Cleopatra. Who was she really? What made her into the legend that she has become? We know that she became queen very young, and that she was incredibly brilliant; speaking many languages and having a keen understanding of statecraft. She seemed to be irresistible to men, and was rumored to bathe in saffron. Recent discoveries seem to indicate that she wore a popular perfume called Mendesian which was based around Myrrh and Cinnamon. She famously scented the sails of her ship, and created a trail of roses leading to her bed. Her name means “glory of her father.”
In naming my scent for Cleopatra, I have played on the meaning of her name and the prevalence of the lotus as a symbol of ancient Egypt. The scent itself starts with spicy Cinnamon and Cardamom. It quickly shares its deceptively sweet heart of both precious Blue and White Lotus overlaid with Frankincense. When it decides to reveal the strength of its bottom note, we are treated to a languorous pillow of Myrrh and saffron.
