Amyris

Amyris is the tree the islanders called candlewood, because its branches are so full of oil that they burn like torches. Its distilled wood smells sweet, soft and faintly smoky, and it was once sold as West Indian sandalwood. It is not sandalwood, but it has a warmth all its own.

What amyris is

Amyris oil is steam distilled from the dried wood of Amyris balsamifera, a small evergreen of the citrus family that grows in the Caribbean. The wood is left to season for months before distillation, and the oil is rich in valerianol, elemol and eudesmol, sesquiterpene alcohols that give it a smooth, sweet, balsamic woodiness with a faint smokiness that grows as it dries. It is gentle, long lasting and an excellent partner for resins, vanilla and heavier woods.

Where our amyris comes from

Ours comes from Haiti, the principal source of amyris oil in the world, where the tree grows wild on the dry limestone hills and the wood is gathered and distilled locally. The poor soil and long dry season concentrate the oil in the wood, and Haitian amyris has a sweeter, cleaner character than the material from other Caribbean islands. Like the vetiver from the same island, it has a dry brightness that makes it feel lighter than its warmth suggests.

How amyris smells

Woody and sweet, with a slightly smoky facet as it dries. It opens with a soft balsamic sweetness, then settles into a dry, creamy wood with a faint suggestion of smoke and pepper. It lasts for hours and never shouts.

Amyris in our chapters

• IIParadis de BleuThe Leaves · in the base

  In Paradis de Bleu it is one of the softer woods of the base, the sweet warmth between the cedars and the vetiver.

• IVRosée BlancheThe Climbing Rose · in the base

  In Rosée Blanche it warms the base beneath the rose, the soft wood beside vetiver and frankincense.

• VChérie OudThe Trunk · in the base

  In Chérie Oud it deepens the trunk, a sweet smoky wood beneath the vanilla and tonka.

• VIIIRoyale OudThe Taproot · in the base

  In Royale Oud it is one of the many woods of the taproot, the candle wood among the resins.

A note from the atelier

Amyris is the wood I use when sandalwood would be too creamy and cedar too dry. It sits exactly between them, and it has a faint smoke that makes everything around it feel lived in.

Questions about amyris