Aroma Sanctum Window, Courtesy Aroma Sanctum

“That old September feeling, left over from school days, of summer passing, vacation nearly done, obligations gathering, books and football in the air … Another fall, another turned page: there was something of jubilee in that annual autumnal beginning, as if last year’s mistakes had been wiped clean by summer.” — Wallace Stegner

 I took a weekend road trip in 2009 and little did I know, it would be the start of a never-ending journey. Plotting my route from New York to New Hampshire, a spot on the map piqued my interest: Salem, Massachusetts. At the start of fall? I’m in. Perusing a city guide, I planned my tour … The Salem Witch Museum, The House of the Seven Gables and oh, look, Aroma Sanctum—a shop with a line of house blends and custom fragrances. As I had just gotten into fragrance, sporting a three-bottle collection of Macy’s bestsellers, this shop sounded like a fun excursion. Stepping into the shop, I was unaware that I’d be stepping into a new chapter in my life. As Nathanial Hawthorne once said, “Time flies over us, but leaves its shadow behind.”

Perfumer Akuura Kulak of  Aroma Sanctum, Courtesy Akuura Kulak

I was greeted warmly by Akuura Kulak, the shop’s proprietor, creative architect and nose behind each of the house’s creations, who was standing behind a counter amid a multitude of apothecary bottles. Some of the bottles bore labels indicating singular accords: aged patchouli, oakmoss, honeysuckle, etc., while others had imaginative titles Aroma Sanctum: Woodland Fey, Scarlett Letter, Darkwoods. The next hour or so formed the start of a new understanding: fragrance. is. art. As Akuura, professional and mild-mannered—but with a sparkle in her eyes—demonstrated how she composes her house blends, I began to see the accords of a fragrance as colors of paint, as notes in a symphony, as words of a novel. I was spellbound as we explored Akuura’s two lines—the House Blends collection and the Olde Salem Scents collection, inspired by local lore (Aroma Sanctum now has four lines with the addition of the Supernatural and Wicked collections). It was Pirate which called to me first, then Green Man, then October Moon. I went back to my hotel with a small bag of several .25-ounce oils (Akuura works largely in oils, but sprays are also available) and a newfound appreciation for the olfactive arts.

 Michael’s Aroma Sanctum Collection©

Flash-forward to 2023. I can build a small fortress with the assemblage of perfume bottles I’ve collected in the years since that trip to Salem. Unabashedly addicted, I have bottles in display cabinets, under the bed, in the basement, in the—well, you get the idea. With equal parts pride and guilt, I ogle my collection of gleaming glass bottles like a kid with his Matchbox cars. I reach past the bottles capped with Swarovski crystals, past the uber-rare limited editions, past the vintage blah-blahs, and pull out a rustic wooden box. Inside, a menagerie of small, unadorned square glass bottles, each with a simple label. My collection from Aroma Sanctum has remained my go-to over the years. As my nose has matured, my appreciation for Akuura’s work has grown. I remain in awe of her skill and creativity.

Photo: Flowers in a cauldron (photo created with AI)©

Aroma Sanctum’s brick-and-mortar shop is now closed, but Akuura’s catalogue of creations is eternally available online via her bustling website. For those new to her house, I’d relay a list of recommendations, but in truth—that would be a ÇaFleureBon five-part series! Rather, as we in the U.S. venture toward Salem’s favorite season, I figure I’d share my favorite Aroma Sanctum fall fragrances. Let’s start with the enchanting Witchfire. Yes, a scent named Witchfire, born in Salem, and it’s as wondrous as you’d imagine. Composed with over 200 ingredients, this intoxicating potion was designed to adapt to one’s own skin chemistry. As Akuura writes on her website: “On women it is more of a spicy jasmine incense scent, on men it smells more like woodsy incense thrown into a campfire.” On me, it’s somewhere in the middle. The opening is a blindingly-bright convivial bouquet of jasmine—but with an underlying simmer of toil and trouble, an enticing path of flowers leading to a mysterious cabin door. This is a fragrance alive with movement, purple embers and sparks shooting across a crimson moon amid whispers of ancient rituals. It’s astonishing, actually.

Photo: Interior, Pirate ship (photo created with AI)©

 I’ve learned that Aroma Sanctum Pirate, a perennial fall favorite, came to Akuura in a dream. It was Pirate that took me over the plank. A stalwart leather accord, strapped to a spicy blend of nutmeg, black pepper, allspice and citrus, over a base of sandalwood, oak, and ambergris, Pirate (starting at $37.00 for a .25-ounce oil) rivals anything in my too-vast collection. One can hear the creaking of wooden planks, feel the salt spray on the skin, and sense the camaraderie of a crew united by a thirst for freedom and riches. And entirely genderless as well! Anyone with a sense of adventure will love this buoyant and robust creation. Choosing a third Aroma Sanctum blend would have made a perfect trio, a succinct beginning, middle and end. But I couldn’t do it! This catalogue is just too good to stop at three. If you’re intrigued thus far, check out the full line, you can’t go wrong. Note my other fall favorites: Aroma Sanctum Oud Mystique, a transcendental blend of approachable, velvety oud amid smoldering frankincense and buttery sandalwood; Tunisian Opium, a spiritual odyssey with notes of incense, jasmine, amber and patchouli; and Celestial Smoke, a haunting patchouli and incense commixture that’s both transportive and grounding. Lastly, for now, I have to mention Aroma Sanctum Ambiance. One might say this composition—a fan favorite—lacks the expert blending and completeness of Akuura’s classic lines. Well, that may be true, but it’s by design. Aroma Sanctum Ambiance was created to embody the collective olfactive experience of walking into the mystical antiquity of the now-ghostly Aroma Sanctum shop in Salem—the rows of apothecary bottles, the wafts of patchouli, amber, rose, sandalwood, hospitality, creativity and benevolence. Ambiance defines the start of my olfactive journey and moreover, embodies what I’ve come to love most about fragrance—encapsulated memories, forged in love and imagination. And in this case, gratitude and respect. Thank you, Akuura.

Disclosure: all bottles purchased by the author

—Michael Devine, Senior Contributor

Thanks to the generosity of Aroma Sanctum, we have a sample pack of many of the fragrances discussed in this review for one lucky registered ÇaFleureBon reader IN THE CONTINENTAL US ONLY. Please register here or your comment will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment here noting what intrigues you about Aroma Sanctum and indicate that you are in the Continental United States. Draw closes 9/7/2023. Which Aroma Sanctum fragrance appeals to you the most?

Please read Michael’s 2012 Article Old Salem Witch Magick here

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