Read this post in
Arabic
Oman Wanderings
On the occasion of the launch of Boundless, a woody fragrance with spicy notes, Karine Vinchon, was invited by the brand Amouage to discover the scents and beauty of Oman in the company of Renaud Salmon, Chief Experience Officer at Amouage.
Karine Vinchon-Spehner, perfumer at Robertet Group for over 15 years, has been passionate about scents since her childhood. Throughout her career, she has developed a particular affection for amber and woody notes and became a renowned perfumer for Amouage, for which she recently signed Boundless, a woody fragrance with spicy notes, intended for men and women. “It is a fragrance with a burning and vivacious energy that echoes that of sunlight through a floral canopy.”
She shares her experiences of her travels through Oman for ParfumPlus readers.
ParfumPlus : Hi Karine. We’ve heard so much about your ‘Oman Wanderings’. For the benefit of our readers, could you tell us more about this trip?
Karine Vinchon-Spehner : Just after the BeautyWorld MiddleEast 2021 I headed to the Sultanate of Oman to discover the culture, the scents and the beauty of this inspiring country, along with Renaud Salmon. I was really excited to discover yet another part of the Middle East, a bewitching world full of beauty.
The trip was intense, between land and sea, local smells and some of those that we know but which open up here in a completely new perspective. We explored the north visiting the fort Nizwa, then the Jabal Akhdar in the heart of the Hajar mountains. Later we also saw an oasis of date palm and banana trees, a green island in this arid land.
In Mascate, we experienced the power of the Arabian Sea! And the view from the mountains, which overhang the bay, were simply breathtaking! Then, on a traditional boat, we enjoyed the smell of the sea sprays, listening to musicians playing Arabic oud and tabla and enjoyed the peaceful view of the sunset.
And finally in the South, in Salah we visited Wadi Dawkah, a natural park of frankincense trees inscribed in the UNESCO’s World Cultural and Natural Heritage.
ParfumPlus : Sounds mesmerising. And what scents would bring you back to this journey?
Karine Vinchon-Spehner : This trip was all about olfactory discoveries. The souk of Muscat revealed many bewitching scents of spices cardamom, saffron and ginger - the kind of oriental mix of spices that takes you straight into fairytales. And it was amazing to smell the omnipresent frankincense as it was literally everywhere!
In Hajar, we smelled wild lavender - very different from our Mediterranean one. It seems to have a slight chamomile effect. And when we crumpled the leaves of the lemon tree, it smelled like a perfume on its own! We discovered it has a cologne aspect with moss and woody effect, a divine scent! Isn’t it amazing to realize what nature is capable of creating on its own?
We also had the chance to visit the ‘Sultan Farm’, a huge garden of 24 hectares where botanical species from around the world are preserved and studied. And it was at this garden that we smelled so many different trees - fruits like peaches, apples… and then aromatics, olive trees, junipers, roses, crocus (which smelled like honey!) and cypress. In addition, they make their own olive oil, honey, vinegar, and burned rose oil. Our noses were truly blessed!
ParfumPlus : What kind of sensory impressions do you have from this trip?
Karine Vinchon-Spehner : The nature in Oman is a source of sensory and gustatory experiences in itself! During our trip, we tasted many local specialties: an enriching and quite exceptional experience.
For example, at Jabal Akhdar when we visited the plantations of pomegranate, we tasted them on the spot, a genuine refreshing break. We also tasted fruits like dates, coconuts, pistachio nuts, almonds and local specialities like hawla (blend of ghee, honey, cardamom, almond pistachio nut, and milk), and omani coffee made with rose water and cardamom, and even fresh coconut water.
Moreover, a master chef prepared for us meals created from the scents of the new collection of attars from Amouage perfumes. The textures, colors and ingredients inspired the chef to create his fabulous dishes. It's always a pleasure to have this kind of multi-sensory experience. Cross-arts is something I really enjoy!
ParfumPlus : What was the highlight of your trip?
Karine Vinchon-Spehner : For me, the visit of the Wadi Dawkah natural park in the south of Oman was a real discovery. It was absolutely fascinating. It is a park of frankincense trees and it was interesting to learn how the harvesting of incense tears is done - an absolutely awesome process that requires a lot of know-how. And trust me, at Robertet, we know something about the know-how!
The first wounding starts at the beginning of April (only done on eight years old trees minimum). Some white milky droplets appear on the external layer of the bark. The producers leave the plantation and come back two weeks after to make the second wounding process. Again two weeks after, it’s time to harvest the incense tears. This process needs experience because a wrong practice may leave behind an unhealthy tree. The average productivity of a fully grown tree is 10 grams per season. There are different qualities of frankincense, the farther you are from the sea, the better quality you will find. Thus, the frankincense from the mountains is exceptional but more expensive because it is more difficult to reach.
This experience reminded me of our passionate producers from Grasse and that no matter the region, they are all equally dedicated to the ingredients they produce and it is because of their passion that we are able to create exceptional scents.
Thanks Karine, for sharing your experience with us. We wish you many more journeys like this and we look forward to hearing from you about those experiences as well.
Read this post in
Arabic
