Pema

This is an incredibly tender rosa damascena soliflore. Damask has the tendency to be a flamboyant player in any perfume, acting like a bossy mama-san overflowing with vulgar beefiness; like the rolls of brocade, or flesh, on her body. But here in Pema, the damask rose is transformed into a delicate, fragile and innocent waif. I have to admit that when I first applied it, it reminded me of a newborn baby's skin. It evokes the tactile quality of downy, feathery, peachy skin. It has a rare fluffy quality to it. The very lightness, freshness and innocence of it an absolute joy to wear. I would compare it to Diptyque's Essences Incensee 2016 limited edition by Fabrice Pellegrin, which is based on Grasse's exceptional rose de mai harvest of that year (and which I absolutely adore). Though the two fragrances are based on very different types of rose, both perfumers handled the composition in a similar way to produce an achingly tender homage to the particular Rose they chose to showcase or work with. Both have a translucent, watercolour aspect, as though you're smelling the natural rose alive on a waft of wind, rather than from a bottle. In Pema, the Mysore lends a structure and strength to the composition, almost as though the sandalwood is not meant to be a note, but a buttress to an exceptional batch of rose oil. The pink lotus is likewise very subtle, working in invisible ways to play up the star of the show. With the ubiquitous rose note in almost every perfume out there these days, like an easy cop out for less talented perfumers, its presence be rather polarizing. Or boring. But only a handful of perfumers have the touch to transform it into a lasting work of ethereal and heartfelt beauty. Fabrice Pellegrin and Teone Reinthal comes in in top of my list, with Serge Lutens coming in a far off third. Note: Pema comes in eau de parfum and parfum oil version. This review is for the parfum oil. The edp has a very different play on the notes.

Fragrant simplicity at it's very finest. When using only the best ingredients, there's no need for frills and bows, just blend together the finest selection of floral notes and the smoothest sandalwood, and you will achieve fragrant perfection. This fragrance's rose note is impossibly real, fresh and dewy. It could just as beautifully stand on it's own. But add a bright note of lotus, and suddenly the fragrance springs to life - lighter, sunnier, greener. It smells of a rose garden just beginning to wake up to the morning sun. Green leaves unfurling, surrounded by fresh lawn and new shoots of plant life. Earthy, green, and floral without being overwhelming. Combine these notes with a smooth liquid sandalwood and magic happens. This handful of notes create a fragrance that is refined, elegant and true. Together, it's not too sweet, not too floral - it's real and it's gorgeous. Note - this review is based on the EDP version. Longevity is 5-6 hours and projection on me is about arm's length which is my preference. Works for all seasons and completely unisex.

This is the perfume I have been waiting my whole life for. I don't have the 'perfume language' to describe it in any but subjective terms. The moment I smelled it first, I adored it. I have both the eau de parfum, and the parfum oil. The oil is my favourite to wear, and I rarely stray from her to dally with other scents. It is quiet, devotional, and I feel as though I am anointing myself with something precious when I apply it. This scent as oil parfum feels like a secret, unless you are up close to the wearer, and then it is like a blessing upon you both. It is fresh, but solid - the sandalwood somehow keeps it anchored without being all about the wood, and stops it from being too ethereal, but then dancing around it is the lotus - like a slip of silk. The eau de parfum is, for me, more playful. Sweeter, without being cloying, and naughtier. It is a bit thrilling. It is a different animal to the oil.