It was uncharacteristically muggy yesterday, not something we experience with frequency in the Northwest, but it was downright sultry in the late afternoon hours. A beautifully crafted citrus fragrance is just what I needed, and this particular afternoon called for a blend of neroli and petitgrain, with a smidge of tropical florals.
Justine Crane, the perfumer at The Scented Djinn has created such a fragrance in her newest release, Jameel. Jameel opens undeniably with petitgrain which wafts with such freshness, that you can hear the twigs snapping off the trees and the leaves crushing as you pull them off the orange. Jameel is green, alive and very refreshing on a hot day. Neroli, which is the essential oil obtained from orange blossoms, gives balance to Jameel’s petitgrain beginning providing a feminine and beachy air.
Gardenia and resins (oudh and labdanum) give Jameel a touch of complexity, but this is not to be mistaken for a heady perfume nor an incensey one. It is sublimely a cirtusy floral, buttressed by notes that enhance and deepen its glimmering citrus nature.
Sahar is another fine offering from The Scented Djinn’s all natural line up. I fell for it immediately as I love woody floral perfumes and Sahar is a beautiful example of this genre. As are listed at Justine’s etsy shop, the floral notes include jasmine and champaka and the woods are Australian sandalwood and Himalayan cedar. While all of these provide an ample foundation for Sahar, the allure lies in its smooth sweetness.
Sahar’s introduction is coated in a boozy honeyed quality that quickly evolves into buttered honey. This delicate sweetness permeates Sahar as benzoin adds vanilla softness to the golden nectar.
While tuberose is not listed in the notes, I was convinced I was smelling its beauty within Sahar. I wrote Justine to ask what other florals make this perfume so compelling. She explained that the “green notes” (as mentioned on etsy) is actually a complex accord with many essences. I won’t give away too much, but tuberose, orris, rose, and galbanum are all in this “green notes” gem and lucky for me that I love tuberose because it fully blossomed on my skin.
Sahar is a fragrance that I will have in my collection at all times. It’s pretty, yet complicated. Approachable, but incredibly interesting. Sahar is now on my highly recommended list of woody floral fragrances, right alongside Ayala Moriel’s Hanami and Roxana Villa’s Lyra. As with these perfumes, Sahar feels at home on my skin.
Justine is teaching a year-long natural perfumery course which begins May 24th, but is currently full. A new session will begin some time in September with 10 spaces available. The web address for the course site is www.naturalperfumeacademy.com, visit the site and their FAQ page for more information.
Jameel and Sahar are available at The Scented Djinn etsy shop. Both are $27 for a 5ml bottle.
Posted by~Trish
Disclosure: Samples of both fragrances were provided by The Scented Djinn. The opinons in this review are my own. I was not financially compensated for this review or any other.
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I think I see a bottle of Jameel in my near future! Thanks for this review–somehow I’d missed this seller on Etsy.
Etsy is just a treasure trove isn’t it? So many amazing artisans to discover.
~Trish
Thank you for the lovely review Trish!
xo
j
You are so welcome Justine. Thanks for making such gorgeous fragrances! 🙂
~Trish
Oh, these sound just fabulous! The names alone are enticing.
You had me a “buttered honey.” 🙂
Ha! I know. It’s butteriness is so delicious. Fresh tuberose smells buttery to me too, so the whole floral/woody/butter thing is awesome! 🙂
~Trish
They both sound lovely. I’m a fan of citrus & head-over-heels for woody floral notes. Two more must-haves.
Lisa
Lisa,
These are two that should go on your list for sure!
Best,
Trish
These sound yummy! I love Justine’s perfumes and can’t wait to try these two! She is a highly skilled and talented artist and a really generous, and sharing soul. I’m addicted to her soaps too! Thanks, Trish!
Laurie,
I have one of her soaps on stand-by the next time I need some serious pampering. I can’t wait to try it as I know you are a big fan. 😉
Thanks for commenting my dear, love to have you here!
Hugs,
Trish
When I win the lottery [which will be very soon I’m sure of it] I’ll just have to buy Justine’s entire etsy store.
Wonderful reviews thank you Trish and congrats to Justine!
Hugs
Holly
Holly, I’ll be crossing my fingers for you! 😉
~T
That’s it, I’ll buy a ticket on my way to work tomorrow…. 🙂
Justine’s ‘art’ is a pampering vacation to an exotic land…I love both of these & they make me feel like The Princess.
I like that, we all need to feel that way sometimes 🙂
~T
Your review of Sahar makes me want to try it. It’s sounds like sex in a bottle. Congrats to Justine for getting on your HR list.
Ruth
Hey Ruth,
Sahar is pretty darn sexy! 😉
~T
What a lovely review. I will have to give Jameel and sahar a try soon. I had not found The Scented Djinn on Etsy yet, thank you for indroducing her to me. I am always looking for new natural perfumers to try. I went to her site right away. I had a hard time deciding because there are so many wonderful perfumes. I choose to buy her Lilac Soliflore and Amrita, both were limited editions. I did not want to lose my chance at them. They sounded so beautiful and it amazing for a natural perfumer to recreate lilacs. Thank you Trish for writing all these wonderful reviews.
Angie,
Do tell us about Amrita and Lilac when they arrive. I am intrigued by those as well!
Thanks for reading and commenting,
Trish
I like her style of presentation and writing on her blog, and was hoping the perfume lived up to them, and it appears from your review they do…definitely want to try, now…
Lucy,
As with anything, there are scents from Justine that I like, but don’t love…….but I love Sahar. Jameel of course was another favorite, but there’s something very special about Sahar, at least IMO.
I think her line is worth exploring. Let me know if you do 🙂
And yes, her blog is wonderful!
~Trish
I have ordered samples, and am now trying Serj eau d p. It is a balm to my soul — I really love it. The fir note captures me.
Thank you for pointing this maker out…
Lucy, I am so thrilled that you found Serj. 🙂 How wonderful that it speaks to you in such a captivating way. I must go dab some on right now!
~Trish