Sanctum Aureum, aka Golden Sanctuary

An olfactory work, by Joe Vega, Lupus & Vega.

Available now.

Size: 2.5 grams

A 35-year-old opening his first box of a luxury Japanese incense...he is in the still space of his bedroom, alone, the air is...motionless.

He lights a stick, and the smoke rises straight into the air, no drafts, no swirls. Just straight.

He is automatically transfixed.

A sacred flame in golden stillness.

Sanctum Aureum is inspired by that moment; not merely an olfactory work--it's a moment of radiant silence where resin, green wood, and flower commune, perfectly balanced to create a single, sparkling aroma.

From the first breath, a luminous spark rises: green elemi resin dominates, bright and citrus-lit, and fuses with the soft, polished soul of spicy Ho Wood.

At the heart, a triad of spiritual bloom and smoke unfurls: sacred Omani Frankincense whispers an incense trail, crowned by the golden glow of Ylang Ylang and the delicate, sunlit grace of Orange Blossom and Neroli. The result is a unified composition, neither resinous nor floral; it is new altogether.

As it settles, Sanctum Aureum reveals its refuge: a base steeped in warmth and reverence. Rich Benzoin, the balsamic sweetness of Peru Balsam, and the deep, shadowed mystery of Styrax, all wrapped around a rare gem—rare Mysore Sandalwood, aged a decade to perfection, grounding the composition in sacred stillness.

A review:

"Sanctum Aureum - Lupus & Vega - When I heard the vision for this fragrance was to capture the scent of luxury Japanese incense I was both immediately excited and apprehensive. It's a tall order, some say it's the ultimate goal of perfumery, to capture beautifully made incense into a wearable form, and it has been attempted. Often times those renditions veer into individual aspects of incense, such as being overly sweet, almost syrupy, or being incredibly woody and sharp, or they might lean into a more balsamic peppery vanillic dry down. What they all miss is the wispiness of incense smoke, and how as it lingers in one place, it slowly imparts a level of sweetness, spice and herbal elements, without every being overwhelming.

"So how does Sanctum Aureum get over this hurdle, well it uses the ingenious choice of crafting a fizziness in the top. It utilized a hint of pepper, molded with the citrus facets of frankincense, and other resins, and perhaps some citrus-y florals. When I say pepperiness here, it's very mild, and perfectly balanced with the other elements, to give a sinus clearing sort of coolness, now it's not over done, and you'll get hints of a herbal green mixed in with this, which from the moment you sniff this from the cap, will make you fall in love with it!

"Where does it go from here? It starts to lean into the sweeter, balsamic resinous notes, think benzoin but it's not just that. A herbal green tinge is somehow still here, and while at times the scent feels like it's gotten a lot weaker, deeper inhales will expose you to different elements, such as a whisper of the top sans any pepper, but somehow airy and expansive feeling. The sweetness is never overwhelming, and its perhaps due to an expert use of florals which cut through the heavy vanillic denseness of benzoin, and also impart a sense of cleanliness to this stage of the scent. While it remain a light scent, in terms of notes, it's by no means difficult to smell or vanished at this point, it's there but in an elegant, reserved sort of way.

"The late dry down of this scent finally starts to showcase the wonderful Mysore sandalwood used here, but it's not quite what you'd get sniffing it neat. There's no milkiness here, yet a combination of florals and resins come together to form a sweet base, which is seriously hard to get off your skin! Yet again the sweetness isn't overdone, I can't stress this enough, if it was, I would have a tough liking this scent, but I've had the opposite problem! It's now that a strange note starts to comes out, not unpleasant but so surprising that I was take a back. A leather-y musky note starts to pop its head every now and again, contrasting the calm sweetness with an additional level of bitterness. It's so good that you'll find yourself mesmerized by it, even compared to the rest of scent, there's an almost bewitching quality to this dry down!

"Spectacular blend you've got here @Joe , no one element ever truly dominates the scent, which somehow allows you to play into all the different facets of what incense smoke is like, but with this balance which makes picking individual notes out exceedingly difficult, easier just apply and let the scent take you alongside it throughout your day!"

Sanctum Aureum is a journey inward--A perfume of radiant ritual, aged wood, and the sacred--100% balanced.

Crafted in limited release for those who find poetry in the hushed "in-between" moments.

Available exclusively from Lupus & Vega.
Hand-poured. An alcohol-free attar.
Available as 2.5 grams in an attar bottle.

Note: There is a trace of musk in this piece; so, I am sorry, this is NOT vegan. However, the musk isn't pronounced; rather, it unifies the composition to create a wonderful, unisex work.