Strawberries say Summer to me. Delicious, juicy strawberries are perfect on their own, delectable in pie, crucial for a delicious smoothie, and oh so mind-blowingly good dipped in quality dark chocolate.
This simple red fruit with the jaunty green hat is, for many, a memory of Summers past. Remembering Grandma's famous strawberry pie. Remembering the taste of the juice on pink fingers while picking strawberries in a field. Remembering lips stained with strawberry "lipstick". Remembering that last sip of a thick homemade milkshake.
Did you know this favorite fruit is part of the rose family? Did you know they are high in antioxidants? Did you know only one cup of these berries gives you 136% of the RDA of Vitamin C? Did you know strawberries can help reduce inflammation? I didn't know these things until I was researching this article.
What I did know is that strawberries are yummy.
What I also know is that strawberry perfumes are few and far between, and most of them smell of sweet and sweaty plastic. Well, that is until now...
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Monica Miller of Perfume Pharmer dreamed up an idea of a beautiful perfume infused with strawberry flower essence. She shared her idea with Kedra Hart, perfumer of deliciously sexy Opus Oils, who created two scents based on the brief.
Monica wanted two scents based on memories from her youth in England. The first, a strawberry scent reminiscent of strawberry confiture, scones, and clotted cream - memories of tea time. The second, the scent of green hillsides, strawberries, and the Summer sun. The two creations are, for now, referred to as "Cream" and "Green".
Monica has asked for help selecting just one of these two strawberry scents. THE strawberry perfume. That scent will be turned into unisex (and very sexy!) products: massage oil, body butter, lip butter, an eau de parfum and a perfume. As a member of a group chosen by Monica, I've been asked to choose a favorite and tell a bit about my thoughts on the two variations.
First, some thoughts from Monica. I asked Monica about this project. "Why?" - for one. Why strawberries, why this way, why Kedra? Her response: "I wanted a strawberries and cream perfume for comfort... Kedra is known for her 'kittenish' sexy perfumes and... sexy is a good additive if you want to be nibbled on!"
She further explained that she wanted an all-natural scent that even mainstream perfume-lovers would love. While Monica does wear "mixed-media" perfumes (those with both natural and synthetic ingredients), she points out "Toxins DO build up [in the body] and I want to feel really good about what I (or my skin) ingests. I think your immune system can get pretty overloaded with chemicals, so I prefer natural."
The perception of "natural perfumes" is varied, and Monica wanted to make sure this was a nice, upscale, unisex scent that would impress anyone despite their normal perfume tastes. "My intention isn't to be mainstream but I wanted to break the mold of acceptance. I dont think anyone will say 'yuck - a natural perfume'. It's not dirty or opaque." The ingredients in these scents are top-notch. They're quality, and that is apparent to anyone who tries them.
She further explained that she wanted an all-natural scent that even mainstream perfume-lovers would love. While Monica does wear "mixed-media" perfumes (those with both natural and synthetic ingredients), she points out "Toxins DO build up [in the body] and I want to feel really good about what I (or my skin) ingests. I think your immune system can get pretty overloaded with chemicals, so I prefer natural."
The perception of "natural perfumes" is varied, and Monica wanted to make sure this was a nice, upscale, unisex scent that would impress anyone despite their normal perfume tastes. "My intention isn't to be mainstream but I wanted to break the mold of acceptance. I dont think anyone will say 'yuck - a natural perfume'. It's not dirty or opaque." The ingredients in these scents are top-notch. They're quality, and that is apparent to anyone who tries them.
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| Monica, gathering water for her Strawberry Flower Essence. |
Flower Essences? Yeah, me either. Here's some info. Based on the theory that plants have energy that can be communicated to humans and even help them change and heal, these liquids transfer the specific energy and vibrations of a flower to person (or pet, I wonder?) who is treated with them. A flower essence is created by using water, brandy (as a preservative), sunshine, and the plant. Call it alchemy, magic, faith, or whatever you like - the belief is that the energy from the plant and flowers will be infused in the water. Flower essences can be applied topically, via massage, accupressure, or sprayed, but can also be ingested. Plants have their own essence, or energy, and, via a concept called "vibrational healing" those energies can be channeled to relieve or enhance certain conditions or feelings.
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| Strawberry Flower Essence, "percolating". |
Strawberry Flower Essence. Monica created a flower essence from the flowers and leaves of strawberries from her home, Martha's Vineyard. The essence was used in the perfume created by Kedra, which is a stand-alone perfume. In other words, the essence has no scent and does not change Kedra's creation at all -- at least by smell. The concept, of course, is that the essence adds so much more to the perfume. Strawberry flower essences focus on the concept of "dignity". They can be used to promote strength, a sense-of-self, grounding, reliability, grace, being in-touch with one's body. One might reach for a strawberry flower essence when feeling a lot of guilt; feeling low, unworthy and "not enough"; feeling irresponsible; feeling psychically overwhelmed, and also when dealing with childhood issues with mental abuse. 1
Strawberry Passion. Kedra developed two scents for Monica - both containing only natural ingredients. One scent is a bit more sweet and reminiscent of strawberries and cream. The other is greener and reminds one of strawberry fields and fresh green leaves. Monica refers to the Strawberry Passion concept as "A Strawberry Perfume for Grown-ups".
Cream is the fun one: sweet, flirty and slightly fizzy. Green is the more serious one: a tad deeper, a bit more solemn, and a lot more grounded. Cream is a snuggle; Green is a warm hug.
The variation both contain the Martha's Vineyard strawberry flower essence, of course. Pink Pepper perks up the top notes of both scents, and Boronia, a woodland flower from Australia, lends its purported calming and centering influence to both blends. Both contain the same base: vanilla, patchouli, sandalwood, and Kedra's beach-found ambergris. These notes make the scent seem to melt sweetly into the skin, warm like a Summer's day. But it's what they don't have in common that make it difficult to choose a favorite!
Martha's Vineyard Strawberry Flower Essence, Pink Pepper, Bergamot, Tangerine, Boronia, Natural Peach, Raspberry and Strawberry Accord, Amber, Vanilla, Patchouli, Beach-found Ambergris, SandalwoodOh, this one is my favorite!
Inhale. Breathe in berries, fresh and sweet.
Inhale. Raspberries and strawberries with cream in a glass bowl with two spoons.
Inhale. Fruity flashes of citrus make the blood rush.
Inhale. Vanilla cream innocence. The batting of eyelashes.
Inhale. A whisper. A wink. A giggle.
Inhale! Pink flush on creamy skin .
Martha's Vineyard Strawberry Flower Essence, Pink Pepper, White Water Lily, Red Mandarin, Natural Ivy Accord, Rose, Tuberose, Boronia, Strawberry, Black Currant, Peach, Green Tea, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Beach-found Ambergris, OakmossOh! This one is my favorite!
Inhale. Breathe in the zing of mandarin and a rush of something wet and cool.
Inhale. Luscious strawberry, freshly bitten.
Inhale. Green leaves and juicy berry.
Inhale. A tall sweating glass of peach tea with a strawberry floating in the melting ice.
Inhale. Lying in a sun-warmed field of flowers, vines, and berries.
Inhale! Strawberry-tinged skin, like the juice left on the chin after a stolen strawberry kiss in the picking field.
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Anyway, now picking between the two is incredibly difficult. I thought I'd hate these, since I've never smelled a strawberry perfume I liked. Or a strawberry body product I liked, for that matter. But these are so beautifully rendered, so natural but intense (they last for hours!), so lusciously strawberry - well, I just get all addled at having to choose between them. I can't wait to smell the body products created from which ever version wins, and neither can my children who absolutely love both of these strawberry perfumes.
Enough stalling.
I pick Green.
I find Cream to be flirty and fun and a true pleasure to wear. But I think I appreciate the grounding and warmth of Green. It pairs so fantastically with the sweet juicy citrus, berries, and boronia that I just can't stop sniffing it.
Want to try these two Strawberry Passion samples? You can get them here, on Etsy.
Here are some other thoughts on the Strawberry Passion perfume...
- Ida on Fragrantica
- Ida again on her own blog, Chayaruchama
- John, the Little Berry Perfume Fairy on Perfume Pharmer
- Lucy of IndiePerfumes
Further reading...
Samples of both perfumes were provided to me for this project,
courtesy of both Kedra Hart and Monica Miller.
For more information about my submission and
review policies, please read this.
courtesy of both Kedra Hart and Monica Miller.
For more information about my submission and
review policies, please read this.
Jen, thank you so much for your thorough and thoughtful writing about Strawberry Passion. I really appreciate how you got to know both perfumes, took your time, and also delved into the fairy world of Flower Essences. Ther IS so much to know about Flowers and Plants- it's a constant source of inspiration and exploration. Kedra's perfume excelled beyond my expectations (ok, I knew she could do it!)and I am in love with both mods. I can't wait to see what others say1 Thank you again for your opinions and time! xoxo M
ReplyDeleteThanks for reviewing a more obscure set of perfumes. Seems most bloggers are complaining about mainstream releases because they're crappy.
ReplyDeleteWell, of course most of them are crappy. An original fragrance will put off a lot of people, and that isn't the point of being mainstream.
I'll look for these.
So in depth, gorgeous review. The info about the flower essence is good too, and love the illustrations.
ReplyDeleteCool and interesting stuff shared with nice information.
ReplyDeleteoverstock perfume
clogones
Great perfumes. Thank you for the review. In case you'd like to add this information to your blog, the figure of the female on the perfume bottle and card is a self portrait by yours truly: Katarina Silva. Here is my website, if your readers would like the link: http://katarinasilva.redbubble.com :-)
ReplyDelete