All Natural Solid Perfumes

I have been making solid perfumes for a dozen years or so and even though they are the solid form of perfumery, they seem to be the most evasive and ephemeral in terms of continuity and commitment.
I worked feverishly and obsessively on a set of balms in 2007 that were inspired by my study of the art and spirituality of color. I created a set of five perfumes that evoked not only a color, but the energy and spirituality of that color.
While they were amazing, I had gotten carried away by the color, in reality, of the balms to the point that the gesture was muddied.
For example, I used Blue Chamomile oil, which is firstly, expensive and secondly does not offer the perfect blue scent in the amounts I had to use to make it the right color. Cacao in the brown perfume and so on.
We at Flora loved them and made amazing and amazingly complicated packaging for them that entailed tons of very precise cutting and oh dear, I just want to make perfume.

Customers didn't really get it and there were issues with the containers, as they were chosen for their color, rather than functionality.
 
Fast forward to 2012 and we are back in it!
Focus: Solid perfumes, the importance of color gesture, packaging that is gorgeous and very functional.

We are bringing them back!

The new labels have arrived, new packaging has been procured and the ingredients are all waiting in line.

The cards we made all those years ago? Still perfect. 

 

The re-lauch will be at Crafty Wonderland's Spring Sale. May 12th 2012.

It's time.
xo

Calendula

Sunny Ladies

Calendula likes to reseed itself and it's really good at it, yet over the years I have heard that it's good to re-plant new seed to strengthen the flowers.
I resisted for years because I figured the seed was just perfect, having grown right there and replanted itself. A small miracle, really.
But last year I did buy new seed and replanted my garden and lo and behold if they aren't the most lovely early bloomers!
This is their first year of reseeding and some of the plants even survived the winter.
I have grand plans for more production this year which, lucky for me, means being in the garden with my plant lovelies more.

New Sandalwood Blends

I was making Knitter's Hand Balm for Knit Purl and a couple of mail order customers last week.
During the process, there is a time when you just have to wait.

In my amazing workspace, waiting is lovely, as I am surrounded by all the most amazing scents and sights, recently organized by the lovely Julia DaRosa. (thank you!)
I found myself thinking about my beloved Sandalwood oils and although they are rare, precious, expensive, exotic and so on, I just decided that it was silly to be hoarding it all like some Grandma with her perfectly embroidered pillowcases in a dresser rather than on her bed.

What am I going to do, carry my sandalwood with me to my grave?
No. (at least not all of it)

I decided then and there to make something with sandalwood. The good stuff. The vintage Mysore Sandalwood.

If you don't know what that means, picture the thing that you covet and cannot afford. That's what it's like.

A wholesale perfumer once said to me when my children were little "ah, just buy a kilo of this Sandalwood and put it away for them and it will pay for them to go to college."

I didn't get a kilo, but I bought as much as I could afford at the time to add to my stash.

I made 5 new blends that day. 4 of them with sandalwood.
One of them was perfect on the first try.
That rarely happens.
They normally need tweaking and finessing over weeks and months.

One of them we love!
So rich and luscious, exotic and layered.

I let go of "saving for a rainy day" and with freedom and feelings of generosity and abundance created "Lakshmi".

The main notes:
Sandalwood offers an exotic, deep, sweet, slightly smoky wood scent.
Rose is beautiful, loving and abundant.
Pink Lotus is narcotic and seductive while remaining a sacred flower in many cultures.

Together, it's all that, with the alchemy of magic, mixing, time and intention making it even more than the sum of it's parts.
It's not quite on the shelves yet as we are still musing over the name, but come by and try some on. The tester will be waiting for you!

Sunday Perfumery

When I make perfume I like to listen to Joanna Newsom. She's odd & quirky and her singing makes me get into a zone that is perfect for listening to the essence of smell. That probably doesn't make sense but it works for me.
However, Joanna Newsom is not the most appropriate retail background music and we are retail even if I am geeking out in the back room.

Today, Sunday, I went in with the intention of working on a blend that I have been thinking about and tinkering with for a good long time, something along the lines of two years, in fits and starts.
In all that time, it has been with me, all of the scents that I dream up live with me. I carry them around like so many small children.
Perhaps that's why Joanna Newsom is so right for the work. She is the perfect serenade for so many small aromatic and at times slightly vexing children.

Today the store's computer crashed and the computer guy (my guy) was fixing that up and Sadie was covering my shift so that I could try to get this blend made up and even with all of the chaos I just gathered my ingredients and started blending. And figuring.
As I always say: "it's mostly math". Don't fool yourself. The magic of perfumery is totally there, but if you don't keep very diligent track of every tiny detail, it's a one time thing.
If you want to recreate something, even if it is just to change it, you have to mark down the measurements and the source of each oil and so on and so forth.
As I was dropping aromatics into tiny beakers, there was a moment in which I was questioning Sadie's choice of music and a split second later I was reminded as I often am of the perfect match of all the lovely people who work and help at Flora and how amazing it all is and how it always works out. Sadie had chosen for this Sunday at high noon none other than Joanna Newsome. Perfect.

The perfume, you ask? Yes, of course.
The blend is in two at this point or it is two separate scents. I am not quite sure.
They are similar and have a kindred nature, but they are each their own distinct selves.

I was going for a masculine scent. One that is warm and rich, that will give comfort and be sexy all at the same time.
I love the femmy scents of rose and jasmine but I also love the earthy and deep vetivert and oak moss.

One of the images for the scent is of campfires, open sky and dusk falling.

I was imagining what an iconic masculine scent would be and I thought of my dad.
The scents that I remember most about him are cigarettes, sawdust and coffee.
My dad was a man's man, whatever that means and the scent I am going for evokes a past that is reminiscent of an ideal.
This is the scent of the Marlboro Man or Don Draper or the dream of being a little more manly than you really are, or of bringing out something hidden in you.
Cicero wrote "A man's chief quality is courage."

The scent has dignity and strength and it smells great on women as well.

One of the scents is a bit sweeter than the other and we are tentatively calling it "bandito nights"
The second is darker and moodier and tentatively named "Middle Earth"

My brother and sister-in-law came into the store later in the day and my sis-in-law asked about the scent on the counter. I let her smell it and she swooned. She had my brother smell it and he seemed surprised by how much he liked it.
She wanted to buy some for him. It was just the in-store tester that we were playing with and trying to set a name to. But what could I say? I poured half of it into a bottle for her to take home.
Even though I didn't give them the story behind the scent, it seems fitting that my brother is gifted in a magical way with a scent inspired, at least in part, by our dad.

Lavender Sugar Cookies

I wanted to make something special for an event at the store and I wanted it to be simple.
Simple = sugar cookies + lavender = Special
I tried the recipe once to make sure they would be "good enough" for the art opening and they were.
I made them again to everyone's delight including the guest of honor, our artist of the month Trish Grantham, who has turned into our featured artist for the past 2-3 months. She keeps on painting and folks keep on buying it.
Yay! Supporting local art is a deeply political and spiritual act. Investing in art is Righteous.
We also really love that when she brings in new art, she stays and moves everything around so everything is all freshy-fresh.

It's been awhile, but here's the recipe:

Lavender Sugar Cookies

I make these entirely in the food processor

1 heaping tablespoon dried lavender in food processor
with 3/4 C organic brownish sugar or regular brown sugar,
add a stick of soft butter, mix well.
add an egg, 2 tsp vanilla extract.
blend,
then add 1.5 C flour, 1/2tsp salt, 1/2 tsp baking soda. mix, not too much.
scoop dough by the teaspoon,
roll into little balls by hand,
roll in vanilla sugar (or any sugar)
don't flatten,
I know you'll want to, but don't.
Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 5-7 minutes.
don't let them brown.

if you don't have a food processor, blend the lavender and sugar in a mortar & pestle or a coffee grinder, then proceed how you would with any other cookie recipe.
They will be fragrant and lovely and should stay soft for days.
They are so dreamy!
enjoy.

Scotch Broom

Scotch Broom is generally an unloved plant.
Considered a noxious weed by most, I don't recommend planting it, nor do I judge you for ridding your property of it. What I do hope is that the next time you happen by it is to take a small moment to recognize and appreciate it's beauty.
It looks almost as sexy and exotic as an orchid to me.

As we begin the descent into Fall, I find myself romanticizing the passing Summer. I don't love the reality of summer, just the fantasy. It's too hot and unstructured for me, although I do love to sleep in.
(I took this picture in June in Portland.)

California Poppy

Finally!

The perfume box set is launched

Empowering Potion

Everyone loves the Empowering Potion.
It's been by far the most popular of our sprays but sadly, we've been sold out of it for months!
It's tricky to make a sun infused, sun inspired Potion in Oregon.
Each of the potions have their very own needs and desires and the Empowering Potion needs and desires Sun and lots of it.
7 plus days of as full sun as possible.
It's a hard feat for most of the Portland year.
I also need to have the space set up just so and have all the ingredients on hand before brewing.
For everyone who has been coming in each week asking about the potion and the girls at the store asking me when I'll be making some more already?
Well, it's finally happened.
Summer Solstice was a clear and auspicious day to brew and now it's already bright and hot at 9am, with tomorrow expecting to reach near 100 degrees, this will be a powerful batch.
The last time everything aligned for this potion was in August of 07.
It looks like the next many days will continue to be perfect weather, but I'm glad it's already made, because I'll be in herb camp all next week and any potions being made will be with the children.
xo