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Vetiver Rouge OOAK Perfume

Lipstick by 96dpi
Lipstick, a photo by 96dpi on Flickr.

And while we are on the theme of red, I want to announce a new One-Of-A-Kind perfume I recently added online. Back in 2007, I was on a vetiver roll and created several vetiver-centered fragrances. Out of these, my favourite, Vetiver Racinettes, was added to my permanent collection of natural perfumes.

However, the road of vetiver was as fascinating and quirky as the finished result - 5 different mods, Wilde Vetyver, Vetiver Blanc, Vetiver Noir and a Vetiver Truffle - a solid perfume with black summer truffle oil that melds together the luxurious and the earthy. Six years later, I returned to the sketch book of the 4th in the series, Vetiver Rouge, and felt inspired to elaborate on the theme of red vetiver.

This time around, I've played with the meaning of the name, and took it to the complete opposite direction than my other vetiver scents. It is far more soft, round, sweet and feminine. While is still maintains the mysterious depth and complexity of the darkest of vetiver essences, it had the audacity and It has the red spectrum with notes that in my mind have deep reddish hues.

Complex and ambitious, the most tenacious vetiver notes from around the world are accompanied with the elusive, distinctive, intensely licorice-sweet and somewhat powdery - tarragon absolute. The red-copper tainted Ruh Khus from India is combined with a co-distillation of vetiver with Mitti attar (baked Indian earth) and juxtaposed with the earthy luxury of deep cacao liquor. Add to that a slice of juicy, raspberry-like blood orange, red rooibos red tea, geranium absolute from the tropics, red champaca absolute and exotic tomar seeds form India, and there is a concoction that is like a kiss of thick rouge and a sip of a deep red wine.

Notes: Attar Mitti, Blood Orange, Champaca, Cocoa Absolute, Davana, Geranium Absolute Ginger, Nutmeg, Rooibos (Red Tea) Ruh Khus, Tarragon Absolute, Tomar Seed, Vetiver Indonesia, Vetiver Sri-Lanka, Zantoxylum

Immortelle l'Amour Tea


Immortelle l'Amour Tea, originally uploaded by Ayala Moriel.

I've had the pleasure to share my first Perfumed Tea several times with clients and students, and it's just magical. It's amazing what few ingredients do to each other when blended in the right proportions and made by a true artisanal tea-maker. Thank you to Dawna Ehman, the fine lady who has made this tea with love and care to the last detail as she does with all her teas under the Inner Alchemy Tea Co. The tea is beautiful, both visually and aromatically, from the loose tea in the tin, to the entire process of steeping, pouring, mapling and sipping it. One of the coolest thing about this tea is that at the end of the batch, the bottom is dotted with real vanilla specks!

This tea is best served with maple syrup, which echoes the perfume it was inspired by. It can also be served with milk or cream, but I prefer it without - it feels like drinking liquid gold. Which is what wearing Immortelle l'Amour feels like as well. It's truly soothing and beautiful.

Here is more information from Dawna Ehman about the properties of rooibos tea:
"Rooibos is produced by oxidizing the green needles of Aspalathus linearis, a wild broom-like shrub native to South Africa. It is a full flavored tea with low levels of tannin and no calories, oxalic acid or caffeine. Rooibos tisane contains many nutrients including a full spectrum of minerals, vitamin C and high levels of antioxidants. For optimum extraction and flavour, steep in boiling water for a minimum of 10 minutes.
The nourishing properties of Rooibos enable it to regulate nervous system imbalances such as headaches, irritability, insomnia, hypertension and depression. The anti-spasmodic properties of Rooibos aid in digestive imbalances like nausea, cramps, heartburn and constipation. As well, Rooibos is reputed to strengthen the body of low immunity and allergies like hay fever, asthma and eczema."

Also, according to Dawna, rooibos tea is also served as a drink for children in South Africa. It is sweetened with apple juice, served cool, or frozen into popsicle molds for a special summer treat.

Immortelle l'Amour Perfumed Tea is out for only a week now, and we're already down to only 3 last tins!
The next batch will be ready by December 14th. Until than, take advantage of the introductory price of $18 (the real price is $30 per tin!) to enjoy this real special, organic artisanal tea. All the ingredients are top quality and organic: the Cedarberg red rooibos tea, Madagascar vanilla beans, hand-crumbled Ceylon cinnamon bark, freshly dried orange peel and hand-picked calendula petals.

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