All About Silent RescueIn December of 2022, we released “Silent Rescue”, our fragrance focusing on the note of frankincense. Out of the six offerings currently available in our catalog, it has the most complex formula (more than 65 materials), which is ironic, as it’s also the only one that is built to highlight a single note. Silent Rescue is also the most “niche” fragrance in the line. That’s not to say that it’s unlikable, but that it’s got a unique character that makes it quite different than the trending designer perfumes you’d find in the mall.A Mysterious NotePerfumers quite often formulate releases that focus on a note that they love. So, you’ll see a lot of fragrances that feature patchouli, or rose. Vanilla is a very trendy note, and recently it seems like you can’t throw a rock without hitting a new vanilla-centric juice. But frankincense forward formulas are much harder to come by, and that’s a shame because it has such a beautiful and complex scent profile. However, it’s also harder to market. Ask ten random people what frankincense smells like, and you’ll likely find that nine of the ten have no idea. Even “frag-heads” who love and collect fragrances tend to have a limited experience with the material. Generally, those that are familiar with the note of frankincense know it as smokey, or soapy, and probably associate it in combination with other notes, such as rose or myrrh. That’s why you don’t often find frankincense advertised as the star of a fragrance.Frankincense (also known as olibanum) is really very complex though, and has lots to offer. It can be bright and fruity, sporting a lemony facet. It call also be spicy and warm, similar to pepper or elemi resin. Frankincense sourced from trees that grow at higher altitude can have a cooling, pine-like nuance. Of course, frankincense can have that smokey and dark side that people generally know it for. The CO2 extract of frankincense is very crisp and clean. You can even hunt down olibanum oils that have been co-distilled with other materials that smooth it out, making it sweeter. There’s a lot going on there. As a perfumer, there’s just so many directions you could take a stunning material like frankincense. Here’s how I decided to treat this amazing olfactive treat:Letting The Whole Thing ShineI decided that I wanted to highlight different facets of frankincense in different phases of Silent Rescue’s dry down. So I started by blending and balancing a variety of different frankincense oils, which would each show off a different side of frankincense. As luck would have it, each of those different materials had not only it’s own unique scent, but it’s own individual evaporation curve (length of time it lasts before fading away). That meant that each material could shine in the formula, then make way for the next to come in and take center stage. In other words, as the fragrance evolves through it’s top, middle, and base, the frankincense note itself also blooms and changes.The Opening of Silent RescueAt the top, Silent Rescue features a fruity frankincense which is paired with citrus and spice to bring out it’s impactful brightness. On initial spray, you are greeted with a blast of super-freshness. Citrus and spice are common in top notes, but here, the frankincense is quite present as well, making the opening more complex and unique than you may be used to in an introduction. You don’t need to wait for the top notes to disappear before the fragrance becomes interesting; Silent Rescue captivates on contact.The HeartThe heart transforms into a smoother, and more “calm” frankincense material. Here, I chose to highlight the frankincense by using black tea, which is very “soft” (not in it’s projection, but in it’s character). The combination of the two notes creates a sort of “ancient temple” feel. The bright and spicy opening fades and suddenly, Silent Rescue is a relaxation fragrance. As the frankincense becomes less fruity and spicy, it begins to feel cleaner and perhaps “cold”, which contributes to the feeling of calm and quiet. There’s an airiness and openness to the mid. The fragrance seems to expand and become more transparent.Crafting The BaseAt the base, you’ll encounter yet another side of frankincense, as Silent Rescue transforms again. There’s a creamy, sweetness from sandalwood and benzoin that comes alongside a now woody and churchy frankincense. The result is a friendly vanilla-like vibe, but with a deep incense twist. Like the top, the deep dry down feels familiar, yet enhanced by frankincense, making for a very niche wearing experience.Throughout the metamorphosis of Silent Rescue through it’s dry down, one thing doesn’t change: it’s complete focus on the note of frankincense. In each stage of it’s development on skin, the main note is never lost, and never takes a back seat. With more than thirteen percent of the formula made up of frankincense materials, Silent Rescue features more of it’s carefully balanced frankincense blend than the total amount of natural ingredients used in most of today’s popular fragrances. Silent Rescue also boasts a naturals content of over 30%, and is diluted to extrait de parfum concentration, making the amount of natural oils and extracts in each bottle almost unheard of in the industry. Yet somehow, Silent Rescue wears incredibly light and clean. Just how is that incredible balance achieved? Well…Some secrets I keep to myself.Try it HERE
