Explosion of Flowers

Tags

100% Natural, Etsy, Floral, Floral Gourmand, floriental, Full Bottle Wishlist, Indie, Liz Zorn, Loreto Remsing, Mandy Aftel, Natural Perfume, Niche, Noses, Perfume, Perfume Review, Season, SF Bay Area Perfumers & Artisans, Sharra, Spring, Tom Ford, Trish McEvoy, Wishlist

April showers bring May flowers! My mini-review of randomly chosen floral scents in my sample collection…

Violets in Bloom

Tags

Almond, Amber, ambrette seeds, Antoine Maisondieu, Bergamot, black cumin, bulgarian rose otto, Camille Goutal, carnation, cedar, centifolia rose, Chypre, Cinnamon, civet, cloves, cocoa beans, concrete, Dark Amber, Dawn Spencer Hurwitz, Favorite Flowers, floriental, fresh turned soil, gaïac wood, Gourmand, hay, heliotrope, incense, Indie, iris, Isabelle Doyen, jasmin, Labdanum, Laurie Erickson, Leather, Lemon, Liz Zorn, Loreto Remsing, magma, March Violet Series, Men's Fragrances, meteorite, mimosa blossoms, Musk, myrrh, Niche, Noses, Oakmoss, olfactory snapshots, opium, ozone, parma violet, Patchouli, plum, powdery orris root, purple violets, rainwater, Reality Scents, Rose, Sandalwood, Series, Sharra, star anise, sweet clover, tonka bean, Turkish Rose, Vanilla Bean, Vetiver, Violet, violet leaf, violet petals

8 samples of violet perfume have been sitting in my collection for a year now.  I never got around to them for some reason or another.  Now that it is the first day of Spring, I thought this would be a good time to dust them off and give them a sniff…

Massive Perfume Haul From Alkemia Perfumes

Tags

Alkemia Apothecary & Perfumery, Alkemia Perfumes, Etsy, Indie, Noses, Perfume Hauls, Perfume Oils, Sharra

Just received my order from Alkemia. I ordered 10 samples and Sharra threw in two more for good measure.

Included in my order are four of her new releases: Madam X, Ardere, Terrae, and Caliph’s Beloved.

I can’t wait to try them all! If you haven’t checked out Alkemia, run don’t walk to Sharra’s etsy shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Alkemia

Scent of the Day: Scene From A Murder

Tags

Autumn, blood, floriental, Graveyard, gunsmoke, Halloween, Indie, Lysa Luna, Occasion, Perfume Oil, Roses, Season, spiced wine, Winter

Find out what I’m wearing…

Scents To End The Winter Season: Firebird Bath & Body Tobacco Honey Soap + Alkemia Perfumes Miel de Sauvage et Tabac

Tags

Bar Soap, Bath & Body, Bath & Body Review, Brooke Martin, Casual, Etsy, Gifting, Indie, Men's Bath & Body, Men's Bath Soap, Men's Fragrance Friday, Men's Fragrances, Men's Gifts, Noses, Occasion, Perfume Oil, Perfume Review, Season, Sharra, Unisex, Winter

Right now Winter and Spring are at war with each other. Just when Spring is here to stay, a somber darkness moves in turning the sky a sullen gray.  While others can’t wait to see the back of Winter, I’m holding on as long as I can. My favorite perfumes are winter fragrances and it saddens me that they will be hibernating in my drawer soon to make room for light florals and fresh greens for Spring. I know what you’re going to say, “Who cares about the season? Just wear what you want!”. I wish I could but it doesn’t feel right wearing a heavy winter fragrance in the spring or summer. For me, it feels like wearing a long, heavy wool coat in the 80 degree weather. I feel inappropriately dressed as far as I’m concerned.

Firebird Tobacco Honey and Alkemia Miel de Sauvage et Tabac were my favorites in my winter wardrobe — two cold weather fumes I’m surely going to miss…

Scent of A Serpentine Dancer: Alkemia Apothecary & Perfumery La Bohème

Tags

Autumn, bellydance, Casual, Etsy, Evening, Fall, floriental, Indie, La Bohème, Near East, Noses, Ocassion, Patchouli, Perfume Oils, Rachel Brice, Rose, Scentimental Value, Season, Series, Sharra, Tribal Fusion Bellydance, Winter

Dance has been an integral part of my life.  Thanks to my aunt who was a bellydancer, she took me under her wing as a youngin’. Dance came natural to me as walking.  Alone in the corner of her dance studio, I emulated her movements when she rehearsed or taught class. Her students were amazed at how a 5-year-old girl caught on so quickly. She brought me on stage performing dance duets  and solos. I wowed the audience with challenging choreography for my age.  Many people remarked that I danced beyond my years. My ability to interpret the music through movement was visceral, a skill only conveyed by a dancer with years of experience.  I continued to train in several dance forms: Brazilian samba at 9 years old with my mom, Afro-Haitian dance during my teens, and flamenco in my early 20’s to present day.  I’ve spent subsequent years on and off learning different genres but my journey forward always took me back to my roots — bellydancing!

January Flower of the Month ~ Carnations: Possets Silver Carnation

Tags

All Year, carnation, Casual, chocolate, Clove, Date Night, Fabienne Christenson, Favorite Flowers, Floral, Flower of the Month, Indie, January, Noses, Occasion, Scentimental Value, Season, Series, spices, Vanilla

Thanks to Sex and the City, every time I see carnations I just have to laugh.  I remember that episode when Charlotte scornfully dismisses the poor carnation as filler flowers.  Unfortunately, a large majority of women share the same opinion as Charlotte.  Carnations are the poor man’s flower and rank #2 on the cheesy flower list after dandelions.  If a man gives a woman carnations, he can kiss that second date goodbye!

Nothing Like A Whore’s Handbag: Firebird Pomegranate Rose Perfume Oil

Tags

All Year, Brooke Martin, Casual, Comme des Garçons, Comme des Garçons Red Series, Etsy, Favorite Flowers, Firebird Bath & Body, Flourish Bath Body, Foodie Fumes, Fume Dupes, Indie, Lemon Zest, Noses, Occasion, Perfume Oils, Pomegranate Rose Perfume Oil, Pomegranates, Red Berries, Rose, Rosewater, Season, Series, Spring, Summer

Out of the 18 samples tested from the Flourish Firebird Deluxe Sampler, I would say Pomegranate Rose would have to be my favorite.  For the past month, I’ve been wearing it every other day.  I love it so much that I just bought two backups. It’s that good!

Gather ‘Round The Long Winter Farm Campfire

Tags

Amanda Nolan, Burrens, Campfire, Demeter, Etsy, Galway, Galway Bay, Indie, Ireland, Layering, Long Winter Farm, Maine, Maple, Noses, Olfactory Landscapes, Peat, Reality Scents, Scentimental Value, Season, Series, Vetiver, White Musk, Winter, woodsmoke

We have a fireplace in our house but we’re not allowed to use it due to health issues. As the winter gets colder, I stare at the empty fireplace wishing I could light a fire. What I would give for a blazing fire in that fireplace, a warm blanket and reading a good book.  I would be a happy bunny.

New Discoveries: Flourish Bath & Body Deluxe Perfume Sampler

Tags

Birthdays, Christmas Gifts, Deluxe Perfume Sampler, Etsy, Flourish Bath Body, Gifting, Indie, New Discoveries, Perfume Samples, Series

 

 

Like to experiment with layering different scents?  Here’s your chance with the Flourish Bath & Body Deluxe Perfume Sampler!