Staffan Kjellvestad background via Unsplash, elven collage with Atelier Materi Santal Blond by Nicoleta
“Ely siriar, el sila
Ai! Aniron Undomiel
Tiro! el eria e mor
I ‘lir en el luitha ‘uren.
Ai! Aniron…”
Aníron – Enya/ (Aníron means “I desire” in the constructed Elvish language of Sindarin)
To be honest, 9 times out of 10, the first association that comes to my mind, when smelling a perfume, is connected to clans, races, and characters from games. Of course, the niche within the niche of people that would find any speck of joy in reading about this sort of thing is SO narrow, that I would just end up talking to myself . So, I have dubbed it ‘‘roleplaying” perfumery and sort of made it my trademark shtick, in “real life”, pestering my family, friends, and colleagues with an array of endless associations, stories, and jokes.
Atelier Materi Santal Blond collage by Nicoleta courtesy of Lord Of the Rings and Atelier Matieri
My first reaction to Santal Blond was “Ed i’ear ar’ elenea! (By the seas and stars! – in elvish) if this is not elf-in-a-bottle, I don’t know what is!” More of an Elder Scrolls high elf, mind you, than a World of Warcraft one (for that, Feminite du Bois from Serge Lutens will forever reign supreme). Let me compose myself before I switch my elven reference color wheel to a more palatable Tolkien lore, and tell you more about the brand first:
“Guided by the quest for a rigorously precise aesthetic, I want to offer a fragrance that is a reflection of who I am. Emotional and distinctive, my creations are imagined around raw materials and those who transform them.” sais the creator of the brand, Véronique Le Bihan
Each of the fragrances from Atelier Materi’s’s portfolio is focused on a single natural raw material, selected from the best terroir and with respect for fair trade. We have the six following fragrances, created by Marie Hugentobler: Cacao Porcelana, review here (an airy luxury gourmand focused on an intense cocoa experience ); Bois dámbrette, featured in the Make it Musk Box (a most nostalgic, gut-wrenchingly beautiful and nostalgic bucolic musk); Iris Ebène (a delicate hand, covered in a red suede glove, holding a powdery dry iris ); Poivre Pomelo (a feel-good, spicy fresh citrus that I will surely revisit when the weather gets warmer) and Narcisse Taiji (a new floral scent, launched this year that I didn’t have the chance to smell yet). They are all imponderable architectural constructions, minimalist but not simplistic with a commitment to “slow luxury” and a strong ethical backbone. The one fragrance I will focus on today is created by Lucas Sieuzac, also responsible for well-loved perfumes such as Amouage Ciel for Woman, Jubilation 25, or Reflection.
Collage with Atelier Materi’s Santal Blond by Nicoleta and Lord of The Rings
“Elrond’s house was perfect, whether you liked food or sleep or story-telling or singing (or reading), or just sitting and thinking best, or a pleasant mixture of them all. Merely to be there was a cure for weariness. … Evil things did not come into the secret valley of Rivendell.”
Waking up in Rivendell, eyes half-cracked, the large windows wide open, spying on the slow movement of the curtains, that let in the crisp morning air, in cool wafts, filled with the promise of a cool blue sea. Slowly gaining control over your numb body, you stand up, stretching out your arms, and begin to unpeel the long white bandages from your battle-scarred body, releasing in the air the soothing smell of crushed herbs and bergamot oil, used to bring down your fever and heal your wounds. Near your bed, the worlds-famous cardamom cookies are waiting for you, near the warm glass of milk. Your taste buds water in anticipation as you sink your teeth into the soft cookie, filled with the minty lemony spicy treat, that will leave your breath smelling heavenly for hours.
Collage of libraries photos via Atlas Obscura and Atelier Materi by Nicoleta
After making yourself presentable, dressed up in your azure and gold silk robe, you descend the stairs to the library. Wandering for hours through the long corridors, pale labyrinth of shelves made out of carved softwoods, stretching like veins of an ancient forest, covering the walls as far as the eyes can see. You rummage through heaps of yellowed-out parchments, and countless leather-bound books until you finally find the one you look for. Specks of golden dust float in the narrow ray of sunshine that comes down, from the star-shaped ceiling window above. You unfold the old scroll and see the golden symbols dance before your eyes, drawing the map to your next destination. Finally having your answer, you allow yourself a few more minutes of rare peace, there, on the library balcony, basking in the milky soft light of the dusk, rich and sweet wafts of jasmine coming out from the garden outside, mixing in with the blonde woods of the ancient library.
“There lie woods of Lothlórien! That is the fairest of all the dwellings of my people! (…)There are no trees like the trees of that land. For in the autumn their leaves fall not, but turn to gold. Not till the spring comes and the new green opens do they fall, and then the boughs are laden with yellow flowers, and the floor of the wood is golden and golden is the roof, and the pillars are of silver, for the bark of the trees is smooth and grey.”
It’s long past midnight in the forest of Lothlorien. Silver chalices that held the sweet Miruvor, lie abandoned, droplets of the nectar seeping into the ground. The smoke of the ceremonial fires slowly curls up, fading into the silence of the night. Time stands still in the hours before dawn, calibrating the compass of the immortal soul, always pointing towards the true north.
Atelier Materi Santal Blond photo by Nicoleta
Santal Blond is a scented Mithril armor that is fit for everyday wear, comfortable even if you wear it under your corporate suit, softly cheering you on while you swing away at your Excel dragons. Perfectly unisex, with a soft presence but excellent longevity, with depth but playing within the same realm from beginning to end, Santal Blond is, for me, a textbook definition of a roleplaying scent.
Notes:
Top: Waking up in Rivendell: bright, healing, reinvigorating (Bergamot, Cardamom)
Heart: A library near the sea: luminous, relaxing, contemplative, soothing, milky (Jasmine, Sandalwood)
Base: Lothlorien ancient rites: warm, bacchic, sweet, velvety, smoky (Hinoki Bourbon, Tonka Bean)
Nicoleta Tomsa, Senior Editor
Disclosure: Bottle and samples kindly provided by Atelier Materi, opinions are my own
Santal Blond by Atelier Matieri, official brand photo
Thanks to the generosity of Atelier Materi, we have a100 ml bottle of Santal Blond for one registered reader in the US or EU. You must register or your entry will not count. To be eligible, please leave a comment saying what sparks your interest based on Nicoleta’s review and where you live. Draw closes 12/17/2021
Please see Video Contributor’s Steven Gavrielatos’ review of Cacao Porcelana in his best chocolate perfumes video here
Deputy Editor Ida Meister’s review of Cuir d’Iris here
Sr. Contributor Emmanuelle Varron’s review of Narcisse Taiji here
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