The Day of Enlightenment scented with Yatra

Image - from Aveda website

Russian version - click here

Today is the Bodhi day, the Budhist holiday, the day of enlightenment. According to the legend Siddhartha Guatama has spent some time meditating under the Sacred Fig to find the Truth. And finally he awoke enlightened and became the Buddha as we know him. It’s a very good day to learn some traditions from Far East. If you are a witch or astrologer you might like to try I Ching. If you are a perfume lover you might like to try some Oriental perfume.

I have chosen the Yatra by Aveda. It seems a good choice to me as Yatra means spiritual journey in Sanskrit. It’s a blend of Australian Sandalwood, Biodynamic Bulgarian Rose, Biodynamic Bulgarian Lavender and Organic South African Rose-Geranium. Aveda produces plant-based perfumes and cosmetics from natural and when possible organic ingredients.

Smelling Yatra from a vial was really disappointing – first some sour citrusy fresh notes and later harsh turpentine wood. On the skin it was the same, but aggravated by a dominating geranium note that reminded me of a fellow blogger who said that geranium should be banned from perfumery for its effect to kill the delicate blends (well, actually she meant the perfumery blending for beginners).

While blending with the skin chemistry Yatra started to transform into a beauty. First she came as a cold milky semitransparent wood with soft and rosy geranium note. Warmed up it appeared as a creamy and almost sweet vanilla woodiness, smooth and silky contrasting the cool floral notes. Lavender plays cool shadowed background that helps to reveal all beauty of Sandalwood. The perfume keeps playing with its opalescent notes changing from reserved soothing lavender to rich and sweet creamy sandalwood.