Among the things which symbolize summer to me is a field of grass dotted with the puffy white pop-poms of dandelions. There was a hill near where I grew up which I would roll down coming up at the bottom with dandelion fuzz in my clothes and hair. Those were the lazy serene days of summer with the smells of grass and dandelions the scent of that. It was shown in a more amusing way by the comic strip Bloom County by Berkeley Breathed. The strip below shows how a dandelion break can be just the antidote needed in times of stress.
When it comes to perfume, dandelion is not something found very often as an ingredient. A bare handful of fragrances list it as a part of the formula. It was why I was very interested to try the latest release from Shay & Blue, Dandelion Fig.
Julie Masse and Dominic de Vetta
Established in 2012, by Dominic de Vetta, Shay & Blue is one of those well-kept secrets within niche perfume. Mr. de Vetta worked at Jo Malone prior to moving to his own brand. One of the things I always think about is a Shay & Blue fragrance is an adventurous take on the same kind of perfume architecture of his previous employer. Focusing on a couple of ingredients whose names are on the bottle but with a different kind of verve to it. For all the releases to date perfumer Julie Masse has been the nose. Together Mr. de Vetta and Mme Masse have created a very coherent collection of which Dandelion Fig is among the best of them.
Dandelion Fig is a soft paean to a midsummer’s day. Despite the use of the sharp green facets of dandelion leaves Mme Masse uses lemongrass and grass accords to soften those spiky moments. The early moments of Dandelion Fig are fresh because of the lemongrass while the cut grass accord and the dandelion leaves provide a pillowy verdancy. It is then made even more softly green by the addition of tomato leaf. Mme Masse uses it to change the green from grass to garden. To add to that juniper berry is along for the ride. It adds a refreshing zing to things adding to the energy from the lemongrass. The fig shows up in the base as a healthy shot of what I think is stemone which is shaded towards its greener incarnation by the other ingredients which preceded it. Once this all flows together it is a beautiful marriage of particularly complementary notes.
Dandelion Fig has 8-10 hour longevity and moderate sillage.
I really urge you to reach out and try all of the Shay & Blue releases to date. It is a line worth the effort. If you need a place to start Dandelion Fig is a great choice. I have admired the brand since it was founded but with Dandelion Fig it has come of age while allowing me to have a dandelion break, even in the middle of winter.
Disclosure: This review is based on a sample I purchased.
–Mark Behnke
