Sultan Pasha Attars Le Rayon Vert photo courtesy of the perfumer
Over the years, it has been a pleasure and a privilege to experience/sample/purchase many of London-based artisanal perfumer Sultan Pasha’s attars. In the beginning, each of his fragrances was produced in an attar format; since then, he has branched out and created perfumes collaboratively (Zoologist Sacred Scarab, Civet de Nuit) and most recently – perfume extrait versions of three of his beloved attars: Irisoir, Thebes, and Joyeux (plus a new fragrance, Quintessentially Amber).
Sultan Pasha Courtesy of the Perfumer
My journey began several years ago when the perfumer sent me an extraordinary number of tiny vials along with a handwritten chart which identified them. In fact, there were so many that my husband had to devise a wooden cribbage-type board in which to store them upright, so as not to lose a single precious drop. I was bowled over by both their quantity and quality: here was someone who clearly venerated grand perfumery and had studied (and amassed, whenever possible) the classics; a perfumer who employed only the finest available materials (regardless of expense – or so it smelt) in a manner which honored both his Bangladeshi origins and French tradition. It could have been easy to fall into the trap of ‘imitation is the sincerest form of flattery’; instead, Sultan’s approach resulted in compositions which felt intemporal and thoroughly enjoyable by today’s standards. I smelt dozens of fragrances, and could not fault a single one.
Sultan Pasha Attars courtesy of the perfumer
I admit to having favorites – those attars which have moved me to tears, quite literally. One of the rarer and most exceptional of them happens to be Sultan Pasha Le Rayon Vert, a perfume which is so chimerical that it nearly defies categorization. The closest I can come would be to describe it as one of the more singular vegetal/floral/aromatic/resinous/balsamic aldehydic chypres I own. I would be willing to bet that Le Rayon Vert does not rank amongst Sultan’s best sellers, because quirky, potent ûber-verdant fragrances are not to everyone’s taste. It was vegetal on many levels before the famed fragrance houses began to produce true vegetable-derived absolutes other than tomato leaf, and it didn’t rely on overdoses of geosmin in order to create an earthy atmosphere. Yet another distinguishing characteristic is Sultan’s choice; unlike several so-called vegetable-influenced fragrances which are readily available, these aspects have not been apologetically attenuated with significant doses of vanilla and/or fluffy musks. Le Rayon Vert is its own dramatis persona.
“I like bitter, bitter is intelligent. I prefer to smell bitter, to smell intelligent.” ~ Jean-Claude Ellena at 2019 Esxence Milano
Via Getty
Le Rayon Vert seizes our attention from the very start: its herbal enticement of artemisia and clary sage jump-start our perception of what it means to be green, and aldehydes help lift and disseminate some the attar’s boldness, enhanced by lemony elemi, lime, and bergamot. You have a sense of freshly-cut green bell pepper; a snapped green bean edged with an alluring bitterness. If you adhere to the Jean-Claude Ellena school of thought (which I do), it is bitterness which fascinates and adds a distinct note of sophistication to a fragrance. We can’t, however – reduce Le Rayon Vert’s charm to anything quite so simplistic, because complexity is at the very soul of this attar. Sultan has showered us with a cornucopia of seductive blooms, ranging from the elegant loveliness of lily of the valley, cyclamen, geranium and rose to the highly indolic (hyacinth, jasmine auriculatum, ylang-ylang, tuberose!) and spicily floral (carnation). Balsamic tones regale us: jammy fir balsam, a significant oakmoss presence, rosewood, tobacco. Wisps of frankincense and benzoin accompany the roster of ensuing animalics, which include white ambergris, civet, castoreum, and musk. When Sultan refers to ‘more’, I wonder whether galbanum and/or vetiver are present; it would certainly make sense, as Le Rayon Vert is gloriously green and tenacious – with a carefully dosed murmur of smokiness.
Le Rayon Vert hearkens back to the sort of iconic out-of-the-box classicism for which a perfumer like Germaine Cellier was renowned: magnificent, one of a kind perfume possessed of its own fingerprint, yet a joy to wear and nothing short of revelatory. Over the past few days I can attest to that, as well as its unique charm. My dear husband is a not-one-to-gush Brit who has exclaimed each time I re-anointed myself: “I can smell that! It’s delightful. I’ll never weary of smelling it” (high praise from a tough critic). It is well-suited to anyone of any gender, and any occasion or season. My spouse says that it reminds him of autumn – but for me, it’s a year-round evocation of what it means to be gloriously green.
Notes: elemi, bergamot, lime, aldehydes, artemisia, hyacinth, clary sage, jasmine auriculatum absolute, ylang ylang absolute, carnation absolute, tonka, damascena rose absolute, rose geranium, gardenia absolute , tuberose absolute, gardenia accord, cyclamen, lily of the valley, incense, rosewood, oakmoss, Siamese benzoin, civet, musk, white ambergris, castoreum, tobacco, fir balsam, and more.
I purchased this attar; it is from my personal collection. My nose is my own…
~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor
Follow us on Instagram @cafleurebonofficial @idameister @sultanpasha78 @sultanpashaperfumes
Check out Sultan Pasha’s new website sultanpashaperfumes.
Please read Editor Emeritus Robert Herrmann’s conversation (RIP) and interview with Sultan Pasha here which started with a discussion of Coronation Ambergris.
This is our Privacy Policy.