Fragrance Family: Oriental
Scent Categories: Fresh, Floral, Spicy, Ambery
Imagine if you will a bright burst of scintillating sun rays cresting over the horizon. Now translate that vision into fragrance with dappled notes of yellow, white and orange hues. Dazzling citruses, cheerful florals, a gentle dusting of spices and creamy, buttered woods. This is Rasāyana, a bottle of radiant mirth. A Hindustani celebration of elation and my first true ode to Sandalwood.
Composed as the solar counterpart to Vespers, this golden juice was meant to be worn as a day perfume. And like its sultry indolic sibling, Rasāyana is undeniably Indian in flavor. Much like the sweet saffron rose syrup used in desi desserts, this blend oozes light-hearted charm making it hard not to love. From the unique kewra (pandan) and waxy frangipani blossoms, to the exotic davana leaves, and of course the delectable jasmine CO2 extraction, the lactonic tenor pulsing through the heart accord is simply mouthwatering. This only gets richer in the base thanks to a plethora of precious ingredients such as buttery Mysore sandal, a touch of oud, Hawaiian vanilla, sticky benzoin resin, and smooth white ambergris.
The name has a two-fold meaning. One being a term used in Ayurveda, an ancient holistic practice of India, to refer to something that soothes both the body and mind such as milk, honey or ghee. The second meaning deems a rasāyana as an alchemical elixir imbibed to invigorate vitality, longevity and mental acuity. So with these concepts in mind my rendition aimed to capture the mood of something refreshing but calming, playfully joyful and yet deliciously inviting. Happy and altogether easy to wear, I consider this a safe exploration for both advanced and novice noses alike and not to mention extremely gender neutral with little to no polarizing notes.
Crown
Kewra, Honey, Orange, Lemon, Mimosa
Heart
Bulgarian Rose, Jasmine Grandiflorum, White Frangipani, Kashmiri Saffron, Cardamom, Davana
Base
Mysore Sandalwood, Cambodi & Hindi Oud, Hawaiian Vanilla, Bushman’s Candle, Benzoin, Butter, Turmeric, Ambrette, White Ambergris
