Aroma Sanctum Perfumes Mabon Review

Aroma Sanctum Perfumes Mabon apped by Michelyn using AI/ Photo courtesy of the brand

Here is my crown

Of winding vine,

Of leaves that dropped,

That fingers twined,

Another crown to yield and shine

with a year’s

fermented wine. ~ Annie Finch, excerpts from A Mabon Crown

Mood photo for Aroma Sanctum Perfumes Mabon Photo courtesy of the brand

Beautiful Mabon! Mabon is the Wiccan/Celtic/Pagan celebration of  the autumnal equinox: it falls during the midpoint of the Wheel of the Year. Mabon marks the observance the Second Harvest – the First Harvest being Lughnasadh. The Wheel winds down with the descent into winter which is heralded by Samhain (All Hallow’s Eve, aka Halloween). We give thanks for the abundance with which we have been blessed, the fruits of our labors. One can understand why this festival is observed as an opportunity to express our gratitude. Akuura Kulak of Aroma Sanctum Perfumes commemorates and embodies this plenitude in her evocative oil perfume Mabon.

The spirit of Mabon exists worldwide under an umbrella of diverse names: Harvest Home (also known as Ingathering), an ancient English tradition; the Moon Festival in China, Vietnam, and Taiwan; Chuseok in Korea; Sukkot in the Jewish faith; Erntedankfest, which occurs yearly in Austria, Switzerland, and Germany; Mehregan, an ancient Persian harvest festival; and Africa, which boasts many such celebrations. I cherish the universality of welcoming the changing seasons – and in particular, the ushering in the end of the agricultural year as we once knew it (today, we have multiple ways of extending the growing season through science and cultivation techniques).

Mood photo for Aroma Sanctum Perfumes Mabon Photo courtesy of the brand

Autumn

Leaves turn color

Season painted quickly

The air completes the tapestry

Mabon ~ Melani Udaeta

Aroma Sanctum Perfumes Mabon  (2021) is a marvel of minimalism. Once again, we witness how so much emotion and symbolism may be evoked by so few elements. Akuura summons the imminence of autumn’s approach so vividly that we may experience it all: the soft-pedaled smokiness of burning leaves conjured by brightly spicy cinnamon leaf (edged with a musky facet), vetiver, and cedarwood. The candied intensity of sweet orange never overpowers, but it carries admirably throughout the fragrance, paired with the dryly herbal/floral accent of clary sage. Our coumarinic associations with the harvest season are fulfilled by Akuura’s inclusion of hay: warm, sweet, herbaceous, wafting notes of tobacco. French honey absolute is a pearl among perfume tones, and it elevates and melds companionably with all of the aforementioned natural materials: delicately animalic and richly imbued with wildflowers and haylike nuances. There are no pumpkin spice components here, and there is no reason why there should be: pleasant as they are,

Mood photo for Aroma Sanctum Perfumes Mabon Photo courtesy of the brand

Akuura eschews their predictability. One can find them everywhere once the weather turns; why state the obvious? Mabon is quite bewitching, and cannot be judged by merely sniffing a vial – it requires flesh in order to bloom and reveal itself. As it is a natural composition, Aroma Sanctum Perfumes Mabon evinces a sense of movement and a distinct development. There is nothing linear about it – and I prefer it when a perfume inherently tells a tale for which no verbal embellishment is necessary. Fragrant eloquence is a quality to be lauded.

Akuura Kulak of Aroma Sanctum Perfumes

Akuura has long created oil-based perfumes – a fragrance medium which I find particularly appealing. By their very nature, oil perfumes possess both intimacy and immediacy; they don’t announce their presence with a trumpet fanfare. Such compositions invite you to nestle in closer to the wearer. This fragrance format is not about sillage – so if one is seeking a monster trail, they are not likely to provide you with one. Personally, I appreciate diversity in perfume and the option of choosing from a cornucopia of possibilities. Consider, if you will, the oil perfume as a sort of olfactory palate cleanser: Aroma Sanctum Perfumes Mabon is perfectly suited for this purpose and is reflective of the season of contemplation, abundance, and gratitude in which we find ourselves. It is breathtaking into the bargain…

Notes: orange, cinnamon leaf, clary sage, hay, French honey absolute, vetiver, cedarwood

Sample provided by the perfumer – many thanks! It’s wonderful. My nose is my own…

~Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor

Aroma Sanctum Perfumes Mabon apped by Michelyn using AI

Thanks to the largesse of Akuura Kulak at Aroma Sanctum Perfumes we have a giveaway draw of .25 oz of Mabon for one registered ÇaFleureBon reader in USA Only. YOU MUST REGISTER . Please leave a comment about what sparked your interest in Ida’s review. Draw closes 10/20/26

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All photos belong to Akuura Kulak at Aroma Sanctum Perfumes unless otherwise noted.

Akuura Kulak collaborated with Neil Morris for the first in their three-fragrance series released earlier this year reviewed by Ida Meister Arcane Knowledge.

Enjoy Akuura Kulak’s Profile in American Perfumery here

Please read former Editor Michel Devine’s Aroma Sanctum Perfumes fall favorites here and Olde Salem Perfume Magick here

Akuura Kulak was featured in our Perfumer’s Workshop Bespoke Perfumes

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