Calling All Angels by April Aromatics

/ Sandra

.

Sandra

.

Hey APJ! How is life treating you? Life is good during summer vacation when the days are long and hot (insane intense heat) and we are preparing for my parents arrival at the end of the month.

Incense and I have had a rocky relationship for years. I have owned two incense perfumes and used the one I adored up. My other incense perfume only feels right for me in the summer heat when the incense is played down and I get more ambergris. So naturally I am curious about what else is on the market. However, my fickle side comes out when I am presented with a cool almost icy incense. It makes my throat close up and I start coughing. Many times I am left cold.

Calling All Angels by April Aromatics 2013

Tanja Bochnig

I yearn for something warm, inviting, enveloping. Smooth smokey tendrils reaching my nose and tickling my fantasy of far away sacred places. Incense is so varied, complex and can be used in many ways. Naturally, my first thought would be a church service. But as the years have gone by and I have experienced more, I realize that incense is not only for spiritual purposes in a church setting. I have been known to place a small piece of Omani incense in a carafe full of water and to drink the water. It cleanses not only my soul but cools me down on a hot day. Incense plays a big role in my centered life by using it in all the corners of a new home or when ai just feel the need for a cleanse. I use a frankincense oil on my pulse points when I need to breathe.

Tanja Bochnig of April Aromatics created Calling All Angels with notes of “Incense, Labdanum, Tonka Bean, Vanilla Accord, Benzoin, Elemi Resin, Frankincense, Amber Accord, Honey Accord, Precious Woods Accord, Opoponax, Rose Otto and Love”.

Ms. Bochnig describes Calling All Angels on her website as “A new Incense Perfume: a rather dark and complex angelic scent, with a sweet incense/ honey like note, implementing the elements of Earth, Ether and Air.”

Calling All Angels opens with a warm breath of incense which is warmed by the fires or coal underneath. There is nothing chilling or cold about this incense. It is as she describes “dark and complex” which leads to an added sense of mystery. My nose gets more tonka than vanilla and that is precisely what keeps me interested and wanting more calm just to experience this beauty. I really should no longer be surprised by Tanja Bochnig’s craft in producing gorgeous perfumes which are all natural. But I am. The dry down brings in warm woods and amber. I can smell this stage for a good twelve hours on my skin. And that is just one spritz!

I honestly cannot decide which stage of Calling All Angels is my favourite. Is it the beginning with the opening incense sweetened ever so slightly by vanilla and tonka? Is it the dry down where the woods come into play and take the sweetness down a notch? Is it the hours of wonder when I waft something so beautiful it can either bring me to tears or make me break out in a joyous smile?

Calling All Angels allows me to relax, meditate and reflect on what I am grateful for. It also transports me back to my trip to Kyoto so many years ago. One of my favorite memories is walking through many temples with my then one year old son and remembering the joy on his face as we strolled through the meticulous gardens surrounding the temples. I bought quite a bit of incense back in Kyoto just to be able to access those temple experiences back home.

Calling All Angels is a stellar perfume for incense lovers. Who knew that I would love incense so much?

Do you like incense? Have you tried Calling All Angels? Do you have more recommendations for warming and enveloping incense perfumes?

Until next time, oodles of fragrant kisses.

Sandra xo

22 thoughts on “Calling All Angels by April Aromatics”

  1. I am a total incense fiend, so of course I have to know what two previous incense perfumes you wore. 🙂

    Not sure if I have tried Calling All Angels, but I will definitely order a sample. I love Heeley Cardinal and Eau SacrĂ©e, Tauer Incense Extreme, SSS Incense Pure, AG Encens Flamboyant, L’Artisan Dzongkha and Passage d’Enfer, the whole CdG incense series plus their Monocle Hinoki, Aedes Copal Azur… the list goes on and on. I actually have a whole section of my collection dedicated to incense, while the rest is organized by house.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hi Tara, wow, you have a wonderful incense collection. The only one I know is Dzongkha. I used up my bottle of Neela Vermeire Trayee – loved every last drop. The second one is Guerlain Encens Mythique D’Orient which I only wear in the heat. Thank you for letting me know about your incense loves. Onto the sample list they go.
      Sandra xo

      Like

  2. I am an incense novice – have sampled many and SSS Incense Pure was also a favorite for me. More recently Chris Rusak Io. I’d like to spend more time exploring though- it’s definitely a gap in my collection, and most of my purchases these days are meant to fill gaps since I have So Much Perfume.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hey there MMKinPA, I too am trying to fill gaps in my collection. The Chris Rusak Io and SSS Incense Pure sound beautiful. Thanks for sharing!
      Sandra xo

      Like

  3. What a lovely review to read on my first day back from holiday (lovely but hot, and it is hot here in the Lowlands). As you know I love Calling All Angels, it is definitely my favourite incense, and ranks high on my list of most loved perfumes. I understood from Tanja that the 10 ml travelsprays will be back on her site which makes it possibly easier to purchase this or any of her other stunning perfumes. I wore a lot of Unter den Linden (Linden blossom) and Ray of Light (citrus, mint and linden blossom) during my holiday and fell in love with them too. Tanja’s perfumes have a way of getting under my skin, similar but different to how Vero’s perfumes do.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hi Hamamelis, it is so hot here that we are indoors today. I got too much sun yesterday and even managed to have too much sun exposure on my eyes while at the pool. But I love the heat if I compare it to the cold. Calling All Angels is gorgeous. It is something that will definitely join my collection. Ray of Light is just such a joyful perfume. Will try Unter den Linden next. Thanks for sharing the excellent news about the 10 ml travelsprays! I enjoy too many of Tanja’s perfumes to limit myself to just one.
      Sandra xo

      Like

  4. SSS Incense Pure
    Heeley Cardinal
    SL Leau Froide
    CdG Avignon
    The Sauf brand Incenses
    Frankincense essential oils
    Labdanum e.o.
    Mhyrr e.o.

    I have blended all three e.o.s and added some vanilla bean oil to make a sweet and warm incense body oil that I can slather on in the winter when my skin is dry

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hi Brigitte, So many beautiful perfumes that I need to try now. Thank you for sharing. I have Frankincense essential oil. Will try to find and buy the Labdanum and Myrrh. What kind of a base oil do you use? I used to have one and the movers would not let me bring it. Go figure… I bet you smell diving with your blended oil.
      Sandra xo

      Like

  5. It has only been recently that I found an incense rich perfume to love – IUNX L’Ether. It’s amazing. I have heard good things about Calling All Angels, and it might be time to search it out. It has taken me a long time to want to wear incense. I do love the incense note in Coromandel, and wish it was stronger. That is in the EdT – they seem to have removed the incense totally from the EdP formulation. It’s flat.
    Great post as ever. xxx

    Liked by 1 person

    • Hey Val, Your reviews of the IUNX perfumes makes me want to search them out and try them. They sound lovely. Calling All Angels is really fantastic. I have Coromandel in EdT and have not worn the EdP yet. The incense note in there is present but ever so slight. Hope you are all well. Sandra xo

      Like

  6. Hey Sandra,
    You’re singing my song. Incense is one of my favourite notes. Most of mine have been mentioned already but my favourite incense is by far Exultat by Maria Candida Gentile. For some reason it hits me like no other. Incense, waxed woods, cold stone and humanity all brought together in one magical elixir.
    Portia xx

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Dear Sandra,

    Thank you!!! I love how you write about Calling all Angels and it makes me want to wear it right now…in this heat.. 🙂
    Yes it is true, the travel sizes (15mls), are available again on April Aromatics Webshop in limited quantities this week and within 2 weeks (when new bottles arrive) in full quantity. Thank you for mentioning it. Wishing you all a lovey summer and stay cool in this European heatwave.

    x Tanja

    Liked by 1 person

    • Portia’s post reminds me I have Sideris from the same brand but have not tried Exultat. I won’t say I am a huge incense fan which might be why Sideris comes across as a unique incense fragrance, with a bit sweetness added while incense note remains prominent. In many other sweet incense perfumes, incense often becomes a background note, only noticeable if you pay close attention. Copal Azur might be another one that would appeal even to those who are not huge fans of incense though I have yet to wear Copal Azur properly.

      Liked by 1 person

      • Hi Fazal, Two votes now for Maria Candida Gentile means I have to sample them. Sideris sounds lovely with the touch of sweetness. Copal Azur is such an enticing name – makes me want to dive right in. Sandra xo

        Like

    • Dear Tanja, Thank you for reading. I think Calling All Angels wears beautifully in this heat. So excited about the 15 mls bottles – room for more of your perfumes. Stay cool and hydrated this week.
      Sandra xo

      Like

  8. oops, reply to the wrong post … while we are at it, I do have the discovery set of April Aromatics but have not tried Calling All Angels yet though it is quite obvious to me it is one of the most popular in April Aromatics line.

    Liked by 1 person

    • The discovery set is wonderful. I am having loads of fun sniffing my way through them. Let me know what you think of Calling All Angels when you do try it. I am curious as to what you experience. Sandra xo

      Like

Comments are closed.