If you have a face with skin on it, read this.


As a child, did you ever climb through brambles on the way to those beautiful, bobbing heads of honeysuckle, pinch off a blossom, and suck the nectar out? I know I did! I recognized the scent of those thick, full vines way before I spotted them on one of the many pathways near our house. And I still lean over and take a whiff now, though they surely aren't as prevalent as I seem to recall them being back when I was young. 


Well, if honeysuckle is a fond childhood memory for you like it is for me, AND you have a face with skin, you're going to be so excited to hear what I'm talking about today!

It's good. 

Damn good.

Really mind-blowingly good.

Dance around with a smile on your face, holy grail, hug strangers good.


Natural perfumer Mandy Aftel has a collection of skincare products in her Aftelier Perfumes line. They are divine. How I have managed to not blog about them is, frankly, appalling and shameful. I could have sworn I had, and I will rectify that with haste. 

At any rate, today I'm talking about a newish addition to the line. It's, of course, all kinds of natural, because this is Mandy Aftel we're talking about. And, unless you're particularly tired or un-coffee'd today, you have probably guessed it's got honeysuckle in it. Yup. Beautiful, rare, organic honeysuckle, sourced from Italy. 

In fact the whole product, a face oil, is organic. (Score!) So: Organic Honeysuckle Face Elixir is what we have going on today. 

If you have never put an oil on your face, do not stop reading. Trust me. I'm a doctor.



I am totally not a doctor. That was a blatant lie.

But I am a makeup artist. 

And I have been using oils on my face for over two years, exclusively. No creams. No regular jars of moisturizers. No makeup removers, either. Just oils. And if you're shaking your head saying, "Jen, you are nuts!" Well, yes. Yes, I am, but that is not the point.

Even oily-skinned people and those with acne can -and SHOULD!- use oils on their faces. Just the correct oils. I have gone from having some visible fine lines and some acne (I'm *gulp* 43) while using an arsenal of expensive, high-end, store-bought products, to having almost imperceptible lines and barely any breakouts, even At That Time of The Month. Thank you face oils! And yes, oils are fabulous for men, too. (They give a great shave, btw)


Here's the deal. You put about two, maybe three, drops of the oil on your fingers. You spread it around a bit on all of your fingertips. You then press -do not rub!- it into freshly washed skin. Ladies, that third (or even a fourth) drop will be beneficial on your throat, neck, and decolletage. Anything left on your fingers should be pressed on the back of your hands.*
*This is a rule you are to follow from now on with all skincare including sunscreen or you will have ugly old lady/old man hands. Heed my warning.

The directions instruct you to use it at night, but as a doctor makeup artist I will say that if you have dry or even normal skin, feel free to put a little on in the morning as well. Do give it some time to sink in, though, if you indulge in makeup. It does soak into the skin quickly, but we don't want a foundation or concealer landslide issue happening. Also: caution around the eyes, please.



Organic Honeysuckle Face Elixir is scented beautifully. I confess: when testing it, I put some on the back of my hands, not as an anti-aging device but as a perfume. Really, I needed to get a feel for the scent for the review.

Oh my gosh, this scent. People! THIS SCENT. 

It's so ripe, lush, plump, full-bodied, rich. It's floral, it's a little fruity -but only a little. It's just... the word divine is over-used, but it fits here. 

On the face, the scent seems to disappear fairly quickly, which is desirable. It is definitely enough of a lasting scent, though, that you will fall asleep to pleasant dreams if you use this at night...

I loaded it up on the backs of my hands, though, and the longevity is a little nuts, frankly. I'm about 2 1/2 hours in and I can still smell it clear as day. So if you go crazy with this on your face (Which I do not recommend because you do not need that much oil on your face. Ever.) and you apply in the morning, you're going to have some funny looks at that 9:00am meeting. And that's not what you're going for, I don't think, amiright?

So the breakdown is this: Organic Honeysuckle Face Elixir has, as mentioned, rare organic honeysuckle oil sourced from Italy. It's added to the organic skincare base oils: rice bran, sweet almond, apricot kernel, camelia, grapeseed, squalene, and rose hip seed. What does all that mean? Essentially, these are light, natural oils that are easily absorbed into the skin. Many of them have antioxidant properties. Some profess to even out skintone. Rose hip is often touted to be great at lessening the appearance of wrinkles. Many of these work to soften skin. 

The gist: your skin is going to feel softer. It's going to feel smoother. It may have fewer breakouts. It will have fewer dry spots. You will probably notice some plumping of fine lines. You'll glow. Not kidding.

I know you will enjoy the scent. And the pampering feeling. 

And this stuff is organic and it's natural and it's $65 a bottle, which since you're using 2-3 drops is really a very good price. 

Trust me. Oil up. 


 DOG SHAMING

This is Zoey.
Zoey took the opportunity to steal the box holding the sample vial of Organic Honeysuckle Face Elixir. She proceeded to rip said box open and ignore the other sample in the box and somehow chew the bottom (only) off of the GLASS VIAL of the Honeysuckle Elixir and drink (?) the face oil.

Zoey will be submitted to a) the crate of shame, b) DogShaming.com, and c) intense scrutiny to make sure she did not cause herself any damage.

Mandy has been informed that Zoey prefers the Honeysuckle over the other sample. ;)

Oh, in other news, the dog's breath smells lovely...



Disclaimers:

First photo courtesy of themagiconions.com;
 honeysuckle and bee via marathi.wunderground.com 
all others except the dog via wikicommons.com.

The dog is, regrettably, mine.
Sample of product provided by the perfumer.

Dolcelisir Acqua di Profumo by L'Erbolario





Nice little cheapie I got to sample thanks to a friend.

It's like a Frapin (think liquor!) and one of those Spadero's, Doux Amour I think it was, had a baby. 

A boozy, gourmand, floral, pretty thing. Almost too sweet for me, but only almost.

It projects decently, not screaming out, but not holding too tightly, either. The longevity is like a marathoner - it goes and goes. The drydown, arguably the best part, lasts hours.

The orange note at the top: perfection.

The drydown is sexy/snuggly.

Worth the money if you have an olfactory sweet tooth.

Top notes include bergamot, orange, caramel and rum. Heart is composed of jasmine, rose, immortal, lily of the valley, cinnamon, sugar cane and cocoa powder. Base features patchouli, vanilla, benzoin, tonka, amber and musk.

Bendelirious by Etat Libre d'Orange


Bendelirious is one of my Top Five scents because it's just so fun. And it may be---back? It was originally created by Etat Libre d'Orange (hell, call it EldO like the rest of us!) for Henri Bendel, but then discontinued and only available at discounters. But....it's on the ELdO website and on LuckyScent now. Maybe I can stop hoarding it?

Anyway...
This scent is, like I said, fun. She bubbles open, then starts giggling. She's never going to scream FRUITY FLORAL, thank goodness. She's too refined for that nonsense. 

She's a lady, for the love of Pete. A lady with sexy violet and orris laid over a bed of very expensive leather.  

When the party is over, she tosses a flirtatious look over her shoulder and leaves, trailing a wake of musk and sweet tonka.

And you can't wait to see her again.

Composition: 
Grapefruit essence, Champagne accord, cherry lollipop accord, violet leaves absolu, orris absolu, orris butter, leather accord, vetiver accord, musk, tonka bean absolu...

On Mandy Aftel's book "Fragrant: The Secret Life of Scent"

Intro
It's been so long since I've blogged that I've quite forgotten how! But I can't think of a better way to jump back in than to start with an offering from one of the nicest people I know, a friend and a fragrant wizard: Mandy Aftel. Today, though, I'm not discussing a perfume. I'm talking books, my friends.

That's right. Among Mandy's many gifts is her ability to put her thoughts to paper. Perhaps you have read her well-known primer on natural perfumery, Essence and Alchemy: A Natural History of Perfume*? Or her book on using essential oils in expected (and not so expected) ways: Aroma: The Magic of Essential Oils in Food and Fragrance (with Daniel Patterson)? Or Scents and Sensibilities: Creating Solid Perfumes for Well-Being? Did you know she has also written about Brian Jones, a founding member of the Rolling Stones? And about finding a therapist? Yeah, she used to be a therapist in a past life. I mean, not like a past life, woo-woo-style, rather that was her profession before she discovered her passion for natural perfumery.


[*Note to self: Self, why have I not reviewed that?  I do own it. Must remedy.]

"I create perfume, and people wear it, because beauty is a vacation from reality. It is a place --an ideal place-- that you can visit without traveling. It is restorative, and it makes you feel good. A personal adornment like wearing jewelry, it has no practical purpose whatsoever. It simply allows us to inhale bliss." - Mandy Aftel


Why Fragrant?
Frankly, I'm a bit of a quite a nerd, so no hobby of mine can fully be enjoyed without understanding the background of the whole thing. Luckily, in Fragrant, Mandy makes this not only an accessible bit of research but a very pleasurable one.

But Fragrant is not written for the perfumers and perfumistas of the world. I mean, feel free to read it if you are one. I encourage you to do so. No, more than that: Frankly, I'm quite confused if you don't read Fragrant and still call yourself a perfumista. I don't understand how you can blog about, or "speak knowledgeably" about, your passion if you do not know where the art's roots are. But anyway, I digress.

Fragrant is Mandy's offering to the non-obsessed. To those who, to borrow the online slang, may be noobs. The curious. The folks who wonder-- "who was the first person to rub that on their body? And WHY?!" It's a way to open the door and say, "Come in, explore this amazing world with us!"

Love, love, love the awesome pictures that pepper the pages of Fragrant

At the beginning of the book, Mandy skims through her history. She tells us of various careers that led her, ultimately, to her passion: natural perfumes. She uses words like "joy" and "heady" and "mysterious" and "amazing." You feel how excited she is to share this world of hers with you, the reader, and that's what makes this book such a lovely read. And it's also, by the way, what makes Mandy such a great perfumer and a wonderful person to talk to. 

You see, she knows that people have become so accustomed to being bombarded with scents that we hardly register them anymore. Our detergents, our dish soaps, shampoos, our grocery stores, our foods for heaven's sake! Everything has an artificial scent and we've become numb to this constant battering ram of olfactory warfare. 

We think perhaps we just don't care about scent. But Mandy has discovered the joy of introducing - or rather, reintroducing - people to the pleasure of natural scents. And that, my friends, is why Fragrant was written.
"...they've come to believe they have no appetite for scent itself.  Watching them discover authentic aromas and their sensual pleasures is profoundly thrilling, like watching a starving person feast on a delicious meal. It's these experiences of reawakening people to scent that led to this book." -Mandy Aftel



The Main Characters

Mandy has taken a clever approach to introducing us to the world of scent. She's chosen five "main characters" to lead the reader through history and perfumery. Each gets a chapter. I'll happily introduce them, but let me point out that the real bonus is that if you purchase Fragrant from Mandy's website, Aftelier Perfumes, you get this amazing Companion Kit that actually gives you samples of all five of the main characters!


Each item in the Companion Kit
Companion Kit packaging


In order of appearance:

Cinnamon
Mint
Frankincense
Ambergris
Jasmine





Full disclosure: I really do not react well to spearmint. Well, whatcha gonna do? 

How cool is it to know that the cinnamon and mint oils that come in the kit can be used in food or drink? And should you choose to do so, you may wear the (already diluted) ambergris tincture and jasmine on your skin. The frankincense? Rub it between your fingers, on your skin, or layer it with the other two skin-appropriate oils and make your own perfume!

The inside of The Companion Kit

Cinnamon is a spice, and leads us through the spice route, educating us on history, passion, some myth, and how perfumery really got its start.

Mint represents home and Americana. It symbolizes all things authentic, comforting, and welcoming.

Frankincense, as part of a tree, ties us to the earth and to the sky, being a crucial part of incense. This character leads us to the spiritual.

Ambergris is one of those "who in the heck saw that and decided to burn it or put it on their bodies?" items. This character, a highly animalic, very prized, quite expensive ingredient, introduces us to the concept of "other" but also ties us to our own animal side. Not familiar with the ingredient? Wait until you hear how it's "made"...

Jasmine. Ah, sweet, sultry jasmine. This character represents the human craving for beauty, but also artfully introduces the concept of wabi-sabi. Well, you'll see. This may have been my favorite chapter. 


Quickly...

Other neat features of the book include recipes for perfumes, foods, drinks; gorgeous quotations and poems (Mandy, you make my heart sing with these!); delightful illustrations from old books; insights into perfumery; and so much more.


For example, would you like to learn...
  • The best cure for olfactory fatigue?
  • How to think about/describe a smell?
  • How scents are captured from the thing-- the flower, the tree, the bark, the fruit?
  • Some really mouth-watering tips for using essential oils in food and drinks?
  • A pretty sexy poem about being the wife of a cinnamon peeler? 
  • Where the word "grocer" originated?
  • Which surprising spice, still used everywhere, was used as currency in medieval England?
  • How many perfume ingredients had elaborate stories involving snakes "back in the day"?
  • How to discern, yourself, what raw ingredient is a top, middle, or base note?
  • Which popular herb was thought to be an effective form of birth control in Japan at one point?
  • How to make Toad Ointment? (spoiler alert: the toad does not fare well in the end)
  • Why Wrigley's Gum owes a lot to some geese?
  • Which common perfume ingredient was found in King Tut's tomb?
  • What Johns Hopkins University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem are finding out about frankincense and why it is really, really important?
  • How incense was used as a clock?
  • Why a dog rolls in the nastiest, grossest filth it can find and then proudly trots off?
  • Why, although I love it, butyl mercaptan will never be used in perfumery?
  • What butterflies smell like?
  • Really, how many times snakes are mentioned in this book?
  • Would you try jasmine-ambergris chocolate?
  • Which perfumes would you compare with rococo architecture? Ok - only you can answer that, but the question is obliquely posed in Fragrant.



In Summary

I found this book a fantastic read. I not only enjoyed the history -and I'm not a history gal if it's dry, which this was not- but I really had a good time learning about how Mandy picks particular ingredients. What makes a specific cinnamon Aftelier-worthy? Fascinating.

I thought that it was quite cool to learn how modern marketing hasn't come too far from ancient times, when stories were embellished to make the ingredients seem more valuable, more exotic, and voila- more expensive! 

And I laughed out loud when Mandy compared Pinterest to a modern cabinet of curiosities. Indeed it is! More laughs came when reading the story about the man who got an leaky package in the mail...

I have a fondness for old American stories, so the section on peddlers and old ointments and backwoods tales was right up my alley. 

And of course, digging into the gross but amazing roots of some of my favorite vintage scent ingredients (ambergris, castoreum, civet, musk) was so cool. I have my qualms about their use currently, but in my vintage perfumes I figure those ethical dilemmas have long gotten on their ships and sailed away, so this vegetarian and animal rights activist can rest easily. Kinda.  

I learned a lot about perfume itself, not just the ingredients. New terms made themselves known to me. Accessory Notes. Burying, Chameleon Perfume. Cresol. Who knew? Well, Mandy Aftel did. 

At any rate, this book kept my interest, and if you are intrigued with perfume I assume it will do the same for you.  

Frankly, I am now inspired to mix my own gorgeous naturals. Ok, I expect them to be much less gorgeous than Mandy's, but the process is the thing. And the smelling, the diving in, the reveling in the scents... that's what I have gotten from this book. So thank you, Mandy.

PS: I'm totally making frankincense shortbread.

"What is beauty for? The beauty of beauty is that it is not for anything-- it doesn't stand for something else, it doesn't have to do something, it only needs to be." - Mandy Aftel



Other reviews
This book has been disappointingly represented in the perfume blogosphere, but has been received well elsewhere. Here are some links to reviews and, after that, links to purchasing the book.

Purchase


Disclosure: This book and the accompanying "Companion Kit" were provided to me by the author.














Returning to a computer screen near you...

I'm getting the band back together! That's right, I'm relaunching This Blog Really Stinks. I'll be back shortly with a brand new look and style that looks startlingly like the old one, possibly with a little more sass.

First post: a review of Mandy Aftel's book Fragrant.

Please do not hold your breath, because you'll die, but I will be posting soon... 

xo,
Jen