BEHIND THE SCENES: THE MAKING OF A FRAGRANCE SERIES - GOLD HEART v.4
GOLD HEART v.4 - THE HEART OF PEACE
THE STORY OF PEACE - CONTEXT
"The idea for the Heart of Gold really sprang from the saying that to have a heart of gold is to be kind and generous. Of course the other association we have with gold is that it is a symbol of wealth, and even sometimes of greed. Thinking about that we went back to classical literature to Virgil where he describes the Golden Age as a utopian world where all wealth is much more of an inner wealth and a shared wealth, so from this is where we got to the idea that ultimately our heart of gold was really about the peace that you have when you live a life of generosity, of sharing and without fear."
- Sarah Blair, Co-founder, Map of the Heart
THE STORY OF PEACE - FILM BRIEF
"The Gold Heart v.4 film is a story of peace. After producing the first three scent films we embarked on a path to play into the simple metaphor of our key emotion. Here was a world of gold that has often been seen as indulgent and flamboyant but our scent depicted a golden time where wealth was measured through health and of an abundant landscape. Shooting on the coastline of south-east New South Wales it became a very simple portrait of peace with our young cast gazing up across her native grasslands feeling the warmth of the breeze and sensing an optimism that only peace can bring. "
- Jeffrey Darling, Director and Co-founder, Map of the Heart
BRIEF TO SENIOR PERFUMER JACQUES HUCLIER
"This is the world of the golden age of Virgil’s Eclogue IV, where he describes the world at its best as being when the cattle will have no fear of fierce lions.
We associate gold with wealth. There is the story of Midas – a kind of careful-for-what-you-wish for story that warns of the desire for gold above all else. We think of the Pharaohs and how they took their gold with them for their journey to the next world, of the alchemists of the 18th century whose sole quest was to turn lesser metals into gold. And we think of towns and countries that have been built and busted on gold rushes and fever.
But we come back to the idea of Virgil’s Golden Age - where we are at peace with each other in spite of differences of belief, of religion. It is a place where all can flourish to be their best. And so, for us, this is true wealth - where we are rich enough in our hearts to accept each other for who we are, and without disagreement or agreement, respect each other. It is a place where we can all grow to be loved, be safe and valued for who we are and what we do and how we contribute. So ultimately, this gold heart is about peace. It is the peace in our hearts."
- Sarah Blair & Jeff Darling, Co-founders, Map of the Heart
THE SCENT OF PEACE
"Our Gold Heart v.4 promotes not a gold to idolise but an idea of peace to share.
The fragrance is intended to be a celebration of the utopian golden age. In Map of the Heart, we like to consider that people are able to contribute to make this utopia a little bit possible within everyday gestures.
In front of such an ambitious vision, we chose to put the accent on an ingredient quite unusual in perfumery and tricky to use in a nice way: the warm milk. I love its complexity in dosage and the contrasting reactions this smell procures in people.
Gold Heart v. 4 fragrance development started with the warm milk, principally for its symbolic value in everyone’s life as the ingredient that is common to all. All barriers, that strongly affect our world, are not able to make this element different if you are wealthy or poor, no matter of the colour of your skin, which is your God or gender. Milk is very democratic despite us.
The beauty of this fragrance is from the overdose of the precious, exotic saffron blended with rose oil and the maintaining of its incredible long-lasting with musk and woods –including the Australian sandalwood, of course, on the dry down.
Most of the time, I think it’s easier to describe a perfume by reproducing the sensation when you live with it: Gold Heart v.4 starts luminous, with a shiny metallic beginning that introduces you into the warm heart of this perfume. Once this warm breeze envelops you, a feeling of comforting sensuality makes your senses touch the brightness of what it is to act with a heart of gold.
Perfumer, Jacques Huclier was a master in composing this perfect golden harmony transporting in the juice the feel-good, nurturing, inner richness narrative of Gold Heart v.4.
Special hint: even if you don't like milk at all, you can really love Gold Heart v.4. Sarah is the living proof of this 😉"
THE COLOUR OF PEACE
The colour gold symbolises luxury, wealth and warmth. When combined with the heart to become a Heart of Gold it makes the bottle feel like a treasure to be cherished resonating with the sense of wellbeing, peace and all that is good.
