Interpreting the origins of traditional perfumery art, organic luxury brand Shiffa launched its first fragrance, Aya. In an exclusive interview with Russian Emirates magazine, brand founder Dr. Lamis Hamdan talked about "an incredible journey in search of an unearthly fragrance."
Dr. Lamis, tell us how you decided to add perfume to the Shiffa skin care system.
Aya in Arabic means "sign from God." He really was as if sent from heaven. Perfumes themselves are made from natural ingredients. I wanted to return to the origins of perfumery alchemy, to plunge into the atmosphere of “attarin”, when Arab perfumers (attazh) were engaged in the creation of medicines. Various ingredients were used. By the way, some of them were also used by us - a damask rose, cinnamon and seven different types of musk. So, the history of cinnamon can be traced back to the harvest in Laos. The same with the tangerine, which was brought from Italy, and the Venezuelan dipterix. Our Aya slightly resembles the natural aromas of the 20s of the XX century, which are considered the standard of perfumery art. Then came the era of the 1980s: synthetic, cheaper, and not so fragrant perfumes. Therefore, with Shiffa, I wanted to return thousands of years ago, to the origins of traditional perfumes.
You have been looking for your fragrance for about four years. Are you satisfied with the result?
I created what I would like to wear daily! My fragrance was a little powdery, delicate and slightly oriental. Not traditional heavy, but less spicy, nutmeg. By the way, we followed the reaction of men: they want their woman to remain herself, and not to smell like cherry or vanilla. The result was amazing!
According to the saying, perfume is a shadow of the soul. Can Aya be called your reflection?
I really like this expression! There are scents that I just can't use - it's not me. As for Aya ... With these perfumes - everything to a girlfriend. They are part of me! I don’t feel the fragrance, but I can feel it playing with me, with my energy.
When is it better to wear perfume?
Day and evening. For example, if I put on a fragrance during the day, I put perfume on my wrists and a little on my clothes. In the evening, be sure to touch the chest, wrists, popliteal cavities and spray a little aroma on the clothes. Indeed, in the evening, perfume always becomes part of your unique aroma, and in the afternoon - a train from clothes. You can play a little alchemists on the SEPHORA network, where the Shiffa brand, one of the three best brands in the Skincare collection, is represented by a skin care system.
