A few years ago, I spent a day in Salem, Massachusetts with my husband. Somewhere between our stops at the town's historic cemetery, a bookstore or two, and the House of the Seven Gables, we came across a small shop called Aroma Sanctum Perfumes, where I sampled a few "house blend" fragrances and purchased a bottle of perfume oil called Scarlet Letter as a souvenir of our visit.
Scarlet Letter is the creation of Akuura Kulak, the owner and resident perfumer of Aroma Sanctum. It's one of three scents in Aroma Sanctum's "Olde Salem" collection, and it includes notes of carnation, Egyptian jasmine, lily of the valley, gardenia, vanilla and musk. When I first apply it, I notice the lily of the valley note, which is a bit greenish. This note fades within a half hour of so, releasing the spicy-creamy carnation heart of the fragrance. At this point, Scarlet Letter is like a sweeter, more casual cousin to carnation classic Caron Bellodgia or more recent carnation fragrances such as Etro Dianthus, so if you love those, you'd probably enjoy Scarlet Letter; if you prefer clove-y or peppery carnations like Floris Malmaison or Lorenzo Villoresi Garofano, you might find this scent a bit tame. The far dry down is a soft, lightly musky vanilla that becomes more and more like a skin-scent as the day goes by. Scarlet Letter perfume oil has excellent staying power, lasting up to eight hours on me.
I love Scarlet Letter, although it seems a bit gentle and romantic for Hester Prynne, heroine of the Nathaniel Hawthorne novel that gives the scent its name. Now I'm wondering which fragrance Hester would choose at Aroma Sanctum. Perhaps she would wear October Moon, another "Olde Salem" scent, for energy and confidence. It's an brisk blend of orange-spice and patchouli — a true woody-herbal patchouli, not the cleaned-up version in so many mass-market fragrances — with basenotes of frankincense, amber, and oakmoss. Some of Massachuetts' other female residents might have preferred Witchfire, a smoky brew of allspice, jasmine, incense, exotic woods, and dark musk.
I've visited the Aroma Sanctum website many times since our travels to New England, and wish I could go back to Salem. In the meantime, Scarlet Letter reminds me of the beautiful autumn day we passed there. Are you spending this Halloween weekend anywhere interesting? Are you wearing a fragrance that evokes memories of past autumns?
Aroma Sanctum Scarlet Letter and October Moon are sold as perfume oil (.25 oz. for $23) and cologne (4 oz. for $18.95), and Witchfire is sold as perfume oil (.25 oz. for $35 and .50 oz. for $70), through the Aroma Sanctum website. Samples are also available.
Note: image is Map of Salem Village (1692) [cropped] via Wikimedia Commons.
Oh how fun! Thanks. I’ve just emailed them about international shipping. I read The House of the Seven Gables years ago, but am ashamed to admit I remember little about it now. Must dig it out. I wonder if a copy of The Scarlet Letter is also lurking in my shelves. If I wear the perfume I have to have read the book!
Annemarie, Same here… but writing this review has inspired me to reread some Hawthorne, too!
My husband and I also spent a day wandering around Salem years ago, but that was before my perfume obsession really began so if this shop was there at the time I might not even have noticed it. Now I’d love to go back–for this, and another trip to the Peabody Museum! I will check out their web site, though.
Isn’t it an interesting town? The Peabody is great. I think Aroma Sanctum used to be located within another shop, and only branched out into its own storefront a few years back (shortly before my visit?), so it would have been harder to spot; but I could be wrong.
I love finding little shops like this when traveling! I’ll be heading to Williamsburg just after Thanksgiving and will keep an eye out. In the meantine, this is a website worth checking out! “Scarlet Letter” sounds right up my alley, scent-wise!
Maggie, Enjoy the website! Do you mean Williamsburg VA? (Everyone where I live refers to W-burg, Brooklyn, so I have to check!) The Colonial Williamsburg gift stores carry a few old-fashioned toiletries that are quite nice; violet powder, etc.
Yes, I do mean VA – and I’ll be looking out for those gift shops, thanks!
What vintage/concentration of Bellodgia are you referring to? I have the Bellodgia EdP, and I find it quite clove-y, too much even. When I bought it, I didn’t realize it was a different formula from the EdT, I thought it would just be more concentrated, as I found the EdT a little too weak.
Hi, 50 – I’d be referring to the EDT, which is softer than the EDP. (Actually, the EDP is my favorite, but it’s difficult to find.) Then again, Caron seems to have tinkered with its formulas a few years ago, possibly due to ingredients restrictions. My bottles are all several years old. I’ve never had the privilege of trying truly vintage Bellodgia.
I think Hester would have smelled like OJ Woman.
Nice choice! No one can go wrong with Ormonde Jayne, right?
This sounds nice; I wish oils worked for me. The Scarlet Letter is one of my favorite American novels, too (I mostly prefer Brit authors). I wonder if this could go in one of those lightbulb rings and be used as a room fragrance…
Boojum, Oils can be hit-or-miss on me, but this one was a hit… and it lasted for hours and hours. Maybe it *could* be used in a lamp ring… it’s alcohol-free. (I haven’t tried the spray cologne version yet.)
OH, if it comes in a spray, that’s better yet. I’ll have to look into that one.
Yes the oil can be used in a lamp ring or diffuser/warmer (as long as it has no direct contact with flame). It is also available as spray, lotion, bath gel etc. on my website, and is very popular
I love AromaSanctum and Salem is one of my favourite places! When I still lived in NH, I used to go every autumn and spend hours wandering around, browsing in The Tangled Web bookshop and sniffing at AromaSanctum. Akuura will custom blend as well and keeps the recipe on file forever. My mom and I both chose Fire of Isis and as I sweeten everything Akuura added patchouli to my blend and as my mom ‘dries’ notes she added cordamom to hers. Two very happy and fragrant customers!
I love October Moon and Witchfire –
Darn Safari on iPhone. Anyway, I love them both and her Rain is lovely in the spring. Her cologne sprays don’t have much longevity for me- I have mainly used them to layer or to spray with abandon in summer. Thanks for a lovely review, Jessica!
FragrantWitch,
So glad to hear from another Aroma Sanctum fan! I really enjoyed my visit there, and my chat with the owner.
I like Witchfire a lot, too!
Better and better! I have scent glue skin, so things last forever and a day on me. I’m always happy to find something that “only” lasts 8 hours. I haven’t been to NE since early 2000, and would really like to get back there to visit a good friend.
Hi Jessica! Thank you for the interesting post. Would love to visit Salem one day, and fall sounds like the perfect time! I like and wear Dianthus, so would definitely try Scarlet Letter. For some reason, Bellodgia didn’t work for me, a heaviness or something (?) I do love the combo of carnation and pepper in Poivre, though.
Haunani, Dianthus is my favorite Etro! Just soft enough, just peppery enough.
I always feel a little guilty admitting this, but I am a descendant on my mother’s side of one of the magistrates who sat on the Court of Oyer and Terminer in 1692 (one phase of the Salem Witch Trials).
I’ve never visited Salem, because I somehow didn’t think it was the right thing to do. Silly, I know. But it would be meaningful to have a scent from Salem. I just might have to contact Aroma Sanctum.
Teri, I think that’s fascinating! A piece of history in your family tree. And I don’t think anyone will blame *you* for the “guilty” verdicts.
I remember visiting a memorial to the women who were tried for witchcraft… here’s a link:
http://www.salemweb.com/memorial/memorial.shtml
Thanks for a review of something well off the beaten path!
Also, ties in nicely with today’s delivery from Latherati – some very wonderful book-inspired goodies, especially the Mr. Hyde roll-on (for $6!) and the Curiouser soap. If you haven’t already, you should check out the very coherent Etsy shop.
Fun idea! I’m not sure why the photo backdrop is an art history book open to a page describing the Roman rape of the Sabine women… but that’s just me being pedantic, I suppose!
I never would have noticed that despite having taken lots of art history in college. Jessica, you put me to shame!
At any rate, the fragrance is quite wonderful!
Scarlett Letter is one of my most popular scents. I kept it nice and simple because I also use it as a “base” to customize for clients (it’s great with deeper patchouli notes, green florals, even chocolate!) and it can be layered well with many of my other House Blends and Olde Salem Scents. Maybe Hester Prynne would have found it a bit too “safe” and preferred something darker…