Shangri-la Anointing Oil

How Shangri-la (the scent) came to be.

Claire and Jona, of YACHT, have been supporters of OLO for a while. Victory Wolf is one of their favorite scents. I wanted to make a smell for them but I was too shy to ask. While corresponding via the interwebs one day Claire asked me if I wanted to make a fragrance for the new release of Shangri-la. Um, yes please.

What is the pretty blue bottle?

An anointing oil. My initial thoughts regarding this collaboration was that this would not necessarily be a perfume. This oil was specifically created to be applied when listening to YACHT's Shangri-la.

What does it smell like?

According to YACHT, " Very good. It’s a brooding, unisex, smoky fragrance, combining romantic top notes of jasmine, vetiver, ylang yang, and hiba wood, with a base of hazy cade, sumac, peruvian balsam and siam wood. The result hovers in the air like a change in the weather, like flower offerings smashed recklessly on the ground in a temple on fire. It unfolds quietly, moving softly from the bright floral tones to its own dark underbelly. It’s for everyone."

What was the image OLO had in mind when creating this scent?

I felt compelled to capture the idea of ceremony or ritual. The image I had was reminiscent of the stories of Egyptian temple dancers. They wore wax headdresses infused with essential oils. When they danced, the heat from their bodies would melt the wax and anoint them with the oils.

The first image I had when listening to Shangri-la was of young people dancing around flames. They are covered head to toe with giant white flowers. They dance all night. The air is thick, the ground stomped flat with flower petals and soot. The sun rises to a beautiful mess.

Shangri-la is currently only available on the YACHT tour and website. A list of select stores stocking this scent will be available shortly. Either go to a show and purchase it at the merch table or cultivate patience, both are rewarding exercises for your spirit.