Some women shop for shoes, I just put an order in for some amazing African Bluegrass.

I must be a sucker for punishment. There’s no other explanation for the torture I put myself through every time I order EOs from the USA.  I know it’s always going to take longer, be held up in customs, with a gazillion mis communications because there are so many layers that goods have to go through just to get to me, the lonely, little perfume creator. But I guess I also do it to plant little happy surprises for myself in the future as my sister-in-law once told me, it gets us through the rough or the boring days.

The other reason is more technical, I simply want to expand my olfactory palette while experimenting and it’s just so much fun imagining a scent and then getting the wonderful opportunity to experience it in all its layers and complexity!

So, I had a credit from a previous purchase with White Lotus Aromatics and here’s what I bought:

• The essential oil of African Blue Grass (Cymbopogon validus)  is a pale yellow liquid displaying a  complex, rich,  sweet, fruity, floral-herbaceous bouquet with a delightful green, roseaceous-balsamic undertone of good tenacity … its olfactory properties are  completely unique among the other essential oils distilled from the grasses in the same family like Palmarosa, Gingergrass, Lemongrass and Citronella having a depth, richness and complexity that is seldom associated with the Cympobogon genus

• Cedarwood, HimalayanHimalayan cedarwood essential oil (Cedrus deodara) is a pale yellow liquid displaying a suave, balsamic, sweet, precious woods bouquet. The aforementioned notes last deep into the lengthy dryout…can be used in … Oriental bouquets, forest notes, amber bases and is valued for its fixative effects in floral compositions particularly of the woody-floral type.

• Blood orange essential oil (Citrus sinensis var.blood orange) is a pale yellow liquid displaying a delicate, soft, sweet, juicy, fruity-citrus aroma … used in citrus accords, colognes, top note in high class perfumes, culinary perfumes…

• Buddha Wood (Desert Rosewood)Buddha Wood/Desert Rosewood (Eremophila mitchelli) essential oil/Australia is a copper-red viscous liquid displaying a soft, rich deep, sweet, balsamic, precious woods(cedarwood-guiacawood-sandalwood complex) bouquet with a delicate mossy-leathery-creamy undertone of good tenacity. It is distilled from the heartwood of the tree.

• ElemiElemi essential oil (Canarium luzonicum) is a clear to pale yellow liquid displaying a fresh, lemony, terpenic, resinous, peppery bouquet with a green, balsamic, woody undertone…. used in incense bouquet, fougere, chypres, colognes, heavy-sweet floral bases, Oriental bases, resinous accords, spice accords.

• Rosewood (Bois de Rose)Rosewood essential oil (Aniba rosaeodora) is a colorless to pale yellow liquid with a suave, sweet, woody-roseaceous odor with a spicy-floral undertone … used in floral notes(muguet, neroli, lilac, sweet pea), precious woods bases, incense perfumes and as a general fixative due to its mild, suave, rounded character

• Choya LobanChoya Loban (special distillation using Himalayan cedarwood as a base) is a traditional destructive distillation of Boswellia serrata/Indian frankincense. The oil is brown in color with a slightly smoky, sweet resinous bouquet and a balsamic-woody undertone…used in Russian leather perfumes, forest bases, fougere, men’s colognes, leather accords, chypre, incense notes, temple perfumes.

• Choya NakhChoya Nakh (special distillation using Himalayan cedarwood as  base) is a traditional destructive distillation of dry roasted seashells. The oil is brown in color with a smoky-oceanic, dry-mossy, woody bouquet and a  a sweet ambery undertone…used in Russian leather perfumes, forest bases, fougere, men’s colognes, leather accords, chypre, incense notes, temple perfumes.

• Choya RalChoya Ral (special distillation using Himalayan cedarwood as base) is a traditional destructive distillation of the resin from Shorea robusta/ Sal Tree. The oil is brown in color with a smoky-leathery, dry- woody, sweet resinous aroma, with a delicate amber undertone…used in Russian leather perfumes, forest bases, fougere, men’s colognes, leather accords, chypre, incense notes, temple perfumes.

* all descriptions White Lotus Aromatics.