MOON GARDEN ~ Cafleurebon.com Best Scent of 2010 Awards!!!

OPUS OILS' Moon Garden has been named as one of the Cafleurebon.com's Best Scent of 2010!!! So honored to have made the List! Thank you Michelyn Camen, Monica Miller & everyone at Cafleurebon for the amazing job you do of translating the world through the language of scent!!!


~ Vampira Moon Garden Perfume by Opus Oils ~

A highly erotic floral jasmine oriental this love potion “take no prisoners” … so much so that it inspired a poem from me named after the scent Vampira.

Notes: Night scented flowers, jasmine, black violet, orange blossom, tarragon, amber,vetiver, sandalwood, civet, vanilla, white musk

http://www.cafleurebon.com/best-of-2010-fragrances-or-my-biscentual-year-a-draw-naturally/

"LES BOHEMES" (The Bohemians): A Preview by OPUS OILS

Our latest collection, “Les Bohemes” (The Bohemians) is a throwback to the age of Speakeasies & wild abandon… Are you looking for an escape from the next Great Depression? Let us take you into the backroom on a journey through time where the secret password is “Jitterbug” & the good times flow like Bathtub Gin… Rich, Ultra Decadent & Shamelessly heavy on the Natural Essences – just like the scents that were constructed during Perfume’s Golden Age of the 1920’s.

Soon to be available to the masses, this exquisite House Collection was designed to be worn alone or in layered combinations with each other. "Les Bohemes" were first used in creating custom perfumes during the Four Seasons' (Beverly Hills) event, “Everlasting Valentine’s Day.” Word of mouth about the collection quickly spread & now Opus Oils is releasing them in their very own collection (early 2011)…. So forget your everyday worries & “Name Your Poison.” These Affordable luxuries wont break your bank.




GIGGLE WATER (Orange Blossom) ~ Olfactive Group: Fruity Floral
A Sheer Delight! This abundant, enchanting floral “aperitif” is sure to lift your spirits & brighten any day or night! Playful Orange Blossoms are perfectly enhanced by sweet White Musk, with a creamy Sandalwood dry down. Giggle Water is a “Crowd Pleaser,” no doubt!

Key Notes of Tunisian Orange Flower Absolute, Egyptian Orange Flower Absolute, Orange Flower Water Absolute, Bitter Orange Flower Absolute, Wild Orange, Mandarin, Peach, Honey, Gardenia, Beach Found Ambergris, White Musk & Sandalwood.



LIL’ NICO (Tuberose) ~ Olfactive Group: Floral

Not for the shy at heart! “Lil’ Nico” is a Sultry & Intoxicating scent. This Luscious, Voluptuously Velvet Floral is simply put, “The Bee’s Knees!” A full bodied narcotic, creamy, floral bomb that is sweet & carnal from the get go. Get ready to cause a ruckus, a scene, a stir or commotion wherever you go!

Key Notes of Creamy Tuberose Absolute, Orange Flower Absolute, Honey, Narcissus, Rose, Civet & Benzoin.



HEAVY SUGAR (Amber) ~ Olfactive Group: Amber/Oriental

A classic Vintage Amber scent that is deeply rich & completely irresistible! Our “Heavy Sugar” is composed with the exotic timeless aromas of dark Amber, vintage Patchouli & creamy Sandalwood. “Heavy Sugar” is the perfect blender note that can be worn with all “Les Bohemes” scents to create an exotic base that will linger on… Amber has been long known as “The King of Scents,” one whiff of our “Heavy Sugar” & you will see why!

Key Notes of Dark Amber, Aged Labdanum, Fossilized Amber, Vintage Patchouli, Sandalwood & Beach Found Ambergris.



FLAPPER (Datura) ~ Olfactive Group: Floral

Captivating, Creamy, Floral Decadence! “Flapper” is a strangely alluring, blooming floral fragrance that starts off with an airy exotic narcotic green note & hint of spicy ginger that is soon taken over by wafting plumes of intoxicating sweetness…. Deadly Datura, AKA “Angels Trumpet,” is a fragrant Diva that fascinated Zelda Fitzgerald at the end of her life... With its both mesmerizing & hypnotizing fragrance, Datura has been known to produce states of delirium. It was well known to be an essential ingredient in love potions & witches' brews...

Key Notes of Sweet Lemon Blossom, Clementine, Tangerine, Pink Peppercorn, Perilla Leaf, Mango Absolute, Ginger Lily, Datura, Gardenia, Jasmine, Vanilla, White Musk, Blond Tobacco & Tonka Bean.



DAPPER (Violet) ~ Olfactive Group: Floral Green

Dapper explores the theme of the Violet Berry note. Elegant & non-intrusive, this is a soft, velvety violet flower that is lightly powdered & sophisticated. A rich, elegant scent that is deep & alluring - a timeless classic.

Key Notes of Violet absolute, Orris Root, Blond Tobacco, Sandalwood & Aged Dark Patchouli.



SPEAKEASY (Wisteria) ~ Olfactive Group: Floral

Sweet & Delicious, Narcotic & Enchanting. Wisteria was one of the most popular flowers in the Belle Époque period. Our “Speakeasy” scent is a reproduction that is true to the flower & is romantic, delightful, ethereal & completely intoxicating!

Key Notes of Citrus, Green Pepper, Green Mandarin, Jasmine Sambac, Lily, Orchid, Rose & Sandalwood.



GOLD DIGGER (Narcissus) ~ Olfactive Group: Floral

Pure voluptuous floral decadence. “Gold Digger” is a heady, lavish blend of creamy white floral notes. There's something very retro about this scent. Ladylike & Glamorous, with a bit of a sparkle. An intoxicating mix of Narcissus & Orange Blossom that explodes, then subsides into a hauntingly delicate blanket of voluptuous femininity. This fragrance is very luxurious & sophisticated, but still equally appropriate for day or evening wear.

Key Notes of Narcissus Absolute, Honey, Orange Blossom Absolute, Egyptian Jasmine, Wild Orange, Tuberose, Lily & Sandalwood.



JAZZ (Jasmine) ~ Olfactive Group: Floral

In the Roaring 20’s, the term “Jazz” meant “Excitement & Fun.” Our “Jazz” Perfume is all that & more! A bubbly full bodied night blooming tropical Jasmine – “Jazz” is a unisex floral scent that is sexy, sassy & fun! A sneaky little Minx of a scent that is sure to delight your senses & tickle your fancy any time!

Key Notes of Red Mandarin, Egyptian Jasmine Absolute, Moroccan Jasmine Absolute, Star Jasmine, Orange Blossom, Nutmeg & Sandalwood.



BOOTLEG (Vetivert) ~ Olfactive Group: Woody Chypre

Rich, Earthy, Exotic & Deliciously Dark! “Bootleg” opens with a smokey Vetiver note that is pure earthly intoxication… A mysteriously seductive scent that is deep, rich & slightly animalic. Wear with florals to add a sexy deep base note that is both delicious & persistent.

Key Notes of Sri Lankan Vetiver, Aged Dark Patchouli, Amber, Blond Tobacco & Roasted Coffee Bean.



HIGH HAT (Green Tea) ~ Olfactive Group: Aromatic Green

A fresh clean Green scent that is crisp, sophisticated & delightfully refreshing! “High Hat” opens with a clean fresh citrus blast, tempered with a soft, powdery green tea note that is delicious, delicate & discreet. “High Hat” mixes especially well with floral notes & is suitable for both men & women.

Key Notes of Citrus, Green Tea, Gin, Lily & Rose.


Party Well Together: (Suggested Scent Combinations)


(Giggle Water + High Hat) (Jazz + High Hat) (Jazz + High Hat + Bootleg)

(Gold Digger + Heavy Sugar) (Flapper + Bootleg) (Flapper + Heavy Sugar)

(Speak Easy + Gold Digger + Heavy Sugar) (Dapper + High Hat + Bootleg)

(Dapper + Heavy Sugar) (Lil’ Nico + Heavy Sugar) (Lil’ Nico + Bootleg)

A Preview of things to come from OPUS OILS in 2011 on Cafleurebon.com

It's been an especially chaotic past couple of months for me, and I've been busier than ever completing several projects for Opus Oils....

I'm hoping to get to a more detailed blog on these exciting projects shortly, but I wanted to do a quick post noting a recent mention from one of our favorite Fragrant Friends - www.Cafleurebon.com!

We wont be releasing these fragrant gems until 2011, but here's a little teaser!

http://www.cafleurebon.com/new-fragrance-opus-oils-les-bohemes-the-bootleggers-and-molls-of-boardwalk-empire-would-approve/

"The Essence of Good Perfume"

MEMORY LINGERS ON

YOU'RE like the
Aroma of my perfume
Still haunting me
And lingering in my room.

But mere mention
Or thought of you
Inevitably brings
Memories of your love so true.

I can see a cigarette
And then a light
As you close your eyes
As though it were night.

And as you day-dream
Your cares away
And your ashes carefully
Place on the tray.

Your thoughts are on
What you must do,
Whether easy or difficult,
You must carry through.

So here's to the fond
Memories of playing the game!
May you always win
And your love be the same!

~ The Essence of Good Perfume, A book of Poems by Nellie Victoria Conner



...I found this lovely treasure of a poem in a delicious collection from 1940,
"The Essence of Good Perfume," a book of Poems by Nellie Victoria Conner.
LOVE her photo!!!

I wonder what perfumes were on her boudoir tray... She looks like a
Gardenia lover to me. My money is on Tuvache's 1932 "Jungle Gardenia"
being center stage on that tray!

SOTD: A Gardenia Mod that I've been calling "Gardenia Garden".
Key Notes: White Grapefruit,Coconut Aldehyde,Gardenia,Ginger Lily,
Lychee,Sandalwood,Oakmoss,Incense Labdamum,Blond Tobacco,Haitian Vetiver,Musk



This scent makes me happy!And it seems to have the same effect on other people.Every time I wear this scent out in public, I get compliments, & more often then not, someone chases me down asking where they can get it. My Doctor even had her receptionist follow me back to The Jitterbug Perfume Parlour to get some. Her words were, "I HAVE to have that Perfume!"

Wearing it gives me that lazy,carefree Summertime when you were a kid feeling...

I have been fine tuning this blend for several months, and have had the latest version aging for over 8 weeks(it is a luxury these days for commercial scents to age or "mature" for that long, but it is truly beneficial to do this if at all possible. Especially if the blend contains lots of natural essences & resins!)

TASTY TID-BIT: Fay Wray wore JUNGLE GARDENIA by Tuvache during the filming of the original King Kong movie. "She said she believed King Kong thought she was a new type of flower he'd found. In her mind, she felt that being so tiny to him, he could only identify her from other women by her scent, Jungle Gardenia."
(Excert Per http://www.timelessperfumes.com/Jungle%20Gardenia%20Perfume.htm)

Scent: Top Notes of bitter orange oil, clary oil, heliotrope and sage. Middle Notes of gardenia, jasmine, lily of the valley, tarragon, tuberose, violet leaves and ylang ylang. Base Notes of musk, oakmoss and sandalwood.



Here's more info about Tuvache's Jungle Gardenia:

"There is only one genuine Jungle Gardenia, a U.S. Registered Trademark. Do not be fooled by poor imitations called versions, types, formulas or recipes, etc., Check for the registered trademark symbol next to the name Jungle Gardenia®

Jungle Gardenia was first introduced in 1932 by the original Tuvache' company, which no longer exists. Tuvache' was a New York company who used a French name to try and compete with all the pre-World War II French fragrances who controlled the industry. Madame Tuvache' is a character in the famous French novel, Madame Bovary, by Flaubert. Bernadine Angus, the founder of Tuvache', often used the pen name, added a royal flair to the name. When they mistakenly reported that Tuvache' was a French perfume house, it was not corrected, as French perfumes were the most popular then. In the early days, Bernadine sometimes included a little booklet with her fragrances, written by the fictious Madame Bernadine de Tuvache'.

After Bernadine Angus and her husband, Howard, died, Tuvache' was sold in the late
60's and merged into Swiss perfume house, Germaine Monteil. By the late 70's it became the property of Yardley of London, a division of British American Tobacco Company who had also purchased Germaine Monteil. In 1989 it was sold to the Jovan division of Coty who decided to use the bottles for a different Jovan fragrance and discontinue Jungle Gardenia.

During the 1990's, Coty made a re-formulated version, a totally different scent really, in entirely different bottles and boxes. Coty removed the Tuvache' name from the Jungle Gardenia brand and replaced it with Coty. This totally different scent pleased few people and was quickly discontinued. Since 2004 the original Jungle Gardenia scent is being made again in the USA. It is no longer associated with Coty which is now owned by a German firm, GMBH.

This most exotic fragrance was the signature scent of famous actresses, Barbara Stanwyck, Joan Crawford and Joan Bennett. Also favored by Annette Funicello, Natalie Wood, Elizabeth Taylor and even her close friend, Michael Jackson. In an article about him titled, "The Boy Who Would Be King," in the September 2009 issue of Vanity Fair magazine, the author, Lisa Robinson, reports that Michael Jackson loved Jungle Gardenia and wore it onstage.

It's also been written and said by close friends of Frank Sinatra (Joe Fischetti and George Jacobs) that he was known to apply Jungle Gardenia sparingly. He'd had a big hit song in 1946, "The Girl That I Marry" written by Irving Berlin, with lyrics that included "Her nails will be polished and in her hair, She'll wear a gardenia and I'll be there"

The young, beautiful, Fay Wray wore Jungle Gardenia during the filming of the original King Kong movie. She said she believed King Kong thought she was a new type of flower he'd found. In her mind, she felt that being so tiny to him, he could only identify her from other women by her scent, Jungle Gardenia. Kong apparently agreed with the many men who have told women that Jungle Gardenia just drives them wild!

Jungle Gardenia is also the fragrance worn by Auntie Mame, the character in the famous Broadway play and movie of the same name, that starred Rosalind Russell. Some lines in the play gave Jungle Gardenia its rumored reputation of being an aphrodisiac that attracted men. The play was later made into a musical starring Angela Lansbury and Bea Arthur and was a huge success. The movie version of the musical starred Lucille Ball.

Jungle Gardenia enjoyed a big revival during the 1960's and 1970's when it was heavily promoted on the TV show, "Truth or Consequences" hosted by the famous TV game show host of over thirty years, Bob Barker. He quipped it was the sexiest fragrance he'd ever smelled. And now, more than 75 years after its introduction, women still love the exotic intriguing scent of this timeless fragrance which is in a class all by itself."

(Per http://www.timelessperfumes.com/Jungle%20Gardenia%20Perfume.htm)

Perfume-Smellin' Things Perfume Blog: Opus Oils Vampira: Moon Garden

Great Review by Tom on the soon to be released Vampira Moon Garden Perfume!

More detailed blog coming soon about the scent creation/collaboration with
Rock N' Roll Lifestyle brand COFFIN CASE - stay tuned...

Follow this link to read full article on Perfume Smellin Things Blog:
Perfume-Smellin' Things Perfume Blog: Briefly- Opus Oils Vampira: Moon Garden#links



Previewing Vampira Moon Garden at The Weekend of Horrors 2010

SKY FLOWERS, SWEET SUMMER SCENTS & COTTON'S CANDY SKIES

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!! Hope you all see lots of pretty Sky Flowers tonight!

SOTD: A new Mod from a current Scent Design project,that I just can't just get enough of lately... It's a heady blend of summer florals that goes creamy in that "I want to eat my own skin," kind of way... My client hasn't even smelled it yet, as I am waiting on the aging process to complete, but"She" is yummy, yummy, yummy,& getting yummier with each day of aging! I find myself gravitating her way over & over again...

I've nicknamed her "LIBERTY, 2010"



KEY NOTES: Frangipani,Freesia,Muguet,Jasmine,Wild Rose,Mango,Green Tea,White Musk,& Sandalwood

She smells Pink like Rose Champagne & Cotton's CANDY SKY...



TASTY TID BIT: Hot Artist Alert!!!

Will Cotton paints beautiful, creamy skinned nudes amidst luscious surroundings. Instead of painting high on the sugar of that decadent lost age in art, Cotton updates his opulent source material by replacing pastoral love scenes with mountains of sweets and erotic treats. Ala "Candy Sky"(See above pic)...

Candy for Cotton is what dark lush forests were for the 18th masters; an ideal of plenty and a site for temptation. There are no consequences depicted in these hedonistic scenes, but viewers know that outside the fantasy indulgence will have its price. Whether the models are his scenes' protagonists, or just eye-candy, they never appear satiated or at peace. As we know, Candy may satisfy emotional needs and frivolous fancies, but in the end it only distracts the body from its genuine hungers, producing fat not fulfilment. Like the fatty foods he paints, Cotton's paintings might appear light, but they are heavy with meaning.

WILL COTTON SAYS: "Sweet is such a delightful and complex word. It represents everything I want to paint about: the pure, the fragrant, the desirable and the dream of complete indulgence in a perfect world. But sweetness taken to an extreme degree, as it is in my pictures, becomes cloying, even repulsive and that's where it gets interesting for me." Per the Saatchi Gallery.


Will Cotton Paintings

Angels' Last Fire Dance in La La Land/ Miss Exotic World Pagent 2010

A few Mondays back, I was invited by Lili Von Schtupp to attend her ultra fabulous MONDAY NIGHT TEASE (LA's Longest Running Weekly Burlesque Show)at The 3 of Clubs. It was a very special occasion, that I was thrilled to be invited to! One of my Favorite People in the whole wide world - The One and Only MZ SATAN'S ANGEL, was scheduled to twirl her flaming "Ta Ta's" for the last time ever in La La Land, before retiring to Australia.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with our beloved Angel, let me tell you a little bit about this very fascinating Temptress who happens to be a Legendary Burlesque Queen...

Satan's Angel began her burlesque career in 1961 in San Francisco. She toured with Bob Hope & the USO, appeared on the Gypsy Rose Lee television show, dated Clint Eastwood, Bobby Darin, Hedy Lamarr, and Janis Joplin, defied the convention of The Folies Bergéré in Paris, and worked with Ann Corio, Harold Minsky, Barry Ashton while running with The Rat Pack in Vegas. This Lady has some stories... Everyone who knows her is eagerly awaiting her memoirs!

Angel is true Burlesque STAR, who traveled around the world, known as Satan’s Angel -Her full moniker is, "Satan’s Angel, the Devil’s Own Mistress, Queen of the Fire Tassels." She is the QUEEN and ORIGINATOR of fire tassel twirling! She has performed this act for over 40 years, lighting her tassels approximately 25,000 times all over the world! In 2007, she won “America’s Most Outrageous Talent” award on The Maury Povich Show, & in 2009, Angel received the "LEGEND AWARD" for Life Time Achievement in Burlesque. After the annual Miss Exotic World Pageant, this weekend in Las Vegas, you can catch Angel in San Francisco on THE TA TA FLAMBE TOUR June 16-30, 2010.



In her own words, "The fire tassels was something I came up with after I talked to one of the dancers at the Moulin Rouge. Her name escapes me, but she was a little older, I was about 18 at the time and she was 35. I talked to her and she asked me “what do you do? What’s your thing?” And I said “I twirl tassels.” And she said “oh, they all do that, these days. You need something to stand out, honey, you need a gimmick!” And she was right, it wasn’t enough to just twirl tassels. There were girls out there who did that as well as one could, already. Like Tura Satana—who was, somehow, my competition—she would bend over backwards twirling her tassels. So I asked “What do you want me to do? Light the tassels on fire?!” And she said “Now, there’s an idea!” Read more about Angel here: http://www.satansangel.com/

A few years ago, I had the special honor of creating a Signature Scent for Angel,whose favorite perfumes included Jungle Gardenia, & Miss Balmain...

Angel was one of my inspirations when I was creating Opus Oils' BURLESQUE COLLECTION, so to be able to design a Signature Scent for her was an absolute thrill!!! This is not a woman who takes the subject of Perfume lightly... She is an Old School Glamour Girl with luxury tastes so the stakes were high & I pulled out all the (floral) stops for this one!


ANGELS' SHELF in The Burlesque Lounge at The Jitterbug Perfume Parlour


Angel & I In The Burlesque Lounge


SOTD: SATAN'S ANGEL PERFUME
KEY NOTES: Gardenia, Narcissus, Tuberose, Stargazer Lily, Jasmine,Bergamot, Pink Grapefruit, Labdanum, Oakmoss























***Available exclusively online at www.satansangel.com***

From Opus Oils' Press Release: "Strong and wild like the Lady who inspired it, SATAN'S ANGEL PERFUME is a sultry, narcotic floral bomb that explodes with key notes of Gardenia, Narcissus, Tuberose, Stargazer Lily, Jasmine, Bergamot & Pink Grapefruit, and finishes with a velvet Chypre dry-down reminiscent of glamorous days gone by... "Just a Spritz is all it takes to awaken your inner Burlesque Queen!" "



TASTY TID-BIT #1: ATTENTION Burlesque Lovers ~ This weekend is the Annual MISS EXOTIC WORLD PAGEANT in Las Vegas,NV!!!



(Per Wikipedia) The Miss Exotic World Pageant (officially, the Miss Exotic World Pageant and Striptease Reunion) is an annual burlesque pageant and convention, and is the annual showcase event (and fundraiser for) the Burlesque Hall of Fame (formerly the Exotic World Burlesque Museum). From 1990 to 2005, the pageant took place at the Exotic World Museum's grounds in Helendale, California where Exotic World Museum curator Dixie Evans initiated the Miss Exotic World pageant (in 1990) as a way to draw people to the museum. The pageant, sometimes referred to as the "Miss America of Burlesque," is held in Las Vegas now & attracts former burlesque queens from past decades, as well as current participants of the neo-burlesque scene. The pageant consists of burlesque performances spanning a weekend, culminating with the competition to crown a single performer as Miss Exotic World. Because of the significance of the Exotic World Burlesque Museum to the burlesque community, winning the pageant is considered a top honor for a burlesque performer.



TASTY TID-BIT # 2: BURLESQUE LINKS
(Photo of Dixie Evans,Then)

http://www.satansangel.com

http://www.mondaynighttease.com/mnt/Home.html

http://www.burlesquehall.com/

Article: Burlesque Hall of Fame salutes legendary stars of striptease By Robin Leach

http://www.lasvegasweekly.com/blogs/luxe-life/2010/jun/03/burlesque-hall-fame-salutes-legendary-stars-stript/

"GIGGLE WATER" AKA "Orange Blossom & Green Tea Private Blend" Top Spring Scent on Cafleurebon!

I am thrilled to be included as one of Michelyn Camen's Favorite Spring Scents on Cafleurebon!

Here is an excert from the article: "It is my vampy "day and play" scent all spring long. As layers of clothing are peeled off, my skin is exposed and by the sun. when a fruity floral is well crafted, it performs a burleseque on my skin. The "greenness' of the tea note is tempered with honey, a touch of gardenia and natural ambergris. Kedra uses four different Orange Blossom Absolutes."

See the Full Article by Michelyn Camen & Mark Behnke.

SOTD: Orange Blossom & Green Tea Private Blend ~ Of Course!!!

KEY NOTES: Tunisian Orange Flower Absolute, Egyptian Orange Flower Absolute,Orange Flower H20 Absolute,& Bitter Orange Flower Absolute, Honey, Gardenia, Beach found Ambergris.




TASTY TID - BIT:

Michelyn Camen is the Publisher and Editor in Chief of
www.cafleurebon.com and the Editor-at- Large for www.Fashiontribes.com. She is a formerly an Editor for Fragrantica, the Fragrance Editor for Uptown Social, a Senior Contributor for Sniffapalooza Magazine, the New in Niche Columnist forBasenotes, the Managing Director for BeautynewsNYC and the former publicist for www.luckyscent.com and Scent Bar, Los Angeles. She has been awarded Brandweek Magazine Marketer of the Year, Ad Age Magazine 100 and is a two time recipient of License Magazine’s 40 under 40 and recipient. She slipped off her corporate power suit to pursue her passion for fragrance.

Over the past six years, Michelyn’s articles and interviews on perfumery have appeared in major print magazines, newspapers and on online fragrance and beauty sites. She is best known for her in-depth and intimate interviews with independent, emerging and established perfumers and influencers. Many of her interviews have been the first exposure for her subjects to a global audience. In 2006, she was the first American to interview Olivier Creed in fifteen years, as well as the first ezine writer in the USA to interview Kilian Hennessy, Jean Claude Ellena, Bertrand Duchaufour, Thierry Wasser, Michel Roudnitska, Romano Ricci, Mandy Aftel, Neil Morris, Rodrigo Flores-Roux, Mark Buxton, Geza Schoen and Yann Vasnier.

As an advocate of fine qualitative fragrance and collaborate intelligence, launched www.cafleurebon.com (translated from French, this phrase has a dual meaning: this smells good and a more obscure one… as an affirmation of a good idea). It is her goal to create a “scented salon”, where perfumers and owners of fragrance companies, poets, chefs, painters, students, writers, bloggers, posters, dancers, and retailers can gather and share their love of the 8th Art – without politics but with one important collective understanding; we must embrace and support the art of fine fragrance in the 21st century.

She is the owner of Brandwidth Marketing Co., where she curates fragrance ‘wardrobes’ for private clients and is a marketing and merchandisng consultant for global, luxury, fashion, beauty and fragrance companies.

Follow her on twitter at @fifthsensenyc and become a fan of Cafleurebon on Facebook.

GETTING EGGY WITH IT!

CENTURY EGG


EGG INNARDS


FOIL EGGS


EGG ART


GIANT EGG


GOLDEN EGG



HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!!

TASTY TID-BIT #1:

Who Put The Egg In The Easter?

Did you ever pause between mouthfuls of Easter candy to ponder the history of this chocolate, egg and bunny filled holiday?

The origins of Easter have their basis in Christianity, but the holiday also has strong connections to pagan times and the celebrations of spring equinox. The holiday’s name is derived from the Saxon goddess of dawn, Eostre who was honored in the pagan spring festivals, which coincided with the timing of the Christian celebrations of the resurrection.

Though the roots of the celebrations are different, many cultures around the world observe spring holidays and festivals centered on the common theme of rebirth and the egg as a symbol of the source of life.

Dyed eggs were shared and eaten at spring festivals in ancient Egypt, Greece, Rome, Persia and China. Gradually these traditions made their way westward and were expressed in various forms – from dyed goose eggs to beautifully decorated paper mâché eggs in the 17th and 18th centuries. In the late 19th and early 20th century the ultimate Easter eggs – the Fabergé eggs made their royal appearance.

Chocolate eggs come from Europe! Today’s European tradition of giving chocolate Easter eggs as gifts can be traced back to 19th century France and Germany. The first eggs were small and solid and made of a course, bitter dark chocolate. As technology improved and cocoa became more widely available, so did chocolate Easter eggs. The tradition spread to many parts of Europe, often with each country making their own unique mark.

The first mass-produced chocolate egg appeared in England in 1873 when Cadbury debuted their first Easter egg. It wasn’t until the early 1900s that milk chocolate Easter eggs became available. Today’s European Easter eggs are available in dizzying variety – from those found on supermarket shelves to the top quality uber-thick chocolate works of art, beautifully decorated and filled with chocolate surprises from specialty chocolatiers.


(per http://www.hotelchocolat.com/chocolate-easter-gifts-AEasterEggHistory/)


TASTY TID-BIT #2:

Chocolate Scented Plant ~

The common name for Akeiba is chocolate vine. It is said the vine emits a chocolate scent when in bloom.


Chocolate Vine


White Chocolate Vine

GREEN THOUGHTS...

"The poetry of the earth is never dead." ~John Keats



"I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars." ~Walt Whitman



"There is nothing in the world more peaceful than apple-leaves with an early moon." ~Alice Meynell



"Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better."
~Albert Einstein



"Nature never goes out of style." ~Author Unknown



"Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet
and the winds long to play with your hair." ~Kahlil Gibran



"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished." ~Lao Tzu



"Drinking nature is an unquenchable thirst." ~Berri Clove




Happy Saint Patty's Day ~ May the Luck of the Irish be with Ye!!!

Green Clean Scents ~ Flowers for Demeter

I am exploring the world of Green Clean Scents...

When I was blending custom perfumes at the Four Seasons "Everlasting Valentines Day" Event, I noticed there was an overwhelming trend - Everyone, had the same request for a "Green-Clean Scent."

Even when I spoke with Kim (Director of Public Relations at The Four Seasons Hotel, Beverly Hills), about her Bespoke Perfume, she told me the same thing - that she wanted "A clean, fresh, green scent", that she could wear everyday...

I mentioned this trend to my Mom, and she told me a story about one of her last Scent Memories (she's completely anosmic due to a head injury). There was a hair salon in Toluka Lake where she especially enjoyed going to have her hair shampooed, because they used a wonderful "Hay"/Grass scented shampoo. (She's an outdoorsy Horse-Person who brightens whenever she talks about her favorite scent memories.)

How could I have missed this?!... Through all our years of "Shared Scent Experiences", it never dawned on me that she was focusing on the GREEN aspect of our scent environments...I guess I have always been so pulled by the narcotic allure of floral scents that I never even stopped to think that maybe she was experiencing a simultaneously overlapping Scented Moment...

In other Words: Green Clean = "Demeter's Choice"

Well that makes it official - I am off and running on a mission to create the ultimate "Green Clean" Perfume for our House Collection!

To me, GREEN smells like ~ SPRING...Fresh, clean, happy, bright... Aromatic, light, Pear, fertility, abundance, possibility...Young Love, a walk in the rain... A pile of fresh cut grass just as the rain begins to fall...COUMARIN...


*** What does Green smell like to you?***

The first 3 people to post a blog comment with their definition of "What Green smells like" to them, will receive a 1 Dram bottle of said perfume when it is finished!

TASTY TID-BIT:

COUMARIN; (Per Wikipedia)Is a chemical compound (specifically, a benzopyrone) found in many plants, notably in high concentration in the tonka bean(Dipteryx odorata), vanilla grass (Anthoxanthum odoratum), woodruff (Galium odoratum), mullein (Verbascum spp.), and sweet grass (Hierochloe odorata). It has a sweet scent, readily recognised as the scent of newly-mown hay, and has been used in perfumes since 1882. The name comes from a French word, coumarou, for the tonka bean. It is a crystalline white solid when seen pure.

Tonka Bean Tree / Dried Tonka Bean

















Coumarin in Perfumery:

Coumarin has a history of importance in perfumery, being the first synthetic (synthesised by W.H. Perkin 1868) to be used in a fragrance. Fougère Royale,from the house of Houbigant was created by Chief perfumer Paul Parquet who used coumarin,combined with lavender, citrus and woody notes to Author the first fragrance that defined the Fougère(fern)genre. It is said that the creation of Fougère Royale marks the birth of modern perfumery.




Soon after the release of Fougère Royale, perfumer Aimé Guerlain (1834-1910) combined natural and synthetic fragrances to produce Jicky in 1889, a scent that is still sold widely today. Guerlain added the synthetics coumarin and vanillin (the fragrance principle of vanilla)to natural fragrances. Like Fougère Royale, Jicky is a fern based fragrance.