Vachi {a limited edition Sandalwood perfume}

Sandalwood, for me, is eternal.  In my opinion, it is as integral to perfumery as food and nourishment are to life.  I originally began with two concepts in mind for this perfume: to speak to the sense of sustenance that sandalwood brings to our experience, and its ancient origins, mindfully brought into the future.

In order to have a sustainable future we must look to the past and learn; to be inspired by what has been in order to envision the next steps.  This fragrance takes inspiration from the Hindu Goddess Saraswati (Goddess of art, wisdom, and learning) and a name given to Saraswati, “Vachi” which means “nectar-like speech” or “mellifluous voice”.  Vachi was created to bring the ancient beauty of sandalwood into the now, and beyond.

With Vachi, I wanted to take one of the most ancient ingredients, Sandalwood, and pair it with modern materials to give it a new voice; a voice of nourishment, comfort, and beauty.  There are food inspired elements woven into the fabric of the perfume to reveal the multifaceted nature of sandalwood.  In the opening I created an accord of plum, peach, champa leaves, and pink pepper to speak to the concept of ‘nectar’, as well as to invite the wearer into a pleasure garden of one’s own.  Once there, the rose de mai, violets, jasmine, and osmanthus play into the fruit nuances and open the fragrance further.  Co-mingling with the florals is a satisfying counterpoint accord of black sesame which brings a sense of mystery, a bit of ‘salt on the fruit’, and a luxurious texture as we move into the dry down.  The fragrance rests on a balsamic – incense – cedar wood accord, laced with tobacco and musk.  This final accord, rather than taking the focus away from the sandalwood, accentuates the experience of sustenance and nourishment from the sandalwood throughout the perfume. The overall effect is inviting, comforting, and grounding.