White Lotus Aromatics Newsletter - Marula, October 2006
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Himachal Perfume
The solid perfume for this month is based on a blend of many conifer oils and absolutes that calls to mind the exhilarating feeling of standing in the Himalayan mountain range high above the Kullu Valley in the month of October several years ago. Mr. Nandlal, a resident of Kullu and a fine distiller of essential oils had taken my colleague, Ramakant Harlalka and I on a winding dirt road up into the mountains high above the valley where we could gain a grand view of this ancient part of India. The narrow path took us through groves of elegant native species of fir, cedar and pines. As the cool autumn air moved through their graceful boughs their individual essences were collected into a sublime elixir that we happily partook of as our eyes gazed upon a scene of ancient and ethereal beauty.
Far below us the sacred Beas river wound us way from the higher Himalayan reaches towards the
entrance of the valley to the south. Small farms s graced the valley floor and here and there one could see rugged homesteads established on steep mountain slopes. It was the harvest season and on the roofs of these stolid dwellings golden corn was drying in the sun. Temples too found their natural place amidst this scene of sublime beauty. Far off in the distance one could see the luminous snow-capped majestic peaks of the Pir Piranj range to the north brought into sharp relief by the golden rays of the afternoon sun.
Along with the visible beauty and aroma in which we were enveloped there was a feeling of something intangible to the physical senses-something quite beyond time and space which one often encounter in their journeys throughout this ancient land. Sages and seers have for countless generations retired into these quiet mountain retreats to meditate on the mystery of life and perhaps the influence of their devotion imparts to the atmosphere something of their quiet introspective pursuits. The feeling is so wonderful and comes without any planning on ones own part-a sort of gentle grace which makes one aware that there is a glorious hidden life of which we all partake. I hope that this small perfume offering can convey something of the feeling of that memorable day.
Himachal Perfume Recipe
Pine Needle(Pinus sylvestris) Absolute- 1/4 ounce
Fir Balsam(Abies balsmea) Absolute-1/4 ounce
Templin/Fir Cone(Abies alba) Essential oil-3/4 ounce
Grand Fir Needle(Abies alba) Essential oil-3/4 ounce
Douglas Fir(Pseudotsuga menziesi)r Essential oil-1/2 ounce
Black Spruce(Picea mariana)-1/2 ounce
Rhododenron Leaf(Rhododenron anthopogon) essential oil-1/4 ounce
About the Ingredients
Pine Needle Absolute is a forest green, thick nonpourable(at room temperature) syrupy material which 
possesses a deep, rich green needle aroma that elegantly captures the feeling of walking through a sunlit forest on a warm day. An fine resinous balsamic bouquet mingles with the central with the warm green needle notes. The absolute apart from its full bodied pinaeceous bouquet interacts with all the other coniferous oils as a natural fixative both uniting them in a harmonious unit and giving lasting power to the total aroma of the composition it is used in.
Fir Balsam Absolute is a thick dark green non-pourable(at room temperature) syrupy material which 
displays a lovely rich sweet balsamic , fruity(somewhat strawberry like) aroma. The fruity note is unique to the Fir Balsam absolute and when it interacts with the Pine Needle absolutes creates an accord which is very complex and full. Both of the above mentioned absolutes, though thick syrupy masses in their pure form assimilate totally with the other essential oils that make up the Himachal composition.
Grand (Giant) Fir Needle Essential Oil. This light colored fluid has a delightful delicate sweet pineaceous topnote. It is in my opinion, what can be called a high ethereal note . Beneath this enchanting topnote sits a very soft balsamic fruity topnote. The elegant topnote of the Giant Fir greatly boosts the fullbodied heart and base note bouquet of the absolutes giving it that tantalizing mysterious feeling that one experiences as the fresh breezes blow through the conifer forest.
The Templin/Fir Cone oil is again a light colored fluid which has the same fresh, sweet delicate aroma of 
the Giant Fir oil but with only a faint trace of the green needle-pineaceous complex. It has in its stead a refine citrus note, very much like one finds in a high quality sweet orange essence which is distilled from the juice of orange(as compared to the oil from the rind). There is beneath this high delicate topnote a warm woody heart and base note which compliments the rich heart notes of the absolutes yet adds its own aromatic color and texture to the blend.
Douglas Fir essential oil is a light colored mobile fluid that displays the deepest fresh resinous pine needle bouquet of the listed oils. It is a very distinct and rich topnote. It has a remarkable radiance and tenacity which is unique amongst the coniferous essential oils whose main contributions to a composition generally life in the domain of top and heart notes. As the topnote begins to ease into the heartnote phase, a soft woody-balsamic note begins to emerge amidst the very powerful and dominant topnote which continues to exert its influence deep into the dryout.
Rhododendron anthopogon is a little known essential oil which is distilled from
the leaves of a species of Rhododendron growing high in the Himalayas. It contributes a soft sweet balsamic slightly resinous influence to the Himachal perfume. Its delicate nature embodies something of the aroma of the breezes blowing sown from high Himalayan peaks. It has a fine cohesive rounding attribute, weaving its quieter personality amidst the more exuberant aromas of the other essential oils and absolutes. Sometimes a particular oil does not have a major impact on the overall aroma of a composition but its modifying effect cannot be underestimated because in the end one endeavors to create a perfume that exhibits a harmony of parts that gives birth to some new perfume that is an aromatic expression of something that is dear to ones heart.
As mentioned earlier Suzanne and I are simply working out the recipes for the essences we love. It is not meant to be a commercial endeavor for us so we will continue to openly share the recipes with all of you in case you might enjoy trying the blends yourself. We first make the concentrated essence and then blend it into a base of marula oil and beeswax. I continue to work on the proportions for the base blend and feel that 3 parts of Marula to 1 part of beeswax might be ideal. One can use other base oils as well like Jojoba, Fractionated Coconut oil, etc. It just depends on what one likes. One can add different amounts of the concentrated perfume essence to the solid perfume base.
If for instance you make a base of 3/4 of an ounce of Marula and 1/4 ounce of Beeswax, 1/8 of an ounce of the concentrated perfume essence will give you a nice 12% + concentration. One can experiment according to ones own needs. Even 1/16h ounce is plenty to give off a very fine aroma.