FRAGRANTICA
One of the niche brands I met in the Quintessence space at BeautyWorld Middle East in Dubai was the American brand Free Yourself.
The name seemed quite esoteric to me, like "The Way to Yourself." In general, building a perfume brand with a loyal, devoted audience is something akin to creating a religious cult.
"Embrace products that uplift your daily rituals and contribute to essential social causes. FREE YOURSELF is a movement dedicated to creating space for individuals to flourish. We believe that every person has the potential to unlock their true essence through the transformative power of scent. Our fragrances are meant to offer portals to self-discovery and holistic growth. FREE YOURSELF is about nurturing the soul, fostering personal growth, and inspiring a journey of self-discovery and holistic well-being. Every purchase is a step toward a movement that honors the Earth, enlightens minds, and celebrates artistic innovation." - brand description.
Jeff and Todd, two guys from Vermont, came to perfumery by different roads. Jeff studied positive psychology and worked in advertising and the entertainment industry; Todd has worked in the memorable experiences and hospitality business for over 30 years.
Cleansing oneself of bad thoughts and sins is supposed to be done the old-fashioned way: with the help of Air, Water, Fire and Earth - in the first Free Yourself collection there are four fragrances dedicated to the four elements.
The fragrances are created in the Grasse-based company PCW, known for its collaboration with many independent perfumers and niche brands (Mark Buxton, Linda Landenberg, Atelier PMP, Parfum Satori). The authors of the fragrances are PCW founder Xavier Blaizot and perfumer Maud Chabanis.
Air as fragrance is probably the most challenging task for a perfumer. The smell of air is dozens and hundreds of nuances determined by the environment, not the constituent gases of pure air. Tropical sea air and desert air are very different, temperature and humidity are very influential. For this fragrance, perfumer Maud Chabanis chose the air of the Mediterranean coast: lots of citrus in the fragrant dark foliage, lots of cut grass and bitter greens. Made neat and perfumed, nothing superfluous or unpleasant - even the base is clean and lightly damp. To convey the smell of air through the smell of green plants, with the help of the main participants in the photosynthesis process on the planet, is a very good idea.
Top notes: Green notes, Grapefruit, Lemon and Galbanum
Middle notes: Cardamom, Ginger, Vetiver and Lavender
Base notes: Sun Notes, Moss, Musk and Amber.
With Water it turned out not so perfect - seems like nobody wanted to portray pure water, so do not expect its smell. Probably, they did not set such a goal: aquatic notes in the fragrance are shaded with citrus and floral notes, and in general Eau Free Yourself reminds very much of the aquatic fragrances of the 1990s. First of all, the opening notes are citrus, and not only the peel, but also green leaves and various white flowers - more like fresh green neroli than honey-sweet orange blossoms. The fragrance is lovely beyond belief, and if you loved wearing Today Avon - you'll find a lovely bouquet of white flowers in Eau with soft lime blossom in the base.
Top notes: Pink Pepper, Grapefruit, Lemon and Bergamot
Middle notes: Water Notes, Petitgrain, Blackcurrant, Gardenia and Orange Blossom
Base notes: Musk, Amber and Light Wood.
Flames of fire are logically portrayed in the fragrance with smoky and tarry materials to which spices are added, from warm, sweet anise and cinnamon to searing cloves. It works perfectly, especially for the first few minutes - after that you start turning your nose up at "where are the promised delicious pies and Christmas gingerbread? Did we turn off the oven?" Xavier Blaizot's fragrance, Feu starts with smoke and gingerbread, gradually, through to powder, coming out to a pleasant woody and leathery base. The base suddenly has a rather salty touch of cumin, plum and Atlas cedar.
Top notes: Anise, Cinnamon Leaf, Cloves and Cinnamon
Middle notes: Smoke, Woody notes, Neroli, Rosemary, Ylang-ylang and Violet
Base notes: Leather, Musk, Atlas Cedar and Fir Balsam.
There is plenty of different "earth" in perfumery: stones, sand, flint and wet black earth. The Terre fragrance depicts the rich soil of magical lands, flowing with milk and honey, blooming with roses and tree resins, perfumed with bakhoor smoke - the soil of oriental lands. As one might guess, sweet, amber, balsamic. Strangely enough, Javier Blaizot's thoughts in many ways crossed with Paolo Terenzi's ideas when he created 05 Terra for the DiVina Terra brand - and both fragrances are similar to the white leather-amber smoke of Interlude Man Amouage.
Top notes: Ginger, Saffron, Cumin, Davana and Birch Leaf
Middle notes: Rose, Ylang-ylang, Thyme and Tolu Balsam
Base notes: Opoponax, Amberwood, Cedarwood and Sandalwood.
Free Yourself fragrances are available on the brand's official website, in Eau de Parfum, in 50 and 100ml bottles, priced at $195 and $295. A set of 4 x 2ml tubes costs $48, and the brand also offers eponymous scented candles of different sizes.