Astra Planeta Aftershave & Cologne | Alluring, Masculine, Intoxicating

Meet Astra Planeta, not your everyday Tobacco forward scent but something a little different, something a little, celestial. Though the full flavor of cured tobacco leaf does indeed lead the way, there is a lot more going on. A range of other scent notes work in tandem to compliment and bolster the accord like no other tobacco scent I have experienced. Thus making Astra Planeta something truly unique.

I really love classic tobacco scents and have many in my collection from vintage to modern! Heck, Cavendish was the first tobacco soap in the wet shaving world...it was also the second scent we put out after our Clásico Bay Rum, our first! So yes, Tobacco scents hold a special place in my heart and I have been influenced by many.

First off, if you have not tried a tobacco scented soap yet because you are not a fan of smoking, you have the wrong idea. Tobacco fragrances are not designed to smell anything like cigarettes or ashtrays or burning, but are based on the bold, rich blends of tobacco, before they are smoked. Sometimes, they are based on the actual tobacco flower itself which is the furthest thing from smelling like a Marlboro with its floral bouquet and lightness. 

In Astra Planeta we explore what can be done with the leaf, pushing the limits to see what magic we can pull out or accentuate with the aid of other complimentary scents. This was truly a lot of trial and error...and a lot of waiting around. Each variation of the blend was created then checked daily for almost a week to see how it was developing. The notes taken for Astra Planeta are plentiful, many a yellow note pad was decorated with my chicken scratch, and stained by oils and resins as we moved through the process getting closer to our mark!

Man was I excited the day the 2 pounds of Burley Cured Tobacco Leaves showed up on my steps! Burley Tobacco is mainly used to make cigarette tobacco leaf blends a bit stronger and flavorful, the Burley Whole Leaf Tobacco is also used for cigar filler, pipe blends, and chewing tobacco leaf. For this reason I decided to take a cue from the tobacco industry and use it in a similar fashion.

 

Not only is Burley used for its flavor strength but also for its gourmand type quality. When I tore open the bag the lab was instantly transformed into a humidor, casting off an amazingly fresh, chocolatey, rich tobacco aroma...you could almost taste the air and it was delicious! I could not wait to begin the steam distillation process and see what I would get!

What was born out of the chemistry was a hydrosol that was warm, with a "thick" depth of character comparable to an absolute. It possessed a rich "heaviness" that I typically don't get from hydrosol. Very masculine, bold, and even slightly  herbaceous. This proved to serve the shape of Astra Planeta in a way no other ingredient could when it came to projection and expression on the skin.

Opoponax, or sweet myrrh, is a cousin of the healing Myrrh—Commiphora Myrrha—with  a warm-balsamic and sweet honey-like aroma. It is a natural oleo-gum-resin like myrrh and frankincense. Opoponax has been a component of incense and perfumes since Biblical times. I chose to use Opoponax to impart sweet balsamic notes that seemed to blend harmoniously with the tobacco notes. Not only that, but when combined it seemed to create a whole other trait. It was a very noticeable effect that I was not only baffled by, but fell in love with.

Olibanum also known as Frankincense, is an aromatic resin obtained from trees of the genus Boswellia, particularly Boswellia sacra, B. carteri, B. thurifera, B. frereana and B. bhaw-dajiana (Burseraceae). The English word is derived from Old French "franc encens" (i.e., high quality incense) and is used in incense and perfumes.

Olibanum is characterized by a balsamic-spicy, slightly lemon, fragrance of incense, with a conifer-like undertone that plays really well also with tobacco leaf.

Frankincense is mentioned in the Bible as one of the three gifts, like Myrrh, that the wise men gave to the young child Jesus. Being that Astra Planeta takes its name from the 5 Greek Gods of the Wandering Stars this marriage of Frankincense & Myrrh seemed to not only work wonders scent-wise but also thematically in the story I am telling. Holy Smokes, no?

  

Then came the citrus notes, the florals, the woods, spices and grasses. A whole supportive world was created up and around the Star of the show, Tobacco. Any fan of tobacco scents is sure to appreciate the alchemy that is going on within this blend, it is truly magnificent and I'm proud to be able to offer it finally! 

Wear this accord with the curiosity and intent of the ancient astronomers who married mystery and science in order to try and make sense out of the great big universe that surrounded them!

100 Ml

Alcohol, Organic Tobacco Leaf Hydrosol, Essential / Fragrance Oils, Aloe Vera, Glycerin, Opononax Resin, Olibanum Resin, White Willow Extract, Tobacco Absolute