The Scents, the Sights of Maui - Natural Perfumery in Every Day Life

View of the Sunset from LaHaina, Maui

View of the ocean from our hotel 

Maui.  The place where I will live someday.  Me and my nose.  Smelling all the yummy Maui air, the salty ocean breezes, wild plumeria blossoms, pikake stars, papaya, sweet gold pineapple, hawaiian roast pig barbecueing somewhere.   This is one place on earth you can make full use of your five senses, actually: see a beautiful ever changing sunset, take a dive into warm clear azure waters, taste the Hawaiian cuisine, from a rainbow of flavors of shaved ice with lihing mui powder, to fresh fish caught in Hawaiian waters like Ono and Mahi Mahi.  Hear the call of exotic birds, the roar of the waves.

A rare blue lotus opens in the sunlight.

Blue lotus closes up shop as the sun dims.

 My favorite are the red plumerias (didn't get a good picture this time around).

Small bushes of plumeria blossoms.

Ppl ask wouldn't I get bored living here?  I would not.  I am a city girl, it is true.  But I could watch the ocean forever.  Whenever I close my eyes to meditate, it is the ocean that I see.  Perhaps in a prior life I was a dolphin.

Back to flowers.  And Paradise (Maui).  For me, the smell of plumeria blossoms puts me in mind of Maui in a nanosecond.  Unfortunately, most plumeria oil is synthetic fragrance oil.  The real deal is hard to get and very expensive.  My dad has a very productive plumeria tree in his backyard from which he will get me a cutting.  Then while I'm scrimping and saving to move to the islands, I can at least have the scent of plumeria in my own backyard to inspire me onwards.

Kids walking to the beach.

If you are lucky enough to get your hands on real plumeria essential oil, you might find it needs little tweaking to become a memorable, sophisticated perfume.  In other words, it's so strong and sweet and airy to stand by itself.  I would add bright citrus notes - yuzu comes to mind, to perk up the floral sweetness, grounded by something unobstrusive like amarys sandalwood, cedarwood, vanilla, or myrrh.

Ava ate bubble gum and cotton candy shaved ice (eww) while I  had lychee, coconut and guava with li hing mui powder, which to her, is eww.