Espirit de la Nature
mindfully crafted perfumes, incense and body care products
Esprit de la Nature is an ecological brand of incense and perfume rooted in the arts of nature and healing. As an herbalist, with a deep knowledge of the history and cultural uses of fragrance, I craft real and imagined scent-scapes: the northern conifer forest, a rose garden, or a monastery ringing with chants. Intimately connected to the green world, I specialize in using whole plant ingredients. I harvest and make extractions, from plants in my many gardens, or the botanicals I mindfully wildcraft in the forest where I live. I compose with the highest-quality and responsibly sourced ingredients which have therapeutic effects that rejuvenate and inspire a deeper connection with ourselves and the Earth.
Esprit de la Nature smokeless incenses are heated, instead of being burned, and can be used safely in any setting. Their fragrance creates a relaxed, pleasurable atmosphere at home or in a meditation practise. I use traditional ingredients such as frankincense and sandalwood, but also plants and resins from Canada, whose scents connect us to the Boreal Forest environment and memories of our time there. To compose, I use ancient formulas, and my own innovations. The results are incenses and scent-scapestypically not found in North America: The dark and erotic Ancient Egyptian “Kyphi”, incense whose formula is written on the wall of the pyramids, the whispering, honeyed scent of Japanese “Neri-koh” pellet incense used in “Listening to Incense” ceremonies, as well as, the richly-scented, Middle Eastern “Bakhoor” incense, composed of perfume-infused, precious wood chips.
Esprit de la Nature botanical perfumes are intimate and subtle scents that are worn close to the body or in the hair. Their fragrance evolves over time, with each note giving way to the next, unlike persistent, single-note synthetic perfumes. Their scents take you for a walk in the forest understory, a flower garden or a contemplative setting. One of my most elaborate works is “Oil of Lilies”. It is an ancient, aphrodisiacal perfume and medicine. I extract lily flowers for over a period of 45 days, with hundreds of flowers, using the ancient, dual-process of maceration and enfleurage. Well known in the ancient world, nearly lost today. Perfume is the art that makes memory speak.
