April's Aromatics Vetiver Coeur, Vanilicious, Lotus Rising

 Three years ago, thanks to Megan (Megan in Saintemaxime), i met Sarah McCartney, perfumer and owner of 4160Tuesdays, and, during our conversation, she mentioned that working only with naturals can be a very difficult task, especially when IFRA compliant, because the palette of materials a perfumer can use is rather limited or restricted to certain percentages and the creative process can be more laborious than when working with mixed materials or only with synthetics. I've come a long way since that day and over the years i've educated myself and my nose on different materials, synthetics and naturals, trying to get as many facets as possible from each one of them, getting to a point where I'm able to appreciate them equally (with a few exceptions). 

 Tanja is known for working with only with naturals for April Aromatics and, so far, most of her creations have resulted in between aromatherapy and classic perfumery fragrant liquids thanks to her perfumer's skills. 

 Her latest launches, Vetiver Coeur, Vanilicious and Lotus Rising, are a continuation of Tanja's style, which I'd define as sensible, intelligible and chatoyant. 

 Vetiver Coeur is a soliflore whose effect is acquired by using several materials that enhance the qualities and beauty of the raw material. Depending on where is sourced from, the vetiver can be warm, dry, earthy, woody, rooty (freshly pulled out the earth roots) or smoky with dark chocolate and peanuts nuances. Tanja used a cleaned version of the vetiver - its heart - stripped of its earthy, smoked and sharp nuances and replaced them with softer oils that display the same tonalities but in a more quiet way.

Source: https://www.candlescience.com/

  A squeezed out of its oils lemon peel gives the vetiver its natural bitter/citrusy aura, while the right amount of sharpness is provided by spices (coriander, pink pepper and clove). Its green heart is a pergola of sweet-honeyed orange blossom and minty-nuanced herbs that together with  the cedarwood in the base create an appalling medicinal scent with camphoraceous and aromatic undertones. This vetiver's roots are whispers of its true dry and dusty nature.

 Vanillicious is vanilla pods "tinctured in bourbon", rich amber accord, warm powder and tonka bean au naturel bathed in sandalwood. Vanilla here is rich, fruity, spicy, earthy and boozy as only the seeds of natural pods smell freshly open after dried for weeks. 

Source: https://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/

 Labdanum drenched in Perú balsam with its balsamic hues slowly rise to the surface bringing up an animalic bite, soft enough to make its presence an enjoyable one. These leather-undertones remind of the "beauty and the beast" amber accord that make both, Bourbon by Hendley Perfumes and Ambre Loup by Rania J. shine. Within a short time the vanilla infused in the fluffy amber accord dissipates leaving behind an homogeneous a rich, spicy and powdery one-dimensional mixture of warm, sweet, woody and somehow furry. 

 I had no experience whatsoever with the lotus absolute until recently, when a friend sent me a small amount. I thought it would be a crunchy / watery floral, pink lotus absolute result to be a dark-scented material with anise and vegetal tonalities, reminiscent of mimosa absolute. 

Source: https://blueskytravelvietnam.com/

 In Lotus Rising, the lotus seems naturally enriched by other flowers' nectar rivering from inside with a fruity sweetness caressed by some sort of soft decaying matter that leave a very subtle animalic trace on skin. Frangipani with its exotic facets blooms in warmth and light forming a sheer creamy setting for the floral garland. Lotus Rising might be composed of heady florals, yet its scent is clear and bright, with a delicate powdery side and a gentle touch of greenness infused in vegetal musks. There's nothing mysterious or erotic about Lotus Rising, its scent is uncomplicated, joyful and tranquil, as a natural floral creaminess the breeze lifts up on a tropical island spreading well-being, comfort and harmony.