Ayala Moriel is pleased to announce the launch of our new perfume for Fall/Winter 2007:
RAZALA
Whether if you are a Harem Queen or a Beduine Shepard at heart,
Razala is a passionate, modern love poem to thorny hills and desert mountains. Razala pulsates with vibrant, colourful spices, seductive flower petals, and precious resins and woods of Arabia. This is also our first perfume to include the scarcest building block: beach-harvested ambergris, adding smoothness and an underlining raw animalic energy.
The original vision for
Razala was to bottle the sense of freedom that is felt when climbing a mountain and spending an extended amount of time in the wilderness. It’s a scent that is all about seduction of the senses and the mind, leading you to the sensual serenity of a dim-lit feast of many spicy exotic dishes and luxurious colours and textures of the fabrics of a harem, the most sensual of them being one’s own skin…
The notes are:
Razala was inspired by the thorny hills where I grew up – where goats used to herd on the fragrant bushes of hyssop, sage and labdanum. I spent hours on end on these mountains, enjoying the textures of the rocks, the essence of the soil, and the smooth barks of red arbutus trees, occasionally alarmed by the sound of goat bells and the cries of the goat herds that followed them.
Razala is one of my nicknames and is the Arabic translation of my name (which means a doe, by the way). There was something that always really fascinated me about deer and goats: their fragile innocence reflected through their eyes, yet their enormous strength and resilience and the stubborn manner in which they lead their way through rocky, bushy, thorny hills and mountains.
Razala went through several transformations before reaching the perfection of what it is now: I started with the raw essences of hyssop, sage and oregano, paired with flower notes of rose and jasmine and the greenness of a tangerine peel. The base, originally, was spikenard (a musty root that is reminiscent of wet soil), costus (a musky root that smells like goats), and labdanum (the resin from the same rockroses that grew on the mountains that were my inspiration). Although the original formulation smelled exactly like the mountains when a herd of smelly goats pass by – it was crude and not so wearable. It wasn’t until recently, when I decided to change direction and go all the way with the sensuality and shameless seduction of notes used in traditional Arab perfumery – Audh, Ambergris, Myrrh. This was the base, and to that I added the most luxurious vintage patchouli – it is aged for several years, which makes it sweet and sublime, soft and almost powdery, and truly an aphrodisiac. To these I added my favourite spicey notes – cloves, pink peppercorns and saffron, as well as the most luscious flowers of all – orange blossom, rose, tuberose, jasmine and magnolia. I must admit I am terribly happy with the result and this is in my opinion the best perfume that ever came out of my atelier. It is my new personal favourite, even though when it comes to my own line, I am not allowed to have one. It creates a unique aura in collaboration with your skin and than really grows on you.
Razala is available in parfum extrait only at this point: 9ml parfum flacon for $89.99 or a flacon + 15ml refill bottle for $179.99.
Image of Bedouine woman courtesy of Kunja.
The new boxes have arrived!
I would like to present to you Roses et Chocolat – a perfume that delivers three pleasures in one elegant bottle:
Roses et Chocolat was conceived last February, around Valentine’s Day, when I felt inspired to create a series of love potions – on the occasions of the famous lovers’ date. After many trials, I finally arrived at the desired effect in my latest version, dated July 7th. This must have been my lucky day without me knowing it. Like the former tirals, it didn’t seem right at first: the roses tend to either swallow the chocolate, or disappear in it. I just let it sit, without expecting much, and discovered only a month later that I did manage to pare down the composition and achieve the desired effect – a passionate and playful declaration of love with the most romantic gift. Kisses not included, so you’ll need to get your own...
Film Noir was initially inspired by the multi-layered mustiness of patchouli, yet was designed to impart a rich, warm, enveloping sensation that is a departure from the headshop stigma that stuck to patchouli since the 60's. To break that stereotype, we used five different types of patchouli, including a stunning Vintage Patchouli - patchouli that was aged for several years. Age and oxidation add sweetness and an almost powdery feel to the otherwise earthy and dry note.
sensuality. Myrrh, with it's bitter-sweet medicinal and aphrodisiac qualities adds sophistication and mystical allure. This precious resinous oil was used for thousands of years for beautifying the skin and for its alluring and seductive qualities. The overall impression is a multi-layered, spicy, hot and naughty dark chocolate. Think Mayan chocolate elixir, rather than the sweet, North American rendition of the beverage.
GOOD NEWS for those who pre-ordered Film Noir: The tags for the perfume (which incldue the story behind Film Noir) are back from the printer, and your Film Noir will be shipped to you today!
