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Saturday, March 26, 2011

Kewda Flower - (Pandanus Odoratissimus) in Natural Perfumes - Admire From a Distance

Certain things must be admired from a distance.  Tigers, for example.  Or that certain boy from high school whom looked beautiful across the room but upon closer inspection had the complexion of a Domino's, um, never mind.  Kewda blossom is this way.  

But before I explain, a bit of background: pandanus odoratissimus comes from India.  Everything about this tree says keep out, from its dense aerials roots to its long spiky leaves studded with needles that surrounded each of the white dagger-like flowers like barbed wire.  Human curiosity being what it is, someone had to go smell it (probably the patent holder for the Band-Aid) and the rest is history.

Pandanus odoratissimus, a thorny situation
The Indians use kewda in attars (often extracted into sandalwood oil) in scenting personal effects like clothing and soap.  Aruveydic physicians prescribe kewda as an antispasmodic and a stimulant, useful for treating conditions of the skin.  Several cultures in addition to Indians use the pandanus leaf to flavor food, particularly sweets.  I personally associate pandanus with sticky coconut rice I get at my favorite Thai dive.

My first order of kewda absolute arrived last week.  I couldn't wait to smell it.  And now I shall refer you back to my earlier point (certain things must be admired from a distance).  The scent, like a bathrobed housewife, creeps up, then smacks you on the back of your head with a slipper.  For me, the smell called to mind honey, red vine licorice, rotting bananas, rice, and the jungle.  I couldn't wait to experiment. 

The advice I'd been given when working with indolic kewda is to evaluate it in dilution, which I learned is code for "don't put your nose to close to it."  I figure that such a powerful fragrance requires taming with something herbal, green, and/or zesty.  I'm thinking coriander, sage, lime.  Maybe I'll see how it works in synergy with another floral like rose, or ylang ylang extra.  Sometimes stronger florals work better when they they share the stage with other florals.  I'm also curious to see how kewda will behave with lavender absolute, a green floral that adds a certain butteriness to perfume.  If that doesn't work out, I might try taking my kewda in another direction - gourmand - given its usage in the food industry.  Green tea.  Vanilla.  

Will report on results soon!

To browse our selection of natural perfumes, please visit: Mermaid Lane Perfumes

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Natural Perfumes - Treasure Natural Perfume for Japanese Quake Victims

The night I heard about the devastating earthquake in Japan, I stayed awake late thinking about what I could do.  The earthquake brought back memories of 9/11 for me.  My fiance was working in New York City whilst I was an overworked lawyer here in the Silicon Valley.  It was two weeks before our wedding date and he was planning to travel here for the last trip before the big day.  We had so many things to do. .  dance lessons, finalizing menus, wedding "stuff" that seems so trivial now that I look back.


The morning of 9/11 he was scheduled to be at a meeting across from the World Trade Center.  He called me as soon as he learned what had happened - thank God he was okay.  I remember thinking I was lucky I didn't have to wait too long to find out.  Of course, NYC was in chaos at that moment, but at least he hadn't been there when the towers were hit.


Back to Japan.  I can't be there to help the earthquake victims, but I thought I could help in the way I knew best - making perfume.  So I created Treasure, a triple floral perfume to raise money for Global Giving on behalf of Japan.  All profits will go to this organization, which has been recommended by the NY Times, Time Magazine, and ABC News for contributions.


Treasure natural perfume, a triple floral with rose, champaca, jasmine grounded by sandalwood
Here's my Etsy description:


Treasure
Rare florals, Grounding
5 ml glass heart bottle with silk pouch

This limited edition perfume is a treasure trove of rare scents. This scent begins with a hint of uplifting lemon and bergamot, superb at lifting negativity and healing the spirit. The heart of this perfume is a trio of florals. The Champaca bud is traditionally worn by Indian women behind the ear and releases its scent as it blossoms. Champaca lends a creamy, almost buttery sweetness. The finest organic ylang ylang extra from Madagascar lifts the Champaca like a sweet breeze. The third floral is precious jasmine sambac, the pikake flower, used by aromatherapists to lift depression and restore joy with its spicy sweetness. Sandalwood waits at the bottom of our treasure chest like a layer of gold coins. 

Sometimes only through severe agitation may the greatest treasures be revealed to us beneath the earth. This earthquake revealed to us the strength of the Japanese people - their resolve, dignity, their love for their neighbors and country, all precious treasures. Let us support this country through our pocketbooks and through a shared sense of community. I will be donating all of my proceeds to Global Giving, an organization recommended by ABC News, Times, and the NY times for charitable contributions: http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/japan-earthquake-tsunami-relief/

Treasure comes in a clear heart bottle holding 5 ml of precious scent, attractively packaged in a silk embroidered pouch of our choosing. 90% organic, no synthetic fragrances, pthalates, petrols, or parabens.


I tested it out on some of my friends before listing it.  Some comments are: 
"Wow.  It's like you bottled the Garden of Eden after a rainstorm." - Arielle.
"This smells like what I would put on before bedtime if I felt naughty."  - Nira
"Like Mermaid Lane's Pearl, only more sensual."  - Karen
"It smells like daisies!" - Sara, 6 years old.


If you're interested in helping Japan by purchasing this perfume, please click: Treasure Natural Perfume


P.S.  We were able to marry on schedule, though many of our guests couldn't make it due to cancelled flights.  It will be our 10 years anniversary this year!

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Smell Journey Through Point Lobos, California - Natural Perfume in the Wild

Hawaii or. . . California?
Yesterday, we visited Point Lobos Natural Reserve, just south of Carmel along the California coast.   Point Lobos means "point of the wolves," not the furry ones, but "sea wolves," or sea lions.  Point Lobos has been called the "crown jewel" of California's state park system, one of our best kept secrets (and judging by the hoards of people flocking to my blog, one that I certainly couldn't be accused of revealing).   It's only a two hour drive from home, yet I'd never visited.  


This past weekend, I was on a mission to see the gray whales on their annual migration to their summer feeding grounds in Baja California, Mexico.  Once nearly extinct, the gray whales now number 20,000+.  Orcas had recently been spotted nearby.  The sun was shining, and I felt sure I was going to see whales.  Not only that, I was going to be the One to spot the whales and impress my two young'uns with my extensive (not) knowledge of order cetacae.


This did not happen.  Not a spout, nor a whale fingerprint, no breaching, blowing, nothing.  But this is not a sad story.  What we did see (I should mention, dear hubby spotted them all first) were a pod of jumping dolphins, baby sea lions, sea otters, deer, bunnies, and cormorants with striking blue plumage.  We also got an eyeful of pristine black sand beaches, adjacent white sand beaches, long ropes of floating seaweed like giant green spaghetti, many sea anemones (say "many anemone" ten times fast), and of course, the great blue Pacific.  Wow.  

Black sand beach in Moss Cove
Fragrant blue ceanothus underscores a jade green cove.
But beyond all the sights, there were the smells.  Ocean air is, in itself, a scent that if one could bottle, one could retire early.  It's that salty, seaweedy, wet sand, just-after-it rains fresh and alive scent of what could be and what has been.  How else to describe?  Mix with that the scent of Monterey Cypress, Monterey Pine, California Poppies, Douglas Irises and California Wood Mint, with its purplish flowers and camphorous, green perfume.   Our wandering down the cliffside walkways revealed hundreds of species of plants, identified by myself as "Look, an orange puffy ball thing!" and "check out that at that cobwebby stuff."  Naturally, I stuck my nose in as many as I could.  My nose led me to one, in particular, a tree/bush full of purple/periwinkle clusters of flowers (again, a botanist would have been helpful here) that smelled just like hyacinth.  I admit, at this point, I fantasized about tippy toeing back along the narrow cliff pathways with branches of this tree on my back but being a law abiding citizen (not to mention someone afraid of being poisoned by what could be on the purple/periwinkle clusters of flowers branches), I just took a picture of it.  


Do you see the sea lion?
Here s/he is!

This is the deer.  Fine.  It's not easy to take a picture of a deer.


My son's using the binoculars to study ants.
Looks like an aerial shot of the trees and a clearing but can you believe I'm looking straight down into the water?   The "trees" are algae.   See the crab?  The white spot in the crevice is the crab.
Douglas irises
Cobwebby lace lichen on a Monterey Cypress.
China Cove
"Yellow popcorn flower"
Poison oak, more commonly known as "stay on the path."


They say memory is processed by the same area of the brain as olfaction.  Smells remind us of our history.  If that's true, I will have a lot to remember about this day.  

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Tinctures Part V - Rooibos Tincture and Natural Perfumes

Update on Rooibos tincture; this one is coming out great!  Rooibos comes from the leaves of the Red Bush plant grown in Africa.  Rooibos tea is often used as a replacement for tea (camellia sinensus) or coffee for those who can't drink caffeinated beverages.  Apparently, it's comparatively high in polyphenols and is an anti-inflammatory, in addition to other benefits.  


During the second week of tincturing I added half a vanilla bean pod leftover from baking.  It's been a good five weeks.  So, how does it smell?


Nutty, almost raisin-y in fruitiness, with a vanilla undertone.   I strained it through an unbleached coffee filter, wiping a drop on the back of my hand.  I sniffed my hand; sweet and vanilla-ish, still with the fruity top notes.  This would be sophisticated with some vetiver.  Perhaps some rose absolute.   This is going to make one happy bottle of perfume.  

Tinctures Part IV - Jasmine Blossoms Disaster

I've been tincturing these past few months.  I used 151 proof Everclear, jam bottles, and different aromatics like cherries, blueberries, orange peel, rooibos tea, and jasmine flowers.  I finally checked on my jasmine flowers tincture today.  The jasmine flowers floated like yellow pompoms in the alcohol.  I opened the jar, and took a whiff.  Too large a whiff.  Eww!  The most horrible stench filled my nostrils, stung my eyes, made me sneeze.


Yikes!  What went wrong?  How did a quarter pound of what started as fragrant buds of organic jasmine end up smelling like toxic waste?  


Organic jasmine buds await an awful fate
After dumping the mess in the sink and blowing my nose for about an hour to blow out the horrible fumes, I think I figured it out.  When I first mixed the jasmine with the Everclear, I distinctly remember a few buds sticking out from the surface of the water.  I told myself at the time that they would eventually settle/sink after being soaked with alcohol.  A key step in tincturing is to fully cover the tinctured plants with alcohol.  This prevents the stuff sticking out from molding, decaying, putrifying, if you will.  


My jasmine buds had not sunk, they were floating on the service.  They had gone, in a word, bad.


Now I think I will go blow my nose again.  Lesson learned.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Tincture Part III - 200 Ethanol, finally! Natural perfumes experiments cont'd

Update on my cherry tincture.  It’s been a good week since I began adding essential oils to my cherry tincture.  The problem in a nutshell: 190 proof Everclear would be the ideal choice for alcohol based natural perfumes, but these are illegal to sell in California.  So I used 151 proof, which clouded when I added essential oils.  So I waited.  And that’s where we are today.

Still cloudy.  Still smells like a sun dappled walk through an orange grove.  Yum.  The problem is, I don't care for cloudy perfume. It's like eating a banana that tastes good but has brown spots on it.  Not great for eating straight out of the peel, but good in banana bread.  Not sure about this analogy, but you know what I mean. 

I finally got my hands on some 200 proof pure ethanol.  I could ostensibly add enough 200 proof to bring the 151 proof tincture up in strength.  But I opt not to do this because: the cherry tincture would be diluted to render it practically unsmellable (i.e., the “why bother” principal); and, repeat, I have 200 proof ethanol and I’m dying to experiment with the good stuff.

Are you a Sexpot or a Spritzer? Alcohol vs. Oil-Based Natural Perfumes

4,000 year old perfume bottles discovered in 2003 on Cypress Island.

Perfume making is a 4000 year old art.  In ancient times, perfumes were a mix of fragrant compounds with oil that people burned as incense or wore either as oil or unguents.  Somewhere in the middle ages, Europeans started mixing this the fragrances with alcohol, and later still, in the early 1900's, the atomizer became the preferred mode of dispensing scent.  I should mention here that back then, people didn't bathe as regularly as we do today and thus atomizers, which dispensed scent quickly and efficiently was a good thing, to quote Martha.
Perfume vase from the tomb of King Tutankhamum, 14th century B.C.

Alcohol and oil based perfumes both have their good points.  It’s a matter of personal preference.   Alcohol based perfumes “lift” the scent to the nose faster for a more powerful hit, if you will.  Top notes rise higher, heart notes beat more intensely.  Oil based perfumes are not in such a rush to reveal their personality.   Oil based may be more easily concentrated around pulse points because of the nature of their application – dabbing versus spraying.   I personally prefer the experience of spraying perfume more than dabbing, while recognizing there may be situations where one desires to confine one’s scent to one spot for a lucky someone to discover.  Like an X on the treasure map of your person, so to speak.  Or a fingerprint on your hourglass, oh, never mind. 

If I had to describe perfume as movie stars, alcohol based would be like Jennifer Aniston, bubbly, full of life, fun, while oil based would be like Angelina Jolie, smoldering, unhurried, full of mystery.  At the end of the day though, both are at heart sexy complicated women who love Brad Pitt.  Though, the goatee has to go.  What was I talking about?

Some believe alcohol based perfumes are bad for the skin, but I don’t buy it.  This might be the case if one bathed in alcohol (or digested it).  However, the amount of alcohol dispensed with each poof of perfume is miniscule, disperse, and ready to flee via evaporation when it meets your body heat.  On the other hand, the nice thing about oil based perfumes are that they are moisturizing to the spots on which you dab them, and are ideal for very dry skin, for dry skin has a hard time holding down scent.  There’s also something very sexy about touching perfume to your ears that brings to mind Cleopatra stretched out on silk pillows, servants bringing pots of myrrh to the Persian queen Scheherazade, you get the picture.  

For me, I love the physical act of poofing, whether it's my hair or my perfume.  It's just so girly.  Now if I could only poof away those dishes in the sink.

I will be offering alcohol based perfumes in the coming weeks.  In the meantime, please visit my Etsy shop to browse my oil based (i.e., sexpot) natural perfumes: Mermaid Lane Perfumes