The Filipino Series From EOA & More Part II

As promised, here are the last few oils from EOApothecare's new Filipino Series.

A Tale of Two Elemies; Wild and Tame (?). 

Wild Elemi, Canarium luzonicum, Philippines ~ Wow! It opens with slight dill notes along with strong pink pepper-like notes and has a glossing of -- oddly enough -- gasoline. Something strangely industrial. It is intensely green in nature, like pine pitch, resinous, and herbal (leaves, leaves, leaves) with a warm balsamic undertone. I have some vintage elemi that I throw into soaps every so often and it is completely pickly and resinified, nothing even remotely close to this Wild Elemi that smells so inviting and fresh. It is a small, artisan distillation as well, so, yay! Supporting small distilleries!

Elemi, Canarium luzonicum, Philippines ~ This one is smooth. It is the less rambunctious twin sister to the Wild Elemi. It presents deeply resinous, with only slightly pink peppery notes, and zero dill. It is elegant, and not in the least 'industrial' smelling. Sparkly. Again, supporting small distillers. Go get some of this. This is one of those super bridges that open at the top and closes at the base. 

And the others - 

Almaciga, Agathis philippinensis, Philippines ~ Resinous, green-leafy, waxy, smells of an antiques furniture shop, wood polish-like, smooth, airy, and fresh. I really love the waxy note in it. It smells like a cathedral with prayer candles burning. It is also called Manila copal. Small distillation. Woot! 

Benguet Pine, Pinus kesiya, Philippines ~ This oil screams GREEN! It is clean, fresh, chilly, and somewhat citrusy -- think orange and lemon peel. There is also a slight pine note typical of pines, but it isn't overpowering. Small distillation.

Guava leaf, Psidium guajava, Philippines ~ This oil is a bit of an enigma. I love the smell of guava fruit, and I've even distilled it for the hydrosol, and it smells absolutely gorgeously fruity, floral, and lush, but this oil from the leaf is a different animal altogether. I had to contact EOA to make sure that what my nose was smelling was what it was smelling, and it was! This oil is spicy! It's like a fermented hot sauce with lime juice and brown sugar. The pepperiness of it is like hot chilis. It. Is. Amazing! Pepper oils are really crucial to building gorgeous green or green-note perfumes. The more fresh and fleshy the pepper, the more sparkly the opening of the perfume, and this entirely non-pepper leaf oil fits right in there. 



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