Orientalist Artist Frederick Arthur Bridgman – On the Coast

Autumn is my absolute favorite time of year – the old, lost light at dusk does it for me.  The pale gold reflected in house windows, or glimpsed through the branches of the trees in the park.  There’s secret warmth and a muted serenity to Fall that I’ve always wished a fragrance could capture.  But I never sampled a scent that could duplicate it until I tried Sands of Aqaba by Miriam Mirani.  It’s a scent that I imagine would be wafting down the empty corridors of a monastery somewhere.  But instead of leaning into a ponderous, High Mass direction, it chooses to stay light and airy, nearly effervescent as it unfolds.  The Aqaba line is based on a concept playing up the mystery and romance of  the Middle East,  of the passion existing between the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon, and takes its name from a fabled city on the desert caravan route.  But Sands of Aqaba is far more subtle, more restrained and more introspective than such a passionate backstory would announce.

Frederick Arthur Bridgman -At The Oasis

There’s a sly and sparkling exchange between the slightly green tinge of the iris and geranium top notes and the earthy spiciness buried deeper in the composition, which includes incense, vetiver, cardamom and tuberose.  The opening blend of iris and cardamom together create a sharp, scintillating effect, similar to the nose-wrinkling joy of ginger beer.  And the tuberose layers a slight floral richness underneath to keep the fragrance from becoming too heavy or abrasive.

This is a fragrance marketed for women, but definitely could be worn by both genders.  It is a wonderful fragrance for anyone seeking to break out of the clove/cinnamon/amber axis of heavier Fall scents.  I keep returning to it week after week,  especially after  putting on my coat and sweater to go out for a long walk.  I listen to the leaves blowing around the curbs, and down from the branches and am transported to another place, half way around the world.

Notes: Florentine iris, Roman chamomile, Algerian geranium, tuberose, coriander, cardamom, vetiver, and frankincense.  The perfumer is Vito Lenoci.

– Steve Johnson, Contributor

Thanks to Pickwick’s Mercantile in Portsmouth, New Hampshire we have a 50 ml flacon of Sands of Aqaba (which is hard to come by these days) to offer one reader who resides in the USA. To be eligible please leave a comment on why you would like to try this perfume. If you would like your comment to count twice please Tweet @pickwicksmerc @fifthsensenyc #sandsofAqaba # perfume or like their Facebook Page. Draw closes October 19, 2014

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Editor’s Note: Fans of Steampunk, costumes, Victoriana and unique accessories, fashion and fragrances will love Pickwick’s Mercantile. It truly is like walking into another century.