Appreciating Ayala Moriel

Smelly friends make the best friends. I have been lucky in that I have so many, sprinkled around the globe, to do swaps with. Lately I received a slim package in my mailbox from Ayala Moriel. That Ayala is a highly esteemed perfumer is no secret. She also has a talented hand at incense, another fragrant pursuit she has had perhaps as long as or longer, than perfume.

Her recent perfume release; Komorebi (roughly translated from the Japanese as the shimmering, dappled light in a very much alive forest) was a revelation to me. It seemed to encompass something much larger than a ‘perfume’ and grew on my skin into … a whole forest. The towering ancients were there as well as the supporting cast of the understory and I was having the forest experience! The vial went missing for a while and evidently made a reappearance in my husband’s keep. Which is fine with me as I still get to enjoy it.

To be so masterful with fragrance materials readily transfers to incense. Her vetiver  Kyphi was INCREDIBLE. At some point in her life she had to have been a ‘ladybug’ on the wall when the ancient Egyptian priests were formulating in their temples. The vetiver component weaves it's own melody through the song with a voice so smooth you would think vetiver is indigenous to Egypt (which I don't think it is; Doesn't Matter.) and a favorite of said priests.   I will be hoarding and eking this one out for a long long time.

Other incense blends to fall into my lap were cones, each one in a slightly different shape and size which clearly marks them as Hand Made, which is to me the highest compliment to bestow. They are layered and complex as beautifully as her perfumes. It’s futile to choose a favorite out of ‘Sweet Tobacco’, “Chypre Birds”, ‘Song of Songs’ and the Agarwood; they are all perfect for different moods and I break a tiny piece off to heat as I gave up the habit of actual burning incense; heating them releases the scents without scorching.

Now I have put myself in a mood to go do some listening. : )