Ashka Not Perfumes
Fragrance Story
Ashka by NOT perfumes is a Woody Spicy fragrance for women and men. Ashka was launched in 2018. The nose behind this fragrance is Johanna Venables. Top notes are Cubeb or Tailed pepper, gunpowder and Guaiac Wood; middle notes are Olibanum, Galbanum, Tobacco and Agarwood (Oud); base notes are Ash, Birch Tar, Cade oil, Styrax and White Wood.
Composition Profile
About the Perfumer
Johanna Venables
Johanna Venables is a perfumer who has created fragrances for NOT perfumes, including Ashka, Nadir, Orm, Svaha, and Vaan. Her work often explores minimalist and abstract scent concepts. Venables' compositions are noted for their clarity and modern aesthetic.
Fragrance Notes
Character Profile
The Seeker Archetype: Portrait of Ashka Not Perfumes
Essence
Ashka Not Perfumes is unconventional-raw, unrefined, almost primal in its refusal to conform to traditional perfumery. It does not seek to flatter or seduce in the usual sense; instead, it evokes something deeper, more elemental. The person who chooses this scent is drawn to its authenticity, its refusal to be categorized. They are not interested in the perfumed illusions of society; they crave the scent of truth, even if it is unsettling.
This individual is most closely aligned with the Seeker archetype-the restless wanderer in pursuit of meaning beyond the mundane. The Seeker does not accept life as it is presented; they question, they challenge, they venture into the unknown. They are driven by an insatiable curiosity, a need to uncover what lies beneath the surface.
Yet, the Seeker is not without shadows. Their relentless pursuit can become a form of evasion-an unwillingness to commit, to settle, to accept that some truths are found not in movement, but in stillness. Their strength is their independence; their flaw is their resistance to belonging.
Style & Aesthetic
Their aesthetic is intentionally ambiguous-perhaps minimalist, perhaps layered in textures that suggest a life lived across multiple worlds. They favor clothing that feels lived-in, fabrics that age with them, pieces that tell a story rather than conform to trends. Their home, if they have one, is not a static space but a shifting landscape of books, artifacts, and objects that serve as waypoints in their journey.
They may appreciate raw, unfinished materials-concrete, wood, stone-things that retain their essence rather than submit to polish. Their taste in art leans toward the abstract, the surreal, or the deliberately obscure. They are not interested in what is easily understood.
They are likely nomadic in some form-whether through travel, shifting careers, or a refusal to settle into routine. They may work in creative fields, academia, or any domain that allows for reinvention. Stability is not their goal; evolution is.
Yet, this very fluidity can become their undoing. Without roots, they risk becoming untethered, lost in their own search. Their shadow is the Wanderer who never arrives, perpetually chasing horizons that recede as they approach.
Philosophy & Values
For this person, life is an experiment, a series of trials meant to refine the self. They reject dogma, preferring instead to construct their own philosophy from fragments of wisdom gathered along the way. They may be drawn to existentialism, Zen Buddhism, or even anarchic thought-not out of rebellion for its own sake, but because they refuse to accept unexamined truths.
Their values are rooted in freedom and authenticity. They despise pretense, and their disdain for societal expectations can border on contempt. Yet, this very rejection of convention can sometimes isolate them, leaving them adrift in their own ideals.
Relationships
They attract others through their intensity, their refusal to be ordinary. But relationships are often fleeting-not because they lack depth, but because their nature is to keep moving. They may have lovers, but few lifelong partners; friends, but few who truly understand their restlessness.
Their shadow emerges here: their fear of stagnation can make them emotionally nomadic, always one step ahead of true intimacy. They may rationalize this as a commitment to freedom, but beneath it lies a dread of being known too deeply-for to be known is to risk being confined.
Shadow
In their highest expression, they are fearless explorers of the human experience, unafraid to venture where others hesitate. They inspire by their refusal to conform, their insistence on living by their own terms.
But in their shadow, they are the eternal fugitive-running not toward something, but away from the vulnerability of standing still. Their greatest challenge is not in finding truth, but in learning to dwell within it once found.
Conclusion
Ashka Not Perfumes does not mask; it reveals. And so does this person. They are not for everyone-nor do they wish to be. Their scent lingers, not as a memory, but as a question: What lies beyond the next turn? And though they may never fully answer it, the pursuit itself is what defines them.