A perfumed walk through Narnia

In last year's Christmas Perfumes blog - A Perfume for Christmas  - I covered many of my favourite Christmasy perfume themes; gourmet or incense themed perfumes, cosy/fiery perfumes, perfumes that remind us of red berries and cinnamon and so on. So I was wondering what I could suggest that might be a bit different this year, then I had it;  a perfumed walk through Narnia!

So without further ado, let's begin our journey with Lucy into the wintery magical land of Narnia..

Winter forest
Lucy's first foray into Narnia is of course into the woods through the wardrobe, and what could be more apt than Enchanted Forest!

Enchanted Forest by the Vagabond Prince
With this title and the Russia - inspired porcelain bottle I already feel like I'm entering a Narnian forest.

Enchanted Forest was released just last year. It's by perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour, known for his unique take on perfume compositions.

At first sniff, Enchanted Forest is like Christmas in a bottle - a very uplifting scent of resinous green fir cones and juicy blackcurrant (actually a bit like cassis liqueur). Like most Duchaufour perfumes though, it has complexity, and includes among many notes - rose, pepper and civet, creating an abstract, rich backdrop to the fresh intensity of fir-tree and blackcurrant.
Into drydown, a warm, slightly dusty (not mouldy) patchouli mingles with resinous pine needles, evoking forest floor and a grounded feeling, more unisex than the slightly sweet berry/green opening...

...and is that a touch of animal in the dry down, or is it the the scent of approaching faun?

The Afternoon of a Faun by Etat Libre d'Orange
How literal can it get? Except fauns aren't real (or so we like to think). This perfume does actually smell quite goaty or faun-like into dry-down.

It has slightly singed notes of wood resin, there's a wisp of sweet rose in there, mingling with immortelle (spicy/warm maple syrup like scent) a nostalgic inky iris and cosy benzoin. But I definitely get goaty musk from this. It reminds me of Labdanum (resin from the rock rose plant) which can often smell like horse hair - quite earthy.

I envisage herbs, flowers and the remains of a bonfire, trampled into the damp earth by the cloven hooves of a dancing faun who's danced all night, then awoke at dawn with the scent of  musky sweat and fire-smoke clinging to his goaty/hairy body!

Not for everyone, and definitely more masculine than feminine to my nose, I love the creativity of this perfume.

Ah, I hear sleigh bells and sense a hint of evil in the air, it must be the White Witch with her dangerously tasty Turkish Delight...

Rose Otto Lotion by Dr Organic
This is the first time I've recommended a lotion rather than perfume, but Rose Otto Lotion by Dr Organic is as close as it gets to a Turkish Delight rose for me, it's very authentic and surprisingly long-lasting as a perfume. Rose Otto is made from the Bulgarian rose - and has a rich, sweet rose-scent rather than a lemony tea rose scent. I often use this as a base for other perfumes, especially those with smoky notes as there's something very classic about smoky sweet rose notes, to my nose.




Alternatively you might want to try  Keiko Mecheiri's Loukoum or Montale's Sweet Oriental Dream, but in my experience these smell more like almonds than rose-scented Turkish Delight

I doubt the White Witch would smell of sweet roses though, I'd imagine her scent as dark and dangerous, which to me conjures up -

Portrait of a Lady by Frederic Malle, an earthy patchouli/intense rose perfume with notes of dry incense. It's definitely a wild and slightly Gothic perfume, beautiful, but not necessarily comfortable. I tend to wear it on only the most dramatic occasions, and as it's so intense I've never needed to buy more than a 5ml roller ball decant, findable on the Perfumed Court.com (see links to right).

As the White Witch sends the enchanted Edmund on his way, it's almost time for Mr and Mrs Beaver to make their appearance..

Winter Woods by Sonoma Scent Studio
Sonoma Scent Studio is an independent one-woman perfumery, run by Laurie Erikson. With Winter Woods Laurie was inspired by the woodlands of the Sonoma Valley near California. 




She uses predominantly natural absolutes in her perfumes, so Winter Woods is a bouquet of beautifully natural oak, cedar and birch with wood resins and tangy green vetiver. What brings beavers to mind is the note of castoerum, a musky note that smells slightly urinous but in small amounts adds a furry warmth to perfumes. 

I definitely notice it in Winter Woods, but where it can be sickly in another perfume composition, here it lends animal warmth to a perfume that smells very outdoorsy and grounded. This is definitely the scent of the Beaversdam abode (minus the fish)!

But do I hear Sleigh bells again? Someone's here to see you, but this time it's St Nicolas! Father Christmas, or Santa if you like..

He would probably smell a bit sooty and smoky, possibly slightly boozy too, so I'm going to go for another Sonoma Scent Studio creation -

Fireside Intense 
This is definitely the intense version of SSS's Fireside. You can take your pick from warm, cosy and smoky, or charcoal grilled and flambéd in whisky! Fireside Intense has notes of birch tar (a leathery scent slightly reminscent of coaltar), whisky and sandalwood. There's something very cosy about it, but it takes a while to dry down into its more mellow, slightly buttery heart notes. It's probably perceived as more masculine than feminine, but I find it a comfort scent in cold weather.

Prepare yourself...the velvety paws of Aslan approach..

Let Me Play the Lion by Les Nez
Let Me Play the Lion is a tawny, warm perfume by Isabelle Doyen who's usually the in-house perfumer for niche French company Annick Goutal.
She has a wonderful way with resinous and woody notes and Let Me Play the Lion has a characteristically natural feel -

warmly spicy and resinous, with a touch of immortelle that turns slightly burnt-caramel-like into the heart notes. This is more medicinal - slightly more challenging than her usual style. (he's not a tame lion after all).

I'm tempted to skip the dark and tragic scene where Aslan is sacrificed by the shadier characters in the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, but we must face the darkness before light, and in fact the air of primeval ritual might be conjured up by Parfum Sacre Intense!

Parfum Sacre Intense by Caron
This is, as the name suggests, the more intense version of Parfum Sacre. Where the original's spicy nutmeg, myrrh and peppery opening becomes a gently salty sweet incense/rose, the intense version ramps up the rose, incense and pepper more at first, but then actuually becomes more gentle, even sweet into dry-down..


Heralding the dawn (and probably the most obviously Christian scene of the Narnia Chronicles) is the scene where Aslan is reborn..

Whether religious or not, an uplifting perfume that reminds us of sunrise can't be a bad thing, and to me that light touch is captured by Baiser Vole..

Baiser Vole by Cartier 
I've reviewed this several times, so suffice to say it's a fresh, dewy perfume which combines a peppery green lily with subtle vanilla that gives it a floaty, silky quality. 





The opening notes are almost clean and shampoo-like, but as it dries down it becomes more comfortable, and it's surprisingly lasting. I always feel uplifted by this perfume and although I associate it more with spring, I see no reason not to wear it on a crisp sunny winter's morning in the snow.

And as a reference to the swiftly concluded battle scene, as we approach the end of our perfumed journey...

La Vierge De Fer by Serge Lutens
Continuing with lily white floral theme,  in this perfume there's a subtle hint of sharpness with the addition of a slightly metallic lemony frankincense. This Lutens creation was inspired by the story of the Maid of Orleans, or Joan of Arc. The overall sense is of steely, yet delicate purity, like a cystal-clear drop from Lucy's healing elixir.

Lastly we have the happy scenes at Cair Paravel (not long before Lucy, Peter, Susan and Edmund return to Professor Kirk's house and WW2) so let's leave them in their seaside castle, celebrating and dining sumptuously with Mr Tumnus and the Beavers. 

Their feast might include dates, spices and citrus sherbets from exotic lands, or delicious vanilla-scented puddings, conjured up by scents such as Cimabue by DSH Perfumes - a comforting saffron, citrus, lightly spicy, vanilla perfume, or, since this is their coronation ceremony, the noble Santal Majuscule by Serge Lutens - a delicious concoction of chocolate and rose-scented sandalwood...like relaxing into soft golden cushions...
  
Wishing you all fragrant Christmas holidays!

A Winter Rose (Seasonal rose series)

Briar Rose (Illustration Arthur Rackham)

How do you feel about rose perfumes? Some people perceive rose as a 'Grandmother' note, but this is mostly because of changing perfume fashions and consequent associations. (I'll save that thorny topic for another post).

Suffice to say, two factors have revolutionised the rose in contemporary perfume; Stella McCartney's rose/patchouli best seller Stella, and the rise of niche perfumery and a resurgent interest in the perfumes of the Middle East.

Middle Eastern perfumers mastered the art of the rose perfume back in the mists of time while Europeans were still strangers to the notion of bathing, never mind perfumery. What can I say in the Northern European's defense? It was too cold to bathe until central heating was brought to us by the Romans! Eastern perfumery was originally about religious ritual and perfumed smoke was used to scent clothes rather than skin, even now many Arabian people will scent clothes and hair alone.

Perhaps it behoves me to write about a winter rose perfume, given that my name is Rose and I was born in winter! But mostly I'm going to write about rose perfumes in seasonal categories because there's such a vast, perplexing range.

As far as flowers in perfumery go, I can't think of a flower that has such myriad perfumery moods. Roses in the wild or on the stem smell, well, rosy - with variations on a similar theme. But in perfumery it's far from simple. I love the scent of real roses, in particular the scent of Zephirine Drouhin  - an astonishingly rich-scented deep pink rose. I also love the scent of  Rose Otto (rose extract) from the Bulgarian Rose (otherwise known as Damascena or Centifolia) whose aroma varies from Turkish Delight-like to wine-like and boozy. But of this last variety I've only ever really experienced it in perfumery, also Turkish Delight and rose-flavoured ice-cream from my local Indian grocers! The Tea Rose is one most UK noses will be familiar with - they're almost lemon or apple-scented and originated in the snowy mountains of China, hence their affinity with the cooler UK climate.

It's probably easy to see why the deep, rich Turkish delight or wine-scented Bulgarian Rose lends itself to winter perfumes despite its warmer-climate origins; paired with amber (wood resins), cedar or patchouli, it holds its own in a way the Tea Rose doesn't, not to my nose at least.

I feel that a winter rose has to be intense to release its aroma in chilly weather, and moody, to reflect the dark skies. It has to reflect the formal, rich textures of winter clothing and isn't about the carefree, flesh-revealing mood of summer 

Here are my perfume favourites based on the idea of a winter rose:

Gothic 

Portrait of a Lady, Frederic Malle

This was my first experience of a rose/oud perfume. Oud, or Aoud, is an Arabian perfume note derived from a fungus that grows on Agar wood. Its scent can be medicinal, woody and various other descriptors, but most of all it's pungent, slightly hard-edged and very distinct. In Portrait of a Lady it's paired with high levels of excellent quality rose absolutes, patchouli, red berries, woods and musk. To say it's pungent is an understatement - of all my perfumes this wins out on longevity, to the extent that I only needed to buy a 10ml roller-ball decant as I'd be wary of the randomness of spray with this ferocious perfume. Just as well because it's pricy. PoaL requires just a couple of dabs on the wrist - any more and someone might report you to your local Council

To me it conjures up wooden chests discovered in an ancient castle, filled with red damask and dried rose petals. The red berries note is a surprise - sweetening the perfume yet further adding to its deep-red baroque mood. On skin it heats up to produce a strangely soapy note. It's hot soap though, glowing fresh from a shower, but at the same time decidedly Gothic. If Cathy from Wuthering Heights had a smell this would be it, rain soaked, wind torn, earthy, wild roses and lips stained from wild blackberries. PoaL can be worn by men too, many do wear it, so you can also throw Heathcliffe into this slightly alarming Gothic mix. However, once sniffed, it becomes very more-ish, hovering around you like a rose on fire.

Notes: Rose, patchouli, incense, raspberry, sandalwood, blackcurrant, benzoin, cloves, cinnamon, amber, musk

Voleur de Roses by L'Artisan

This rose/patchouli scent is in a slightly similar vein to Portrait of a Lady, though I'd say less ferocious due to plum in place of red berries (plum tends to be a more relaxed boozy note in perfumes, depending on how it's handled). The rose is more wine-like too and while there's an earthy/soily patchouli there's no oud, which is what gives PoaL its challenging edge and over all this is more relaxed and sensual in mood though far less complex and interesting. On a Goth-meter it wouldn't tip the scale quite like PoaL but it's fairly moody, gentler in dry-down

Patchouli, rose , plum 

Temple Priestesses

Epic Woman, by Amouage Perfumes 

I'll say straight away that this is one of the most breathtakingly beautiful scents I've experienced.

When I heard the name 'Epic Woman', I suppose I cynically imagined Amouage's idea of an epic female to be a pampered lady dripping with diamonds and fur, reclining in the back of her chauffeur-driven car. (Amouage are a high-end perfumery company based in Oman). Luxury for the sake of status alone is pretty repugnant, but Amouage give their carefully selected perfumers an unrestricted budget when it comes to perfume materials, so it would be pretty depressing if they came up with a dud.

Epic has everything, as though on its travels it's picked up every beautiful impression then woven it into the most evocative, exotic and perfectly blended incense ever. In this case the concept of 'Epic' conjures a woman of legend - a poet, warrior, artist and traveller as well as your standard beautiful princess, though the purity of this perfume conjures up Priestess more than Princess

The drydown at first reminded me of the sweet ash left after burning high quality rose incense, and I had to wear this a few evenings to notice its other more subtle facets. I found myself sniffing around for the source of a milky/creamy, sweet incense quality that was drifting around my nose and realised it was Epic. I think it's due to the rose-dominant floral blend, iris-root (orris) and high quality vanilla.

Epic starts with a rich incense/rose/oud, slightly medicinal (Frankincense) and with an intensity that initially reminds me of Portrait of a Lady. But into its heart it becomes far softer and more, well, elegant than PoaL and it veers more to the feminine side. (having said that, on a male friend it retained its medicinal facets into the dry-down, whereas it became softer on my skin)

Epic is probably the most balanced perfume I've ever tried. At the moment I have a small decant, but a full bottle, at about the same price as a decent pair of boots, is worth the price I think!

Notes: Caraway, pink pepper , cinnamon

Rose, geranium, jasmine, tea.

Amber, vanilla, incense, orris root, patchouli, agarwood (oud)

Al Kaaba, by Al Haramein

Another rose/aoud/amber. Al Kaaba is a surprise for the Western nose. Its particular oud makes it smell, quite frankly, like a swimming pool on first application (another roller-ball decant to be applied with caution!). It takes a full hour to heat up to a quite lovely treacle-scented rose. But it does retain a slightly hard-edged feel, which is perhaps only fitting for a perfume that refers to spiritual pilgrimage - it shouldn't come easily. I rarely feel like wearing this but I like having it. It's outstandingly inexpensive too

Notes: Rose, amber, oud

Woolen Muffler

Hiroko Koshino, by Hiroko Koshino

The name alone begins to conjure up a Japanese aesthetic, and it is in many ways. It's a perfume about natural and pure essences of nature, and it has a very light incense quality that's more Japan than India. But put the name aside and this is also very reminiscent, to my nose, of high quality rose pot-pourri. Proper pot-pourri has a chypre-like (resins, oakmoss and bergamot) accord thanks to oakmoss. The general feel is dry and light yet complex. Wearing this perfume I was transported to an ancient mansion house in York I visited some years ago, which was restored exactly as it would have been in the 16th cent. All around was the scent of aged wood, old Turkish carpets and a dried damask rose scent from the pot-pourri made from an Elizabethan recipe. Hiroko Koshino also has a natural ambrette musk (made from the Musk Mallow plant) which always gives an old fashioned hazy air to a perfume - what I'd describe as a clean cat fur quality. So it's this, and the sense of warm wood and dried rose, that gives this perfume its calming, cosy wool feel.

Notes: Cassis, green tea, rose, camellia, amber seeds, lotus, lily of the valley, jasmine, ylang-ylang, freesia, incense, Tonka, cedar, Guaiac wood, patchouli, sandalwood and agar wood.

Parfum Sacre, by Caron

For all its spicy notes, Parfum Sacre dries down to a light rose/soft incense sort of perfume. It's beautifully blended and has a very pretty, soapy rose.The spices are well blended and warm, not at all harsh. As it warms on skin the rose and black pepper become far more soft. There's a distinct touch of smoke, or incense smoke, in Parfum Sacre, hence why the title refers to a sacred perfume and the scent of holy rituals perhaps. But this isn't a Catholic Mass, it's on a more introspective, intimate scale somehow, and perhaps this is why I associate the gorgeous soft rose/wood incense with woolen mufflers - walking through the woods on a frosty day with the faint smell of woodsmoke in the air. 

Notes: Myrhhr, rose, pepper, cardamom, vanilla, cinnamon, musk, clove, jasmine, mimosa, orange

A Perfume for Christmas

Winter Chinoiserie (detail) Rose Strang

What do you associate with Christmas? Capitalism unleashed? Roasting chestnuts? Mind-numbing seasonal pop songs, or a time to reflect and be with loved ones?

There's something a little soul-less in the mad rush before Christmas and I know I'm not alone in wishing people didn't feel the need to spend so much. But despite all that, I love Christmas Eve and the day itself. I'll usually venture into the cold with a family member to collect holly and ivy and in our family the tradition has always been to cook everything from scratch. So almost a month before the day itself my Mum can be found drenching home-made Christmas cake with brandy and on Christmas Eve she'll be cooking up cranberries, orange peel and cloves and whipping up brandy butter for the pudding. 

When Christmas Eve arrives, I always feel like a magic wand has been waved over all the hectic-ness, the rainy streets and frantic shoppers. I still feel a thrill, even now.

Here are my perfume recommendations based on the varying moods of Christmas:

Christmas gourmet 

Cimabue (Italian Journey no.8) by DSH Perfumes
I have to begin with this slightly hard-to-find niche perfume as it represents my personal holy grail Christmas perfume. This is a gorgeous gourmet concoction that conjures up an almost medieval mix of spice and citrus. The perfume is inspired by early Renaissance painter Cimabue (pronounced cheemabway), and if all this sounds a bit precious, the perfume itself belies this - it's a beautifully blended, warm, comfort scent and quite literally foody in style despite the many, many ingredients. The perfumer or nose of the perfume is Dawn Spencer Hurwitz whose perfumes contain more natural essences than most mainstream perfumes. The natural style means the perfume doesn't shout, it's intense but stays fairly close to skin - though as you waft past you'll smell good enough to eat.

The general impression is orange citrus zinginess alongside tinglingly warm spices and a comforting nutty/milky depth that reminds me of home-made rice pudding or basmati laced with saffron and there's an odd but lovely scent of uncooked Christmas cake batter. Saffron is a dominant note in Cimabue and it's this, combined with vanilla and beeswax that lends it its comforting quality.

Notes: Neroli, nutmeg, cardamom, bergamot, amalfi lemon, bitter orange and clementine.
Carnation, jasmine, geranium, tuberose, beeswax, saffron, clove, cinnamon and rose.
French labdanum, sandalwood, opoponax, benzoin and vanilla.

Fendi Theorema by Fendi
This has a Christmas foody retro vibe, opening with ripe orange-citrus fruitiness that develops into smooth spicy warmth. It reminds me of the aftermath of a marathon Christmas cooking session. Clove is a predominant note, so taken literally (and of all perfume styles, gourmet is perhaps the least abstract) this conjures up a clove-studded orange, right down to the sweet, slightly over-ripe note of a drying orange cut through with clean, medicinal clove. It dries down to a slightly generic but cosy amber. Interestingly there's also a slight touch of sweetened coffee. Chilled out, relaxed and sensual.

Notes: Orange, nutmeg, orange blossom, pepper, jasmine, lemon, brazilian rosewood, cardamom and rose hip
Carnation, cinnamon, osmanthus, ylang-ylang, rose, spices
Siam benzoin, guaiac wood, sandalwood, amber and patchouli.


Chestnuts roasting on an open fire

Bois des Iles, Chanel Les Exclusifs Range
Pricy, but once sniffed never forgotten, Bois des Iles is one of the first ever woody perfumes for women, designed in 1926 by Ernest Beaux for Coco Chanel. But lest you're wary of vintage scents, I must say that in my opinion, this is timeless. As Luca Turin (he of 'Perfumes, The Guide' fame) mentioned, Bois des Iles does for sandalwood what Cuir de Russie does for leather. 

When I first tried it I thought 'What's all the fuss about?' It opens with a somewhat clean/classic Chanel accord of soapy floral aldehydes. But then in the dry-down I experienced that classic moment of 'what smells so gorgeous in here? Ah, it's me!'. It's reputed to have a ginger-bread note, and in fact it does, but mostly what this reminds me of is sitting next to an open fire - specifically the scent of a wicker basket full of logs warming on the hearth. There's even a touch of warm metal, and a little clean soap. This perfume is like drying next to the fire in a warm fluffy towel after your bath. It doesn't get much more cosy, yet clean!

Notes: Aldehydes, bergamot, neroli and peach
Jasmine, rose, lily of the valley, woody iris and ylang-ylang..
Vetiver, sandalwood, benzoin and musk

Le Baiser du Dragon, by Cartier
Where Bois des Iles is cosy, Le Baiser du Dragon (The kiss of the dragon) does indeed have a touch of flame, or perhaps flambé might be more accurate because there's a touch of booze and roasted almonds here. Le Baiser du Dragon is quite a strong scent, so not one I'd recommend for around the dinner table at Christmas, but for collecting your holly and Ivy, it doesn't get much better. This is like being curled up in a warm oak wardrobe.There's a touch of immortelle (the fragrant slightly curry-like herb that grows on Mediterranean coastlines) and musk, which lends this is a tawny, golden aspect. Definitely not one for summer! There's something magical and moving in this perfume, I was reminded of Lucy in the wardrobe from the Narnia Chronicles. It doesn't get more 'Christmasy' than that..
Notes: Bitter almond, amaretto, neroli, orange, gardenia
Cedar, dark chocolate, musk, vetiver, patchouli and benzoin resin.


Let it snow, let it snow

L'Eau d'Hiver, by Frederic Malle
Powdery, sweet and soft, this will satisfy those who aren't keen on the heavier winter perfumes. This is so delicate it will remind you of a snowflake melting onto your skin. It's a contradiction of most winter-styled perfumes. Created by John Claude Elena for Malle. Elena's perfumes (in the last decade or so) are renowned for their 'transparency'. A quality that's difficult to achieve in perfume without forgoing longevity. A more well-known example of his style is the lovely summer perfume Au thé Vert

Diorissimo, by Dior 
If we're going with the idea of an atypical Christmas scent that conjures up snow, I'd say there's nothing more white and luminous than Dior's Diorissimo. It's a well known classic, but if you know this perfume well and associate it with spring, just imagine wearing it on a winter's day walk, with snowdrops sparkling as they emerge from a blanket of snow. Quite magical really.
This wittily titled perfume is in a style that took me many years to appreciate. I always saw it as sterotypically feminine and too brightly white. A deeper appreciation of perfume has taught me that this is really a genius creation, and its whiteness isn't harsh, though it is radiant. It was created by perfumer Edmond Roudnitska for Dior in the 50s. There's no such thing as an absolute of lily of the valley, so he created it using 'head-space technology' - i.e. by analyzing the aroma molecules around the flower and re-creating them. The technique has been perfected today, but it takes art more than science to create this abundant scent of ultra-feminine lily of the valley petals. It also has a touch of civet which warms it up on the skin and gives it a slight animalic touch, quite appropriate for a wild river valley!


Gold, frankincense and myrrh 

Incense Rosé, by Andy Tauer
This is a very fruity wine-like rose and the perfume as a whole reminds me intensely of mulled wine and Christmas time. I use whole spices regularly, not just in cooking but in coffee, I've also burned pure Frankincense and Myrrh resin on charcoal on occasion, so this is all very familiar territory

It reminds me of a good mulled wine that's been made with a perfect balance of rich red wine, fresh spices and citrus - the kind I like to make for a small get together with friends pre Christmas - with no stinting on ingredients and care. Sniffing this is almost like inhaling steam from gently heated mulled wine in a big pan.

I prefer wine-like, or Turkish Delight-like rose to the sharper tea roses so I'm supposing this is the effect of Bulgarian rose, or rose otto, anyway it adds to the fruitiness. Frankincense and myrrh add to the Christmas feel. The longevity is powerful and the quality impressive.

For folks too busy to be bothered with the rigmarole of making mulled wine from scratch, or seeking out expensive resin from obscure suppliers, I recommend this as a mood perfume - for an air of Elizabethan kitchen, Middle Eastern temple and Christmas mood all rolled into one
Elixir, by Penhaligons
For a pure, meditative mood I can't recommend Elixir highly enough. It's my favourite from the entire Penhaligon's range and gave me one of those 'Aaaah' moments when I first tried it on skin. Some incense perfumes conjure up heavy, medicinal incense, but Elixir retains an airiness and light warmth. And if you suffer from any residual Catholic guilt this won't weigh you down either! There's Frankincense, but also cinnamon, florals and warm comforting benzoin resin. The airiness is probably thanks to the lovely dry note of Eucalyptus leaf. If you've ever sniffed these on the tree you know what I mean, it's not medicinal, but it is refreshing. I'm definitely reminded of Greece and the Middle East.

Cardamom, cinnamon, eucalyptus 
Turkish rose, Egyptian jasmine, orange blossom
White cedar, rosewood, benzoin, Tonka, vanilla, Guaiac wood, incense.

What are your Christmas favourites?