Memo Siwa by Cynthia

With the season coming on winter and the weather here in Washington, D.C. turning cold, the trees losing all their leaves, and the smell of wood burning in fireplaces in the air, some people are reveling in it.  I see the looks of gleeful joy on their faces, smug and satisfied in their scarfs, gloves, big coats and hats, shuffling energetically down the street with their pumpkin, cinnamon and candy cane flavored hot drinks.  I am not one of those people. The cold weather to me feels unfriendly, unwelcoming, harsh, stressful, and downright mean, especially the during the pre-dawn frigid shuttling of kids to school and myself to work, fighting traffic on the gray streets.  I need my perfumes to be nice to me now- to be soft, serene, welcoming, and kind.  I find myself reaching for my more gourmand, sunny, comforting scents to transport me out of the cold and into a relaxing, sunny spot, where I’m back in my flip flops with the sun on my skin. I need my scents to be my oasis for my spirit now.

via wiki the ancient city of Siwa

Memo Siwa is the perfect perfume for this.  Siwa is a city and oasis in the north-west part of Egypt, surrounded by hundreds of miles of inhospitable desert terrain.  It is known to have been settled since the 10^th millennium B.C. Over the millennia, countless travelers and settlers, including the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and even Alexander the Great came here, to find refuge and protection from the vast, harsh, unforgiving desert surrounding it. The Siwa Oasis has cool natural springs, calm lakes with soft grasses and is lush and green with countless fruitful, shady date palms and olive trees.

via unsplash

Upon first spray, Memo Siwa envelops you with this same warm, soft blanket of solace and riches.  The lushest, most gracious and kindest vanilla is draped around your shoulders.  With the nuanced addition of narcissus flower, freesia, heliotrope and orris absolute, you feel the lush bounty of the oasis, the breads and sweets like Ma’amoul and baklava baking in the warm ovens, the plants swaying in the soft breezes, lush and full and flowering. The shiny dates and glossy olives are colorful, plump and ripe and ready to eat.  What is that I see in the distance?  It shimmers on the horizon like liquid gold.  It is a mirage of cinnamon.  Quiet, drifting relaxingly in the air in a most sheer way, to where it’s not spicy or hot, just warm, inviting and fulfilling.  Maybe it is Perfumer Alienor Massenet’s addition of ginger, incense and sandalwood that combine so delicately with the cinnamon to create this balmy, golden, glimmering veil that floats in an ethereal, flaxen aura around you.

Ma’amoul, image via iStock

Now, surrounded in Siwa perfume, I feel my body thaw, as if I am sitting by a fire, rescued from the cold.  There is a warm breeze instead of a cold north wind blowing.  There is now a cinnamon scented hot drink in my hands to warm them too!  My muscles relax, I stretch out and feel the stress start to melt away.  I take an enticing Ma’amoul cookie with its buttery outer layer and lush date-filled interior and pop it in my mouth.  It’s delicious -sweet, warm, dense and bready.  I want to stay in this serene, restful oasis from the cold forever.  I have to continue on with my day, but I know that I can spray Siwa anytime, to provide a comforting respite of warmth anytime.

And as I go back outside into the cold, I notice a little bit more pep in my step.  The air doesn’t seem so menacing now.  Just like the Siwa Oasis that provides sanctuary and restoration to continue on through that stark desert, I will make it through winter (and maybe even like it!) with the warm embrace of Memo Siwa perfume.

Notes: Narcissus Absolute, Oil of Incense, Vanilla Absolute, Oil of Cinnamon leaf, Oil of Ginger, Freesia, Heliotrope Flower, Orris Absolute, Oil of Sandalwood

Disclaimer: My beautiful bottle of Memo Siwa was provided by the US distributor of Memo fragrances. My opinions are my own.

Please take a moment to read about Clara and John Molloy, founders of Memo Paris here.

Memo Siwa via Cynthia

Thanks to the generosity of Euro Perfumes, the USA distributor, ÇaFleureBon has a 75 ml tester bottle of Memo Siwa  $300) for one registered reader in the USA only. To be eligible for the draw, please leave a comment describing what appeals to you about Memo Paris based on Cynthia’s review. Do you have a favorite Memo Paris (now known as MEMO Perfume)? Draw closes 12/10/2021

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