Aroma M Camellia Hair & Face Oils

It’s easy to go overboard when you’re shopping for a fragrance. If you’re like me, you probably spend hours lounging bar side at the Scent Bar pondering the nuances of Serge Lutens latest or dissecting the transient aromatic folds of a ByKilian bottle. By no means am I an experienced fragranista, much to the dismay of Steve at Scent Bar, who is always surprised when I ask “what is the hell do the bloggers means when they say metallic?”

But, shopping for an oil? That is where is see more brands and their artisans less restrained so the results can be more interesting, more organic. Take Maria McElroy of Aroma M Perfumes, the unquestionably elegant founder of the brand of scents, which employs the diverse aesthetics associated with the ideas of the Japanese. Ah, the prim, the pristine, the perceptible Japanese sense of beauty; it only knows of exuding a quiet minimalism flawless to the finish though highly individual. Maria takes her continual exploration of accords and launches them in her debut line of beauty oils. You’ll want and here’s why.

Both oils rely on Camellia oil: derived from the seeds of camellias, a kind of evergreen shrub with shiny leaves and rose-like flowers. Camellia oil is known to be effective multi-purpose moisturizer, used in parts of Asia by women to nourish both their skin and hair for centuries. Brimming with Vitamins A, B, C, E, it penetrates quickly and deeply, leaving the skin with optimum hydration and no greasy feel.

Japanese folklore has also suggested that Camellia oil can help hair grow and retard the onset of grey. Ummm, not sure about this factoid, but if it means I’ll need more of Aroma M’s Camellia Hair Oil ($65), I’d be happy to oblige. And, that is because of its airy Tuberose. Why this essence is so rarely used in body and hair treatments is beyond me. Suffice to say, Aroma M’s blend of organic Camellia, Argan and Golden Jojoba includes the fresh burst of Tuberose mingling with notes of Rosemary. It’s not much of an olfactory idiom, which I like. I get lost figuring out nuances in an oil, but here the sheer simplicity of the blend makes hair soak time all the more fun. The oil needs just a single shampoo rinse, but what a chore it becomes when you think of that Tuberose swirling its way down the drain. Tuberose is meant to be worn, sniffed and celebrated! Here is it – for the 30-minute hair treatment time. TIP: Massage Camellia Hair oil into scalp and ends of damaged hair, rinse the oil, and shampoo.

To complement the hair oil is the Camellia Face Oil ($95), a bounty of Camellia, Carrot Seed, Golden Jojoba, Apricot Kernel, Evening Primrose, and Argan laced with a delicate yet modern bouquet of Jasmine, Neroli, Geranium and Frankincense. It’s an alluring complexity of favourite essentials, though light-handed for anyone fearing an overload of essences. It’s here where Maria’s sensory spirit, keen eye for detail and distinctive Eastern-style exuberance meet.

There’s a floral freshness with the sheer Jasmine, flanked by the shimmer of Neroli. The beautiful radiant quality of the oil is deepened with Geranium with a whispery twist of a dry, balsamic Frankincense. Innocent yet alluring on its spread, I promise the wearer, your skin won't feel overwhelmed by any means. If anything, a grassy tinge of floral fun is left behind as the face oil melds away into skin, rather like a dry oil and leaves skin thinly veiled.

Among the so many niche lines of skincare, Aroma M deserves your note because this is one of so few perfumers getting into the huile space and rightfully so. These artists do something different with oils – they go beyond the basic blend and bring an interpretative sense of originality to their brainy but palpable treatments.

Smarts that I like.

Price: $$$
Scent Classification: Floral
Viscosity: Ultralight viscosity