Honey Lover

The latest collection in the ever expanding perfume lockets and cases is the Honey Bee emblem oval compact in jewel tones. Right now I have listed them with Blanc. If you want one with a specific fragrance send me a note. I'm working on loads of new perfumes including a series of soliflores which will be called "Soul Flowers." Blanc is in that category, as a soliflore (single flower) perfume of the orchid bean, vanilla.

I've also added the little golden heart box with three "posey" perfumes, stemming from the language of Flowers. If you would like one of these customized with specific messages for your lover please send me a note.

The team at Honey Love has deemed me the "HoneyLover" of the month, check it over at the Honey Love site here.

Whew, now back to making perfume for me, Greg and I have a surprise coming soon, keep your eyes peeled its a beauty! I'm so excited I can barely contain it.

Natural Perfume Holiday Shipping

The holiday shopping season has arrived, thus, I took a peek at the USPS site to look at their shipping dates.

For order shipping within the continental US please make sure to place them before December 18th so that I can ship them by December 20th. All orders going abroad should be placed no later than December 10th. Keep in mind, this is a rough guess based on the USPS site and my ability to make and ship perfume in a timely matter.

If you would like to gift someone a natural perfume but are not sure which one I highly recommend one of the solid natural perfume sampler sets. Folk of all ages adore these and they are a big hit on Christmas morning. A gift certificate can be included so that the recipient may then order their favorite in a larger size.

Sun Sign Leo

On July 23rd the sun moved into the sign of Leo until August 22nd.  Within the twelve signs in the zodiac all the personality types are represented. Leo the lion tends to be creative, spontaneous, dominate, ambitious, courageous...among many other traits. Our nearest star, the Sun at the center of the universe and life giver, rules Leo.

If you have a Leo in your life and are considering a gift of natural perfume, To Bee feels very appropriate. Sweet and warm like honey, firey like the sun and inspired by the courageous honey bee who uses the sun as her gps. An added benefit is that color harmony for this fragrance is gold.

I was born during this sun cycle, however I have a Pisces moon and lots of planets in the 4th house, which offsets some of the Leo characteristics. It has become a bit of a yearly tradition for me to create a celebratory perfume in August. This year I will launch a new Jasmine perfume (formerly known Jasmine Noir) to add to Cimbalom and Page 47 that are part of this set.

There are many projects in the works at the moment and I haven't quite decided what will get launched when. Some of this depends on Mr. Illuminator who is creating a few images. For now I will focus on finishing the To Bee Lookbook and labels for a new product line which Impromptu is part of. Ah, and keep in mind the Birthday Coupon, a once a year discount which can be used at any time of the year toward a compact or flacon.

Holiday Gift Guide 2010

The gift giving season has arrived along with the Autumn winds and cooler temperatures. In the spirit of the season Trish at Scent Hive has gathered together some of her favorite bloggers (links below) to offer a few recommendations of heart warming gift ideas.

Most people will most likely head to the mall or perhaps a favorite street with lots of boutiques for their shopping. It is certainly what I use to do. These days however I am interested in breaking free of supporting the big conglomerates and focusing on small indie business and handmade as much as possible.

The list I have compiled is from items I desire for myself and those I would love to gift to others.

For the Fashionista

Anna-Marie of MinxShop in Pittsburg designs clothes that are interesting and unique, but also comfortable and wearable on a day to day basis. They are artfully created with attention to detail, expertly crafted as well as photographed.

Another favorite is TreeHouse28 owned by Alix McCauley a mother of two located in California. I have been lusting for something from her shop on Etsy ever since I discovered them in September 2008. The clothes look as if I could easily wear them here in the studio and then dash over to a yoga class looking chic.

For Him

I just ordered the most amazing handmade soaps from the Rocky Top Soap Shop in Maine. There is so much to adore with these, particularly the nature loving spirit of the creator Tony. I plan to give them to a few of the guys in my life...as well as ladies. These mindfully handcrafted soaps will also make excellent stocking stuffers!

Another item I just ordered, which has yet to arrive, is incense from Alchemy Works. I am very particular about incense, not only because I want something that is truly made with plant materials but I also want to support artistry. This incense is the best! I love the aroma, the way it burns and the magical aspects which Harry uses to make them. The website is a treasure trove of fabulous details which you can easily get lost in for hours. For those who love magic, wizardry these are for you! Perfect for your upcoming Harry Potter film release party!

For the Gourmet

Normally I head over to William Sonoma, Dean and Deluca or Sur La Table to find gifts for the gourmet. This year however I have found a bounty of artisanal products at the local farmers market. Supporting your local farmers is another conscious choice that is quite fun and rewarding. We patronize ours once a week to get our veggies, fruits, honey, chicken, fish, bread and...if our income has been good, flowers!

I have found some wonderous hand pressed, local virgin olive oil flavored with blood orange peels as well as incredible vinegars, one was a fig and vanilla infusion!

Other fabulous gifts for the gourmet are specialty baked goods like these from Whimsy and Spice in Brooklyn. Picture above are Earl Grey sandwich cookies which have been flavored with Earl Grey tea. The small indie shop was founded in 2008 by the husband and wife team of Mark Sopchak and Jenna Park. They have a fabulous blog called Sweet Fine Day where you can get to know them and appreciate the fact that you are supporting a sweet family.

For the Gardner

How about some hose clothes! These hose covers are made of strong water-friendly fabrics with a textured grip. For those who have high aesthetics and don't like the look of those old garden hoses this is a great alternative! Made in California by Dirt Couture.

Intending this list has inspired you to forage into the realm of handmade, local and artisanal. For more ideas and suggestions, specifically related to scent, please follow the links below to the others participating in the Holiday Gift Guide 2010 blogging event.

Scent Hive

All I Am - A Redhead

Perfume Shrine

Indie Perfumes

I'll post a gift guide for Roxana Illuminated Perfume in the next few weeks.

Images: Gift box, Rocky Top Soap and Corn Yellow cuff photos by Roxana Villa all other photos please refer to individual shop owners.

A Gift Guide: Mother Earth

To commemorate the bounty of Mother Earth and honor our Mothers I have compiled a special gift guide. The guide is meant to facilitate grace and ease if you plan gifting your self or another individual on the two upcoming special days.

EARTH

"There are no passengers on Spaceship Earth. We are all crew."
~Marshall McLuhan, 1964

Celebrating Earth Day with a perfume made of the natural raw materials that come from the earth and are healing to mind and body seems most fitting. Don't you think? Elemental Earth is
the home of our connection to the here & now. It is related to the base chakra, the place of manifestation, control & restraint and grounded in experience. Home of the Male, strength and ability to create magic. The spirit medicine of Snake dwells here with the ability to move swiftly, above and below the ground, to shed what no longer serves and be born anew.


The fragrances most related to this energetic imprint are Terrestre solid and Sierra Solid Gold Perfume. Both these fragrances are in a solid round format, like the earth. The essences contained have an earth bound quality. The formula for Terrestre was created during Earth Hour with the perfume released last year on Earth Day. Sierra Solid Gold contains drops of a magical accord for prosperity.

Terrestre
Fragrance family: WOOD, CONIFER
Notes: Precious Oud, Labdanum, Cedar, Patchouli, Distilled Indian Earth, Vetiver, Indian Rose and Galbanum

Sierra Solid Gold
Fragrance family: WOOD, CONIFER, GOURMAND
Notes: Frankincense, Myrrh, Wood, Conifer, Rosemary, Spice and Citrus.

MOTHER

"The real religion of the world comes from women much more than from men - from mothers most of all, who carry the key of our souls in their bosoms."
~Oliver Wendell Holmes

Mother provide endless amounts of love, nurturing and patience. To help facilitate this sense of grace in mom consider a fragrance composed of flowers or essences associate with the above mentioned virtues.

In aromatherapy Jasmine is considered a euphoric with applications for treating depression, anxiety, sexual challenges and facilitating greater creativity. Within magical circles Jasmine is associated with the moon, the feminine and elemental water. The illuminated perfume containing the most obvious note of Jasmine are Cimbalom and Lyra.

Cimbalom
Fragrance family: FLORAL, ORIENTAL
Labdanum, Indonesian Patchouli, Indian Jasmine, Ginger and Orange.

Lyra
Fragrance family: FLORAL, ORIENTAL
Twenty different essences including: Amber Accord, Jasmine, Ylang Ylang and Citrus.

If your mum is in need of rest consider Vera with her bounty of Lavender essential oil or the perfume devoted to Peace.

Vera
Fragrance family: HERBAL, FOUGERE

The primary fragrance notes include: Lavender, Orange blossom, Hay, Honey.

The perfume devoted to Peace
Fragrance family: FLORAL, ORIENTAL, GOURMAND
Vintage Sandalwood, Tobacco, Vanilla Orchid Bean, Champa, Blue Lotus, Clementine, Ginger, Neroli.

For the mom with the gracious and abundant heart mirror her with the fragrance of Rose, a perennial symbol of love and beauty.

Vespertina™
Fragrance family: FLORAL
Main Notes: Precious Woods, Frankincense, Patchouli, Rose, Jasmine, Spice and Citrus.

Rosa
Fragrance family: FLORAL
Leather Accord, Vetiver, Precious woods, Rose, Rose Accord, Citrus.

If mom is yearning for the Ocean, the Sea Chypre perfume GreenWitch is devoted to the Greek Aquatic Goddess Tethys.

GreenWitch
Fragrance family: CHYPRE
Oakmoss, Labdanum, Seaweed, Jasmine, Rose and Bergamot.

Still not sure, how about one of the many sample packs: Liquid Perfume Samples, Solid Perfume Minis, the Ultimate Natural Botanical Perfume Sampler or a Gift Certificate.

If mom isn't into fragrance but a lover of nature give her something to adorn herself with, a antique inspired necklace with an ornamental iconic bee image.


All of these items can be found at my E-shop by clicking on this link here. All items arrive beautifully presented and ready to gift.