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New in the Shoppe: Ras El Hanout

New in the Shoppe: Ras El Hanout
New in the shoppe: Ras El Hanout Moroccan spice blend. The name of this legendary spice mix literally means "Head of the Shoppe", and is traditionally made by from the top-shelf spices available to the spice vendor's disposal, and more often than not the blender improvises it, rather than carefully following a recipe. With that being said, some ingredients are a staple, including: cardamom, nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, allspice, black pepper, ginger and cloves. Other common additions include chilli, turmeric, galangal, cubebs, coriander, grains of paradise, lavender buds, rose petals, saffron, orris root and even controversial animal components such as Spanish flies and grains of musk…
This particular Ras El Hanout is vegan, and is created in-house by yours truly, from 24 exotic spices, freshly ground including orris root, Iranian saffron strands, Rugosa rose petals, French lavender buds, and much more which I would rather keep a secret!
This exotic spice mix is both floral and just hot enough and is a perfect luxurious addition to savoury dishes such as couscous stews, mograbieh & legume salads, and also a unique flavour for desserts such as brownies and dark truffles. A tiny pinch goes a long way.
If you love that scent, you should give "Storm Among the Palm Trees" AKA Oasis Nerikoh a try! 

Happy Chanukah!

Happy Chanukah!

Wishing you all a joyous Chanukah, filled with light, warmth, fragrant donuts and cozy company. Chanukah originated in festivities for the culmination of the olive harvest - a crop that is not only nutritious and beneficial for the skin, but also the source of light way before kerosene lamps and beeswax candles were thought of.
During Chanukah (December 10-18), receive 20% off on orders of $100 or more with code Chanukah2020.
Here are 8 ways to celebrate the Fête of of Light and Phat! 

Shop for our delightful winter offerings, offered at 20% off with code Chanukah2020 thru December 18, 2020.

Greek Goddess & Olive Oil
Chanukah was originally a festival to celebrate the olive oil harvest. While it is not particularly useful in modern perfumery, Olive oil was the base of the ancient perfumes on the island of Cyprus, where the first perfume factory was excavated. Keeping up with this Greek theme, I suggest you try a perfume that is inspired by my favourite Greek Goddess - Palas Atena, the Goddess of Wisdom and War. You can enjoy it as a parfum oil, Eau de Parfum (in two sizes, mini or 15mL Eau de Parfum). And last but not least - also a hair oil, that is both fragrant and nourishing and can be used as a low maintenance styling product (just work it into your damp hair with your fingertips). 


New! Nag Champa Agarbatti (Indian Incense Sticks)
Few of you may know of my "roots" as an incense maker. The past few years at my new studio enabled me to perfect a few formulae, and learn new technique. One of them is how to make agarbatti (Indian incense sticks with a bamboo core). This is an incense interpretation of Palas Atena, accentuating it's Nag Champa qualities, and using traditional ingredients such as ghee and honey to make these incense sticks release a luxurious and long-lasting smoke (they burn for 35-45min) that is perfect for large spaces. For smaller spaces, you may need to burn them for just five minutes at a time. You can order and enjoy our easy-to-use incense cones version of Palas Atena. Both are fashioned after the famous and beloved traditional Nag Champa - but made form only natural raw materials, infused with rare botanicals and hand-rolled by yours truly at my studio in Clil.


Laurel & Olive Ghar Soap (Aleppo-Style Soap)
Laurel & Olive Ghar (Aleppo-Style) Soap is the definition of pure luxury: two oils only, olive and laurel berry, pressed and combined to make a nourishing soap that is both luxurious, creamy, mildly cleansing. Because it is perfectly balanced and mild, it is appropriate for many sensitive skin conditions, and naturally fragrant without any scent added. Originating in the city of Aleppo, Syria, this is a unique, traditional soap in the Levant, that is produced only by a handful of small factories in Turkey and Syria, and now also offered by Ayala Moriel Parfums.


Sweet Olive (Osmanthus) Perfumes
Olives are great in your martini, but rarely finds its way into perfumes. It's sophisticated cousin Osmanthus though, is also known in the South as Sweet Olive. And indeed, it is a key component in In New Orleans and Charisma has it paired with sweet and warm spearmint and jasmine green tea over an incense base of our and tonka bean. Last but not least: Kinmokusei, my beloved Osmanthus soliflore, it is the star of the show.

Narcissi, Puddles and Mushrooms
This is the time of the year that Narcissus tazetta show their fragrant heads in our meadows. Narkiss (https://ayalamoriel.com/collections/seasonal-ltd-edition/products/narkiss) is its Hebrew name, and the name for the perfume that truly embodies the spirit of Kislev, the Hebrew month in which Chanukah takes place (Kislev 25 falls this year on the eve of Thursday, December 10th). Narkiss perfume smells like winter in Israel, with the slightly incense, green and heady perfume of wild narcissi against the drunken earth, rain puddles, and the moist and elusive scent of mushrooms in the air. This sophisticated Chypre is suitable for both men and women.


Winter Nerikoh
Nerikoh is Japanese kneaded incense that has been fermented underground for at least six months. Nerikoh is never burnt, but rather warmed on an incense heater, to accompany the tea ceremony. You needn't any fancy equipment to enjoy it, and a tiny pinch of one of these tiny balls will scent a room for hours on end. Use an aromatherapy diffuser, or place on top of your wood stove or radiator. It will release a gentle scent of spices, resins and woods. Choose from our most delectable scents for winter: Wind in the Palm Trees AKA Oasis Nerikoh (with dates and Ras el Hanout), or Saturn Nerikoh (with starwood, patchouli and myrrh).

Za'atar, Olive & Seawater Soap Bar
Za'atar & Olive is 100% olive oil, and not just any olive oil, but the purest virgin olive oil that was organically grown and harvested in my family's olive groves. This soap bar is made in the tradition of Savon de Marseilles, with filtered seawater from the Mediterranean sea. And to make it even more wild, it is scented with oil of oregano and sprinkled with Za'atar blend.

Black Licorice Soap Bar (Limited Edition)
Black Licorice soap (https://ayalamoriel.com/products/black-licorice-limited-edition-soap-bar) bar is, no doubt, the most colourful among my soap offerings. And colour and cheer is exactly what we need during these short winter days. This is our tried and true formula that is hydrating, creamy, with rich lather and non-drying. It is scented with our proprietary Black Licorice fragrance , tweaked to suit a soapy scene and thus resembles also the now defunct SenSen candy - another delectable anise candy and breath freshener from Asia. Makes a wonderful holiday gift that is fun to give and receive.

Shop for more winter treats, offered at 20% off with code Chanukah2020 thru Friday, December 18, 2020.

 

Neriko Collection

Hanami Nerikoh
Nerikoh is a traditional Japanese kneaded incense that is hardly known in the West. Neriko is unique in its aroma and method of burning. The aroma develops because of its intensive and laborious process that is required for its creation: Precious woods, herbs and spices are finely ground and bound together with honey and dried fruit, then rolled into tiny balls. Probably this method was first used to compound edible and less foul-tasting medicines, before capsules were invented. But the most lengthy part of the process is the aging of nerikoh: they are left to ferment underground in a clay vessel for several months or even years.

Nerikoh incense is not meant to be burnt, but rather warmed in traditional Koh-Doh cup, or for more convieneinct and accessible technique - place on top of an electric incense heater or aromatherapy lamp/diffuser. You'll only need a tiny pinch of each ball to scent a room for hours on end, releasing  gentle yet enveloping and exotic aroma.

In Japan, Nerikoh is most typically burnt during the tea ceremony because they are a refined and smoke-free form of incense and beautifully complement this occasion. The scents are generally most suitable for fall, when their warm, spicy and honeyed aroma.

I am thrilled to share with you the following kneaded incense creations. I've been playing with shaping my nerikoh into seasonally-appropriate shapes such as leaves, sakura and seashells, but this process takes f o r e v e r -  so keep in mind most of them are rolled into balls the traditional way.
Autumn Leaves Nerikoh
Autumn Leaves Nerikoh
Precious woods, spices and moss in a base of organic, uncultured apricots and wild honey.
Hanami Nerikoh
Hanami Nerikoh
Delicate woods, iris, botanical musks and precious woods kneaded together with honey and apricots produce a unique floral-almond aroma that evoke the season of sakura and ume (Japanese plum) blossoms.
Ras El Hanout Incense, Three Ways
Oasis Nerikoh
Exotic Ras El Hanout spices and precious resins blneded with dates and wild summer honey to evoke the era of the spice caravans camping in a desert oasis.
Fireflies (Summer Neriko)
Dragonfly (Summer) Nerikoh
Classical Japanese scent evoking the ephemeral moment of a blue dragonfly touching the water in a temple's garden pond on a hot summer day. Borneol camphor creates the feel of shimmering light on the dragonfly's wings and the calm water.

Handful of Nerikoh
Saturn Nerikoh
Sophisticated planetary incense that is deep with dark myrrh resin, cedar, cypress, patchouli, cassia, vetiver, agarwood and a touch of honey to balance its heaviness.
Burn on Saturdays, or when you require grounding, material wealth, support as well as discipline to achieve your goals.

New Incense

Ras El Hanout Incense, Three Ways
After close to twenty years in development and perfection, I'm excited to announce that my alchemical incense blends are finally available for sale! Check out the new section in my shop for Original Kyphi and Kyphi Galilee; Planetary incense pastilles, herbal incense cones and seasonal Nerikoh (traditional Japanese kneaded incense that is meant for warming on a mica plate Koh-Doh style; or more conveniently - on an aromatherapy lamp or incense electric heater).

More details about each incense type in the upcoming posts!

Planetary Prescription Incense

Incense As Medicine
Today is an especially magical day, being the midway point between the Vernal Equinox and the Summer Solstice. So that's a great timing to work on new incense and share with you what I've been brewing these past nine months (there has been plenty of incensing happening lately!).

It's been my life-long mission to create incense for the seven ancient planets. I am finally coming close to completing this series to my satisfaction. So far, I only liked the Jupiter incense I've created many years ago, in the very beginning of my incense path. I made a few other incense pastilles but I have taken a break from this technique for many years.

This year I've been catching up and refining my incense-making skills big time. Partly because the space allows it, and partly because I find the actual making of incense very calming, centring, sensual and magical all around. Incense to me is the purest form of perfume. Its most natural state. The manipulation of the raw materials is minimal. The ingredients may be exotic or simple. Lastly there is the actual use of incense, which is healing and transformative on so many planes - physical, psychological and spiritual.

The planetary incense is mostly botanical (except the lunar one, which has a tiny bit of ambergris in it). They are resin-based incense with added herbs, spices and essential oils, and are formed into small candy-like resin crystals. The Saturn ones are Nerikoh - a Japanese style soft-candy incense that is mostly wood and spice based, and glued together with honey or dried plums. Nerikoh were originally compounded as edible medicine - the honey there to preserve as well as ease the consumption of these remedies' rather bitter, acrid and hot flavours.

Solar Incense Pastilles:
Heart opening, sweet, warm and healing.
Includes: Frankincense, Gold Copal, Chamomile, Saffron

Moon Drops Incense Pastilles:
Mysterious, watery, dark womb, new beginnings.
Black copal, Sandalwood, Ambergris, Jasmine, Artemisia

Mercury Incense Pastilles:
Swift, uplifting, communication, ideas, mental clarity, intellectual connection. 
Mastic, Elemi, Mimosa, Yuzu, Sandarac, Sandalwood

Noga (Venus) Incense Pastilles:
Inspires love, beauty and harmony. 
Includes: Galbanum, Benzoin, Roses, Labdanum, Myrtle, Tonka Bean

Mars Incense Pastilles:
Protective, powerful, transformative, healing that comes from destruction and breaking down of old and unnecessary things/thoughts/desires. 
Dragon's Blood, Ponderosa Pine, Tobacco, Palo Santo 

Jupiter Incense Pastilles:  
The teacher, especially plant teachings, healing, cleansing, brings luck and abundance. 
Pinon Pine, Star Anise, Juniper, Sage 

Saturn Nerikoh (Soft Incense Pastilles):
Discipline, analogue to the world and the physical world's lessons, Gives form and manifestation to ideas, Wisdom. 
Myrrh, Patchouli, Cypress, Spices, Vetiver, Agarwood

As if closing a circle, I'm now running very low on the Jupiter incense, so will have to make some more (it's been in the planning for about a month, with all the ingredients measured and set up, just waiting to be pounded, compounded and formed into a very special kind of incense candy!). More on that in the next post! 

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