Darren Alan Perfumes

My first blog article of 2023 is about a fragrance house founded by a talented independent nose, Darren Alan, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. If you are drawn to iconic perfumes of the past, you’ll want to try his creations. Darren’s passion for aromas and perfumery began as a child and blossomed throughout the years as he took classes, sought the guidance of different mentors, and launched businesses in skincare and bespoke perfume making. Today, he loves to create fragrances that can instantly transport us to a different time and make us relive moments we thought were forgotten.

Darren’s creations include beautiful essential oils, tinctures, and effleurages. Through each one he takes you on a journey of discovery that might change a little every time you wear them. I especially enjoy his use of orris and honey, both of which add an organic, rich, and luxurious feel to his fragrances.

I am happy to share my thoughts about Darren’s fragrances along with an interview you will find at the end of my descriptions.

Gothic and daring

Many of Darren’s fragrances are bold vintage-inspired gems and true odes to mythical figures, people, or atmospheres of the past.

Named after the Goddess of night, Hekate was the first creation by Darren I read about. I was drawn to it just by looking at the notes, a combination of honey, beeswax, resins, and woods, with hints of dried fruit. I smell autumn leaves, wet soil, and animalic notes, which evoke dark forests inhabited by witches and mysterious creatures.

I previously defined Bathory as a vampiric rose soaked in honey, leather, and animalic notes, and this is exactly how I perceive it on my skin. A bold rose is at the forefront in the opening, while the spices, leather accord, musk, and incense enveloped by light touches of honey and beeswax can be detected later. When my friend wore this, I could smell the honeyed sweetness more than the dark notes and accords, which speaks for Bathory’s mysterious and mercurial charm.

A tribute to Victorian times, Sweet Repose blends ethereal purple flowers (orris, lavender, and violets) with spicy lilies that lend heady and voluptuous touches. I love how this fragrance develops, bringing together the comfort of vanilla, the powdery quality of tonka, and the aloofness of incense and myrrh. The overall sensation is intense, ghostly, and nostalgic.

Sacred Smoke, Vintage Novel, and Chypre No 1 also nod to the art and history of bygone times by featuring a soulful use of spices, herbs, opulent florals, resins, and dark woods.

Lighter fare

While many of Darren’s creations are subversive and mysterious, I also enjoy his more delicate and refreshing offerings.

A tribute to the classic clean and polished scent, Acqua di Colonia stars a musky and slightly salty neroli adorned with light citruses, jasmine, and lavender. Musk and ambergris are also present in Musc Moderne, which highlights a dewy grape note enveloped by sparkling florals. After The Rain is a nature walk after a stormy night; the scent of wet green leaves, rocks, and soil filling the air on a clear and breezy day.

An elegant delicacy

Cupid’s bow is the creation that begs to differ in Darren’s line because it smells like a luscious treat. However, this isn’t your typical candy-like fragrance, but a refined floral gourmand that brings together a tart rose, mouthwatering citruses, and high-end white chocolate. In fragrance, chocolate can easily become cloying and even gritty, but here the note is very well-blended and gentle. On my skin, the fragrance’s evolution seems to be somewhat reversed. I immediately detect the sweetness brought by the chocolate and red fruits. A flirty rose, entwined with shimmering citruses and bubbly champagne, peeks through minutes later and lightens the composition. The white chocolate is present throughout and accompanies you all the way to the creamy base of vanilla and woods. I also like how the champagne is never sharp or acidic but lends a tangy quality to the rose. The decadent scent beautifully lifts off the skin to create a fairy-like, otherworldly aura.

The fragrance I have yet to try is Fêtes de Noël, the latest release, and a holiday chypre inspired by Art Nouveau. This and other creations are available in different sizes at the online shop.

I reviewed the fragrances from the discovery set I purchased personally.

Photos are my own or kindly provided by Darren.

Interview

I loved learning about Darren’s fragrant journey, scented memories, and artistic insights. I was thrilled to discover we share a love for the classics and chypre fragrances.

Q: Darren, tell us a little about your background and olfactory journey. How did you become interested in creating perfumes?

A: I was always interested in smells even as a young child. My grandparents had a garden and a backyard full of flowering plants & fruit trees. I smelled everything growing up and the aromas became forever imprinted in my scent memory along with the emotions & memories that accompanied them. My mother always had an array of perfumes and when I was little, I used to sneak into her bedroom and smell them. I would spray them into Dixie cups and would create my own custom scents with them. I’m sure they smelled horrible, but I was so pleased with my creations!

In the late 1980s and early 90s I became interested in aromatherapy. I studied & read every book I could on the subject, and I started a small collection of essential oils. I took classes in aromatherapy & eventually was hired to create aromatherapy blends for a local alternative health & bookstore. I started to use essential oils to create natural perfumes & from there my interest snowballed. I was hooked.

I started studying perfumery & read as many books in the subject as I could, although the information available was limited in the early 90s. I took correspondence classes in perfume making and was lucky enough to find some wonderful mentors who shared their knowledge and love for materials with me. What I would have given for the luxury of zoom perfumery classes in retrospect! My library of raw materials grew along with my love for the art of perfumery.

In 2005 I started my own cosmetics company, Pure Skin Formulations, LLC which specialized in hand made artisanal skincare products and fragrances. I continued to study perfumery & released fragrances under the Pure Skin Formulations brand. I also did bespoke fragrance work for private clients & offered brand fragrance services for the personal care industry. I still have the skincare brand, but since launching my Darren Alan Perfumes line, most of my business activity has centered more on creating fragrances, my true love.

Q: What are your major inspirations and how do you translate them into scented art?

A: My major inspirations are the iconic vintage fragrances of times past. I am especially inspired by the classic fragrances of Guerlain, Coty, Caron, Lanvin, and Millot. Something about the nostalgia of these vintage brands and fragrances, their connection to the history of perfumery, and their reliance on natural materials allows my mind and creativity to transcend space & time. I want to bring to life modern interpretations of a style of perfumery that has been long lost and has mostly gone out of fashion in modern times.

Q: Can you tell us about your creative process?

A: My creative process changes with every project. I am inspired by lots of things to create a fragrance: a poem, an opera, a particular scent memory, or just wanting to feature a specific raw material. I set each fragrance like a rare diamond and let it shine and sparkle for others to enjoy. Every fragrance I create starts with a desire to express beauty so that others can share the experience with me when they smell my work. People desire beauty & pleasure, especially right now. I hope that I can provide a means to access that pleasure through the world of scent.

Q: I understand you’re a lover of chypre fragrances, which seems to go hand in hand with your knack for vintage-inspired compositions. What do you like about this olfactory family and how did your love for the classics develop?

A: I think that my love for chypres developed at an early age. My grandmother and mother collected perfumes, many of which were classic chypres such as Coty Chypre, Guerlain Mitsouko, and Bal a Versailles, Paloma Picasso, and Clinique Aromatics Elixir. There was something about the richness and fullness of these fragrances that drew me in. I was captivated by their complexity and by the artful way in which both masculine and feminine aspects were captured & intermingled in the same fragrance. I have been fascinated by the genre of chypres ever since.

Q: What are your favorites scents and materials?

Q: This is a hard one! Aside from my love of chypres, I’d have to say that some of my favorite materials are rose, patchouli, sandalwood, and labdanum. I am not a 100% natural perfumer, as I  also use synthetic aromachemicals. However, I have great love and respect for natural materials. They are inherently complex and offer a palette of nuance that is unique and unmatched, in my opinion. I have devoted much of my study to their growth, harvesting & distilling. I have distilled my own essential oils, I have learned and practiced the art of enfleurage, and I am currently extracting my own absolutes which I incorporate into my fragrances. Learning these steps & processes along the way helps me to become more intimately in touch with the nuances of my materials.

Q: Is there anything you’d love to capture in a bottle if you could?

A: Yes! I would love to capture in a bottle the smell of a puppy that has been playing outside in the sunshine! But, “Puppies and Sunshine” continues to be an elusive fragrance project!

Q: What are the most common things people say about your fragrances?

A: The most common things that people tell me about my fragrances is that they are more than just a perfume. People often message or email me to tell me that one of my fragrances has triggered an emotion or a memory they had not accessed for some time. People often tell me very personal stories, emotions, and experiences after smelling my work. I am so humbled by this and so grateful to be a part of this experience. I never take these communications for granted and am honored that my fragrances can touch others in these visceral and emotional ways.

Q: What are your views about inclusion and diversity in the fragrance industry? What do we need more of?

A: I feel that inclusion and diversity in the fragrance industry is critical to its continued growth and evolution. We all come to the world of fragrance with our own story and our own set of experiences. We all have something different to offer and can learn so much about ourselves by learning from others. I think we need to grow by learning from others. We are here to enrich other people’s lives by sharing a part of ourselves, and in so doing we become more than we were before.