Anjali Perfumes Chai Chai Chai

Nothing comforts the soul
like a cup of masala chai,
you whispered, savouring the milky decoction
of black tea and cloves. Cardamom pods bobbed
like boats, in our clay tumblers. I licked my lips,
looking at your youthful Cupid’s bow,
as top notes of cinnamon and ginger
came alive, singing upon our palates. ~ excerpt from Masala Chai, by Oormila Vijayakrishnan Prahlad

There’s nothing like a love poem to start your day: the poet above basks in her cup of masala chai as she gazes lovingly upon the beloved. Bainbridge Island-based perfumer Anjali Vandermark of Anjali Perfumes captures this moment in her recent perfume Chai Chai Chai.

Anjali Vandermark of Anjali Perfumes

“Imagine you are on a train journey in India. At night, the train comes to a hissing stop at a small station. On the quiet platform, a chaiwala (tea seller) calls, “Chai, chai, chai!” He serves you masala chai in a humble clay cup. You dunk a biscuit in it and savor the strong brew. Chai is more than tea; it’s a way of life.” ~ Anjali Vandermark

We in the West have only recently come to grow fond of this cosseting warm drink which is the national beverage of the Indian subcontinent. It has appeared in quite a few fragrances over the past few years, but perhaps none feel as immediate as Anjali Perfumes Chai Chai Chai does. Masala chai is gourmand by its very nature, and there may exist a fine line between waxing authentic and the tendency to veer towards cloying. Anjali’s chai is blessedly free of syrup, and it lacks none of the sweetness or spice essential to a genuine representation. When I was offered an opportunity to sample the fragrance, I eagerly assented. I associate chai with some of my happiest early childhood memories in the late ‘50s and early ‘60s – with the neighbors I badly wanted to emulate, become, and marry. You have to love the innocence of young children.

Photo iStock

Chai is an inextricable part of Indian life: chaiwalas appear by the side of every road, highway, and alley. Often they are the only all-night open establishments, and they usually offer tobacco and snacks. Black tea is the staple and may be one of these three most popular teas commonly found in chai – Assam, Darjeeling, and Nilgiri. There are many regional variations, dependent upon geographical location and individual family custom. It may surprise you to find some of the other ingredients which may also be included – such as star anise, black peppercorns, mint, and lemongrass.  In western India, they frequently forgo cloves and black pepper; in Kashmir, it’s customary to brew green tea in lieu of black, choose a subtler spice blend, add a pinch of salt, and baking soda – a practice which colors the chai pink and produces a more savory tea. Buffalo milk is habitually used in India, but not necessarily in other countries – and the choice of sweetener may also vary: white sugar, brown sugar, demerara sugar, honey, or jaggery (a concentrated sugar derived from cane juice, date or palm sap in which there is no separation of molasses and crystals).

Anjali Perfumes Chai Chai Chai ingredient board by Anjali

Anjali Perfumes Chai Chai Chai is truly masterful. An initial spray is revelatory: a buttery biscuit (usually thin and crisp) grabs you by the nose – and we relish it as we are encircled by spice. This first stage is utterly beguiling and sets the travelogue of Anjali’s inspiration. It lingers for a very long time before you become more fully aware of the potent black tea which underpins its aromatic bevy of cardamom, ginger, clove and cinnamon. To my nose, ginger and cardamom are the first spices to announce themselves; I am very fond of all of them – and am happy to note that clove and cinnamon wed skillfully, despite their predilection for overwhelming a fragrance with their undeniable power. Chai Chai Chai eventually softens; its presence, however – never falters. Within an hour or so, I am conscious of a warm milk accord in which the almondy, vanillic caramel tones of tonka bean appear. I am impressed by the musks Anjali employs here: they feel natural and ethereal, maintaining a ghostly personality as supporting players. A mitti accord is listed amidst the base notes; it is so subtle that I find it challenging to discern it. I confess to favoring mitti attar in perfume, and I wish that my nose was more cognizant of it here. That’s my own particular yearning, and it does not  detract from this fragrance’s loveliness one bit. Hours into the drydown, Chai Chai Chai soothes the spirit with its milky tenderness. All of the olfactory materials feel seamless – and in spite of bathing, they are perceptible the next day.

A cup of Chai at home courtesy of the perfumer

There is a stealth component to this perfume. While I enjoyed it at first sniff, its appeal grew on me and with each subsequent application, I enjoyed it more and more. Chai Chai Chai is a fragrance which appears lively and pleasurable upon primary encounter and ends up being much loved the longer you make her acquaintance. It successfully unfolds its story over time and possesses considerable longevity; this would be an excellent blind buy.

Notes: biscuit (cookie), warm milk, tonka bean, Kadak (strong) black tea, sugar, soft musk, special chai masala: cardamom, ginger, clove, cinnamon, mitti (chalk) accord

Bottle offered me for review by the perfumer – many thanks! My nose is my own…

~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor

Editor’s Note: Join us in celebrating Anjali Perfumes fifth anniversary year.

Thanks to the generosity of Anjali Perfumes, we have a giveaway for one 30 ml flacon of Anjali Perfumes Chai Chai Chai for a registered ÇaFleureBon reader for a USA draw (if you are not sure if you are registered, click here – you must register on our site or your entry will be invalid). To be eligible, please leave a comment with what you thought of Ida’s review of Anjali Perfumes Chai Chai Chai, and where you live in the USA. Draw closes 3/7/2026

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