL. Do try Love. It is in my top-10 favorite list and I bought a full bottle immediately. Their packaging is fantastic and this is my go-to scent when i want to feel a bit sexy.
I have often wondered about Andrea Maack’s line and what they smelled like. But I keep getting sidetracked with other things instead of getting decants of this.
StC has them and I think they’re worth trying, just to see what the ‘weird’ is about.
xo
Totally with Musette on this one. You can get an Andrea Maack sampler, I did, and there are a few more in there on my sniff list. It is a bit weird isn’t it Musette?
Portia x
I don’t know about Maack’s scents specifically, but in general I find it a fascinating idea in art to add an olfactory element to visual/auditory experiences. Given the power of scent to activate the limbic system and stir emotion, though,the artist would need to choose carefully. Imagine an entire audience reacting to the opening of Musc Koublai Khan, and you can see that, for better or for worse, the outcome might not be entirely foreseeable. This scent sounds like it’s essentially harmless, which may be an important quality in a public-release scent ;-).
Heya Heather Wood,
The opening of Sharp is at least as emotive as MKK but the snuggle, cozy, warm dry down is a lot more GP.
Portia xx
Perfume Party Pooper here. Let me tell you about Andrea Maack’s Craft. My front porch – my OPEN front porch – still smells of it, 2 months later, after I left it sitting on the railing, in a sealed ziploc bag. Or maybe it’s just in my nose. Either way, that stuff is like a neutron bomb. And not in a good way.
I fear the Maack.
xoA
Wow, I guess I spoke too soon about public-release scents probably needing to be harmless. That doesn’t sound like it would send Maack’s audience home in a kindly mood.
Actually, Heather, I think it’s okay – in this instance. That is, if one is made aware ahead of time that there is scent involved. People who go to that sort of interactive art experience should be prepared for that sort of thing and anything short of hazardous materials (no blood/semen/etc) is fair(ish) game (obviously folks being warned ahead of time). I think her scents are well suited to that sort of venue. They just can’t hang out in my perfume armoire – or on my front porch!
xoxoA
HILARIOUS!! Musette, is that a true story? Did the fragrance change over time? Did it do your head in?
Portia x
I’m beginning to think the ridiculous notes listed are for people like me who read it and sit back and think “angel skin and soothing softness? I wonder what that smells like. I must get a sample.” it sounds just different enough to make it interesting for a sweet vanilla.
It is different and interesting Poodle. The best bit is that you’re not stuck with weird all day. You can enjoy it for a while and then it turns nice and lets you get on with stuff. know what I mean?
Portia xx