The Story
Why it exists.
The beginning
Shaman Perfumery released Bulgarian Rose in 2025, with Tada Archawong behind the composition. The name says exactly what it means, and the material at its center has a history of its own. Bulgarian damask rose is connected to the distillation of rose in Bulgaria's Valley of Roses, a tradition that gives this study its frame: a single protagonist ingredient, allowed to speak for itself. Archawong builds around it rather than over it, letting pear and green notes sharpen the opening, peony and lily of the valley soften the middle, and sandalwood, ambrette, musk and vanilla settle the whole thing into a balanced floral composition. The rose remains central while the surrounding notes change its temperature, adding fruit, greenery, resinous depth and a soft base beneath the floral heart.
The interesting part is the tension. Damask rose is paired with green stems and pear, which give it a cooler, crisper expression. Balsamic notes add a resinous shadow that offsets the floral sweetness without burying the rose. Meanwhile, the heart introduces lily of the valley alongside peony, extending the composition beyond the central rose note with a clean floral character. Sandalwood supports the later notes and connects them to the base, where ambrette, musk and vanilla bring warmth and depth.
The evolution
It starts green and almost dewy, rose petals over cut stems, with pear adding a crisp fruit note that catches light like early morning. The balsamic facets sit low from the beginning, giving the brightness something darker to lean against. Then the middle arrives and the temperature shifts: peony and lily of the valley bring powdery softness, while sandalwood gives the floral notes a smoother, creamier texture. The composition moves from a green, fruit-led opening into a layered floral center, then settles toward ambrette, musk and vanilla over woody notes. Rose remains the defining thread throughout, framed at first by greenery and pear, then surrounded by peony, lily of the valley and sandalwood, and finally grounded by the warmer base notes.
Cultural impact
Shaman Perfumery's lineup includes Bourbon Vanilla, Ambergris, Myrrh, Jasmine Sambac and Bulgarian Rose. Bulgarian Rose connects damask rose with the distillation tradition of Bulgaria's Valley of Roses, placing the material within a broader history of rose and fragrance. The composition begins with pear and green notes, develops through peony and lily of the valley, and settles into sandalwood, ambrette, musk and vanilla. It’s a fragrance to explore as a study in contrasts: the fruit and greenery around the rose, the soft floral heart, the resinous balsamic notes and the warmer base that completes the composition.
The House
Shaman PerfumeryShaman Perfumery is a Filipino fragrance house built around the premise that a single raw material carries centuries of human meaning. Rather than constructing complex narratives around dozens of notes, the brand strips each composition to one protagonist ingredient, illuminating its historical, cultural, and ritual significance across civilizations. The lineup spans materials as geographically and emotionally diverse as Bourbon Vanilla, Ambergris, Myrrh, Jasmine Sambac, and Bulgarian Rose. Each fragrance arrives under a name that does exactly what it says on the bottle, refusing metaphor in favor of directness. The brand launched in 2024 and has found distribution through specialty retailers including Luckyscent.
The Creator
Tada ArchawongArchawong favors a disciplined layering method: she starts with a crystalline top, adds a heart of locally sourced florals, then anchors the piece with a base of rare woods or resins. Bergamot, fig, and muguet appear frequently in her openings, providing a fresh, slightly gree…
