Description
In an uncertain world we seek a place of safety, comfort, and peace. In troubling times we seek out protection…sometimes through external talismans: an amulet, a symbol, an incantation. But what if the power (and protection) we seek comes from within? What if we all had access to a safe place filled with magic?
The invitation is to Become the Shaman. You possess the strength and power to cast all ‘demons’ aside. When you Become the Shaman, you find that true balance and power come from within.
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Become the Shaman draws from the animist / nature-based spiritual traditions of native peoples of the Americas. Palo Santo (“Holy Wood”) is the focal note for the design and is used by the Incas to purify and cleanse the spirit from negative energies. White Sagebrush and Tobacco (used by Native Americans to cleanse and purify) as well as Copal resin (used by the Aztecs for magic and as a symbol of immortality during funerary ritual) are also called on to imbue the design with richness and protection.
I developed a milkweed accord to symbolize ‘transformation’, as it is a native plant to the New World and is the exclusive food of the migrating Monarch Butterfly.
Become the Shaman was inspired by the “Project Talisman / Eau de Protection” project launched at CaFleureBon.com to commemorate it’s Seventh Anniversary. The Creative Director for the project is Michelyn Camen. Thank you, Michelyn, for making this project possible and bringing the spark of inspiration for the creation of this fragrance. A special thank you as well to Mary Schultz-Williams, for her apt naming of the fragrance (my working title was just “Shaman”) which brought the design into greater focus. As always, Mary’s insight was spot on. <3
*EdP / VdP sample vials are 1/2 filled; Perfume / Extrait mini roller vials are full.
aahorner@pacbell.net (verified owner) –
I don’t know why there aren’t 50 positive reviews for this. This stuff is fabulous. Maybe the tobacco references put people off. I don’t smell tobacco at all, not cigarette tobacco or pipe tobacco either. Or really vanilla either, althought it’s listed as being there. It’s an exotic wood fragrance, but different from all the ouds out there. Not a sage scent really either; at least not dry sage used as incense. More of a dry woody incense from a remote ashram somewhere. I bought a sample last summer and immediately bought a 10ml perfume pen. Even better now that winter’s finally here.
Lesley (verified owner) –
This is an exquisite perfume. It’s mysterious and subtle, with a combination of earth and floral notes.
leenichol (verified owner) –
This is the one perfume that keeps asking me, “Why have you spent so many years and so much money trying to find strange and creative perfumes that exactly suit your taste, when you could have gone on a sampling binge at DSH and found everything and more you were after?”
Seriously, Become the Shaman is a masterpiece. DSH has taken the notoriously difficult Palo Santo oil and transformed it into a spiritual elixir. Like the Sufis of old did with oud, one can use Becomes the Shaman as a stand-alone contemplative practice for calmness, depth, and inward journeying. More prosaically, you are almost certain to hear, “What is that wonderful fragrance?” if you wear it out and about.
am.83 –
The most amazing and unusual perfume. He smells like ashes in the beginning then , suddenly, he became alive. From ashes too Phoenix. So beautiful,.
Tara (verified owner) –
This is the most beautiful palo santo fragrance I own. It smells like the actual wood and is so uplifting. I don’t smell the tobacco, but I do smell the copal. I bought it in the edp and body oil and wear it to yoga class.
henri345que –
In Become The Shaman Dawn channels her most primitive perfumer, her priestess of aromas. Created for a CaFleureBon site project whose creative theme was “Talisman Project / Eau de Protection”, Dawn draws inspiration from the theme of Palo Santo and its use by the Incas to purify and cleanse the spirit. It is a perfume that perfectly embodies the word perfume – an aromatic smoke that mixes a woody, creamy and sacred aura that resembles sandalwood with resinous, woody and incense tones in something that sounds natural without being too heavy, too smoky. It is a beautiful study on the nuances of palo santo and for those who enjoy a woody scent with incense is a full plate.
BostonScentGuy –
Fans of real palo santo wood should take note–this scent captures the smell of smoky palo santo so well! I smell mostly the pure wood, but also that it is accented and supported by other sweet resins and smoky notes. Long lasting with a welcoming sillage that doesn’t overwhelm.
Tamara Holubar (verified owner) –
We’ve been burning a lot of Palo Santo in our home and I wanted something to smell on my skin.
This is such a comfort scent for me and I love how it lasts forever!
The notes are seamlessly blended.
landshark321 –
Become the Shaman is a palo santo scent with copal resin, tobacco, and sappy milkweed. I’m not familiar with sappy milkweed, myself, but I certainly get the incense mix of palo santo and copal in glorious fashion, a very strong celebration of the two notes, with just a hint of the bitterness of tobacco in the background. It’s very rich and feels very dense, with enough vague sweetness in the mix (I believe tonka and vanilla are tagged) to keep it from being too sharp or bitter. It feels sincerely devoted to the incense but nuanced enough to be appreciated by niche fans.
Become the Shaman is an easy recommendation for incense fans, specifically, but also for fans of resinous and/or smoky fragrances in general. I’m very impressed by the strength of the juice, which feels fitting for the type of notes and mix. It’s nice to wear under cooler circumstances but I imagine it could be overwhelming in the heart. And its pricing is very reasonable for how robust the VDP juice is.
Overall, it’s a love, and one I’ll need at least a small bottle of. Bravissimo!
impromptu1992 (verified owner) –
This is indeed how I imagine an indigenous shaman’s incense smells. Spicy woods, fragrant smoke and copal. Maybe just the barest hint of a piquant masala to keep things interesting. There’s something else but I can’t put a name to it. Reminds me a bit of 9 Flower from Shroff Channabasappa.
Rolling a cigar with a corn husk and some chopped tobacco with my friend’s old Mexican Abuelo the morning after some anonymous party.
Lisa Speer (verified owner) –
My experience wearing it is meditative, warm, uplifting and soothing – all at the same time. This perfume is very smooth, dry and pretty linear – a perfect representation of palo santo wood. I highly recommend this one!
motoheart –
I used to burn Palo Santo and swirl it all around me in attempts to carry this scent longer. I bought a sample and now I don’t have to. This smells exactly like the real deal. Well done!
Cathleen Newsham (verified owner) –
This is the most amazing perfume! This is the closest thing you will find to the actual scent of burning actual sticks of palo santo wood, which is most widely used for spiritual purification and energy (house) cleansings. Once the wood sticks are burned, the smoke is believed to clear negative energy and restore tranquility and calm emotions. If you like By The Fireplace, Le Lion, Palisander, and other incense fragrances, try this one – you won’t be disappointed!
i –
I didn’t really know what palo santo smelled like before this. It’s quite earthy, a touch medicinal, a touch bitter, with added notes of incense and cedar. When I first put it on, I detect something minty, but it doesn’t linger long. I also get something a bit milky, but the prime focus seems to be on the spices, a bit sharp and earthy. After a while, the palo santo is still there, not to be outlasted, but it gets a touch creamier and slightly less sharp. I don’t mind this, but I don’t think I’m personally into a fragrance with palo santo as the focal point.
Ricardo Rico (verified owner) –
THIS IS IT! This is the very first scent that I smelled from DSH and it immediately cemented my opinion that Dawn is a genius. Anyone who has played with, been protected by and/or explored the beautiful Palo Santo tree knows that the the scents dervied from the distilling of the essential oil and the burning of the wood are two entirely different universes. Both beautiful and magical in their own right, but you’d be hard pressed to connect the two if you didn’t know they came from the same tree.
Previously if you wanted to smell burning Palo Santo, you would, well… have to actually burn Palo Santo. This isn’t always practical to walk around with a burning stick lol.
Become The Shaman is the most photo realistic experience of burning Palo Santo wood I have ever smelled. It is perfection. Its “incensy”, but in a very uniquely Palo Santo way. It’s not going to be something that you’re rocking on a hot summer day (but who knows). Its defintely a fall/winter vibe. If you know what I speak of in terms of the uniqueness of burning Palo Santo, get a sample and get some of this on your skin stat! You’re going to love it. I couldn’t add it to my cart fast enough after sampling.
Rachael Cohen (verified owner) –
Beautiful! I ordered this as a gift for my boyfriend but could easily see myself wearing it as well. Earthy and woody without being overwhelming or one-note. Never smelled a fragrance quite like it.
Matthew Dembo (verified owner) –
incredibly accurate scent – smells like a chunk of palo santo is smoldering right next to you. My favorite one so far.
austin2day (verified owner) –
A smoky phantasm that lingers like the memories of a dark-eyed lover. Smoldering warmth vibrates just above the skin. An alluring balsam vein runs throughout, beckoning. A mirage in August.
For him or her. For intimate summer moments. Add body heat for maximum effect.
Marlen Harrison (verified owner) –
A true to life, smoky, unisex palo santo that is neither too sweet nor too dry. I am not at all a layerer or blender, but this works fantastic with a number of my vanilla and amber fragrances from Dawn. Quite long lasting and very calming.
Thomas Schenck (verified owner) –
Adore this. BtS was included as a free sample in one of my orders (thank you!) and it ended up becoming my favorite DSH so far. Spicy, warm, smoky woodiness with a gentle resinous sweetness lurking in the background. Truly smells like a stick of burning palo santo, but oh so wearable. Totally unisex. A joy.
Margaret Krigbaum –
One of my new favorites. Deep, lovely, and long lasting. Almost has an oud feel to it, but slightly lighter. Not for those who want to be in the background unnoticed or who like light, very fresh fragrances. This one is sophisticated and reminds one of a jazz club late at night in Greenwich Village.