Sonoma Scent Studio, naturally

Earlier this year northern California based line – Sonoma Scent Studio, introduced a new collection of all natural perfumes. Its name – Sonoma Naturals. At the moment there are two fragrances called Cocoa Sandalwood and Spiced Citrus Vetiver. This collection will grow bigger once formulaes for more all natural perfumes are perfectly mastered and finished. Amber Incense shall be next.

In a short email talk with Laurie Erickson she told me she had all natural perfumes on her mind for several years. She said “I love naturals and felt it would be fun to do some blends that focused on them without any synthetic base or blending notes.” This new project makes Laurie’s creative process fresh and she just wanted to give it a try. The idea of blending natural fragrances was also influenced by Sonoma Scent Studio customers who wanted to experience more natural things in the line-up. She also wanted to appeal to locals of northern California who adore natural products.

Cocoa Sandalwood begins with a delicious and smooth cocoa note which carries a feeling of dark chocolate, approximately 80% of cocoa. Very quickly the woody smell of New Caledonia sandalwood appears. It smells different comparing to Mysore sandalwood used in Spiced Citrus Vetiver. In Cocoa Sandalwood it is less smooth and more edgy and unpolished. The smell is slightly rough but that’s the way it was meant to be. It smells really attractive in this form. Along with sandalwood some spicy notes appear. It’s really hard for me what spices are included in the blend but I’m sure of one thing – they make the scent drier. After 40 minutes a peach accord bloomed in the middle of Cocoa Sandalwood. It’s juicy, bringing some moist to the dried woodsy tones. The aroma is quite appetizing, like a plate of sweet slices of peach for a dessert. In the drydown one can recognize some roses, their style is vintage and their petals are dark red. Ambrette makes a soft, mellow base that makes Cocoa Sandalwood stay on my skin for almost entire day. This perfume is an effervescent gourmand that should satisfy chocomaniacs and fans of foody scents. Want a bite?

Spiced Citrus Vetiver has an opening that smells of citrus. Bloody orange has that happy, zesty and lemony quality. For a first few seconds it’s tart but then it turns milder and slightly sweet actually. It’s the juicy orange pulp, not just a fruit rind. After a while Spiced Citrus Vetiver becomes warm and dry at the same time. I could smell some grassy, hay-like vetiver with it’s aroma blended with the smell of tiny osmanthus flowers. The osmanthus seemed to raise the vetiver scent. The smell was quite earthy but it wasn’t dirty. 30 minutes from the moment of application Spiced Citrus Vetiver has some mingling citrus traces on the woody base of mysore sandalwood. The wood is more smooth than sharp and combined with vanilla it gains a creamy consistency that smells very pretty and alluring. All the way through the scent spicy tones mark they presence in a quiet, non-offensive way. I think I get some pepper, cardamom, maybe coriander as well. Spices are rather light in Spiced Citrus Vetiver but I have no doubt they’re here because I notice them. It’s just hard to tell what kind of spices I exactly smell. In the drydown on the creamy sandalwood bed lays a bunch of jasmine flowers. They’re very subtle and elegant, disappearing and reappearing once in a while. It’s sheer transparency make for a great perfume ending. Spiced Citrus Vetiver is a gorgeous thing.

From the two Sonoma Scent Studio naturals Spiced Citrus Vetiver really smells more like my kind of thing. Both it and Cocoa Sandalwood deserve appreciation and I highly recommend you to sample these natural beauties, especially if you’re a fan of natural perfumery. These two fragrances have moderate sillage and I noticed their longevity is slightly lower (around 2 hours less) than other Sonoma Scent Studio fragrances from the regular line but still they last for 6-8 hours which is great taking into consideration that natural perfume essences are not as long-lasting as synthetic ones.

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