Getting Creative: Home Fragrance Oils

This morning I had the urge for the scent of lavender and oranges, I'm not quite sure why I am so fond of this mixture of scents, but I suppose I like that it is calming and awakening at the same time. My answer to the problem; a mixture of home fragrance oils. I really enjoy the creativity you are allowed with home fragrance oils. They allow you to play perfumerer of your home in a non-expensive way. I admit I get the most fun out of my discontinued Les Couvents des Minimes Orange & Cinnamon home fragrance oil (truth be told though it doesn't really have any cinnamon), the orange used is mild and warm unlike the potent Satsuma sold by The Body Shop. The blends well with other scents and offers a wonderful orange zingingness to other scents most often I blend it woud Henri Bendel's Holiday (also discontinued; rats!) or Lavender oil, I admit right I am on the hunt for a good vanilla home fragrance oil.

Another offering of beauty The Decemberist's Engine Driver, beautifully melodic and lyrical:


image provided by artnet.com
image: Koi with Small Bowl by David Kroll 2006
video uploaded by xXBerlinXx

A Scent For A Night Club

Along with candles, I also enjoy fragrancing my home with home fragrance oils, this is often a life saver in the hot conditions of California, where even a fairly large fragranced candle can be source of overheating in the summer. But the advantage of home fragrance oils is they also immediately fragrance a room. Yesterday, I walked into Bath and Body Works, while I wanted a nice little fragrance treat, I did not want to spend much money. I admit I was eyeing the Black Amethyst candle, but it wasn't such a bargain at full price, but then I noticed they were having a sale on their home fragrance oils, at $3 each this was the perfect option for me. So I took a bottle of the Black Amethyst and bought a package of tealight candles. I got open and immediately took out my oil burner and was surprised at how well the scent held up in this form.

It immediately made me think of the perfect loungy night club where slow atmospheric music plays in the background and hushed conversations are spoken over classic drinks and slinky dresses are worn.

The scent is unique in that it plays with ripe tropical fruits and flowers yet offsets these notes with an edge of coolness. The top is a rather ripe tart note of pineapple and plum before segwaying into a cool earthy tuberose that hints at Dior's Poison, before coming to a background of cool creamy vanilla and subtle woods. I must say that Bath and Body Works seems to be really making a point these days offer better fragrances especially in their fall collections.

This a fragrance that is perfect for swank little cocktail parties that are serving ice cold cocktails. Not meant to smell cozy but utterly sensual.

The perfect song to go with it, Cibo Matto's Sugar Water:


Official notes:
Fragrance top notes: Bergamot Italian Oprur, Juicy Mandarin, Sparkling Tangerine, Zesty Orange, Waterfruits, Crisp Melon
Fragrance Mid Notes: Lily of the Valley, Magnolia Blossom, Sheer Gardenia, Tuberose, Freesia, Peony Petals, Camellia
Fragrance Base Notes: Patchouli, Sandalwood, Vetiver, Vanilla, Musk

image provided by artnet.com
image: Big Jazz by Gage Mace
video uploaded by RhinoEntertainment

Osmanthus, the love continutes: Kyoto by Tocca and tea experiment

My love of osmanthus continues, it is officially a part of my top 5 favorite scents. So I continue to try and find new ways to scent my life with osmanthus; it is a flower worthy of more adoration than it gets.
A little while ago I made a list of products featuring osmanthus, one of those was Tocca's Kyoto candle, well for while I had been carrying around gift cards for Sephora and I decided to see if they carried Tocca's Kyoto, I immediately bought up the candelina (which is bit on the expensive side) with the gift cards. Well I am here to say the raves for Tocca are correct, yes they are expensive, but the little candelina has amazing throw and lasts quite a while, but I admit I going through it fast because the scent is absolutely gorgeous.
Tocca on it's blurb says Kyoto is inspired by osmanthus during autumn* at Japanese temples when they bloom. The scent is lovely and soothing, I would love to catch the scent of it on a breeze. Tocca's interpretation is heavy on the apricot note, supported by cream and aquatic background, in general I hate aquatic qualities, but this works perfectly. Imagine fragrant flowers plunged in icy cold water, the effect is soothing and refreshing, and never goes into fake sea breezes or calone zone. This is a perfect gift for an osmanthus lover and I highly recommend it.

In my love of osmanthus a while I ago I bought a packet of dried osmanthus flowers for culinary use, today I finally did what I had always intended to do with little dried fragrant orange flowers, I mixed it with my Peet's Ti Kwan Yin Oolong tea, the combo is lovely bringing out the floral, fruit, and leather notes featured in both the tea and flowers. Now if only someone would make me a fragrance of it. Seriously at this point if I get rich my dream is perfect bespoke fragrance of Osmanthus. I think I will be dreaming for a long time.

*I love the fact that this flower blooms in Autumn, because I an Autumn baby, and it ridiculously makes me feel a little more symbolically connected to this opalescent fragranced flower.
image provided by http://www.photorae.it/natura2007/pages/Osmanthus_Heterophyllus_2.htm

Ambiance...Voluspa Baltic Amber Candle

Amber is one of the most beautiful fragrances out there and can come in many varietal interpretations: Anne Pliska is an orange tinged aldehydic wonder relying very much on sweeter pungent variety of amber. Today is a look at Voluspa's Baltic Amber candle which takes a beautiful journey through amber. At first the scent of Baltic Amber is creamy, just a tinge of coconut, but underneath it lies a beautiful hint of fir needles never letting it become sickeningly sweet. As the candle burns longer a tinge of cherry tinged smoke starts to come through the creaminess. The fragrance progresses to smoky wood soaked amber scent yet never hits a single rough edge with the creamy use of the vanilla. The candle burns clear and long, although it could be wished that the candle had better throwing power in scent, yet the scent that is there is utterly gorgeous for an interpretation of amber. It adds the ambiance of a perfect cool autumn in the mountains with smoke and mist intertwining. I definately recommend this to those that love the scent of amber. I think this scent would be greatly appreciated by those that enjoy Luctor et Emergo People of the Labyrinths fragrace. And yes I am deeply hankering to get the room spray. You can find Voluspa's Baltic Amber fragrance at http://www.zanadia.com.