Santa Sangre

Bortnikoff – Santa Sangre Anointed by Holy Blood, and thus consecrated by an infusion of tranquillity, the scent of the Yogini. If you ever wanted a perfume opening to spritz you with a shower of Grapefruit, the first spray of Santa Sangre will do just that, a beautiful tart opening only momentarily manages to disguise that which awaits you on this olfactory journey. The Tahitian Vanilla Flower and Jasmine Sambac have a beautifully smoothening effect, which despite this being an indie creation makes for a very pleasant and likeable opening, I say this because of the few indie creations that I’ve tried, quite a few primarily aim for a shock and differentiation factor. However, coming from Sayat Nova, this I think is where Rajesh’s creative genius married to Dimitry’s style of perfumery truly shine, there’s something in it for the novice and there’s something in it for the discerning aficionado. Sure a creation can boast of exotic, rarely witnessed ingredients, but if the final result isn’t greater than the sum of the parts, it might just be all for nothing. That I’m elated to say isn’t the case here. The blending is superb and so is the evolution of this beautiful melange of notes on my skin. The heart I find rather difficult to pick apart, I only smell a mild floral sweetness, I can’t say for sure if that’s from the Lotus, I understand that most Lotus accords/absolutes smell mildly sweet, somewhat aquatic, like the Water Lily perhaps? Though I’m not too sure, my limited experience with Lotus notes in perfumery I’m afraid don’t allow me to form a very concrete opinion here. Which to me is alright, because we’ve finally come to the base of Santa Sangre and that is where the senses are exalted to fathom a kind of spirituality that this perfume seeks to evoke. From the very beginning, Santa Sangre alludes to a kind of mysticism, for once I find a perfume removed of all sensual underpinnings and for the better. This is an intellectual creation, after all, it asks you to grow above your baser desires, it asks you to connect with the heart, mind and soul for your salvation. The divinity that the Mysore Sandalwood (+ Indonesian Sandalwood), Dragon’s Blood Incense and Red Siam Benzoin weave in conjunction is truly something worth contemplating. There’s a mildly sweet woody dustiness from the Sandalwood, almost as if a fine silken powder, and the Dragon’s Blood, is soft and sweet, to my nose it smells like a culmination of nuances which are earthy, spicy, minutely pungent, a bit musky and perhaps something that I’d describe as a bit rose-like, almost like a red powder, the scent of the colour Cinnabar or even a faded Vermillion if I must press for synaesthesia. I suppose the slight vanillic sweetness comes from the Red Siam Benzoin which rounds this base into an almost custardy (no, this doesn’t smell of any custard I know) offering that you’d present the deities in a Buddhist monastery. I only ‘liked’ it in the opening, but I must say by the time it dries down, I’m in ‘love’, a love that is devoid of all oppressive sins, a love for life, a love for perfumery and how it makes me transcend the material world that I inhabit. Goodness, Rajesh you shouldn’t tempt us time and again with such wonderful creations, because for now though I treasure my sample dear friend, I’m convinced that one will need quite a few flacons of this on their meditative journey through the trial and tribulations of life. So I must urge that you and Dimitry keep Santa Sangre in production so that all the world can smell of divinity, so that we may all come a step closer to experiencing art in olfaction. Your very own, The Perfume Vigilante

Disclaimer: This fragrance is so unique. It is literally on the verge of being a spiritual experience, so putting it into words is going to a challenge. And no matter what words I chose they will never do this fragrance justice. This is an experience that you NEED to try for yourself. Upon first spray I immediately get this insanely refreshing invigorating blast of citrus. Realistic citrus it smells as if someone took a blood orange and juiced it right in front of me and the juices splashed on me as oils were being expelled from the peel. This initial spray woke up my senses in a way I haven't had happen before. After a minute passes and it begins to warm up on skin this tantalizing warmth begins emanating from my skin. The only was I can describe it is a decadent, spiced, resinous, fuzzy vanilla beginning to blossom as it warms. It smells like pure energy; like it's vibrating and emanating from your soul. In lamens terms this is the most decadent madagar vanilla bean infused cake, filled with luscious vanilla cream, and covered with this syrup made of the juice of a blood orange and imbued with the warmth of otherworldy spices. This scent smells like what the Greek gods ambrosia would have smelled like. The honeyed nectar thats so unbelievably delicious no mortal could ever hope to fathom in one's wildest dreams. Well Rajesh Balkrishnan (the perfumer) has evidently broke into Olympus, because this perfume is that nectar. This scent is a meditative spiritual experience. It smells as though I have traveled to a beautiful secluded ancient temple atop a mountain in the middle of the rainforest. I walk into this temple and instantly am surrounded by the sirwling scents of spices, vanilla, and resins being burned in tribute to the divine. Fruits, honey, and desserts are laid out on beautiful silken tapestries as offerings. I sit in the middle of this temple and begin meditating. It's like something inside was unlocked just by gaining admittance into this sacred place. As I meditate my chakras begin vibrating and start to radiate this energy that's warm and fuzzy. I don't know how to describe it but it's like I can experience this energy with every sense including smell. It's sweet, warm, honeyed citrus, decadent vanilla infused cream, light intoxicating flowers, the softest warmest delicate spices, resins, and benzoin, and creamy on the verge of being milky sandalwood. And as I am being overwhelmed by this energy radiating from my soul it feels like I am floating out of myself to someplace higher. This perfume is spiritual, meditative, and serene in the best way possible. This is the smell of enlightenment. It is single handedly the most amazing scent I have put my nose on all 2021 and that's saying something because I have tried sooo many. Actually this is my very first Fragrantica review. I couldn't not share my thoughts of this beauty with the world. Everyone who appreciates fragrance NEEDS to try this. It is beyond perfume its an experience. It has lifting my spirits. I woke up this morning dreary with a headache from lack of sleep and feeling sluggish. Once I sprayed this on it opened my sinuses, awakened my senses, and changed my mood completely to the better. I am buying a bottle immediately because if I can start the day with a couple sprays of this it would start my day off happy, calm, and revitalized. It's like a meditation session in a fragrance. That calm zen you feel after meditating or just having some you time resting in a hot bath? That's Bortnikoff - Santa Sangre. Thank you Rajesh you have truly brought a masterpiece into this world and I cannot thank you enough!

Opening is slightly citrusy, very very lightly, but has this medicinal type of aroma to it, like those vitamins droplets you have, it's fresh and sweet, slightly spicy like accords in this opening. Dry and earthly, has that deep dark experience. The bitterness is also very clear and apparent from the Grapefruit, gives the start a real kick. It's where the citrusy and fresh notes come from. The tahitan flower is really at work, a sweet vanilla accord, with a warm velvety approach, dense and spicy. Further more deep and rich, custard like accords, creamy milky and Warmth being cooked on the stove, or partly a melted warm banana, its fumes coming from the skin. The jasmine sambac adds to the tropical warm nature , sweet and honey like accords. The honey experience is ever more encompassing as we reach further into the heart of the fragrance, and the scent has settled onto the skin, and rests effortlessly , we get this beautiful honey like accord. As we transition into the heart, a leather appealing note is making its way known, again warm and soft, but same time musky and earthy. More honey from the Pink lotus , a real sweet gourmand fragrance we have here. Tenacious and rich, fruity and herbal, greenery and spicy accords all interacting with one another. This is becoming like a very luxury sweet patisserie plus more. Yum. Heart / Base... Towards the end of the heart of this composition, we get that powdery incensy vibe, bukhoor, smoky and sweet, more sweetness yes, but so well balanced. This is probably from the dragon blood note, no its not actual blood, rather a resin that is omitted from.a flower. Need to do more research on this. The Sandwood mysore is clearly present for those of us that are aware and have experience of this, makes the composition more complete and gives it a heavier scent, allows its to perform more also and offers something different , the sweet vanilla, and incense from Siam Benzoin red is embraced with the previous accords and almost refreshed, factors itself in elegantly, these notes react so well with one another as they come from the same family group of accords.

The first thing I noticed when trying Santa Sangre was a note that I am quite familiar with: natural sandelwood. In this collaboration between Rajesh Balkrishnan and Bortnikoff, they have used an enchanting mix of Mysore and Indonesian sandalwood. Often sandalwood drown in the other notes, but this scent is a real sandalwood experience. The sandalwood is wrapped in a smooth pink grapefruit. As the fragrance moves down to the heart, another familiar note come to the surface: lotus. I have a special connection to lotus flowers. Both as a scent memory and as a symbol. I’ll come back to the latter at the end. Bortnikoff and Balkrishnan have applied Himalayan pink lotus absolute and white Thai lotus infusion. Inhaling the natural essence of this holy flower is rare in perfumery. After a while vanilla become present, which could be the combination of Tahitian vanilla flower and Siamese benzoin crystals. We also meet Dragon’s Blood incense resin, an ingredience I’ve previous have read about, but never tried. The beginning is like sunshine with the grapefruit. The grapefruit has disappeared at this later stage. The sun is setting and the heaven become a painting with pastell colours. The atmosphere is smooth and relaxing. Yes. Inner peace. A total unification between olfactive experience and the concept. According to Bortnikoff and Balkrishnan, «Santa Sangre is an infusion of new blood designed to bring peace and happiness in today’s troubled world.» Which bring me back to the lotus flower. I have a special connection to lotus flowers. This is therefore my personal interpretation and experience of Santa Sangre: Not only is lotus a scent of peace (litterally), but a symbol of peace and enlightment. In the same way that the lotus grow from the darkest mud, stretches towards the light and unfolds its beauty- I think a fragrance like Santa Sangre could contribute to peace and happiness. It does for me.

Anyone who has spent time discovering niche perfumery is likely to have come across Rajesh Balkrishnan – or rbalkris as most people know him on Fragrantica – as a tastemaker with discerning taste. It’s no surprise then that when he uses his creativity to co-create fragrances with respected perfumers, it’s at least worth paying attention to, if nothing, because pretty much every perfume he has co-created has garnered attention, if not admiration, and in some instances industry awards (like his creation with Di Ser) Bortnikoff’s perfumes are known to be strong, oud-centered creations that are likely to be challenging for a lot of people. But then he proved his skillfulness in manipulating diverse ingredients through his cologne series, and now in collaboration with Rajesh, they have created a scent that is artful and refined: Santa Sangre is a rather calming, meditative perfume, unexpected from Bortnikoff’s portfolio perhaps, but expectedly unexpected from the two. Santa Sangre opens bright and creamy, with a notable floral heart - to me the lotus is more prominent than jasmine. Santa Sangre’s large heart is an ethereal, vanilla-tinted resins and sandalwood, the florals providing just enough texture and sweetness to the base but mostly lingering in the background. On my skin Santa Sangre settles into a pleasant, mostly sandalwood-vanilla skin scent that is persistent, yet sheer. Weaved into the notes is an incessant cooling effect to Santa Sangre that feels like camphoric dissipating warmth – it makes me think of embers. I don’t know what holy blood smells like, but I’m happy to imagine that this perfume has given us a hint. Disclosure: I received a bottle of Santa Sangre as a giveaway on Fragrantica.