Posted by Pia
on
18 October 2009
It’s early evening mid-October, and I meander up the bustling streets of the upper East side in Manhattan, making my way home after a long day. I pass by one of my favorite florists, and decide to step inside, desirous of the luxurious sights and scents of colorful bouquets of roses, tulips, and lilies held inside the little shop like so many treasures, now that the weather has turned cool.
As I step inside, I can smell that a large fresh bouquet has just gone out. The pleasantly humid air holds the watery green scent of cut tulip stalks, some of which are still lying scattered about on the white marble counter tops where they put the bouquet together. There are the usual displays of orchids and cyclamen, dark green ivy and even some early paperwhites, but a distinctly floral note lingers in the air. I imagine the bouquet might have held some freesia, a few hyacinths, and perhaps even some lily of the valley. I am reminded of magnolias and peonies; a waft of late springtime in the midst of October. I wish I had stepped in a moment earlier in time to see the flowers.
This is the scent of Saint Parfum’s Fresh Cut Bouquet room diffuser…
Read the rest of this article »
Posted by Pia
on
23 August 2009
It’s a strange time of year for home fragrances. On the East Coast, at least, the heat is palpable, with a glimmering golden presence that holds forth outside from mid morning til early evening, sending most creatures scuttling for shade, the flowers bravely withstanding the glare (the cucumbers even daring to bask in it) and leaving only the cicadas and other whirring insects as a sign of life in the garden.
Yet today there is a bit of a flirtatious breeze, lifting the leaves of the fruit trees to show their petticoats and playing tag with the dragonflies. It speaks of autumn days to come, harvest time and the nourishing produce to be had borne of these golden days.
What sort of home fragrance is best suited to this heat? Most days, to be honest, I would simply rather go without. I like the scents of summer, scuffed crumbling dirt and hot painted wood from the deck, offset by utterly delicious wafts of the last summer roses. I tend to wear less perfume, if any, and go minimalist in the house. Still though, it is pleasant to have a little luxury in the guest bathroom, or — if you have air conditioning — a little something to keep the air from being too stuffy…
Read the rest of this article »
Posted by Pia
on
15 August 2009
When I get stressed, I remember why I fell in love with home fragrances to begin with — a gorgeous floral candle, a cleansing sea salt bath soak, or a refreshing citrus or woodsy room diffuser can serve to lift my spirits and help me regain perspective when I return to my apartment after a long and dispiriting day. In fact, I barely consider these items extravagant as they cost less, and last far longer than, say, a massage or a visit to an aromatherapist. This is especially true when you come across a neat little product like Aura Cacia’s Aromatherapy shower tablets.
I stumbled across this product in the local organic supermarket the other day. Available in lavender, eucalyptus and peppermint, the idea is simple: to put a little water-soluble tablet on the shower floor which will release its essential oils when hit by the warm water, thereby giving you an aromatherapeutic shower. If, like me, you have tried to accomplish this yourself by dropping neat oils onto the shower floor while showering, you already know that the effect doesn’t last as the oils wash down the drain almost immediately. This tablet solves that problem by dissolving slowly throughout the duration of your shower…
Read the rest of this article »
Posted by Pia
on
23 May 2009
I’ve been meaning to review a rather happy little product for a long time, but have been swamped under tomes of psychoanalytic theory and patristic theology. Perhaps unsurprisingly, when I finally emerged last night from my last exam for the year, I was in sore need of a cheerful and uncomplicated pick-me up. After a long luxurious night’s sleep, this morning I was revived and pleased to spend some time appreciating the happy little product I had forgotten all about — ShiKai’s Yuzu Moisturizing Shower Gel.
I picked up a bottle of this shower gel last winter after reading good things about its moisturizing properties. ShiKai’s shower gels contain colloidal oatmeal and aloe vera gel, and they’re also vegan and soap-free, with no animal testing. Given all that, I was happily surprised to find that it lathers nicely, leaves my skin softer after rinsing, and has a highly enjoyable fragrance…
Read the rest of this article »
Posted by Pia
on
29 March 2009
If you are looking for a natural dishwashing liquid to brighten up your spring cleaning this year, Biokleen has a great non-toxic biodegradable dishwashing liquid in Lemon Thyme. I’ve been using it consistently for a couple of months now, and have been just as consistently pleased with its scent and cleaning ability. It contains plant surfactants and grapefruit seed extract for cleaning power, and aloe and vitamin E to moisturize the skin.
The fragrance is light and totally natural, stemming from a blend of lemon and thyme extract. It smells softly of lemon juice with a subtle backbone of herbaceous woodiness from the thyme, and fills the kitchen with a scent that is both soothing and refreshing once you get the soapy suds going in steaming hot water…
Read the rest of this article »
