Sight

Vision is one of our stronger senses - the phrase “seeing is believing” exists for a reason! Studies have shown that in the presence of visual stimuli, olfaction takes a backseat. That being said, like all senses, they’re still connected.

We find that connection is especially powerful when it comes to smells and colours. People with synesthesia actually have colours or shapes that appear to them when they smell something, but studies have shown that even people without synesthesia can experience something similar, just in a slightly less visceral way.

On the Lore Perfumery shop floor, we’ve found colour is something a surprising amount of people bring up when they smell something. It may be that our brains make a multisensory link - for example, a rose fragrance may smell red to someone because they know the smell of rose and also know that roses are red. Another example is “green” fragrances or fragrance notes, referring to scents that smell like things that are green in nature - cut grass, moss, herbs, etc.

v.7 White Heart -
The Heart of Love edp

Map of the Heart

Map of the Heart is a fragrance house that was started by two filmmakers who wanted to incorporate elements of that artform into the process of creating their perfumes, with an understanding that scent can be as transportive and intoxicating as words and images. Their fragrances are vivid and enthralling, combining rich backstories and concepts with unique note combinations that really get the imagination going.

Here we want to draw a comparison between a technique used both in perfumery and visual art - contrasting “light” and “dark” as a way to create a sense of realism. In painting, this technique is called “chiaroscuro” - chiaro being the Italian word for “bright” and scuro for “dark”. The technique originated during the Renaissance, a period in art known for its striking realism, but also for its sense of spectacle and drama. By playing with shadows and light, artists could create more 3D looking images, which made their paintings feel much more impactful.

This idea of chiaroscuro is very applicable to MOTH’s v.7 the White Heart of Love. For every note it has that’s light, it has a counterpart that’s dark - an oud to an aldehyde, a gardenia to a frankincense. In doing so, it’s also meant to represent the duality of love, love itself being contrasting and complex. Love that is hot and cold, naive and curious, tender and wild. A love that is everything and nothing.

NOTES

top

French Lavender, Aldehydes, Indian Cardamom

middle

Umeboshi, Somalian Frankincense, Spanish Cistus, Gardenia

base

Natural Oud, Cypriol, Haitian Vetiver, Copaiba Balsam, Australian Sandalwood

more about the scent

On the skin, v.7’s use of chiaroscuro becomes even more apparent. At times it is light and airy, the more aromatic and floral notes creating a breezy, effortless feeling, and yet it is grounded by the woods, spices and resins. It oscillates between these contrasts throughout the entirety of its wear, making you want to go back to it again and again to reinterpret it and try to experience it from a different angle.

Spritz the White Heart, close your eyes, and let your subconscious take the reins. What are the shapes and colours that come to mind? Does it remind you of a painting, a photograph, a film? Perhaps it will inspire you to create a visual work of your own!