Amber Jobin Aether Arts

Amber Jobin of Aether Arts located in Boulder, Colorado is no stranger to cannabis as perfume. She has released A Roll in the Grass and Incense Indica as part of her Burning Man series. She returns to the untapped and until recently illegal aromatic, which offers an incredible array of notes, with Holy Hemp! Cannabis and Tulsi Basil.

“The cannabis note is comprised of cannabis essential oil and other notes to create a cannabis accord.   I then carefully choose notes to support and draw out that aspect.  I think that most perfume notes are very complex and can be “pushed and pulled” in a particular direction based in part by what supporting notes are used. “

Holy Hemp! focuses on the green aspect of the cannabis plant, partnering with Tusli (holy basil) and the umistakeable note, but not an ingredient-of tomato leaf. “ Since cannabis is so multi-faceted, I usually decide on a particular aspect to focus on like fruity, resinous, green, or animalic.  In Holy Hemp! I wanted to highlight the very green aspects of a fresh bud. I didn’t use a specific tomato note, it is implied by the combination of materials used including the Tulsi.”

The application of Holy Hemp! is to be immediately transported inside a greenhouse- everything fresh with tall stalk potential but not necessarily a marijuana crop. The implied tomato note along with basil elevates the cannabis accord beyond drug references into what it actually IS: a beautiful botanical aroma. If one could erase the scent memories of “do you smell WEED?!!” one would only discern a healthy, powerful herb and fruit aroma which can be identified at any farmer's market or humid, healthy garden. Cananga provides a floral aspect while supporting the fruit notion. What starts as sweet petals ends slight powdered anise among the stems and leafage.  It is almost office friendly- were cannabis not such a hot button. All this rests on balsam gurgan laced with galbanum and curry leaf- the far off wood of a tree trunk lost beneath years of growing vines and various foliage of herbs below.

Although one cannot escape the homage to India- with their holy basil, curry and even the term 'ganja' is one of reverence and the idea of using cannabis in a perfume may be startling- this is not the perfume of a head shop, a college dorm or the local curry house. It is a bright, clean and delightful fragrance which some may not even recognize as cannabis.  For me, it is the same scent of green which accompanies entering a greenhouse or the plant filled section of a florist… and the delicious scent of tomato vines.

Chosen as CaFleureBon's Rising Star of 2014,  (and a winner of the Art and Olfaction 2014 award for Best  Artisan Perfume for Jon Frum) Amber has started out 2015 with full intention of becoming brightest star of 2015- aided by the green, gregarious and gorgeous Holy Hemp!

Notes: Cannabis accord, Tusli (holy basil), galbanum, curry leaf, cananga and balsam gurgan

-Einsof, Natural Perfume Editor, West Coast Contributor

Disclosure: my sample was provided by Aether Arts for review.

Thanks to Amber Jobin of Aether Arts Perfumes, we have a draw for a Deluxe sample of HolyHemp! for one US AND one International reader. To be eligible, please leave a comment about what appeals to you about Einsof's review, and where you live. Draw end 1/18/15

We announce the winners only on site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize will be just spilled perfume.