Description
Shantara is a perfume house from Switzerland which prefers high quality essences, nature and environment consciousness, with strong influence of tradition, quality and criterion which they want to push forward with their concept. They have presented a perfume pair so far – edition for women Reve Etoile (Star Dream) launched in 2008 and its masculine companion, Shaman, introduced recently, in 2009.
Each detail of these two perfumes is carefully designed. Ingredients are organic, package does not contain cellophane or materials with negative effect on the environment, and they can be recycled. Producers from the house of Shantara put great effort to set criteria in modern age, while having on mind spiritual values and spirituality brought by the compositions.
Starry sky in dark night – Reve Etoile, is a true fragrant collage, composed of 30 scents from all round the world. Top notes introduce freshness and liveliness with essences of mandarin and pineapple combined with woody notes in charge of depth and opulent nuances from the very beginning. A heart blossoms with rose, geranium and white flowers, with a touch of sweet, spicy ylang-ylang. Base notes rest on balmy, Indian plant Nard Himalayan Jatamansi (spikenard, nard). This fragrant plant blossoms with white and pink flowers, it is used in nutrition and medicine (therapeutic oil in China and India) and it is mentioned twice in Biblical love song Song of Solomon. Nard is combined with patchouli and sandalwood in base notes of Reve Etoile. The fragrance is available as 50 ml EDP.
Design of the flacon represents sacred, cupola-like, polished gem, as a beautifully shaped, clean drop of water which is like spiritual guideline taking us to the sky like spiritual purification. Famous and rewarded calligrapher Jigme Douche worked on flacon design.
affereday – :
Shantara REVE ETOILE is a rose and dirty patchouli perfume with enough darkness and complexity to count as a chypre, it seems to me. I would be surprised if among the many (30) notes that this composition boasts labadanum were nowhere to be found, although I should confess my ignorance of what precisely nard smells like–could very well smell like labdanum, for all I know!
I like REVE ETOILE and recommend it to anyone who likes dirty patchouli floral fragrances. The rose is definitely dominant in this variation of what appears to be a popular theme in natural perfumery. There is not a huge amount of development here, and the longevity is so-so, but it’s definitely nice while it lasts.
freakman – :
Ever curious about natural perfumes, I contacted Shantara, and received samples of all three releases…and they are actually very nice!
I wanted Isiris most, but Reve Etoile stole my heart!! This beauty begins with a sweet and woody fruitiness, and then opens into a wonderful floral wave of sensuality and freshness. It is obvious at first sniff these perfumes are 100% natural, and their purity makes sense since they are also 98% organic. This reminds me of that magical time just after dusk when the flowers release their sweetest scents and the trees, still warm from a day soaking up the sun, exude warmth and vigor. I can see the stars emerge…and begin to dream, as the earthy patchouli and sandalwood creep over me. As I lay in the grass, the stars twinkle and I am at peace…
Sillage: good
Longevity: very good
Overall: 4.25/5
I was amazed at how quickly this company responded to my request for samples, and I believed that they were in Europe somewhere. My parcel arrived from San Diego, CA-so they must have some retail outlet somewhere in the States. They are pricey…but worth every cent!