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Blunda Aromatics Boutique & Studio


Blunda Los Angeles, originally uploaded by Ayala Moriel.


View of the Boutique @ Blunda, originally uploaded by Ayala Moriel.

Blunda means to close one's eyes in Swedish. This family owned studio boutuqie is beautiful, intimate, comfortable, cozy and home-like and at the same time feels like a temple or a shrine. A place of refuge from the hectic pace of modern life where one can relax, enjoy fragrance in an unhurried, unrushed manner while getting to know the founder - perfumer and teacher Persephenie Snyder. Incense, natural perfumes, botanical essences and aromatic herbs, roots and resins from around the wolrd are encompassed in one small and sweet space on Edinburgh & 3rd Street in Los Angeles.

Below are more photos to give you a sense of what the space is like.


Natural Perfumes @ Blunda, originally uploaded by Ayala Moriel.

Closer look at the Ayala Moriel perfume collection offered at Blunda: Tamya, Espionage, Palas Atena and Finjan. This weeked we'll offer a few more: Bon Zai, Charisma, White Potion and Zohar. And of course - the star of the show: Hanami.


Natural Perfume Lounge @ Blunda, originally uploaded by Ayala Moriel.

The spinning tray with natural perfume lines. In the middle of the table are JoAnne Bassett's perfumes, which are very French and classy - and all natural. My favourites include Napoleon (incensey and rich with frankincense and myrrh; lovers of George Sand will love it) and Madame Pompadour (from the Royal Collection); and Camille and Chantelle (from the French Collection).

Laurie Stern's perfumes are luxurious and complex. Her concoctions include a line of candles and body care products. The whipped body butters in Tuberose & Gardenia and Kashmir Rose are to die for. I'll be leaving with these in my suitcase, for sure.


Making Truffles, originally uploaded by Ayala Moriel.

Persephenie chopping up the good stuff for chocolate truffles (Valrhona's 71% cocoa). These form the base for my deadly Guilt chocolate truffles to be served to the guests tomorrow.

The white chocolate is for White Potion truffles with a hint of magnolia added, to make them suit the scent profile of Hanami (which includes tuberose, magnolia and tonka bean to name a few notes).

We'll also serve Sakura Mochi - Japanese rice pastries filled with Azuki bean paste and wrapped in pickled cherry leaf - a seasonal specialty of the Hanami festival, and minted cucumber tea sandwiches to go with the Charisma afternoon tea!

At 2:30pm I will be speaking about the inspiration of Hanami and demonstrate how the perfume was constructed with the various woody and floral notes and the sakura accord.

Hanami: New Perfume from Ayala Moriel

Hanami Brings Together Poetry, Photography & Perfume at Blunda’s Natural Botanical Perfume Exhibition No. 2, April 18th 2009

April 14th, Los Angeles, CA & Vancouver, BC. In a unique exhibition of perfumery, poetry and photography, Ayala Moriel Parfums releases her newest perfume Hanami. Inspired by a poem by Ezra Pound, Hanami is a sophisticated interpretation of flower viewing in an urban landscape.

It all started with a poem: In March 2008, perfumer Ayala Sender was invited along with 14 other leading perfumers in the niche perfume industry to interpret a haiku-like poem by Ezra Pound, “In A Station of the Metro” for a project titled “Perfume In A Poem” Memory & Desire blog. One year later, Ayala Moriel releases the perfume at Bluda Aromatics in Los Angeles, in the 2nd of their 8-part Natural Botanical Perfume Exhibitions.

“As I was reading the poem, I envisioned a perfume that is subtle and urbane: flowers and dusty dirt”, says Ayala. She drew on her olfactory experiences in the metro stations in New York and Montreal, and the cherry blossom boulevard in Burrard SkyTrain station, which is the heart of the Cherry Blossom Festival (Hanami) in Vancouver.

“The challenge was to create the feel of concrete, asphalt and metallic surroundings using natural aromatics only”, says Ms. Sender, who used Haitian vetiver, cabreuva oil, French Cassie and Oleander to create the feel of metal, wet wood and concrete. These serve as a backdrop for the cheerful lightweight floral notes of sakura, mimosa and magnolia, creating a perfume that is ever changing, ranging from “sweet floral notes in the sunshine to cool dampness of concrete and steel”.


The exhibition at Blunda allows guests to experience Hanami with all their senses: you will experience the perfume, enjoy perfumed tea and chocolate truffles made by the perfumer; and view original photography of cherry blossoms that inspired the perfume. At 2pm, the perfumer will present the different notes of Hanami and demonstrate how the perfume was conceived and constructed. The presentation will be followed by Q & A.

Persephenie Snyder, the curator of the exhibitions and founder of Blunda Aromatics in Los Angeles wanted to present natural perfumery as an art form. “Perfumery, like painting, gives you freedom to go in many different directions”, says Persephenie. “the natural botanical perfumers’ scented organ offers materials with diverse qualities (…) and a supreme authenticity and richness which needs to be understood in order to appropriately work with the materials”.. Persephenie will be hosting 7 other perfumers in the Blunda Natural Botanical Exhibitions. Each exhibition focuses on one perfume artist and their body of work, and allows for interaction with the perfumer and their aromatic creations in various mediums.

What:
Natural Botanical Perfumery Exhibition #2: Hanami by Ayala Moriel

When:
Saturday, April 18th, 1-5pm
Ayala Sender will speak at 2pm

Where:
Blunda Los Angeles
304 South Edinburgh Ave.
Los Angeles, CA, 90048
RSVP: (323) 658-7507 or email: rsvp@blundaaromatics.com

Following the exhibition, Hanami perfume will be available exclusively through Blunda and Ayala Moriel’s studio @ #314-1230 Haro Street in Vancouver, and the online boutique www.ayalamoriel.com

For media inquiries contact:
Ayala Sender
(778) 863-0806
ayala@ayalamoriel.com


ABOUT THE PERFUMER
Ayala Sender, the Nose behind Ayala Moriel Parfums creates perfumes that are inspired by her deepest emotions and memories from her childhood landscapes of the Mediterranean. “My art stems from my love and longing for the Mediterranean natural and cultural landscape”, Ayala says, “It is strongly rooted in those ancient and colourful aromatic traditions”.

Born in Montreal and raised in Israel, Ms. Sender’s work is influenced by her eclectic background in fine art, music, philosophy, psychology and education. “Perfumery is my means for self expression, and where all my interest integrate into a beautiful whole” says Ayala. “My perfumes tell a story. They capture a moment in time, an emotion, a memory, and entice you into their world”. Combined with an intuitive understanding of each individual’s need for self expression through personalized fragrance, Ayala creates customized Signature Perfumes as well as ready-to-wear perfumes. “My perfumes have their own personality and evolve with time almost like real living people” tells Ayala. “When I make a perfume for a person, I help them to translate who they are into a beautiful perfume that is as complex and multi-faceted as they are”.

ABOUT BLUNDA
Blunda means “ to close one’s eyes“ in Swedish. Blunda Aromatics specializes in a wide range of Natural Botanical Perfumes, Essential Oil Pharmacopeia, Exotic Perfume Materials, Education, and Collectible Treasures. Blunda’s founder, Persephenie Synder, is a certified aromatherapist, perfumer and a visual artist. The studio offers classes and workshops in natural perfumery, aromatherapy, candle and incense making and more. The studio store offers select lines of renowned natural perfumers and rare essences from around the world.

Blunda Perfume Exhibition No.1: Velvet & Sweetpea's Purrfumery


Laurie Stern of Velvet & Sweetpea's Purrfumerry will be a guest perfumer at Blunda's very first Perfume Exhibit this weekend, opening a series of 8 perfume exhibitions at this unique perfume studio at the heart of Los Angeles.

Meet Laurie Stern, California Bay area perfumer and the founder of Velvet & Sweetpea's Purrfumery, her beautiful line of botanical perfumes, and other aromatic jewels she creates. Laurie will be present to talk about her inspiration, her perfumes, her rose filled bathtub, and any other curiosities you may have.

Join Persephenie and Laurie for an afternoon tea, noshes from local Los Angeles producers, and the opportunity to meet these fine works of art called natural botanical perfumes.


Laurie's perfumes are cruelty free and made of botanical essences only (except for bee products) and are phthalate free. Laurie also uses tinctures from aromatic plants growing in her garden, including many different kinds of scented geraniums.

Spaces are extremely limited, so please RSVP by via email with the title "RSVP for Perfume Exhibition #1 March 28, 2009" and number of people participating or by calling (323) 658-750.

Related press:
Eco Fabulous
Vital Juice
Organic Beauty View



Sniffapalooza Magazine Interivews Persephenie & Reviews Sahleb Perfume


The March 1st issue of Sniffapalooza Magazine is out, featuring two interesting pieces that are related to yours truly:
An interview with natural perfumer Persephenie Snyder, the founder of Blunda in Los Angeles - where natural perfumes, art and education happen all under one roof and is hosting an 8-months long event of perfume exhibitions.
Ayala Moriel will be there April 17-19; Saturday April 18 being an afternoon tea with Q&A and showcasing my contribution to last spring's Perfume Inside a Poem project.

And lastly, Michelyn Camen's article Comforting Scents for Uncomfortable Times features my Sahleb perfume.

Blunda Perfume Exhibitions

Beginning in March 2009, Blunda in Los Angeles will showcase a natural botanical perfumer every month. The exhibitions at Blunda will highlight perfumery as an art form. Each exhibit is dedicated to the perfumer as an artist, and most perfumers will be physically present at Blunda for a special event during that month.

Here is the exhibit schedule:
March 2009 - Velvet and Sweet Pea's Purrfumery (Laurie Stern)
April 2009 - Ayala Moriel Parfums
May - Persephenie (Blunda)
June - Artemisia Perfume (Lisa Fong)
July - YOSH Olfactory Sense (Yosh Han)
August - JoAnne Bassett
September - Elena Steel
October - DSH Perfumes (Dawn Spencer Hurwitz)

For the weekend of April 17-19 I will be visiting Blunda for a special event of afternoon tea and a presentation with Q&A. This will be a unique art-show event. I will be presenting the perfume I’ve designed last spring as part of the Perfume Inside a Poem project on Memory & Desire blog, - a cherry blossom perfume inspired by a poem by Ezra Pound; as well as showcasing images of cherry blossom in Vancouver that I photographed while making the perfume.
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