Persephenie Lea, a perfumer, creator of skincare and aromatherapy products, and purveyor of unusual fragranced items offered through her online store and brick-and-mortar shop Persephenie, has sourced a collection of precious and unique attars. An attar is a perfume oil that has been made by hydro-distilling ingredients into a base of oil that has been fragranced, historically with sandalwood. Due to the scarcity of sandalwood, other ingredients for the base of the attars are being explored. Ms. Lea discovered attar producers that are using vetiver oil instead, and procured five differently scented attars to share with perfume lovers, Hina, Parijata, Blue Lotus, Kewda, and Tuberose.
Hina Vetiver Attar is a traditional attar made with a unique combination of herbs, roots, spices, flowers and seed. The fragrance is transportive, taking you to an exotic spice bazaar, the air heavy with cardamom, cumin, marigolds and curry leaves. Using vetiver to carry this mélange of aromas is a stroke of brilliance, as the vetiver brings the whole perfume right to the earth, instead of floating it on the creamy sweetness that sandalwood can impart. Floral aspects become more present as the scent wears, but it retains mystery throughout its life on skin.
Parijata Vetiver Attar is made with parijata flowers, which are similar in aroma to orange blossom and jasmine. Distilling these clean, sweet blossoms into the earthy, grassy vetiver is a wonderful exercise in dichotomy. I have to confess I applied a nice dollop of this one. The sillage is sweet and blossomy, then nose-to-skin is nice and dry. I love perfumes that are playful like this one is. Even though it has that dry, woody aspect of the vetiver the sweetness of the blossoms really becomes a heartbeat of the scent as the fragrance ages on skin.
I was excited to try Blue Lotus Vetiver Attar, as I have been intrigued with blue lotus as a note. It is interesting, but the opening is slightly off-putting, like you are smelling something that has gone over a bit. Lotus flowers grow in ponds, and I seem to be smelling the pond in this perfume, which isn’t bad at all, just unexpected. I think on the right skin, this would be a really good, slightly marine, unusual and individual scent. The far drydown has a pleasing salty aspect, which I like, but t’s not totally my cup of tea.
Kewda is a flowering plant found in India and other regions, and is a part of the pandanus family. Its fragrant flower is the essence found in Kewda Vettiver Attar. Kewda doesn’t have the waxiness of tropical flowers, nor the dewiness of roses or fruit blossoms. It’s more like a flower that has had to struggle to bloom, and is therefore not pretty, but demanding to be smelled. The marine aspects of vetiver seem prominent in this attar, and although the allover fragrance pleases me, I’m not quite sure what to make of it.
It is rare to smell anything quite as narcotic as Tuberose Vetiver Attar. Tuberose flowers throw their scent primarily at night, and this fragrance captures not only the vibrance of the tuberose, but the darkness that surrounds it. When first applied, the tropical tuberose aroma is intense. As the vetiver pushes its way to the front, the smell becomes lush and vegetal, like overripe foliage on a humid island. Farther down the path, the fragrance becomes more green, but I still get puffs of the tuberose, rather like the wafts that happen when you have fresh tuberose in your home. I am completely taken with this fragrance. The earthy, dense vetiver is a perfect counterpoint to the shimmering flower.
I am a fan of vetiver, but have never experienced it this viscerally. Each of these fragrances is a commitment – a small drop lasts for many hours, growing closer to the skin over time, but definitely there. Vetiver lovers should rejoice in Ms. Lea’s discovery of these exquisite, painstakingly made attars.
I received my samples from Persephenie. These attars are available on Beautyhabit for $64 for 4 ml (which will go a long way). For a limited time, receive a tin of Persephenie’s delicious Rose & Frankincense candies with the purchase of one of these attars.
Tama Blough, Deputy Editor
Thanks to Ms. Lea, we have a reader’s choice bottle to give away to one lucky reader who resides in the US. Let us know in the comments where you live, which specific one you would choose, and why. Draw ends Jnuary 24, 2014.
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.