The Purple Dress (2009)
by Ayala Moriel

This perfume is a balanced blend of exotic flowers and delicate earthly qualities with a strong but not overpowering note of star anise. It is a perfect blend of earthy and flowery scents and it coalesces into a delicate and beautiful fragrance that is subtle and unique, masterfully blended from a wide range of complementary fragrances. This blend is polytonal and many elements strike the senses and instill a peaceful and uplifting mood. It is calming and serene yet also intoxicating. When I close my eyes I imagine a far away palace with exotic gardens and subtle incense. It is a tranquil scene of mystic beauty.

31st January, 2010.

I’m not sure that I know what champaca smells like, so I can’t say whether this smells like a champaca soliflore or not. To me it smells like an earthy floral, warm, spicy. It smells mostly like earth to me, a bit dusty, but not muddy, and also still floral. I do also notice a light touch of star anise. While this isn’t a smell-alike to anything I know, two other scents this remind me of in character are L’Artisan Fleur de Narcisse (this is more floral, slightly sweeter, spicier, less leathery) and Ayala’s own Rebellius (this feels like a more feminine counterpart to Rebellius, though both are squarely unisex). This strikes me as an introspective scent, quietly beautiful.

26th January, 2010.