Joy, originally uploaded by tearoom.

Wether the weather agrees with it or not, it’s spring time, and it’s time to enjoy some fabulous fragrances that emphasize the season’s best traits. Some of which are obvious, like flowers and greenery; others are more subtle and elusive, having to do more with the role of spring in revival, resurrection and renewal of both body and spirit.

Spring means flowers. Yes, it’s a cliche but it’s true! And different flowers bloom in different parts of the world, so this can be an opportunity to tune yourself in with nature and adorn yourself with similar scents. There really couldn’t be a better time in the year to douse yourself with a floral bouquet or a single note; preferably of lighter, brighter floral notes. Light white floral notes such as jasmine, orange blossom and mimosa reign my spring fantasies, but it may be different for you depending on your own favourite florals and the particular blooms that inspire your environment.

Back home in Israel, at this time of the year the air is permeated with the heavy blossoms of wild flowers, mimosas and orange blossoms. Wild flowers are difficult to mimic in perfumery, and rarely have been as far as I know. When visiting my home country in the spring, I always make sure I bring with me my orange blossom perfumes - Jo Malone’s Orange Blossom Cologne for its citrusy freshness; the abstract Narciso Rodriguez; the mysterious Orchid from Aftelier; and finally, my very own all-natural perfume Zohar, which is inspired by the orchards in full bloom. As far as mimosa goes - I like mine light and sweet, such as Mimosa pour Moi or Les Nuages de Joie Jaune.

Here in Vancouver, the scents floating in the air are mostly of cherry blossoms, magnolias, blooming bushes and spring bulbs: hyacinths, tulips, daffodils, and Madonna lilies. My Vancouver spring essentials for colder days include KenzoAmour for it’s sweet cherry blossom scent, Farnesiana to remind me of mimosa but in a warm almondy-cherry-like way. Flower by Kenzo is another interesting choice for a warm, powdery floral that is again heliotrope laden (combining vanilla sweetness with a hint of cherry/almond like bitterness). For crisp, bright spring days I may prefer delicate soliflores such as Ofresia (Diptyque’s freesia soliflore) or After My Own Heart (Ineke’s lilac soliflore, underlined with raspberry, heliotrope and musk).
But in no doubt, my favourite floral discovery this spring is the perfectly balanced, all-natural perfume Waterflower by Liz Zorn - a floral that is never too pretty yet oh so delicate and has a balanced underlining sweetness that makes it very wearable in the often less than hospitable Vancouver spring weather.

rizaulait+gingembre, originally uploaded by auntie_jo.

A month ago, I shared with you my craving for ginger and amber, together. Now experiencing the sequel of the same flu (been traveling around the city I hear, with two phases, thankfully the second is less aggressive than the first) - my ginger & amber craving has come a full circle.
In the last three or four days, I have been wearing my second mod for this amber and ginger perfume concept. This ons is so simple it’s almost ridiculous to even consider it a perfume yet. But it works as a skeletal stage for something bigger and better. I hope.
All it has is my amber base no.3, with organic ginger CO2 and an extra boost of styrax added. Since there is already styrax in the amber formula, don’t even consider it an additional element or note... The amber base includes plenty of styrax, plus benzoin, vanilla, tonka bean and two different labdanums. It’s a sheer sweet amber, simple and easy going.

It wears nicely on the skin, even if a little too soft. I would like to see more of a dichotomy between a zingy bite in the opening, and a deep, rich, caramel-like at the base.

When I was searching for images to illustrate this little entry I came across this rice pudding garnished with candied ginger. It instantly reminded me of the ginger gelato I had in Squamish two weekends ago. It was dotted with caramelized ginger galore. And if you found a teaspoonful that did not have ginger in it, it tasted mostly like mastic, the magical resin used to thicken and flavour ice cream in the Mediterranean region. It is the contrast between the cool ice cream and the hot, spicy ginger that I find most intriguing, and perhaps this is what I’m searching for in my amber & ginger perfume. The sharpness of ginger on the backdrop of buttery-smooth amber is what I envision for it.

Something to think about: adding notes of mastic resin tincture. And amplify the ginger so much so, that it would have an unmistakable initial bite, no matter on how much amber it’s lying.