HOUSE OF BARIANThe Ritual
Three layers, one lasting scent
Other houses sell a perfume. Barian builds every scent as a three-layer ritual: base, heart and top, worn one after another.
Ritual Smoke
Thin wafers of resin, scented wood and perfume oil, aged like bakhoor. On the Censer's Ritual setting they smoulder into fragrant smoke that settles into hair and fabric.
Worn alone: a deep, smoky scent in the hair and clothes.
Attar
An alcohol-free perfume oil, applied to the pulse points. Florals, spices and warm materials sit close to the skin and anchor the smoke.
Worn alone: a close, warm skin scent.
Extrait
The finishing layer of extrait de parfum: bright notes that lift the whole composition and give it projection and trail.
Worn alone: a complete, lighter perfume.
How to wear the smoke
Hair, body and clothes
Through the hair and over the body. Lift the Censer from its dock and waft the smoke through your hair and along your shoulders, as Gulf hosts offer the censer to their guests. Hair holds smoke-borne scent for days.
Over clothes. Drape a coat, scarf or shirt over the lantern lid for five to ten minutes.
For the home. Rooms have their own range, warmed in the Censer's separate Home ring. Ritual Smoke is made for the body and clothes.
Waft the smoke rather than leaning into it, keep your face out of the plume, and ventilate the room.
An example
Ex Lapide, in three layers
| Layer | Carries | Worn alone |
|---|---|---|
| Ritual Smoke | The base: agarwood, cedar, labdanum, birch smoke | A dark, mineral smoke in the hair and clothes |
| Attar | The heart: shilajit accord, saffron, vetiver | A warm, close skin scent |
| Extrait | The top: saffron, pink pepper, bright vetiver over a thread of shilajit | A complete, lighter perfume for every day |
Each layer shares a common thread, here the shilajit accord, so the three read as one perfume.
The Smoke Salon
Your first ritual, by appointment
The Smoke Salon will be the house's appointment-only atelier in London, where you can experience the full ritual, with hair, body and garments scented by hand.