Dusita: Anamcara

 Sunny weather. 85 Degrees F.

Anamcara, or "Soul Friend" in Gaelic per the perfumer Ms. Umavijani, first opens with a blast of delectable jasmine tea -- the most natural smelling I have come across in a perfume. Think of opening a tin of the fancy loose leaf kind, in silk bags, the scent engulfing your face as soon as the lid comes off.

And then a spoonful of sweet orange blossom honey. A peach accord...reminiscent of osmanthus.

As it dries down, the floral and woody accords become more prominent. I get the soft powders of rose and sandalwood. It retains a gentle sweetness at this point. The orange blossom honey teases at the edge.

In a warm climate, this fragrance lasted about two hours on me with a detectable skin scent lingering for another two hours or so. I think the temperature makes a big difference in how a fragrance performs, with most perfumes opening very loud and fading very fast in general for me. The performance is impressive for a fragrance that uses natural ingredients -- the justification for the high price of a full bottle.

I love this scent but the sweetness of jasmine and orange blossoms can become overbearing and tired for me after a few hours. I've rarely reached for this scent, and I mostly prefer it for the more temperate days. The heat can truly make it go nuclear.

• Top: blood orange, orange flower, freesia
• Heart: tea accord, peach, apricot, vanilla absolute, rose de mai, tuberose absolute, jasmine sambac
• Base: patchouli, sandalwood, cedarwood, vetiver