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Fresh Nose



A huge part of my work is educational, either spontaneously via interactions with customers and random encounters at social events; or intentionally through workshops and classes I offer. 
This past winter holiday season, I had a blast interacting with children at a Christmas show last year. Unlike their parents, they're not spoiled yet with misconceptions against fragrance (like so many folks in Vancouver - everyone claims to be "allergic", where in fact they are more like just ignorant and close-minded). These children's curiousity and sheer delight at smelling something new was so refreshing that it stuck with me for months after the fact! 

Time and again, I meet adults that are so jaded about perfume (and probably life in general). They act like they've seen it all, even though it is more likely that they are too scared to step out of their comfort zone and experience anything new. How many times have you met someone who just jumps at the opportunity to rather than just claim that they "live life to the fullest" (a cliché I hear so many times that I want to scream and run for the hills), where in fact, they just want to do the same thing over and over again because they identify with the notion of being "au naturele" or whatever their rational or made up ideology is behind not wearing fragrance is.

Back to those sweet kids: their enthusiasm was heartwarming and their natural curiousity was inspiring, to say the least. I had two main encounters with them that stuck with me. One was with two friends who were about seven or eight years old. They smelled and tried different perfumes and when one of the girls inquired about price, she wasn't discouraged because she could not afford it (the point when most adults glide their gaze elsewhere and remove themselves as swiftly as possible from my booth) - but was excited that she can try it on. I also mentioned to her the price of the samples, in case her allowance might be closer to that. The other girl, who was by then exploring the tucked-away Zodiac line, came back after a few minutes, and asked me if Taurus had a sample... So sweet! Of course I sent them off smelling heavenly and gave them pretty postcards and scent-cards with some of the scents they liked.

The other pair were a brother and a sister, probably about ten and eight, respectively. The girl was smelling and enjoying the display of testers, while the boy went on and on with questions about how perfumes are made, how oils are extracted, whether or not I grow the plants and distill them myself, all dotted with clever attention to detail and more interesting questions than many interviewers in professional magazines ever bother asking. I was hoping they will never leave my booth because the rest of the show was mind-dumbing boring, thanks to the uninterested crowds.

And then there was a woman older than my mother, who visited the booth and was probably more excited about the notion of having a perfumer in the city than any other person I've ever met. She sat there for hours, sniffing, sharing stories, swooning in pleasure and near-ecstasy elicited by the scents I've created (what an honour!) and inviting anyone who as much as peeked at my room to come in and marvel at the rarity of the opportunity of meeting the perfumer who created them.

While I'm more than just a tad tired and bitter about the current state of affairs in my city during craft and holiday shows, and in particular what seems to be like a pathetic downhill tumbling of the city's culture thanks to the sense of entitlement so many people seem to have whenever they interact with one another -- I am most thankful for these three occurrences of graceful interaction with future generations and with the lady who truly appreciates perfume. Don't ever underestimate what a kind word to an artisan or a small business owner can do. They might just decide to not quit thanks to you!

Kid's Corner: Silly Scented Summer Art

Not sure how to break the boredom of summer for your kids (or any other kids, for that matter)?
Try this:
Let them experiment with the new Silly Scents from Crayola - markers, pencils and crayons that come in unbelievably silly scents such as Alien Armpit, Sunburnt Cyclop, Dragon Drool, Scary Movie and others... These are sure to inspire even the most TV-wired kids to create with real colours on paper or walls... And will induce an unmatched amount of giggles too...

The marker set is $5.75, pencils are $4.63 and the crayons go for a mere $3.10 via ArtSuppliesOnline.com, my favourite online art supplies store.

The Little Prince Hits a Brick Wall


the little prince brick wall, originally uploaded by Mr.Tooley.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s Le Petit Prince was never really a children’s book. Just because it is about a child does not make it for children. Regardless if the book is accompanied by colourful illustrations. I am sure my parents were not the only ones puzzled by the peculiar gap between their astonishment from the book and the complete non-comprehensive gazing they received from me and the too many questions for a bed time story as a response to this book.

And so, when a disnified collection of perfumes for children inspired by Le Petit Prince came out, accompanied by stuffed animals (sheep, of course), action figures, colouring books and other cutesy paraphernalia (this is clearly TOO MUCH!) appeared on the olfactory horizon, I was equally eager and terrified to try the line.

Eager? Well, one must admit, the packaging for Le Petit Prince Eau de Toilette is stunning. It is simple and true to the original illustrations in the book. One would expect a magical, yet somewhat cerebral concoction of baobab trees, star dust and desert winds and perhaps also a bit of motor oil. However, the perfumer for Le Petit Prince decided to go for the safest unisex cliché of a citrus perfume that gives no particular statement except for being an agreeable, pleasant smell that can please almost anyone. The chosen notes are mainly lemony, and for the most part this alcohol-free concoction smells like sugar-free lemonade. Very pleasant, but it gives nothing new to the imagination and being associated with a book of such importance, this is pure sacrilege. Let’s just be reminded that another book by the same author served as the inspiration to one of the greatest perfumes of all times, Vol de Nuit. This thought alone makes me shudder.

Le Petit Prince Eau de Toilette is alcohol free*. It is also free of any imaginative thought or creativity (except for that which went into the exquisite packaging). The official notes include citrus, tarragon, lemon verbena, cedarwood and oak. I smell mostly lemon and lemon verbena, which I love. But I can also find these without getting my plane grounded in the desert and insulting the olfactory intelligence of children (who, I am most certain, will be quite open to try some new notes that they are less familiar with).

Interested to learn more about the literary phenomenon? Visit the official site of the Le Petit Prince fragrance line. Visit there and you'll see what I mean about commercialism. However, if this what's going to get children to read the book (and perhaps understand it), than so be it. The only problem is that whatever understanding they might reach would be tainted with commercialism. But who cares? We live in the 21st Century now, and commercialism is all that matters.

* This is usually achieved by mixing the essences with hydrogenated castor oil first, and than mixing this with water; this particular castor oil is water coluble)

Licorice Notes

Happy Spooky Halloween!

Today will be dedicated to licorice notes – the notes used to flavour the gooey chewy sticky black candy that is of the signature flavours of this holiday. Licorice notes are strange. They are usually either loved or loathed. Very few people have intermediate feelings about them. The peculiar scent of licorice notes is a reconciliation of contrasts: spicy warmth and minty chill; rough dryness with smooth, mouthwatering sweetness. Perhaps it is the sweetness of licorice that is the most peculiar. I used to chew licorice root as a little girl, and it was a completely sugar-free candy, yet felt very sweet. I am saying “felt” rather than “tasted” because I think the licorice aromas cheat on the senses to create an impression of a sweet taste that is not really there.

Licorice root is not the only source for licorice sorcery. In fact, most licorice candies are flavoured with oils of aniseed, star anise and fennel. Anise is the sweetest of all three, and feels warm and diffusive. Its ability to mask odour only adds to its mystique. Star Anise is a tad more dry, clean and spicy in feel. Sweet Fennel is sweet indeed, with a hint of green. Tarragon is another plant with a licorice aroma, only greener and herbal, with a sense of tangy freshness. Tarragon absolute is a thick, syrupy version of tarragon, accentuating the licorice-candy qualities of this herb.

Here are a few perfumes for the licorice lovers amongst us. These may not mask your body odour when you go fishing or ghost busting, but they sure are olfactory stunners thanks to the mystical presence of licorice notes.

Apres l’Ondee might have been one of the very first scents to use aniseed note “out of the box” and in an unusual context. Here, the obscure quality of anise complements the melancholy of violet and orris.

L’Heure Bleue further expanded on this theme, and here the aniseed note is paired with the almost-gourmand almondy notes of heliotrope, sweet violet, carnation and woods.

Lolita Lempica (Au Masculine) makes a definite gourmand statement that is once again paired with violet. Vanilla and rum add sweetness, and woods and cistus add an underlining pine-like masculinity that is maintained through out the composition. The feminine version is just as high on licorice and anise, again paired with violet, only with a slightly different base (vanilla, tonka, musk and vetiver).

Chinatown takes licorice notes to yet an even more extreme sweetness, as star anise and fennel do in the infamous Five Spice. Like a Five Spice salt, Chinatown creates a strange, sweet and warm sensation, balanced by exaggeration as it is paired with even sweeter white florals and peach juice, and a counterpoint of patchouli and vetiver.

Eau de Reglisse, Caron’s most recent addition to their outstanding collection, takes a different route. Here licorice is taken as it is – the dry root – and infused into a refreshing lemonade drink along with litsea cubeba. The licorice is subtle and is revealed once the sparkling lemon notes of litsea have subsided. It is more like chewing licorice roots than the gooey candy. Eau de Reglisse is an interesting eau, while being cool and refreshing still retains the woody warmth of licorice twigs.

More perfumes with licorice notes:
Anice (Etro)
Anisia Bella (Guerlain)
Jean-Paul Gautier Classique (aniseed top note)
Piper Nigrum (Lorenzo Villoresi)
Salvatore Ferragamo for men
Rive Gauche pour homme
Silver Rain
Indigo
Black Licorice
And two of my Zodiac perfumes: Sagittarius and Cancer

Licorice Recipe: CHOCOLATE & LICORICE LIP BALM

A fun activity that is easy to make. Young children will love making it - and using this fragrantly sweet lip treat.

Ingredients:
4 Tbs. almond oil
2.5 Tbs. coconut oil
3 Tbs. beeswax (unbleached), grated
1.5 Tbs. dark chocolate (at least 85%), preferably unsweetened
1 tsp. honey
1 Capsule Vitamin E
10 drops aniseed oil
10 drop sweet orange oil
(or any mixture of these two oils)

Measure and mix all the ingredients except for the essential oils and vitamin E.
In a Bain Marie (double boiler), melt them all down over low-medium heat.
Once all the ingredients have melted, remove from heat and let it slightly cool off.
Add the essential oils and vitamin E, and pour immediatley into containers. Make sure the consistency is neither too liquid nor too hard to touch and use.

From Little T's Dresser

I promised you all a while back around Mother’s Day to tell you all about Tamya’s favourite smells. So, here we go. This post is about a few real tangible products, and the next post will be about her favourite fruit and food etc.

Tamya’s dresser (not that she really has one, it’s more part of her shelf-full of little treasures and little girl’s jewelry), includes two perfumes that she actually used at certain point or antoher, and a few minis that are there waiting for her to get interested. I think we can easily wait a few years before splurging in Diorissimo, Champs Elysee, Mitsouko and Narciso Rodriguez. For now they will just get occasionally splashed on the floor by little visitors who admire their attractive miniature packaging.

Petit Guerlain, the first perfume I ever bought her, is a wonderful scent, that can be applied in abundance. I got it for her when she was about 4 years old and she liked it right away. Everything about this little perfume is made right:
The smooth, pebble-textured frosted glass of the oval bottle and it’s round cap with matching texture (easy for little hands to grab on, open and close).
The liquid within is alcohol free, which is basically a solution essences-infused Turkey Red Oil emulsified into water (with a few preservatives and other emulsifiers judging by the ingredient listed on the box).
It is prevented from spillage by a reducer in the neck of the bottle…
As for juice itself: pure and delicate. It is soft, clean, gentle and fresh. Truly delicate, like you would want your little one to smell without overwhelming their senses. It can be applied with abundance with no risk involved. Notes include lemon, orange, lavender, mimosa, rose, orange flower, and tonka bean.
It makes for a wonderful eau whenever you need a simple, clean fragrance. I am referring to the Eau de Senteur, which comes in a splash bottle and safe enough for toddlers to apply on their own. It is also available in an Eau de Toilette, which is alcohol based, and is better used by older kids.

Tamya used to splash this all over in the morning or before bed time, usually turning the bottle upside down on the upper part of her wrists, in the most cute manner of all. It’s been a long time since she wanted to wear it though.


Petit Parfum, the first perfume I made especially for tamya, is a roll-on essential oil, and looking back I think it’s a bit too strong for kids, but wonderful scent to wear around them without overwhelming their senses. The formulation is very concentrated, as it is in parfum oil. The notes include lemon, lavender, neroli, lavender absolute, agarwood and olibanum. The lavender absolute is a stunning turquoise colour, and gives the yellow jojoba oil a lively green shade; when made into almond oil it’s more turquoise-y. The bottle is decorated with a handpainted red ladybug.
To wear it the classic Tamya way, smear the roll on up your arm and around your neck before bedtime. You will have the best sleep, guaranteed.

At certain point, Tamya was really jealous of my Perfumed Pendant and was almost ready to rip it off my neck. So I filled one with Tamya Crème Parfum, and she is happy ever since. She rarely wears it, but it is still frargrant with yuzu, jasmine sambac and cedar. Jewelry for her is not really meant to be worn, it’s meant to be played with. This weekend you could read about the story of the creation of Tamya parfum.

Orange Flower Water – also know as Zaher or Blossom Water – are an excellent skin toner, especially for oily or zit-prone skin of adolescents. Soak a cotton pad with the fragrant water and wipe face thoroughly, enjoying the euphoric scent of orange blossoms. You can find orange flower water in most Mediterranean markets, as they are used to flavour pastries, drinks and sweets. Or you can opt for a more expensive one from aromatherapy companies. The most luxurious orange flower I have ever smelled was Neroli Hydrosol from A Little Olfactory.

Tamya loves coconut and pineapple, so I will also include two items that in her life are not so much a vanity, but a necessity.
Coconut Escape Body Milk
For moisturizing her fast-paced growing pre-teen skin, after bathing Tamya gets covered from head-to-tow with a mist of Coconut Escape Body Milk from Escents. It is scented with coconut and tonka bean. This is by far the smelliest, fastest way to get your teenage girl to prevent stretch marks.

Cirlce of Friends Abebi’s Safari Detangler
Aside from its delicious pineapple aroma, I would be lying if I said that Tamya love this product. But her mommy sure does, as it has proven to be the most effective way to combat those bird-nests that appear daily in the hair of a little girl who hates brushing it. Spray it on the affected area, work it in, and brush. No pain, guaranteed - from a perspective of a young lady who hates her head and hair being touched in any way. The Canadian based line is tested on parents only, and promotes cultural diversity. It is full of fun products that are available online or from The Hairloft – the only hair salon that can get Tamya’s hair done, and in less than 30 mintues while watching (or ignoring) her favourite music video. Judging by the performance of this item alone, if we were allowed to visit there more often, we would have had the entire line by now.
P.s. I wanted to include photos of the other products, but I am experiencing some technical difficulties with uploading more photos. I recently switched to Blogger's Beta, and some things have improved since than, but others are a bit problematic... Hopefully I will be able to add all the other images later.
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