Description
Originally created for a project meant to spotlight natural perfume ingredients now deemed unsuitable by IFRA, Mata Hari immediately transcended it’s initial scope to be considered a classic DSH perfume by it’s many admirers. Happily, this once discontinued delight is back.
- September, 2017 Note: As Mata Hari is comprised entirely of botanical materials, inherent variations are bound to occur from year to year, batch to batch. This latest batch of Mata Hari has been created with a new crop of osmanthus absolute which is quite a bit sweeter than the crop used in the original formulations. It presents as a slightly warmer, more fruity, and more animalic nuance.
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From the original release: “The overt fruity top note is surprising in it’s audacity and voluptuousness…there is no subtle overture…Mata Hari comes for you directly. Exotic notes of orchid (botanical accord), sambac jasmine and champaca interplay with the more classical notes of rose de mai, lilac (botanical accord) and ylang ylang in the heart bouquet. Spices of her ‘homeland’, clove, cinnamon, and nutmeg reveal a smoldering altar of sensuality in the heart as well. Now we are in her inner sanctum, the temple of her seduction: the base notes. Again, aromas of Java pervade with benzoin, vetiver, and patchouli mixed with erotic animalic nuances of botanical musk, leather and civet (accords) that come to rest on a bower of oakmoss and sandalwood. This is a woman who knows what she wants.”
100% Botanical perfume
Eau de Parfum / Voile de Parfum sample vials are 1/2 filled, whereas Extrait sample vials are full, 1 ml mini roller vials.
*FYI: the Voile de Parfum format is created with natural IPM, considered a natural product. It is the only format that is ship-able for International orders as it is non-flammable by Dangerous Goods standards. EdP, which uses natural alcohol, is considered a Dangerous Good, due to it’s flammability and can not be shipped outside of the continental US.
littleflowerlove@comcast.net (verified owner) –
Received a tiny sample of it and have to get more! Gorgeous, sizzling, unmistakably sexy, exotic, and multilayered. Not for young gals or for a first perfume or for the office, but wow is it sexy!
kpatrick50@gmail.com (verified owner) –
I held a “perfume” party after ordering a Dark and Rich Collection sample set and a few other individual samples. We drank wine, passed around small vials of perfume, cleared our noses with coffee grounds, and marked down our favorites. Mata Hari was one of them. Very sensuous and sexy. We had a marvelous time and felt very elegant. I plan on doing this again soon with another collection before choosing a final favorite.
kpatrick50@gmail.com (verified owner) –
I held a “perfume” party after purchasing a Dark and Rich Collection sample set and a few other individual samples. We drank wine, passed around small vials of perfume, cleared our noses with coffee grounds, and marked down our favorites. Mata Hari was one of them. Very sensual and sexy. We had a marvelous time and felt very elegant. Thanks for the wonderful fragrances.
theladymay (verified owner) –
I got this as a sample during the recent sale, and wow. I don’t have words for how sexy Mata Hari is. It’s reminscent of Lagerfeld’s KL but like all DSH fragrances that I’ve tried it’s very much it’s own. With the quality of ingredients and the layering of notes, this could easily be some lost french vintage – except that there’s nothing old or dated about it. Balsamic, sensual, dark and lovely. I need a full bottle of this as soon as possible.
RHM (verified owner) –
Dawn’s Mata Hari is what I wear when I want to revel in a fragrance. Multifaceted, complex, rich & deep Mata Hari is an absolute gem of a perfume. I tried this at the basenotes “Surrender to Denver” sniffing event where we visited Dawn’s studio in Boulder. Matai Hari was one of numerous gems I discovered that day.
If you like your scent sexy, rich & utterly “you”, try Mata Hari.
plamour55 (verified owner) –
This is a beautiful scent that definitely has a vintage feel. You won’t find anything so unique anywhere else. I wish it was available in oil essence, because it doesn’t last long on my skin.
mcilwaina@gmail.com (verified owner) –
Beautiful. I love botanical perfumes that have a vintage style, and I love oriental perfumes. Mata Hari was a dream discovery and another of my favorite fragrances.
mperluss22 (verified owner) –
This is a creamy, chai-smelling fragrance. Not sure why I feel so seductive and sexy when I wear it. It can easily be worn day, night, any occasion, and all seasons. I love having a bottle of this since it is so easy to wear.
Savannah Prokop (verified owner) –
Mata Hari is a beautiful composition with a vintage feel. The combination of spices, flowers, woods, and resins creates a warm and sensual sensation. Mata Hari is feminine-leaning. I imagine wearing a faux fur coat to a black-tie event on a snowy winter evening, as Mata Hari leaves a trail behind me.
04bingkun06 (verified owner) –
The fragrance opens with a very tart and slightly dirty fruity scent, much like a salty, sour plum, before floral notes emerge with exotic and classic notes – sultry yellow orchid, watery lilac, rich jasmine – which are punctuated by sultry spices that are hot and spicy. Oak moss in the base brings a cool green note, while soft leather is plush and overall brings a feeling of fruit wine.
alle11019id –
Perhaps the most complex perfume I’ve ever tried. As with many DSH perfumes, I had to smell my sample of Mata Hari multiple times before my brain could really process it. I suspect that aging enhances it, too. Deeply fruity may seem almost oxymoronic, but this house really does a great job with shaking up the “fruity-floral” genre. It evokes the tan and plum shades shown in the photo. Personally, I pick up on the chypre aspect much more than I do the spice. Somehow all these notes manage to not get too muddied and are just, well, interesting. I think it could definitely suit the “academia” aesthetic if you are looking for something in that category.