In celebration of the 7th Anniversary of ÇaFleureBon, eight perfumers were invited to create perfumes drawing inspiration from a brief written by the blog's founder and Editor in Chief, Michelyn Camen. Her request called for a perfume powerful enough to attract good fortune and ward off negativity - even the dreaded curse of the "evil eye". House of Matriarch created ANTIMONY in response to Michelyn's brief.
ANTIMONY
The smoky eye in fragrance form. Anointing yourself with ANTIMONY is akin to the ancient protective ritual of rimming your eyes with kohl. This talismanic perfume draws from the noble history of cosmetica and the aromatic materials which have been used throughout time to create "eye shadow" - the most magical cosmetic of all.
Charred frankincense, kewra, henna, Palo Santo, galangal, sandalwood ashes, spikenard, ghee, copal, oud and precious attars of mitti, kadam and rose have all been used to create enchanted cosmetics throughout history. They are all notes used in the formulation of this beautiful talismanic perfume which contains exactly 111 individual notes. Subtle by design, exotic florals push up from a primitive base to bloom on your skin as they emanate like an ancient wisp of fine bakhoor.
These ancient aromas transport the wearer like a magic carpet to a dimension where cosmetics have magical purposes - the very essence of "a glamour." A nod to a forgotten lifetime when eye shadow was compounded from powdered minerals, oils and the ashes of incense and applied by a shaman or priestess or in wealthy kingdoms, a Court Perfumer.
The minerals antimony and malachite have been among those used around the eyes throughout time due to their reflective properties - they ricochet bad vibes like mirrors. Since they are considered toxic (the alchemists would argue otherwise) they have been banned from use in cosmetics. Mystics and folk healers around the world still use them for their prehistorical purposes in treating ailments of mind and spirit and for compounding sacred cosmetics.
ANTIMONY. Elemental, Magical, Beautiful, and Powerfully Protective
2017 Debut Vintage. 99.9% Natural (We use the Natural Perfumer's Guild standards of naturalness in rating each component of the perfume - the strictest standards in the world.)
The first 24 50ml bottles of ANTIMONY are adorned with a handmade copper cartouche talisman decorated with the symbols for the element antimony and the letter M. They were designed by our perfumer Christi Meshell and forged in San Diego, California under the influence of the Gemini full moon. The alternate alchemical symbol for the element antimony can be found on the nameplate's letter O.
MAGIC in a bottle - and perhaps one of the finest blends of sustainable and vintage oud in existence. This smooth and velvety (oud) blend made it's debut in our ACHTUNG collection and contains several varieties of new sustainable and vintage oud wood extracts. No artificial oud - all varieties are 100% natural.
A spray or dab of this incredible oud accord on it's own is exquisite and transportative. The blend can also serve as a base to your fragrance layering experiments. When used for meditation or other sacred work, it elevates the seeker to higher planes by opening pathways in the brain which enable us to connect with The Divine.
This blend is featured prominently in our perfumes SEXMAGIC and DEVOTION.
A spray or dab of this incredible oud accord on it's own is exquisite and transportative. The blend can also serve as a base to your fragrance layering experiments. When used for meditation or other sacred work, it elevates the seeker to higher planes by opening pathways in the brain which enable us to connect with The Divine.
Known by many different names such as Eaglewood, Oud, Agarwood, Aloeswood and Lign Aloes; oud wood sits at the apex of essences used for spiritual practice. Ancient. Powerful. Mysterious.
"SHARED SCENTS" are unisex perfumes designed to be worn by men, women and couples. It is a very bonding act to wear the same perfume as your beloved. High Perfumery is not gender specific. "The notion that roses are for girls and cedar is for boys is as ridiculous as believing that celery is for girls and broccoli is for boys. It's not accurate what has been imprinted upon us," says our perfumer Christi Meshell.
"Natural scents are universal: irresistible and alluring: they're shared. Like other gifts of love (chocolate, flowers) they are luxurious, and equally savored by all." We all know how a certain perfume can remind you of a particular person. Having a shared perfume with your mate reinforces your connection and bond with a unique signature; capturing that euphoric chemistry that is created between two people wearing the same perfume.
With fun names like Sex Magic,Forbidden, and Devotionand quality ingredients like the organic vanilla in Coco Blanc and the genuine ambergris inOrca, you're guaranteed a heightened experience.
Incense is the "original perfume" - the life breath of poets, dreamers and mystics around the world. Enjoy these burnable 100% natural versions of our most popular perfumes. Cast the perfect mood or perfume yourself with a smoke bath. Primitive - and sensual.
Most people don't have the time for (or want the mess of) burning charcoals to enjoy a pure, authentic incense experience. Cones travel easily, burn cleanly and are as potent as dropping raw incense onto an ember. You will experience a noticeable effect not found with conventional ready to burn incenses due to the mild psychoactive nature of the essences.
Our incense is 100% natural - purists will recognize the quality and authenticity of our ingredients immediately. They are extra potent, clean burning and safer than conventional incense for pets and children who share your environment.
Previously containing 24 cones, now we include 33 cones per batch in our gorgeous copper tins.
House of Matriarch's latest fragrance release Kazimi has drawn applause from fragrance critics and connoisseurs. With seven varieties of natural rose from around the world, nothing else can compare.
"The best rose perfume I've ever smelled!" Peter Carter- Fragrance View
"an astonishingly beautiful rose fragrance, in fact, it's the most gorgeous rose perfume I have ever had the absolute pleasure of smelling. Rose was always one of my toughest notes to fall in love with, not because I felt it was flowery or feminine, I just wasn't fond of the smelI. I find Kazimi to be the most masculine rose fragrance I have ever smelled, a women can pull this off without question, but this has a definite masculine edge to it." Joseph Sagona - The Scented Apprentice
"Kazimi has connected the best on an emotional level with me as this kind of rose is what I prefer to wear." Mark Behnke - Colognoisseur
Just as a rose bush can live for hundreds of years, producing more fragrant and beautiful roses with each passing year, this perfume will continue to beautify with the passage of time.
We are delighted to read such a stunning review from Fragrantica
Scented Snippets New Fragrances Review: House of Matriarch High Perfumery / New At Nordstrom's, The First Natural Perfumery in Nationwide Distribution
"Christi Meshell, nose and creator of House of Matriarch High Perfumery– has achieved a real First. Through incessant hard work, determination [not to mention great skill], and the extremely capable hands of Tim Girvin, she recently launched her line at Nordstrom in Seattle: the first luxury line of natural perfumery to be distributed nationwide. This is no small feat, as you can well imagine."
"Some degree of cross-pollination is present, as newer compositions sit side by side amongst older favorites. Coco Blanc has quite a following it's probably one of the very few coconut-redolent fragrances which isn't a cloymonster and is an utter joy to wear. Blackbird reappears as Black No. 1, an edgy cult favorite; Sex Magic and Devotion hail from the Achtung line; Forbidden is a fantasy creature from Christi's earlier work. Albatross, Madrona, Orca and Trillium are new and unique to the Nordstrom launch."
To read Ida Meister's review on each of our nine fragrances at Nordstrom, head over to Fragrantica. You can purchase any of these fragrances in our online store or at select Nordstrom across the U.S.
