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.