Thursday, February 15, 2007

Abinoam

Abinoam is a niche perfumer that made its debut in 2006. Kareema, the company's perfumer, is self-taught. Her gift for blending scents was realized in the weeks following a sudden Transient Ischemic Attack or “mini-stroke” in January 2004 at the age of 30. By July of 2004, she was fully recovered and launched her first venture, selling to stores across the US and in Europe. By November of 2005, Kareema evolved as a perfumer and wanted a launch a fragrance line to reflect this growth.
Abinoam's concept is inspired by the eternal inner-struggle between darkness and light. The name Abinoam is an oblique reference meaning "father of kindness" from the Book of Judges. "The meaning of the name is beautiful," says the line's creator, "but when you see it in print or just say it, the word projects a dark, mysterious aura. This one word, I felt, exemplified the spirit of the fragrance."

This was taken a step further during the blending process. "Each fragrance was carefully orchestrated so that as the notes dried down, the fragrance became darker and more sensual." The common theme tying the perfumes together is the use of notes that have been historically used as aphrodisiacs. (Abinoam.com)
I got my hands on a couple of Abinoam fragrances recently because the descriptions sounded pleasing to me. Other scents in the line includeCorazonCobice, and Inveja.

Beleza
Notes: Mysore sandalwood, musk, orchids, Tahitian vanilla bean
From Abinoam.com: "A warm, sexy Oriental fragrance. Sandalwood from Mysore and Musk form the scenery in which delicate Orchid flowers and the bouquet of Tahitian Vanilla Bean dance together in a beautiful ballet."

The opening note is definitely vanilla, but it has a taint of Windex to it. The window cleaning fluid scent disappears (was it the orchid?) leaving a sweet musky vanilla. Very similar in feel to Jill Stuart Vanilla Lust, my personal favorite vanilla, but quite a bit sweeter. Very nice, but nothing groundbreaking, and I'm not sure I would classify this as an Oriental.

Desejo
Notes: pomegranate, cassis, peach, violet, ylang ylang, Ghanan cacao, Bulgarian blond tobacco, vanilla, amber

"A carnal interpretation of Pomegranate; the beguiling symbol of fertility. Top notes of Pomegranate, Cassis and Peach flow seamlessly into Violet, Ylang Ylang, and Ghanan Cacao before settling on a bed of Bulgarian Blond Tobacco, Vanilla and Amber."

Desejo starts off like a dessert course: fresh ripe peaches in a vanilla syrup, fruity and sweet, garnished with tangy pomegranate seeds and a splash of creme de cassis. All it needs is a dollop of whipped cream, handily supplied by the cacao and vanilla. Tasty for those of us who appreciate a sweet creamy scent. Maybe too fluffy to be "carnal" and it's not necessarily all about the pomegranate.

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