Kashaya

By the editors · 2 min readKashaya opens with a strangely compelling brightness—pineapple and stone fruits laced with anise, creating an almost medicinal sweetness that feels more intriguing than immediately pretty. This jarring introduction gives way to a dense white floral heart where tuberose and jasmine dominate, their natural indolic qualities amplified rather than softened. The effect is heady and slightly bitter, like petals left too long in a vase.

The base settles into a warm, resinous sandalwood blend with vanilla and benzoin providing cushion without excessive sweetness. Cedar adds a woody dryness that keeps the composition from becoming cloying. The overall impression is of an early-90s white floral that refused to play by the decade's rules—less polished than its contemporaries, more willing to show the less graceful sides of its materials. It suits someone who finds conventional florals too sanitized and wants something with texture and personality, even when that personality occasionally grates.