Thank you to all of the participants in my two chocolate contests this February!

The following are the winners of my chocolate perfumes, Guilt and Film Noir:

CHOCOLATIER CONTEST
Thank you to all of you who participated in the "Name Your Favourite Artisan Chocolatier" contest!

The winners of the draw are Dana and Moonmaiden. Please email me with your mailing address so I can send you your prize - a miniature of either Film Noir or Guilt (It's your choice!).

For future chocaholic reference, here are the links to the chocolatiers recommended by SmellyBlog readers:

Dilettante Chocolate in Seattle, recommended by Dana, who particularly loves their Dark Chocolate Truffles.

Leonidas Fresh Belgian Chocolate in Greece, recommended by Helg, who loves their pralines.

DeBrand Chocolates in Fort Wayne, Indiana - recommended by Moonmaiden, who also hints to us that they have a monthly giveaway!

Endangered Species Chocolates, recommended by Lizzy from Hawaii, who loves to share the Bat Bar with her son. Dark chocolate with chocolate nibs - this sounds both yummy and healthy! Way to go for your son for taking in the dark side of chocolate, I had to turn 30 before fully appreciating the seduction of dark chocolate!

I am now eager to explore all the artisan chocolatiers you've recommended!

VALENTINE'S DAY CONTEST
You all did really well guessing the girly scent in my perfume collection David fell for. But only one of you guessed right - and it was Helg! Please email me to let me know your choice for a mini - Film Noir or Guilt.

Yes, David's new favourite perfume is none other than L de Lolita Lempicka. The packaging, for those who don't know, looks like a flat heart with golden charms. It almost looks like a celebrity scent in a way... The packaging is not the best in terms of practicality. David had struggled with it quite a bit - from twisting the cap and locking it to pulling it apart... At least, this is the small 30ml bottle (it was availale only for a short time around the holidays) so it's not too difficult to hold it in my hand).
I consider myself very lucky to share L with David - it's always a nice surprise to get a waft of vanilla, orange and cinnamon from him!
Plus it gives me an excuse to stock up on this beauty. My next L purchase is going to be the pure parfum!

A little note about the above photo - it's a monument for Quetzalcoatl, the Atztec God of Chocolate. Isn't it great?

Happy Valentine's Day, my dear Smelly Friends,

Now, wouldn't you all wish the skies looked like that today? Vancouver is at it's usual rainily gloomy charm today, yet I am determined to have fun no matter what!

I would like to wish you all a fantastic and romantic day. Whether you are celebrating by yourself, or with a lover (or two?), may it be a day full of pleasure and smiles. And remember, the most important thing of all is to Love Thyself!

After four years with my Valentine David, and ten years with my smaller Valentine, Tamya, I noticed how my perfume world is starting to affect their lives. A few weeks ago Tamya added a new word to her vocabulary: "Smelly". Mind you, it was more in association with talking about smelly diapers of pooping babies (her favourite topic for conversation), but this is repeating itself and I can't help but laugh full heartedly when she talks about smells.

And this week, I caught David in the middle of an unusual act - he was sniffing the perfumes I have on my bedside table - and actually testing them! One of them was particularly to his liking, and I found myself inhaling pleasant wafts of sweet perfumes from him one night, which went on until around noonish the next day. He admits he loves it. Shamelessly so, I must add: The perfume is in a bottle just about as girly as could be, and the juice is not particularly masculine either. If you guess what it is, you'll win a prize - a 2ml bottle of Guilt perfume!
- The only hint you're getting is a link to my wardrobe.

*And don't forget to enter the Chocolatier's Contest: All you need to do is recommend us your favourite chocolatier. You will be than entered to win a 2ml bottle of Film Noir.

** Below is a fantastically original Guilt-Marnier Chocolate Truffles recipe, inspired by Guilt perfume. It's easy to make and fun. I will post photos soon...

A few important announcements for today:

THE NEW PENDANTS HAVE ARRIVED!
Please scroll below to view the photos of each and read some more additional information and recommendation for each pendant's unique gemstone. To order your favourite colour, click here.

CONTEST WINNER
The winner of the "Smells Don't Lie" contest is Leopoldo!
Leopoldo gets a 2ml miniature vial of the precious, Valentine's Day Limited Edition Roses et Chocolate.
Thank you to all of you for commenting and sharing your fascinating nosey stories. I am very pleased to hear how you are all using your noses creatively and for extremely important pursposes in your daily life! Even though the contest is over, I'd still like to hear more of these fascinating stories, so keep the comments and stories coming!

UPDATES ON BASENOTES' FRAGRANCE DIRECTORY
Grant of Basenotes has once again surprised me when he updated all the release dates of my perfumes on the Basenotes Frgarance Directory. The directory now lists all of my upcoming perfumes for this year, as well as a few long forgotten ones that are produced on special request only.
For those of you who are members of Basenotes and tried my perfumes - you can add your own reviews including those of the most recent releases (Film Noir, Razala, Roses et Chocolat, etc.).

POLL: PERFUMER & FLAVOURIST MAGAZINE "CROPWATCH vs. IFRA" POLL
There are only 7 more days for you to voice your opinion about the IFRA's 40th amendment issue, and tell the Perfumer & Flavourist Magazine who you think is right - Cropwatch or IFRA in their online poll (scroll to the bottom left of the page). The results will be published February 7th - so PLEASE hurry up and VOTE!
Every voice counts in what may be a historical turning point which will determine whether or not we will be able to enjoy our beloved perfume classics and natural perfumes in the very near future!
You are also invited to sign the petition Tony Burfield has initiated against the 40th amendment. Nearly 500 people signed so far, but we need more signatures to make a difference in determining the future of aromatics in the 21st Century!

To read more about the topic, visit Cropwatch.org, Anya's Garden, and about The Freedom to Choose and my recent posts about the topic. More updates to come... Have a fantastic day!