A Spring Awakening from Dasein

by: Jodi Battershell

"I am going to try to pay attention to the spring. I am going to look around at all the flowers, and look up at the hectic trees. I am going to close my eyes and listen."—Anne Lamott

Sage advice from Anne Lamott. When I lived in Nebraska, there were far too many years when our weather went from winter straight into summer. March, April and early May were overcast, snowy and chilly, then suddenly, 100°F (37°C)!  If there was a spring in there at all, its brief apperance escaped my attention as I chipped away at the ice that still coated the sidewalk on the shady side of the house.

Spring is notoriously fickle. The appearance and demise of cherry blossoms may or may not coincide with Philadelphia's planned Cherry Blossom Festival each year. Those April showers that bring May flowers sometimes come in March, or not at all. The beautiful tulips and magnolia blossoms I've been seeing on everybody's Instagram feeds this week could easily be wiped out by a late frost or snow. 

But given a choice, I would change nothing. Spring is a season to which we should pay attention, for no other season has the beauty, the urgency or the vibrancy of Spring. For the record, my favorite season is Autumn, but I'm seduced by Spring's charms each year and it's always a welcome relief from the short, dark, dreary days of Winter (even when it's an unseasonably warm Winter like this year's.)

I've enjoyed sniffing and writing about Dasein Fragrance's beautiful Winter andSummer fragrances, but, oh! I think Spring may be my favorite of the bunch! (We'll see what Autumn brings later this year.) This unisex fragrance from perfumer Sam Rader arrives in a gorgeous green hue that says everything about the season and the perfume inside that frosted glass bottle. (By the way, Dasein Fragrance and Sarah Rainwater Design recently won the 2016 Package Design Award from Graphic Design USA! It's not hard to see why, with their classic frosted bottles, seasonal color schemes and bold but elegant logos. Congratulations, Dasein!) 

From the press release: "Spring unisex fragrance features natural vetiver from both India and El Salvador. Vetiver is a fragrant grass that smells of rich soil and green shoots, which grows only in the southern hemisphere. The rose note in Spring comes from a precious crop in Egypt where rose petals are solvent extracted for an alive and rich smell. Spring features only natural sandalwood sustainably harvested in Australia. The rare yuzu essential oil used in Spring is cold-pressed from the rind of the citrus fruit found only in Japan."

I knew before sniffing that I was going to love this fragrance. Vetiver is one of my favorite notes in perfumery. From its dry, prickly grassy aspects to its earthy, rooty undertones, with wafts of woodsmoke throughout, vetiver in all its varieties imparts a distinctive complexity to any fragrance that includes it. Truly, you must have some affinity for vetiver in order to appreciate Spring, but if you like it even a little, you'll love what perfumer Sam Rader has done with it.

A spicy blast of black pepper and the tart citrus of yuzu open the fragrance, but the vetiver note—dry, earthy, even a bit prickly at this stage—is present throughout the evolution of Spring. About 30 minutes in, the top notes have burned away and a garden in bloom emerges. Sweet violets and plush roses are strewn at random, softening the sharp edges on those blades of grass. The rose note dominates and and blends with the gentle sandalwood for a kind of powdery effect. At the two hour mark, Spring so perfectly recalled the tender aroma of a freshly-bathed-and-powdered baby—one who is playing contentedly on the soft lawn during a sunny spring afternoon. As an olfactory image, it perfectly captures all that is good about the season: tender flower buds, green grass, warmth, hope and new life.

Like all the Dasein fragrances I have tried, the sillage is moderate but the longevity is amazing—in the 9-10 hour range. As the sun sets on our pleasant Spring day, the smoky and earthy aspects of vetiver have burned away. What remains is a lingering warmth, a soft aroma of wood and dried grass so delicate that the gentlest of breezes could tear it asunder and scatter the particles (though on skin, you'll still have a good hour or two to enjoy it).

Spring is a must-try for fans of vetiver. Men will not find it too floral and women will enjoy the grassiness softened by flowers and sandalwood. It's a high-quality and long-lasting fragrance that is perfect for the vernal equionox but won't seem out of place at the autumnal one, either. Like the other "Season" fragrances of Dasein, it encapsulates its season and transcends it, too.

Thank you to Dasein for the opportunity to try Spring!

All product images: Dasein

The Scent of Sun and Fun: Summer by Dasein

What smells come to mind when you think of summer? For some of us, no doubt the list includes such obvious references as coconutty suntan lotion, swimming pools, tropical fruity drinks, trees and flowers in full bloom and freshly mown lawns. I'm thinking, too, of some less-appreciated but no less summery scents like hot pavement, homemade salsa with tomatoes and cilantro fresh-picked from the garden and the warm and salty smell my skin has after spending all day on a boat, bathed by sun, wind and sea.by: Jodi Battershell

It should come as no surprise that Sam Rader of Dasein, who so perfectly bottled my fragranced memories of the snowy season in Winter, has managed to encapsulate the light, heat and joy of the sunny season in the newest Dasein fragrance, Summer. Continuing the seasonal theme initiated with Winter (2014), and followed by Springearlier this year, "Dasein's Summer unisex fragrance is sunshine and cocktails at the ultimate summer pool party. With notes of cilantro, grapefruit, grass, jasmine, and orange blossom, Summer is a light, bright celebration of the funnest season," according to the Dasein website.

With a bright coral-colored juice that evokes the colorful movie poster for the classic surfer film Endless Summer as much as it does a cool cocktail in a frosty glass,Summer delighted me before I had a chance to try the fragrance or even read about its notes. Just like Winter, Summer's simple and elegant package so perfectly embodies the scent and its mood.

Notes of cilantro, grapefruit, grass, jasmine and orange blossom—Summer looks like a refreshing cocktail on paper. Heavy-duty white floral notes of jasmine and orange blossom suggest a classic feminine bouquet, but keeping in mind that Dasein fragrances wear their unisex nature on their sleeves (literally), I knew there was sure to be more to this story.

Having tried the fragrance several times now, I find the grapefruit is actually the dominant note on my skin. I've had mixed results with grapefruit fragrances in the past, with scents that ran the gamut from "eau de cat pee" to ethereal beauties that were oh so nice ... for the fifteen minutes they lasted on my skin. Summer's grapefruit offers a different variety of the fruit, keeping its tart and juicy aroma throughout the life of the fragrance, bolstered by surprisingly complementary notes of green grass.

Orange blossom and jasmine can easily take over a scent but seem to be supporting players in Summer, adding depth while trimming the sharper aspects of the grapefruit. I get no waxy white orange blossom aroma as an individual note, nor any indolic fecal jasmine nuances. Men need not fear that the white florals in this fragrance will render it too feminine.

The cilantro note—bitter green but somehow dry, with a slight hint of sweat or body odor—adds a unique twist to the fragrance. The combination of grapefruit and the herbal tones of cilantro and green grass kept bringing to mind a particular tasty cocktail I once had whose name I could no longer recall. After looking online at cocktail recipes featuring grapefruit, I found it: the Salty Dog, which is gin and grapefruit juice served in a highball glass with a salted rim. Summer's grapefruit and green notes echo this refreshing cocktail and its delightful mix of herbal, citrusy and salty flavors.

Summer's sillage is moderate and its longevity is excellent, and it's equally suitable for both work and play. Summer will be a fragrance both men and women can appreciate and wear all summer long, or year-round, really. I'm of the opinion that there is no time of the year when the lift provided by sunny citrus and refreshing green notes is unwelcome.

Dasein will complete its seasonal fragrance wardrobe with Autumn, later in 2015. Fragrantica will share news about the scent as it becomes available.

Thank you to Dasein for the opportunity to celebrate Summer with your delightful new fragrance! Summer and the other Dasein season scents are available for purchase onthe Dasein official website, at Twisted Lily and at select retailers in the US, UK, Canada and Australia.

All Images: Dasein