Cuppa Chai, love?
I love a good cup of spicy, warming Chai. T’aint nothing like it. I like it black, but even better if it’s creamy, and sweetened with sugar or honey. In perfume though, milky, creamy, and a little sweetend is the way to go, with the spices kept nice and mild, especially as I can be allergic to them.
When I first started trying Chai scents, there wasn’t an awful lot to try, so I had to go straight to one of the most expensive: L'Artisan Tea for Two. I was so excited when I first go to try it, and initially, it was just like the delicious aroma of fresh Chai tea spiked with cardamom, clove and cinnamon, with a touch of ginger, nutmeg and possibly pepper. But then I got something I wasn’t expecting: burnt rubber and smoke - and a lot of it! Those notes went on too long for me to thoroughly enjoy it. By the time they faded, the lovely Chai scent was still there, now with a touch of honey, but too soft. I did try it a couple of years later though, after trying probably a few hundred other perfumes in that time :); and found that I liked that smoky rubber note…not enough to release my credit card though!
Next, I tried some body creams in Chai-inspired scents only to discover that I came out in hideous (and I guess, not surprisingly from the cinnamon etc) rashes. But ahhhhh, DSH, BPAL and Arcana to the rescue! Here are my favourite Chai perfumes:
Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab - Chimera
Creamy, creamy, smooth, sweet cinnamon...how delicious! Chimera is so beautifully blended, each note melded perfectly. The cinnamon is the strongest but not overpowering at all. I'm guessing it's the sweet, resinous myrrh and copal adding that creaminess and a hint of incense, with the honeysuckle adding an extra specialness and sweetness of the soft honeyed floral kind. It's not overly foody, but sometimes I'm reminded of the creamiest of Chai flavoured with vanilla, or buttercream. The combination is a little almondy as well (the man got marzipan from it). It also does remind me of the drydown of BPAL Snake Oil. Maybe the same vanilla, but Chimera has more cinnamon and is not as sweet or incensey. I prefer Snake Oil, but I do like this one! Snake Oil seems more mysterious; Chimera, more comforting. Doesn't flare up on my skin either, as cinnamons normally do - most pleasing, but I won't slather it on my more sensitive throat, just to be sure. :) Chimera is one of my favourite cinnamon scents and while not my perfect Chai scent, it’s definitely worth a mention for its delicious vanilla flavoured Chai note.
Notes ~ Bewitching Brews ~ The fiery, volatile scent of cinnamon, thickened by myrrh, honeysuckle, and copal
Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab - Bengal
Whoa! Honey. Lotsa honey! Niiiiice honey. And I think that’s because it’s mixing with the almond. The spices are very soft and there's a dry tea note. Few minutes later, oooh! This could be it! The spices are a bit stronger now, but not too strong and there’s the skin musk, all softly wisping off the skin. Another 10 minutes later... oh my. This is DELICIOUS! Honey, almond and spices (cinnamon, clove, ginger). I adore the honey note in this, it’s just heaven. But, 20 minutes later, GAH, somehow the spices end up amping up big time along with the almond, and make anywhere I applied it red... and itch like a bastard. Damn. This is still a gorgeous one though and I think I need to try it in a scent locket.
Notes ~ Wanderlust ~ A sultry and unruly blend that emulates the ambient scent of the markets in ancient Bengal: skin musk with honey, peppers, clove, cinnamon bark and ginger. (Gender neutral)
Arcana Soaps ~ Chai Layering Note
This is a lovely Chai scent with predominant cinnamon bark and a good dose of sugar, but not enough creaminess for my liking, it goes a little thin on my skin. Mixed with the scrumptious Arcana Sweet Milk layering note though, helps it along!
DSH Perfumes ~ Ceylon
Lovely Chai tea; fresh as a daisy! All the spices.. clove, cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, pepper; all just crushed and emitting their lovely aroma. It softens quickly and in a very delicious way. Not too spicy and a little sweet. Unfortunately, the drydown is slightly plasticky on me, but fortunately DSH has a little something else to offer...
Notes ~ Essence Studio Oils ~ A sultry Chai tea scent.
Top notes: Black Pepper, Cardamom Seed, Cinnamon Bark
Middle notes: Clove Bud, Fresh Ginger
Base notes: Honey, Musk, Vanilla
And now for my ultimate Chai…
DSH Perfumes ~ Chai Tea
This is it. Creamy, lightly sweetened Chai with the perfect balance of spices (cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger and a pinch of pepper and nutmeg) beautifully melded into lovely, dry black tea, and it’s even better With Dawn’s mouthwatering Au Lait note. Sometimes I detect a slightly odd rounded note, but it's not enough to deter me. Sigh, I wish that DSH’s shipping costs were that little bit more reasonable. But one day, I think I just might crack on this and Au Lait, because this is my Chai heaven.
Notes ~ Essence Oils ~ An Indian-spiced tea made with black tea, warm milk and spices; sweetened with sugar ( we use honey ).
Top notes: Chai Tea
Middle notes: Chai Tea
Base notes: Chai Tea