Saturday, April 2, 2011

Elecampane Honey





New Sandalwood Blends


I was making Knitter's Hand Balm for Knit Purl and a couple of mail order customers last week.
During the process, there is a time when you just have to wait.

In my amazing workspace, waiting is lovely, as I am surrounded by all the most amazing scents and sights, recently organized by the lovely Julia DaRosa. (thank you!)
I found myself thinking about my beloved Sandalwood oils and although they are rare, precious, expensive, exotic and so on, I just decided that it was silly to be hoarding it all like some Grandma with her perfectly embroidered pillowcases in a dresser rather than on her bed.

What am I going to do, carry my sandalwood with me to my grave?
No. (at least not all of it)

I decided then and there to make something with sandalwood. The good stuff. The vintage Mysore Sandalwood.

If you don't know what that means, picture the thing that you covet and cannot afford. That's what it's like.

A wholesale perfumer once said to me when my children were little "ah, just buy a kilo of this Sandalwood and put it away for them and it will pay for them to go to college."

I didn't get a kilo, but I bought as much as I could afford at the time to add to my stash.

I made 5 new blends that day. 4 of them with sandalwood.
One of them was perfect on the first try.
That rarely happens.
They normally need tweaking and finessing over weeks and months.

One of them we love!
So rich and luscious, exotic and layered.

I let go of "saving for a rainy day" and with freedom and feelings of generosity and abundance created "Lakshmi".

The main notes:
Sandalwood offers an exotic, deep, sweet, slightly smoky wood scent.
Rose is beautiful, loving and abundant.
Pink Lotus is narcotic and seductive while remaining a sacred flower in many cultures.

Together, it's all that, with the alchemy of magic, mixing, time and intention making it even more than the sum of it's parts.
It's not quite on the shelves yet as we are still musing over the name, but come by and try some on. The tester will be waiting for you!