Jo Wood has launched new certified-organic Eau de Toilette versions of the two fragrances in her Jo Wood Organics bath & body range, Amka and Usiku:
Amka, meaning ‘to wake’ in Swahili has a romantic heart of Iranian rose otto and Egyptian jasmine with bright, fresh top notes of neroli and bergamot; it is an energetic and spontaneous fragrance. Green mandarin and sweet orange blossom add a fresh and vibrant layer above a soft and spicy base of cedarwood. Following strict ECOCERT guidelines, each of these organic and eco-friendly oils was removed from a sustainable source of ingredients using a method of extraction, which does not involve solvents.
Usiku, meaning ‘night’ in Swahili is warm and sensual with a fresh, vibrant edge; its earthy and sophisticated nature makes it suitable for both men and women. With top notes of rosemary and pine needle, it has a spicy hint of cardamom and hot ginger; a complex heart of coriander, and clove; and an aromatic, woody base of Moroccan cedarwood, patchouli and vetiver. Usiku contains a natural vanillin produced by the fermentation process, allowed under ECOCERT certification. The vanilla/vanillin produces a soft, powdery, sweet vanilla effect in the base notes of the fragrance. Vanillin is a naturally occurring constitute of vanilla absolute.
Jo Wood Amka & Usiku are available in 50 ml Eau de Toilette. They can be found in the US at Beautyhabit, $85 each. (via jowoodorganics)
Well here's an attempt at a more African scent! Number 2 sounds more wearable but coriander? Not so much.
honeybushchild: not sure if you're the person who wrote the comment I read recently somewhere about being interested in African-connected scents, but I would recommend looking into Susanne Lang's Tamboti Wood and also the Nyakio line for other Africa-inspired themes.
I love Amka, it is Aqua Manda reincarnated.
thanks for the further suggestions! It's like my own monday mail: search for the African Holy Grail. Specifically I grew up and work in West Africa. It's much harder to find scents from there than from, say, Morocco, Egypt, or South Africa.
I never tried Aqua Manda, in fact, never heard of it til recently!
Do come back and tell us if you find something wonderful!
Never heard of Aqua Manda, but do want a sample of Amka.
HBC: It's actually a regional interest of mine, too, since I lived for 8 months in West Africa when I was at university. Perfumes inspired by the region aren't common! Check out the back story of L'Artisan's Timbuktu, which happens to be a personal favorite of mine.
I try to remember olfactory impressions of West Africa, and while there were so very many, none seemed to be especially “perfumey” (other than fruits and flowers that weren't particularly unique to the region). Red palm oil isn't exactly right for a personal fragrance… but at least the world has discovered shea butter, which I remember seeing mounds and mounds of in the market.
Dating myself now – Aqua Manda was a mass market 70s fragrance/bath line by Goya. It has been long unavailable, but Amka brings that scent right back.
I found a new African scent that I am loving – Harmatan Noir by Parfumerie Generale. In my country, Harmatan was a regular part of the seasons. When harmatan rolled down from the Sahara, it would create the most amazing sunsets. Think of it like the smog in LA – in obscuring the sunset it adds colors and depths I've never seen anywhere else.
Ah yes, I like that one!
I can still smell Aqua Manda today…and I ordered this based on the fact it apparently reminded someone of Aqua Manda. Unfortunately, to my nose, it bears not even the slightest resemblance. It is way more sharp and green. Nice in its own right but I will never fall out of love with AM.
Aw, sorry it didn’t work for you! Hope you’ll enjoy wearing it anyway.