Laura Gámez had always had a love of fragrance but, as a trained psychologist, her interest was also aromatherapy. The use of essential oils to control emotion is well known but Laura wanted to created blends that could also be worn in their own right as a scent. A desire to produce natural fragrances led her to be tutored by Marina Barcenilla and, after many years of training, the Belsans brand was finally launched. The fragrances come in an oil-based rollerball form, which is very handy for travel, but how are the fragrances themselves?
Confidence is described as a chypre floral and opens with a delicious mandarin but, right from the start, you can already pick up the resinous base that will follow. One of the florals in here is osmanthus and it provides a delicious fruitiness before a combination of jasmine and clove gives a spiced sexiness to the fragrance. However, it’s the pairing of sandalwood and labdanum in the base that really owns this scent. The labdanum gives a wonderfully sensuous quality, which verges on the provocative, but the sandalwood maintains an elegance.
Vitality is a citrus aromatic fragrance with an opulent dose of frankincense. The opening is dominated by lime along with the aromatic coriander and, as the fragrance develops on the skin, these are replaced with cardamom and litsea cubeba. The later ingredient gives an impression of lemon grass and so you’re tricked into still smelling the citrus for longer. The appearance of the frankincense adds a touch of smokiness and this links seamlessly to the aromatics. For me, this does unfortunately steer more towards an aromatherapy blend than a stand-alone fragrance.
Calm feels like a wonderful take on the fougère style. It opens brightly with a spicy juniper and black pepper but the heart note of geranium is present from the beginning right through to the end. It’s an ingredient that many people shy away from but, in Laura’s hands, it is beautiful. It gives an earthy floral quality which links perfectly with the oakmoss and patchouli to take you right into the centre of the forest. A daring dose of vetiver completes the fragrance and, even as it dries down, the spicy opening still remains. This is definitely the star of the collection.
All three fragrances are available from belsans.com in 5ml and 10ml sizes, priced at 35€ and 70€, along with a full discovery set for 18€ [Samples provided by Belsans]
Confidence is described as a chypre floral and opens with a delicious mandarin but, right from the start, you can already pick up the resinous base that will follow. One of the florals in here is osmanthus and it provides a delicious fruitiness before a combination of jasmine and clove gives a spiced sexiness to the fragrance. However, it’s the pairing of sandalwood and labdanum in the base that really owns this scent. The labdanum gives a wonderfully sensuous quality, which verges on the provocative, but the sandalwood maintains an elegance.
Vitality is a citrus aromatic fragrance with an opulent dose of frankincense. The opening is dominated by lime along with the aromatic coriander and, as the fragrance develops on the skin, these are replaced with cardamom and litsea cubeba. The later ingredient gives an impression of lemon grass and so you’re tricked into still smelling the citrus for longer. The appearance of the frankincense adds a touch of smokiness and this links seamlessly to the aromatics. For me, this does unfortunately steer more towards an aromatherapy blend than a stand-alone fragrance.Calm feels like a wonderful take on the fougère style. It opens brightly with a spicy juniper and black pepper but the heart note of geranium is present from the beginning right through to the end. It’s an ingredient that many people shy away from but, in Laura’s hands, it is beautiful. It gives an earthy floral quality which links perfectly with the oakmoss and patchouli to take you right into the centre of the forest. A daring dose of vetiver completes the fragrance and, even as it dries down, the spicy opening still remains. This is definitely the star of the collection.
All three fragrances are available from belsans.com in 5ml and 10ml sizes, priced at 35€ and 70€, along with a full discovery set for 18€ [Samples provided by Belsans]
[Image of Laura Gámez © ToDoNiche.com]
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