Woo Hoo Posse! Whenever a sample comes in the mail from Mandy Aftel of Aftelier Perfumes the excitement is real. If you’re not aware of Mandy she is single handedly inspiring a generation of natural perfumers in the USA and worldwide. Her books are used as reference by perfumers and perfumistas alike. I’m thinking Aftelier’s Hey Jude might be a perfect gift if someone you really love is a rose fragrance fiend. The giving season is coming up and a sample in with the card might be the perfect add on, just to let them know that you know and love them for it. The Hey Jude sample, a Nesti Dante Rose Champagne soap and a card should be under $20.
Hey Jude by Aftelier Perfume 2023
Aftelier Perfumes gives these featured accords:
Bergamot, yellow mandarin, apricot, peach, Turkish rose, ten-year-old ambergris tincture, Ross’ aged musk, antique civet.
Firstly, the packaging is always exquisite. Mandy writes a note by hand, the paper, box and everything are bespoke. She even uses coloured bubble packs, this year it’s gold. Everything has the same thoughtfully produced feeling that her fragrances have. Beautiful.
On to the scent! OHHHHH! Mossy citrus opens. It’s fresh and cool. This only lasts less than a minute before Hey Jude turns quite animalic on my skin. Animalic but powdery. I don’t know if you’ve ever grabbed a past its prime rose and torn the petals off before strewing them on a pathway or throwing them over a bride. This scent has the texture of that ultra soft, powdery petals your hand. The scent of a past perfect bloom in my memory is also a strangely honeyed, lightly also past prime fruit-ish rose. How has Mandy captured this so perfectly.
There are hints of tea through the heart too.
Dry down is blowsy, old school, plate sized roses. A lovely wash, fragrant but not overwhelming. I’m not familiar with Jude the Obscure’s scent buy if Hey Jude is it then I’m a fan. Bravo Mandy, another fragrant triumph.
I have also loved Mandy’s Violet Ambrosia.
Do you have a favourite Aftelier perfume? Does Hey Jude sound like something you’d like?
Portia xx
This sounds glorious. I love apricot and/or peach. This should go beautifully with the rose. I have been really wanting to try her Parfum Prive for quite a while. That’s all I’m saying for now. 🙂 😉
What happened to the emojis’ eyes? A new WordPress trick? LOL!
Hey there Maya
I think you might really like this and Prive may just blow your mind
Portia xx
Oooooooh!!! This doesn’t sound like “me” at all but it does sound absolutely gorgeous! Mandy does the most interesting scents. I love the idea of the smell of the petals torn off, and the tea. I really need to poke around on the website.
Go to it March. Mandy has some beautiful stuff
Portia xx
This sounds like me, to a T(ea)! Blowsy, old-school rose!
and I rarely use bar soap (too drying) but absolutely LOVE having one in the shower (currently have a No5 bar and OMG! SOOOOO FABULOUS!)
We started using bar soap a few years ago after learning how much damage the antiseptic hand wash does to our environment Musette. Then when C19 came along it was the best thing to kill the virus on hands.
We go through a LOT of soap.
Portia xx
Oh yes! Musette you will rock this
I ove her stuf- she’s brilliant. Going to get this one now..
Would have commented last night but my iPad is on WordPress’ “no fly” list again..
WordPress has been having some very jinky blow outs lately Tom.
I hope you love it
Portia xx
Love the idea of an old fashion powdery rose with a wisp of tea. Thanks for sharing this. I haven’t tried this line yet.
DinaC,
I think you will swoon at a few of Mandy’s beauties
Portia xx
The Aftelier (I haven’t sampled many) I had found most interesting was the one with mushroom, Cepes and Tuberose. Earthy and floral. Hey Jude sounds lovely — rose and apricot are a fave combo.
Hi there Cinnamon,
Does Mandy do a sample set? I don’t even know.
The good thing is she sends to the world
Portia xx
Everything I’ve heard about Mandy strikes a chord with me. My scent twin Sam from I Scent You a Day loves Bergamoss, and as a chypre fan, I just checked Mandy’s website and was quite happy to find out that 9ml is $60. (“Practically free! I can’t afford not to buy it!” Of course, this is the thinking that fuels many of my post-midnight Eastern US time purchases …)
Back to the program already in progress: Your suggested Christmas present of the Hey Jude sample, the Nesti Dante Rose Champagne soap, and the card would be lovely for my sister, whose middle name is Rose after our Italian great-grandmother.
Not to mention that both of us (we’re in our 50s now) were brought up on The Beatles and things organic, and neither of us needs a lot of big gifts cluttering up the house anymore.
Hey Virago,
Yes, that travel size is excellent. I wish more perfume houses would do it.
I think all of us have too much stuff. Sometimes a small but perfectly curated gift is best. I hope your sister likes my idea.
Portia xx