The Story of a Perfume: AL-SAHRA

Each summer, we offer a (very) limited number of natural perfumery workshops.  In these sessions, I try to impress upon participants that perfumes should do more than smell beautiful.  A great fragrance can transport you to a time & place, tell a story, and stir emotion.  

Travel almost never fails to offer inspiration.  AL-SAHRA originated with a stroll through a Moroccan souk. 

I remember the bustling narrow aisles - crowded with shoppers.  Overhead, tattered sail cloths provided shade.  The intense sun streamed through even the smallest rips and punctures in the fabric - creating beams of slow moving spotlights.  A stack of blood oranges glowed warmly under this illumination.  The fresh uplifting scent of its crimson fruit tempted passers-by.  Across the aisle - rose buds spilled out from large woven baskets, blending their heady perfume with the citrus.  And many more stalls led away in all directions - crammed with sacks, bowls and plates - mounded with arabica coffee beans, cardamon pods, saffron, frankincense, myrrh and other exotic goods -  some unknown to me.  There was a visual, auditory and aromatic rhythm to it all - vibrant colour, light balancing shadow, bargaining banter, and the mingled scent of citrus, spice, rose, coffee and incense. 

The memory of that day continues to captivate me.  AL-SAHRA was created to take you to that place; to experience the fragrant tapestry of a desert market.

The perfume unfolds through a series of aromatic accords – yet the opening is immediately multifaceted, with both top and heart notes making their presence known.  The citrus accord of bitter orange, lemon, neroli, and orange blossom is a like a sheer veil over the floral heart of damask rose.  But not rose as you know it.  Nuanced with coffee, cacao, jasmine and tonka bean, the floral heart is textured, mysterious, and wearable by anyone.  

A narrative through-line is provided by a souk accord - a whispered subtext of spice shadows that include cardamom, saffron, angelica, and pepper.

An amber base of frankincense, myrrh, atlas cedar, and benzoin offers a meditative, quiet resonance.  

Memory has become composition, and composition will become something to be shared.  But for now the blend must mature – an important step in perfume making - giving ingredients time to harmonize and become richer - like the aging of fine wine. 

I’d love to have you follow along as AL-SAHRA comes to life, and of course, experience it yourself when it’s released mid-2026.

…Ben