Sands of Morocco by Infusion Organique

By Marina Infusion Organique believe that "100% organic is not always 100% effective" and are not afraid to actually voice that belief. Good for them. Their company infuses organic with "scientifically derived" ingredients. Which is to say that some of their ingredients are natural (organic) and some come from a lab. I fail to see how that sets them apart from any number of other companies doing just the same thing, unless the secret lies in blending just the right combination of the two types of ingredients, and the Infusion Organique experts are privy to that golden ratio. If I sound sarcastic, I am really not. Organic, lab-created, what matters to me is how good and how interesting is the resulting fragrance. And I am here to tell you that Sands of Morocco is the biggest bargain you'll find when searching for a nice woody vanilla. Comforting, relaxing, season-less due to its lack of the typical vanillic sweetness, the citrus-vanilla-sandalwood-oak moss blend isn't breaking any grounds, but it smells lovely...an understated, delicate vanilla with a slightly piquant, tea-like undertone and a very perceptibly mossy feel in the base. It's not rich and spicy enough to be particularly deserving of its name, in my opinion; it's a nice vanilla, not a "Moroccan" vanilla, let's put it that way...In fact, to me, moss makes it smell "European" more than anything else. It is quite subtle (which is fine with me), and one might need to re-apply to get the vanillic-woody burst of goodness (the mossy base stays for good many hours, however), but hey, at $35.00 per 50ml, it's practically a guilt-free indulgence! Available at Beautycafe and B-glowing. Image source, infusionorganique.net.