There are many techniques that can only happen within the independent perfume community because of the time-intensive nature of using them. One of those is the process of creating a tincture. A perfumer will place a material into alcohol and allow it to extract the essence from it. The process will be repeated many times as the natural material is continually swapped out until the desired balance is achieved. That any perfumer still does this is to be commended. One perfumer who has made her tinctures the keynotes of many of her perfumes is Charna Ethier of Providence Perfume Co. Here latest release Tangerine Thyme shows off a new one.
Because of the process behind tincturing the ingredient itself is surely one-of-a-kind. It will be nearly impossible to get the exact same concentration back a second time; which is why Ms. Ethier’s tinctures usually are part of limited editions. Tangerine Thyme is no different as Ms. Ethier uses a tincture of a special kind of navel orange called a Cara Cara. Upon this she constructs a classic cologne architecture with typical herbal complements and a couple of unusual choices which help elevate Tangerine Thyme.
Charna Ethier
The Cara Cara tincture is what opens Tangerine Thyme. Cara Cara oranges have a flesh which approximates the color of grapefruit but these oranges are a lot sweeter. Ms. Ethier captures that as she uses the Cara Cara tincture to represent the tangerine. Petitgrain and neroli are used to modulate the tincture so it carries a bit of pulpy gravitas. The promised thyme provides the herbal harmony. The other inspired choice Ms. Ethier makes is to also use marigold. It provides a different green floral character to the more traditional herbal green from the thyme. The base is a simple silvery frankincense as an austere contrast.
Tangerine Thyme has 6-8 hour longevity and average sillage.
Most of the time a citrus herbal cologne is not something I would wear in the colder weather. As I was wearing Tangerine Thyme over the past week one of the mornings had the first frost of the season. It stood up really nicely. I suspect this is going to be a favorite scarf spray throughout the fall. The effort Ms. Ethier puts in to creating her tinctures is only surpassed by her creativity in employing them in her fragrances. If you need proof pick up Tangerine Thyme.
Disclosure: This review was based on a sample provided by Providence Perfume Co.
–Mark Behnke
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