Khoya is the AMAVAS fragrance built on milk reduced slowly until it turns golden, the base of most Indian sweets, with pistachio, saffron and clean sandalwood. It is a gourmand, but an Indian one: warm, milky and nutty rather than sugary.
Why milk
Khoya is what you get when full-fat milk is stirred over low heat for an hour until it thickens and caramelises. It is the base of barfi, gulab jamun and peda. The smell of a halwai's shop at dusk is mostly khoya and ghee. No fine fragrance had bottled it, so we did.
How it is composed
- Opening: pistachio and a little cardamom, green and fatty.
- Heart: reduced milk and saffron, the golden stage of the pan.
- Base: sandalwood, kept clean and dry, so the sweetness never turns sticky.
Who it is for
Anyone who likes to smell like something good is being made nearby. It sits close to the skin and gets warmer through the day. It is the softest of the four First Moon fragrances.
How long it lasts
20% parfum concentration, wear-tested in Indian heat. Gourmands can go cloying in humidity; the sandalwood base is there to stop that.
Price and format
100 ml, Rs 1,999 at launch, or in the Discovery Ritual at Rs 649 for all four in 9 ml. Prebook a bottle for Rs 1,299 at amavas.beauty, shipped first and refundable until dispatch.
