WHITE GARDENIA PETALS by MICHAEL BOADI

Posted by Unknown 30 April, 2011 0 comments

                     WHITE GARDENIA PETALS

          The Fragrance of choice by the Duchess of Cambridge
                                  A Royal Moment in History

                                                     PART ONE


  I can remember my wedding day almost 11 years ago. All the details had to be picture perfect from the reception hall, musicians, food, dress, shoes, hair, makeup, facials, nails and last but not least, the perfume.


  My choice for a perfume was actually pretty simple. I chose my childhood favorite that was given to me by my mother as a gift and that was L’Air du Temps by Nina Ricci.


  I thought my wedding and reception was beautiful. It turned out to be better than I anticipated. However, to  plan a ROYAL WEDDING is completely different. My guest list was a capacity of 100 but for William & Catherine, the guest list for the wedding was 1,900 and for the reception is was for 600 people!


  Now, I truly understand, the royal couple had lots of help but they also have to include the media. Yes, the media and that include bloggers like me. So every detail has to be impeccable!


  The wedding of William & Catherine was simply beautiful and every detail was beautifully orchestrated. This is after the fact but months prior to the wedding, the media peculated on who is the designer for Catherine’s wedding dress. We now know that it was Sarah Burton for the fashion house for the late Alexander McQueen,  but little impact was given to what fragrance would she wear on her special day.

  Now, this is where I differ from the “media”. My profession is to blog about perfumes in the niche market. So, I was curious just as any other perfume aficionado on the choice of fragrance by Catherine.


  I heard about the wonderful gift commissioned by Roja Dove with Clive Christian for the royal couple. So, I perhaps thought maybe this is what Catherine would be wearing but this is not the case. I must admit, Catherine did an excellent job of keeping the details of her wedding attire secret even down to the perfume.


Michael Boadi
  It is no longer a secret, the truth is out and it is out in a BIG way. Catherine chose to wear WHITE GARDENIA PETALS from ILLUMINUM PERFUMES by British perfumer, Michael Boadi.


  To be honest in my personal opinion, WHITE GARDENIA PETALS couldn’t have been a more befitting choice for the newly, Duchess of Cambridge.


WHITE GARDENIA PETALS Eau de Parfum is part of a 16 fragrance collection that features four olfactory groups (citrus, floral, oud and musk). It embraces the top note with coconut and then it melts with heart notes of ylang-ylang, muguet (lily of the valley) and jasmine while the base of it all is amber wood.


 WHITE GARDENIA PETALS is recently launched this year and it comes in bottles of 50 and 100 ml for women and men.


  This is not the first notoriety for Michael Boadi from someone who is considered to be American Royalty and the First Lady of the United States.


  Mrs. Michelle Obama and President Obama while on their mission for diplomacy during the G20 Summit in the UK met Michael Boadi. It was reported that Mrs. Obama managed to sneak away without the media noticing to tell Mr. Boadi  that she heard so many wonderful news about his fragrance collection.


  Mrs. Obama, not by scent but by name alone, purchased three bottles of perfume from the Boadicea the Victorious Collection. The fragrances she purchased were NOBLE, DIVINE and DELICATE.


 This should tell you a lot about Mrs. Obama. She has incredible taste and thinks highly of herself.


  I look forward to hearing more about Michael Boadi now that the world knows he is the chosen perfumer for the Royals.





F.H.

     The Rose of Sharon Pendana + Aged to Perfection


                THERAPEUTATE PARFUMS by Rodney Hughes

  Une Rose Pour Sharon has a special meaning for Rodney Hughes, perfumer and owner of THERAPEUTATE PARFUMS in Brooklyn, New York. It was composed due to an inspirational conversation with a friend about life, fragrances and what it takes to be the best.


  Une Rose Pour Sharon was not composed just to make a profit but it was created for a friend/artist by the name of Sharon Pendana.


  THERAPEUTATE PARFUMS was created not to just create perfume but it was also designed to create awareness and give back to the community.


  Mr. Hughes not only had a conversation with Ms. Pendana but it inspired him to do something about it. He took the ideas from the conversation with Ms. Pendana about life, olfaction and the silver lining behind every cloud and created a centerpiece for Ms. Pendana. The conversation didn’t just stop when they bid farewell for the evening but the conversations lives on within this wonderful creation.

  The conversation lives on within the 144 bottles of this LIMITED EDITION fragrance that ultimately speaks the “matters of the heart”.


  Next, the conversation changes completely with more intense when Shiimti Rose another LIMITED EDITION perfume enters the room. Shiimti Rose is more complex in character with a golden tone that is sophisticated and very persuasive.


  THE REVIEWS

  Une Rose Pour Sharon (URPS) is not your average rose scent, so that is a conversation in itself. It starts with a soft and smooth arrangement of scents and it blends carefully and systematically but with the ultimate respect for the guest of honor, 'the Rose' (Ms. Pendana).


  After a few moments, the dry down is innocent with an afterglow that lasts for many hours.


  It features rose, cardamon, orange, pine, sandalwood, vanilla and tuberose


  Shiimti Rose enters the room with a more heated debate about life, olfaction and the silver lining behind every cloud. It starts off with juicy gossip, then the crowd roars with laughter but then things start to “hit home” so now there is silence in the room and the scent of antique rose slowly takes over.


  Shiimti Rose has been waiting for two years to process this information and finally it features a citrus top, spicy middle and a dry down of antique rose that has been aging with maturity to render its ‘beautiful’ head.


  Rodney Hughes continues to give “roses” by offering his time and services to promote perfumery and creating the THERAPEUTATE INSTITUTE to educate and give back to the community.


  Read Rodney’s journey from the deep south to New York, it will inspire you to give more roses, like it has inspired me.


THE INTERVIEW

   Rodney, thank you so much for your time. Before, I ask questions about Shiimti Rose and Une Rose Pour Sharon, I want to know more about you.



Hi Felicia, You are so very welcome, sure I'll give you a glimpse.


Rodney where were you born and raised?


I was born in Shreveport, Louisiana.


How did you get into natural perfumery?


I start experimenting with essential oils to help revive me during and after travel. Discovering how well they worked, I then began bringing them into the workplace to help others.


Having studied Reiki, I started using them in my practice and prescribing them to my clients to enhance their experience with Reiki. Around 2007, I began to feel the changing tide within my industry (Fashion), the economy was crumbling and the pressure was on for me the figure out the next chapter. A dear friend helped me to decide what that next chapter in life would be.


She was taking a leap of faith towards her dream of opening a clothier. I had previously designed fragrances for both her and her fiance, so she asked to me to develop a line for the boutique. At first, I was like "WHAT." Then soon after a light went on in my head! "I can do this."






I had had the perfect background to do so. I was a 20 year veteran in the Apparel Industry, well read and traveled. So I had a lot of experiences to pull from, not to mention that at the time having been accepted into a M. Div program.


Secretly, I had been studing Metaphysics and transformative arts for sometime, so I just took a slight twist and gathered together every book I could find on the subject of aromatherapy. After late 2007, it was impossible to find a consulting gig in fashion, so I had a great deal of time on my hands and I used it well. In 6 months I had ready for market a complete line of Reiki enerigized fragrances. This core product line consisted of seven aromatic perfumes and each with a cooresponding room atomizer. Additionally, there were lotions and bath salts to round out the line.


Then I need to know if I had hit or missed the mark, so I enrolled in an Aromatherapy course at the New York Open Center. This course was taught by Debbie Freund an RN who studied aromatherapy with R.J. Buckle. She had also studied with Kathryn Degraff a tireless advocate for the use of "naturals" (botanicals) in the perfume industry. I just kept hitting the jack-pot! This was meant to be and having studied under her, I fell more deeply in love with perfumery. I also learned that I was way above the curve in what I had already created.


I found that all of my passions came together and could be nurtured in the art of perfumery.




How is it being a perfumer in New York? Do you find that the market is saturated with perfumers?
Brooklyn, New York


New York sets the perfect back drop for being an artist period, it is the whole of why I am here. I came to NYC in the late eigthties to pursue my dream of becoming an artist and designer. Currently I live in Brooklyn not far from where I studied art and design. Pratt and its surrounding area is a bastion of creative people.


Saturated? Yes, with things that harm us rather heal or enhance our lives. I feel we Americans are becoming closer to the body, mind and spirit, this is where the art of "Natural" (pure botanical) perfumery re-enters. Once what was ancient helps us to lead better lives in the present!


Rodney, you are a successful natural perfumer and of African descent. How do you view the lack of people of color in the niche and natural markets of perfumery in the US? What do you think can be done about this?


I measure success in not compromising your core values and assisting others who request your help in being more centered and well. In this frame work, I am very successful. Being of African descent gives me so many rich experiences to draw upon. It allows me to have a unique point of view, historically my people have had to live between two worlds and understand many things. The "silver lining" with this is it has created a sort brilliance throughout our creative endeavors.


The lack of people of color in the market place becomes a meaty challenge for me. Therapeutate Parfums is not just interesting in becoming a global success story in terms of just finance. Our company is looking to develop an educational component as well. In the Not-for-Profit sector Therapeutate Institute will promote education in product development, merchandising and marketing. It will also promote the arts and sciences.




Shiimti Rose Parfum (The scent my mother loves) is not a typical rose fragrance but it has a dry down of antique rose. So how would you categorize this fragrance?


I am not sure if it is neccessary for me to categorize Shiimti Rose. I think most perfumes created by me will probably not fall into the "typical" category. I have a "funny" nose, if there is no twist to the fragrance or if it lacks poetry (layers), I am not satisfied! It can not be called "special" or "curious" to me. Technically speaking would probably be called "Chypre" or maybe an "Oriental" maybe its a bit of both. On the other hand, the Magnolia Perfume I am working on is taking an long time to complete, but for very different reasons. Turns out "Shiimti" needed to mature for two years before it bloomed into a Rose.


Rodney, you mention that Shimti Rose takes two years to age. Do most of your fragrances take this amount of time to age?


Most of the fragrances I have created do not take this amount of time to be a "jewel", but Shiimti is very different. I was trying to expand on the URPS perfume and thought I had utterly failed. At first it was just aweful and not redeemable as a work of art or I thought at first. I jarred in and pushed it into the back of the drawer. Thinking that maybe someday I could possible use it to enhance another blend.


Une Rose Pour Sharon Parfum is the 'fragrance of friendship'. It was created for artist/stylist Sharon Pendana. Can you elaborate a little on how you meant Sharon and during the conversation did she ask you to create a fragrance or did you offer your service?


Sharon Pendana and I met in 1992 just as I had begun Primitive Pour Homme and PPH Activewear. At the time she worked as a fashion stylist for a number of national publications and gave us some of our first editorials. Since those years she has been a beautiful friend and supporter of my creative endeavors. We had been out of touch for years, but offen run into each other, so when I began this venture with fragrance there she was like an angel.


She came to my studio one afternoon and we spent the entire evening catching up. We talked about what Therapeutate meant to me, why perfume and how she had previously lost her sense of smell due to an aneurysm. Musing about how life is, just when you think you can not survive your darkest moments, the sun comes bursting in. I was posing for a picture to go along with the story she was doing on me and I just had this feeling in solar-plexis and began to create URPS. It was to be my gift to her and her enduring spirit.


Why only 144 bottles of Une Rose Pour Sharon to be sold?


144 is the number of abundance.


Rodney, what type of women would be attracted to Shiimti Rose and URPS?


I think it appeals to that woman who adores beauty from an intellectual perspective. Its has to be appealling on the surface, but have many layers underneath to explore and discover.


Lastly, Rodney what new creations can your devoted fans look forward from Therapeutate Parfums?


I have many new perfumes waiting for there moment in the sun. One is the Magnolia fragrance being created for The Magnolia Tree Earth Center it will commemorate NYC's oldest living landmarks two Magnolia Grandiflora trees. This fragrance will raise funds to support the Ecology Center began by trail-blazer Hattie Cathan more than 40 years ago.


Therapeutate Parfums will also participate in "The Summer of Patchouli Love"presented by Perfume Pharmer.


Thank you so much Rodney for your valuable time. It is appreciated and much continued success in your endeavors!


Your are so very welcome.


 PURCHASE: therapeutate-parfums.com


 PHOTO CREDIT: therapeutate-parfums.com, yriggsartwork.com, theperfectrose.org, destination360.com, pepronity.com


NOTE: The review of Shiimti Rose is a story I created to represent the scent of Shiimti Rose in its splendor of the aged rose.




Inhale Life


THERAPEUTATE


PARFUMS


www.therapeutate-parfums.com


www.therapeutate.etsy.com


www.therapeutate.wordpress.com








F.H.

HONEY BLOSSOM PERFUME VOTING INFORMATION

Posted by Unknown 25 April, 2011 0 comments

  Here is your chance to help make history by voting for AFTELIER HONEY BLOSSOM PERFUME composed by MANDY AFTEL.

  This natural fragrance is a 2011 FIFI AWARD FINALIST and by voting, it can become a FIFI AWARD WINNER!
.
 Please do your part for natural perfumery and go to the website of the FRAGRANCE FOUNDATION at fragrance.org/ballots2011consumer/login.php
(fragrance.org) and in the WOMEN'S CATEGORY vote for AFTELIER HONEY BLOSSOM PERFUME.

 Thank you for taking the time out to help make history!

  Felicia M. Hazzard
  Founder & Editor in Chief

                                               STEPHANIE


                               The Crown of the Gardenia Flower

  The name Stephanie originates from Greece meaning ‘crown’. The fragrance known as STEPHANIE is composed by niche perfumer,  Michael Storer and it takes on the scent of the gardenia flower with a twist of two types of peppers.

  The gardenia blossom is majestic, glorious and fragrant. It originates from the subtropical regions in Africa, southern Asia, Australasia and Oceania.


  STEPHANIE Eau de Parfum is a strong feminine scent but elegant and refined as the flower itself with its creamy soft petals admist green shiny foliage.

  The sillage of STEPHANIE is a bouquet of flowing white flowers nestled with grandeur and lasting at least 6 hours or more.

  It features royal notes of pink pepper, black pepper, galbanum, resin, angelica root oil, sambac, jasmine absolute, tuberose and chrysanthemum.


  STEPHANIE is the crowning glory of white flowers.


Perfumes are the feelings of flowers”-Heinrich Heine


 PURCHASE: michaelstorer.com

 PHOTO CREDIT: michaelstorer.com, anoymousradioshow.com

********************GIVEAWAY**********************
Thanks to Michael Storer, a GIVEAWAY of one 2 fluid ounce bottle of STEPHANIE EAU DE PARFUM, will be given away to a lucky reader!

Also, a GIVEAWAY of THREE samples of STEPHANIE EAU DE PARFUM for three individual winners!

To enter go to gizagoddess@live.com and put STEPHANIE CONTEST and add your name!
Good Luck to all!




F.H.


NEW PERFUME SCENTED BOOK BY KARL LAGERFELD

Posted by Unknown 22 April, 2011 0 comments

           BREAKING NEWS!  BREAKING NEWS!


   Fashion Designer Extraordinaire, Karl Lagerfeld has partnered with publisher STEIDL to create a perfume inspired book called PAPER PASSION.

  This scented book is developed by Master Perfumer, GEZA SCHOEN who will create the fragrance to go in the book to smell like books!

Geza Schoen

  Lagerfeld's passion for books( according to reports, he has 300,000 books in his personal library) has pushed him into ownership of a bookstore in Paris called 7L. Lagerfeld is reported to the fact he wishes to work with STEIDL on more ownerships.
  If you cannot wait until the book is launched, then I have a few suggestions to calm your literary taste!
 There are several book inspired fragrances that you can indulge with the following...

 DEMETER'S Paperback, ZAGIG & VOLTAIRE'S Tome, PENHALIGON'S Hammam Bouquet, CB I HATE PERFUME'S CB EXPERIENCE In The Library, AFTELIER PERFUME'S Candide (FIFI AWARD FINALIST)

  More information to come on this exciting event!

  Also, my love for books at Perfumeries, Passions & Perfumers-NOBLESSE LUXE PUBLISHING  VENTURE.      COMING SOON!

Founder & Editor in Chief
Felicia M. Hazzard
Fragrance Belles-Lettres: The Magazine

PHOTO CREDIT: Scented Salamander, via Geza Schoen (Facebook) photo taken by Yulia Chekanova

       THE PERFUMER, THE PASSION and a PARENT

                              An Intimate Chat with Charna Ethier

   I received an array of neat samples tucked inside a lime green box. When the box was opened, I was overwhelmed by the scents that came across my nose like rays from a rainbow.


   Articles and reviews have been written about Charna Ethier indicating she is a very talented perfumer, but she is more. Charna is a ‘Rising Star’.


   Charna is the “nose” and founder of PROVIDENCE PERFUME COMPANY in Providence, Rhode Island. This perfumery is one of the finest companies of natural botanical perfumes and NOW body products.


   It is not the size of the box that matters but the contents within it. Those samples were just an example of what Charna creates. Charna creates on a grand scale and her passion for perfumes peeked at a young age but it only intensified when she had an opportunity to work for large corporations like Aveda.


   Now that Charna has her own natural perfumery, she has another task to conquer and that is being a mother of two young children.


   My article is titled, ‘The Perfumer, the Passion and a Parent’ because Charna is handling all three requirements supremely. Yes there have been daunting moments but those moments only enhanced Charna’s rise to stardom.


   THE REVIEW/THE JOURNEY


My samples box consisted of five fragrances from the LUXE collection and one from the CLASSIC collection. The first is Osmanthus Oolong (LUXE) on Monday the fruits and hint of powder are the two items that I noticed immediately. It has an aristocratic quality that reminds me of emperors with the tangy teas and smooth consistency that last for hours.


   FRAGRANT NOTES: green, red and black tea, Japanese osmanthus flower, apricot leather, powder


   COCOA TUBEROSE (LUXE) on Tuesday I was smothered with the essence of chocolate and covered with buttery concoctions of tuberose that blended into exotic worlds that simply smelled divine. This is a master blend of the world’s finest ingredients.


   FRAGRANT NOTES: dark African cocoa, white tuberose, tonka, vetiver, wormwood


   MUSK NOUVEAU (LUXE) on Wednesday I went outright bodacious! This unisex fragrance kept me energized with the sweetness of jasmine, the age of patchouli and the richness of coffee. These tantalizing scents kept me entertained all evening as the “social butterfly”.


   FRAGRANT NOTES: angelica, aged patchouli, oud, champaca, jasmine, coffee, sherry, black pepper


   LEI FLOWER (LUXE) on Thursday I mellowed out after my exotic bliss from Tuesday and Wednesday. I took in the sweet sounds and scents of the faraway. I laid back and thought of tropical scenes and covered in pink sand.


   FRAGRANT NOTES: coconut, frangipani flower, citrus


   GINGER LILY (CLASSIC) Happy Friday! This is a journey I will never forget. I close out with a thank you gift of zesty favorites and a dark note of amber that goes on sexy but never shy with ylang ylang standing by for him and her.


   FRAGRANT NOTES: ginger lily, bitter orange, amber, mango, clove, ylang ylang






   Charna’s rise in popularity certainly has not taken a toll on her warm and sincere demeanor and (also being so pretty). I truly have been inspired by her devotion to the craft of natural perfumery and being a loving mother.

  We both have a devotion to perfume and being a mother and for this I am grateful for Charna sharing her most private moments with me in being ‘The Perfumer, the Passion and a Parent’.


   THE INTERVIEW
  
   Thank you Charna for your time. It is an honor to speak with you. Charna, before I ask questions about the perfume collection, I want to know what made you get into natural perfumery?


   I think it's in my blood! Some of my earliest memories are of working in the garden with my Mother, helping her plant seeds and weed. Growing up, my parents could only be described as "hippies." We lived in rural New Hampshire, on a farm (read commune) in a town called Unity. I'm not kidding! My brother and I spent most of our childhood outside. I remember rubbing blackberries on my lips to make "lipstick" and my mother and I used to peel limes and add the peelings to alcohol to make homemade "cologne." We would put our homemade lime cologne in the refrigerator and splash it on the backs of our necks during the summer to cool off. As a child, the most exotic, exciting person I could imagine was the Avon Lady. While I never met this mysterious Avon lady, I devoured the Avon catalogs I found at doctor's offices and imagined what sort of cosmopolitan life the Avon lady must have surrounded by lipsticks and perfume galore. I realized quickly the farm life was not going to be for me . . . I craved glitz and glamour.


   Fast forward thirty years and here I am! I've spent years working in the retail beauty business. One of my first jobs as a teenager was at the perfume counter at Macy's which I found incredibly glamorous at the time. After working for Aveda for a number of years I decided to venture out on my own creating my own line of natural perfumes, and Providence Perfume Co. was born. I never considered not working with naturals.


   So far, how has the journey been for you since starting Providence Perfume Company?


   It's been great! Don't get me wrong, I've hit some serious speedbumps along the way. I'm no mathematician, or scientist and both of these areas are an important part of being a perfumer. I've learned to study, weigh, and notate: things that my creative personality would rather not do.


   Charna, how enriching has it been to work with perfume blogs?


   Working with perfume blogs has been incredible. I often have Sally Field at the Oscars moments when reading reviews, a sort of incredulous feeling of "You like me? You really, really like me!" and of course the opposite can be true as well. As an indie perfumer the exposure I'm given by blog writers is enormous and gratifying. I don't have a big advertising budget and I owe a great deal of the publicity Providence Perfume Co. has received to perfume blogs. I love that many of the fragrance blogs are willing to give the little guy a chance.


   I know you have two children who are the same ages as mine. How do you handle raising small children and operating a successful business?


   Vodka! Just kidding. It's a juggling act. I feel very lucky that I am able to spend time with my children. My studio is in house, so I spend many late night hours blending perfumes after putting the kids to bed. I also have the "golden hours" as I like to call them from about 12:30-2:30 p.m. available to pack and ship orders while the kids are napping.


   Charna, you have received rave reviews about Providence Perfume Company. I want to focus on the Luxe Line for a moment. Why do you refer it as the 'Luxe Line'?


   I created the "Luxe Line" as a way to differentiate between the more classically composed perfumes in the "Classic Collection" and those perfumes that are more complicated compositions, utilizing exotic and often costly botanicals.


   Could you tell me what inspired you to create the luxe line one by one?


   I've always loved the scent of tea, so creating Osmanthus Oolong was something I knew I wanted to do from the beginning. Real osmanthus is breathtaking and beautiful, yet so few have gotten to experience it's aroma in a perfume.


   Musk Nouveau was created for the Natural Perfumers Guild collaboration project "The Mystery of Musk" and thankfully received a warm reception. I was inspired by the prohibition era when creating Musk Nouveau and the blend of oud, ambrette, jasmine, champaca, and coffee sang together. I loved the boozy sherry top note I was able to achieve using phenyl ethyl acetate (a natural isolate.)


   I LOVE tuberose, and my preference is toward the buttery, creamy type tuberose versus the strong white floral aroma of some tuberose. Once I located the perfect buttery tuberose I knew I wanted to create a gourmand type perfume based around this tuberose. I bumped up the tuberose with a small amount of butter CO2 and added liberal amounts of cocoa, wormwood, vetiver and amber. The result was a surprisingly unisex gourmand tuberose scent with a woody sweet pipe tobacco drydown.


   Lei Flower is fruity, sweet and tropical based on the frangipani flower. Frangipani is such a pretty floral aroma that smells nothing like those mass produced "Plumeria" scented body sprays. Fruity notes can be difficult to create with naturals, so I bolstered the blend with tinctures of toasted coconut and strawberries I created.


   Charna, I have a sample of Ginger Lily from the Classic Collection. This gorgeous fragrance is a unisex. Are natural raw materials more incline to be considered neutral or unisex than non natural perfumes?


   Good question and thank you. I think that what occurs that may drive our scent classification is scent memories and marketing. While smelling Youth Dew may remind you of your grandmother, smelling natural aromas like a lily or grass or vetiver may remind you of easter, or mowing the lawn or a trip to Haiti. I've learned to not try to classify my perfumes as feminine or masculine. I created Tabac Citron with men in mind and I would guess that 90% of my sales of Tabac Citron are to women! I find Osmanthus Oolong a sweet, feminine floral but men purchase and wear this, so what do I know? So I guess that's a yes and no reply.


   Lastly, Charna, I believe you added a new product (body oil) to Providence Perfume Company, could you tell me about it?


   A labor of love. I've been working on launching a line of scented bath and body oils for close to a year now. I've finally launched them and I'm very proud. I spent a good deal of time finding the perfect blend of oils that hydrated well but did not leave the skin greasy. Then worked on creating the aroma blends which I describe as deceptively simple. While "Wild Lime Leaf" may smell like kaffir limes, it took some trial and error of blending juniper, Mexican lime, combava petitgrain and violet leaf to get the perfect smelling "lime." I was able to source vintage milk glass bottles to house the body oils which pleased me as they serve a dual purpose: the milk glass protects the essential oils from degrading due to light and heat exposure and they're repurposed and eco friendly.


  Thank you so much, Charna it was indeed a pleasure and much success on your endeavors.


  Thank you Felicia.


  PURCHASE: providenceperfume.com

A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM PERFUME EVENT

Posted by Unknown 17 April, 2011 1 comments

                   A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
               SHAKESPEARE’S NATURAL PERFUME

                IT’S NOT A SONNET, IT’S A PERFUME EVENT



ALL THE PERFUMES OF ARABIA WILL NOT SWEETEN THIS LITTLE HAND.”(Quote taken from MACBETH ACT V, SCENE 1)


  This famous quote from the play, Macbeth is true for the extravagant perfume event that will take place for the writers (blogs) and the dramatist (perfumers) who will make it happen.


  However, the main theme for this event is ‘A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM PERFUME EVENT-ACT 1- Scene1. It is a scented event based on Shakespeare’s play that was written around the year of 1560.



Amanda Feeley

  The fascination with literature and natural perfumery belongs to the creator and host of this event, Amanda Feeley who is a perfumer and owner of Esscentual Alchemy.

  Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Scene 1 portrays events surrounding the marriage of Duke of Athens known as Theseus and the Queen of the Amazons known as Hippoiyta who becomes manipulated by the fairies who inhabit the forest.


  Ms. Feeley’s version of the play features 13 perfumers who will create their individual fragrance to represent some aspect of the play. While the 12 bloggers will critic these fragrances and give individual reviews and post them on their websites.


  However, in A Midsummer Night’s Perfume Event, Scene 1 there will be no manipulation of fairies because the requirement for this event is to have “oodles of fun.”


  Let’s introduce the cast members of Perfumers for this enchanting event.


Charna Ethier-Providence Perfume Company


Lisa Fong- Artemisia Perfumes


Yuko Fukami- Parfum Phyto


Shelley Waddington- Envoyage Perfumes


JoAnne Bassett- JoAnne Bassett Perfumes


Ambrosia Jones- Perfumes by Nature


Libby Patterson- Libby Patterson Organics


Ane Walsh- Artesa Perfumista


Justine Crane- The Scented Djinn


Lisa Abdul-Quddus- Blossoming Tree


Ayala Moriel- Ayala Moriel Parfums


Ankica Milic- Be-Bellatrix


Amanda Feeley- Esscentual Alchemy






  So, Macbeth’s quote is true that the sweeter hands belongs in this case to the natural perfumers who will begin this play (perfume event) with creations that will broaden our minds to the ever pressing need of natural perfumery.


  I had the honor of speaking with Amanda Feeley who told me why this event was created and the importance of natural perfumery. Also what is really means for Mandy Aftel and natural perfumery to be included at this year’s FIFI AWARDS for the very first time in its history. 






  THE INTERVIEW



Hello Amanda and thank you for taking the time out to speak with me!


Hello to you, Felicia, and to all of your readers!


Amanda, how long have you been a natural perfumer?


I have been perfuming only a very short time. I started working in January of 2010, and in July 2010, I “took the plunge” and started selling online. However, I’ve been a creative person my whole life. I’ve dabbled in visual art, written art, and I am a fully trained classical musician. Specifically, I am a Lyric Coloratura. I’m also a mommy :D and that takes a great deal of creativity!


You were originally from Iowa, but now you live on the Fiji islands, why the change?


Iowa is in the middle of a HUGE land mass, as in it takes 3000 miles to get to the East and West coasts from here. The times I have visited the ocean, it really spoke to my soul. I wondered what it must be like to live in a place where you are surrounded by the ocean. How it feels to only be able to go only a short distance before you see the endless water again. I think it must help keep things in perspective. So I say I’m now on Fiji, because I have wanted to retire on a tropical island for many years now, and it’s my way of “reminding” myself where I want to be someday.


Amanda, thank you for the privilege of being a part of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Perfume Event. Why did you create this unique event?


I’m also an astrologer, and pagan. There are certain times of the year that are especially powerful and spiritual due to the energy that is flowing. I thought it would be a good way to celebrate, especially considering the Shakespeare play of the same name. Plus Fairies are always fun, and I like to have fun! Probably because I spend alot of time with children *laughs*.


How important is it to keep the focus on natural perfumery?


I think that Natural Perfumery is growing in an organic way. There are more and more people who want to know what is IN all of the products that they are putting on their bodies. The skin is our largest organ, and absorbs very efficiently. There are no long term studies done, on what absorbing many many chemicals does to your body. Synthetic fragrances use chemicals and petroleum byproducts. Companies are not required by law, to list their components. They only appear on labels as ‘parfum’ or ‘fragrance’. There are no long term studies done on these compounds regarding the safety and effect of these chemicals on our bodies. Recently I learned that in the 1970’s, a synthetic musk was developed, and heavily used in main stream perfumes, which after a period of time, was discontinued due to photo-toxicity and neuro-toxicity issues, and the lack of breakdown in the environment. Who’s the test subject for safety? Human beings.


Compare this with Essential Oils or Raw Botanicals. Essential oils have numerous emotional and health benefits to offer. They have been used safely for hundreds or thousands of years.


Amanda will 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Perfume Event take place yearly?


Depending on the outcome and the feedback on this event, I am considering putting together a similar event for the Winter Solstice. I’d like to do a yearly event, thought not having to have the same theme each year. I’ll leave it up to my Muses to decide.
Amanda, what does it mean for Mandy Aftel, Master Perfumer and owner of Aftelier Perfumes in California to be a FINALIST for the 2011 FIFI AWARDS?


I think this is outstanding, and I’m so excited for her! If anyone deserves that award it is Mandy. She’s the pioneer of the back to natural perfume. I think of her, and respect her in the same way that I think of, and respect, Ina May Gaskin. Ina May Gaskin, was the pioneer of the back to natural childbirth movement.


What does it all really mean for the fragrance industry in general and especially for natural perfumery?


*laughing* What it means is that we’re no longer considered the “red-headed stepchild,” if you will. Dabblers that are oh so cute, just playing around like the big kids. This is a huge step, towards the recognition of so many people who have been working hard at this artform. I think this will only get bigger as time goes on. The pendulum always swings back from the edges. To me, this movement is similar to the natural/slow food movement in many ways. People are tired of putting things and ingesting things into their bodies, that can cause long term side effects or reduce the quality of life they will have when they get older. There is something to be said for quality over quantity. Perfumes historically were offerings to the gods. They MEANT something special. It wasn’t about “sex and preening.” It was supposed to move you, emotionally. Put you in an aromatheraputic head space, as my friend David Lincoln Brooks says. The old perfumers of the great houses knew that. Somehow over the years that has been lost in the larger houses. Not the perfumers of the larger houses persay, but the people behind it. The ones who want the big bottom line at the end of the year. TO me, natural perfumery is bringing this back.


Tell me about your fragrance company, ESSCENTUAL ALCHEMY? For readers new to your company, what types of fragrances do you create?


What I really want is to make perfumes, that smell good, and also make people FEEL good. Feel loved, cared for, and put them in a wonderful place emotionally. If someone enjoys wearing a perfume as much as I enjoy making it, than I feel that I have succeeded. I have a lady whom has become a friend too, who told me that she had suffered from anxiety for years, and panic attacks. She says that since she has been wearing the samples she has gotten from me, they have reduced. How much better could I ask for? I have improved the quality of someone’s life! That is what this is all about for me! This is important work, and I’m grateful to those people who appreciate and support my work.


I am often inspired by a piece of music, visual art, or written word. Many times, I have an idea. I write the idea down, and then I must WAIT until the Muses speak in my ear, and give me the formulation. I have a leather bound journal that I write these concepts in, and I just never know when the mood will hit, so I keep it close by at all times.


Amanda thank you so much! It has been a pleasure and best of luck with the perfume event.


Felicia, thank you! It’s been a great deal of fun, and I thank you for your time!

CONTACT: esscentualalchemy.wordpress.com
                     esscentualalchemy.com

PHOTO CREDIT: wikipedia.com, thinkingwithshakespeare.com.org, journal.illuminatedperfume.com,









International Perfume Foundation

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IPF Certified Natural Perfumery Media

House of Matriarch

House of Matriarch
"Nature is the Ultimate Luxury"

Esscentual Alchemy

Esscentual Alchemy
A Luxurious Natural Perfumery

ESXENCE: The Scent of Excellence

ESXENCE: The Scent of Excellence
ESXKIN: The Excellence of Beauty

Fragrance Belles-Lettres Est 2009 CHICAGO

The word "belles lettres" is a French phrase meaning "beautiful or "fine writing. Since this is a term to describe a category of writing, this will pertain to my passion about fragrances. I will review niche,natural, artisan and designer perfumes from all over the world. I write with passion but will use my journalistic skills that I obtained in college. Not only will I feature fragrances but I will feature new books on fragrances/perfumes, fragrance events and interview authors and perfumers.


I hope you take this journey with me and begin your own passion for the ART OF PERFUMERY!

Fragrance Belles-Lettres Magazine is a division of Noblesse Luxe Publication.


Felicia M. Hazzard
Publisher & Editor-in-Chief









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