Best Light My Fire by By Kilian Alternatives & Similar Perfumes

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An intense, smoky herbal blend that, like all of Anna's creations, will transport you to an imaginary landscape.

It's inspired by Cossacks, the soldier-farmers who live in the steppes in the south of Russia, accomplished horsemen guarding the borders since the days of Catherine the Great.

You are welcome to devise your own story, but here at Bloom, we imagine a young Cossack resting among haystacks and wild herbs, smoking his clay pipe while contemplating the starry sky. His friends are sitting by the open fire nearby. Smoke is wafting through wild thyme and wormwood.

Starring

(these fragrant materials reanacted the Young Cossack story):

galbanum CO2 extract
artemisia annia essential oil
artemisia absinthium essential oil
immortel absolute
Seville lavender abs
thyme essential oil
tarragon essential oil
davana essential oil
guayak wood essential oil.
rose de May absolute
Morrocan rose  absolute
cumin CO2 extract
frankincense absolute
petitgrain essential oil
geranium leaves absolute
myrth essential oil
costus absolute
oakmoss absolute
patchouli essential oil
labdanum absolute
tabacco absolute
tonka bean absolute
agarwood essential oil
vetiver essential oil
castoreum tinctura

Important notice:

Anna Zworykina’s blends are olfactive smellscapes (but neither aromatherapy, nor ‘spray-and-go’ perfumes). Her blends are sensory experiences, closer to works of art created in the scented plane (rather than, say, visual or audio).

Certain essential oils and absolutes that are used in her 100% natural perfumes may potentially cause allergies in some people. Please spray Anna Zworykina’s blends on fabric (on sleeves, scarves, etc.). This said, Anna Zworykina has acquired a huge fan base over many years and people interacted with her blends for quite a while now. We are not aware of any reports of any skin reactions so far.

However, Anna advises that those who are prone to allergic reactions, pregnant and nursing women, as well as people with chronic illnesses to be extra careful. Before trying natural blends, study the list of ingredients and consult with a doctor if you are not sure or a had a history of allergies. If you do decide to put these blends on your skin (unable to resist the temptation) always test the blend on the inside part of your elbow first and wait.

Do not spray these blends liberally as a cloud in the way you would spray a conventional perfume. Anna’s smellscapes need to be… carefully applied and experienced. Be mindful that some oils can also make your skin hyper-sensitive to UV.

Perfumer: Christophe Raynaud accepted the challenge of translating into a perfume the soft and sensual voice of Marvin Gaye singing Sexual Healing…

An ode to the Normandy countryside. Linden blossoms, fresh apple, sweet almond, radiant jasmine. Soft musk and suede. A golden sap of dried hay and ripe wheat evokes the pastures. And outside the farmhouse, sun-dried linens flutter on the line. All is well.

“Živeli” (ZHEE-vuh-lee) is a common Serbian toast used to wish good health and a long life. In this extrait, a juicy burst of plum brandy melts into a leathered tobacco, encapsulating a celebratory night out with friends. Giddy joy is further fluffed by cherry and raspberry notes, while the leather aspect is warmed by honey, saffron and labdanum.

This composition is 24% parfum concentration, with 70% natural ingredients. Capped in Mexican Riviera Gray marble in a delicately etched glass bottle.

The quiet majesty of the deer is undeniable as he stands aloft the dry forest, watchful and ready. Aromatic herbs, spices and aged bark reflect the fresh mountain air as it swirls around the energetic herd. Musk, leather and hay illuminate the powerful glory of the wild animal whilst smooth and earthy patchouli softens and relaxes. 

A rich, smoky blend of honey, tar, vanilla and incense.

The perfumer leaves the perfume plot sketchy - to be completed by your imagination. Are you in your autumn apiary watching honey trickle into jars, smoke lingering in the air from bonfires of fallen leaves? Are you on the well-tarred deck of a merchant ship carrying huge barrels of honey? This beautiful, smoky fragrance will definitely take you somewhere.

Starring

(these fragrant materials reanacted the Honey and Tar story):

castoreum tinctura
benzoin absolute
birch tar essential oil
Himalayan cedarwood essential oil
sweet myrrh essential oil
vetiver essential oil
guayak wood
agarwood essential oil
Atlas cedarwood  essential oil
jasmin sambac absolute
hops CO2
lavender absolute
patchouli essential oil
cardamom absolute
tonka bean absolute
vanilla CO2 extract
orris root CO2 extract
Vanuatu sandalwood essential oil
Royal Hawaiian  sandalwood essential oil

Important notice:

Anna Zworykina’s blends are olfactive smellscapes (but neither aromatherapy, nor ‘spray-and-go’ perfumes). Her blends are sensory experiences, closer to works of art created in the scented plane (rather than, say, visual or audio).

Certain essential oils and absolutes that are used in her 100% natural perfumes may potentially cause allergies in some people. Please spray Anna Zworykina’s blends on fabric (on sleeves, scarves, etc.). This said, Anna Zworykina has acquired a huge fan base over many years and people interacted with her blends for quite a while now. We are not aware of any reports of any skin reactions so far.

However, Anna advises that those who are prone to allergic reactions, pregnant and nursing women, as well as people with chronic illnesses to be extra careful. Before trying natural blends, study the list of ingredients and consult with a doctor if you are not sure or a had a history of allergies. If you do decide to put these blends on your skin (unable to resist the temptation) always test the blend on the inside part of your elbow first and wait.

Do not spray these blends liberally as a cloud in the way you would spray a conventional perfume. Anna’s smellscapes need to be… carefully applied and experienced. Be mindful that some oils can also make your skin hyper-sensitive to UV.

New 2019 packaging: crimped spray (as opposed to the previous design of screw-on self assembly spray).

Perfumer: Bertrand Duchaufour.

Or du  Sérail exudes almost gooey intoxicating sweetness of a cigar soaked in rum with hints of candied fruit and honey at the edges.

You can relate to this perfume if you ever discovered that secret cupboard your grandma kept spice, vanilla, honey, cognac, candied oranges and chocolate among other fragrant treasures reserved for festive cake making. When you finally locate it, you just linger at the open door and marvel at the rich, sweet aromas, before checking if there’s anything worth secretly tasting. 

Tobacco, very much present in the formula probably stands for the antic cabinet itself. 

The Sniff on Au de Serail:

"There is a sugared, decadent and festive tone about the start of the scent without a doubt. The feeling that it evokes is of a Victorian Christmas celebration; opening a giant box of Christmas sweets and staring at the amassed rows of candied fruit lying in their little compartments, the jewelled colours glinting in the light of the log fire."

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A socially acceptable way to smell like you spend your downtime writhing naked in milky melted chocolate, spiced with saffron, smoked by tobacco, caressed by vanilla. Cue eyes-rolling-back-in-their-head pleasure for anyone who smells you.

New formula, new perfumer.

The perfumer: Prin Lomros (also the creator behind PRIN, Prissana and Strangers.)

The story: Mystical, mysterious murmurings glide upon a blanket of inky sky. Shadows smear across the moonlight, their darting journey shrouded in darkness. Bats, the only mammal capable of true flight, are enigmatic and alien.

The formula: a vivid sparkly green maze paved with vetiver, decorated with tart jungle fruit and lots of earthy shadows. 

Prin is also the perfumer of the latest Zoologist's character: Sloth

DÔL translates to meadow and is pronounced "Dole".

Homage to a traditional fougere opens with restorative bergamot and grapefruit before settling into the soft and velvety notes of lavender and hay. This niche perfume its redolent of meandering through Welsh meadows, grounding vetiver echoes the fields of ORTIR.