For the love of Roses

Today I want to share with you a delicate rose scent by Issey Miyake.

love the milky white bottle

Especially for the spring 2007, Issey Miyake has created a new limited edition of D'Issey named 'Une goutte sur un Petale' or 'A Dew Drop on a Petal'.
Fresh floral-aquatic fragrance combines the accords of wet grass, hazy freshness of morning air, and abstract floral note.
The composition starts with unusual herbal note united with a very delicate scent of mandarin and lemon. The heart is composed of dewy flowers, just like the name says. Mimosa is dominating, followed by rose and water notes. The base combines woody notes with amber and musk. The fragrance was created by Alberto Morillasin 2007 (source Fragrantica.com)
  
My OPINION: First of all I love the name (A drop on a petal) sounds so delicate , and evokes images of fresh summer mornings with glistening  dewdrops on flowers. On my skin, while I could detect some citrus and  mimosa in the opening, the dominating note was rose. And it stayed till the end. It`s not a heavy rose but is sparkling and fresh, blended with citruses. It has a tinge of aquatic notes as well but they are not sporty or strong, so the scent  doesn't loose it`s composition and stays floral throughout. It is springtime captured in a bottle. None of the musk,woodsy notes vanilla or amber showed up on my skin. Scents as you know smell different on different people. But I`m not complaining. An easy to wear delicate floral. I don`t think anyone will dislike this as it`s unlikely to offend anyone.

 Perfume category: Floral Aquatic


Perfume Notes 
Top Notes: Orange, Mandarin Oranges, Citruses. 
Middle Notes: Mimosa, Rose.
Base Notes: Amber, vanilla, Musk and woodsy notes.
Best For: Spring and summer and people who like fresh florals.
I have no idea how much it retails for as mine was a gift.


Speaking of rose scents there is another one I would highly reccomend for rose lovers called Stella by Stella McCartney (VENT ALERT)

image source google

This is another lovely rose. Modern yet elegant. I had this and loved it to pieces. Ladyyz I need to vent: A while back on my trip to Iran to visit family the custom officer at Tehran  airport found this bottle, took a long hard look at me and  said eez eet a flask of alcohol? (Alcohol you see is highly prohibited in Iran) Me: No sir, its a bottle of perfume. I weel smell yes? Me: yes yes yes!. And he was wearing these plastic gloves and the bottle slipped from his hands and right there in front of me my baby shattered  into  millions of tiny pieces. A very sad demise. I`m sure their customs checking area smelled divine for weeks. 

 On a happier note I would like to share with you the following article courtesy of :http://www.iranreview.org

Festival of Rose and Rose Water

MONDAY, MAY 23, 2011



Compiled By: Firouzeh Mirrazavi
Deputy Editor of Iran Review

Every year during the second half of May, festival of Rose and Rose Water is being held in Kashan. Many people from different parts of the country and abroad visit Kashan, the hub of Mohammadi Rose in Iran.

The season for picking rose and preparing rosewater is from early May to mid-June.

In early May, the scent of rose spreads over different areas of Kashan, such as Qamsar Joshqan Qali, Barzak and Niasar.

The ceremony for making rosewater in Kashan attracts many tourists. Every day, some 80,000 people tour various cities of Kashan for this traditional ceremony.

The arrival of tourists in the districts of Kashan has a positive impact on the region’s economy.

Rose water is made from a very sweet smelling kind of rose and is used in various traditional dishes and sweets. It is also used as a perfume among Muslims. Although some modern mechanized factories are constructed, but still a large part of this, let say industry, is done traditionally. And this traditional rose water production which is established at homes or gardens attracts tourists to Kashan. Historical monuments and architecture of Kashan adds to the popularity of this festival too.

The people of Ghamsar collect roses, boil them in special pots and collect their water in beautiful containers. It is a pride for the city that each year, the most sacred place on earth, Kaaba (Mecca), is washed with rose water from Ghamsar.

The ancient city of Ghamsar is like a shining star on the central Iranian desert.

Surrounding mountains encircle it like a ring and protect its rose gardens against the heat of the desert. The environment of this garden city, the shade of trees and sound of flowing water in addition to music of birds and nightingales and fragrance of roses, has created an incredible milieu on the side of the desert.

The garden city of Ghamsar is a patch of Paradise which becomes colorful as the spring begins. Its beauty is doubled when rose water ceremony commences and its hospitable people play host to millions of people who love nature and rose water of Ghamsar.

Mohammadi Rose (Rosa damascene or Damask rose) is among the most important roses in the world and among the most famous plants.

Because of its extraordinary fragrance and diversity, this flower is planted in many parts of the world. The flower has applications in food, medicine and perfume industries.

Production of rosewater in Iran dates back to over 2,500 years. At present, Mohammadi Rose is produced in Bulgaria, Turkey, Iran, India, Ukraine, the US, Canada, France, Britain and Japan. The first four countries are pioneers in the production of this flower.

In Iran, Mohammadi Rose grows in the provinces of Fars, Kerman, Isfahan as well as East and West Azarbaijan.

The red rose, or Mohammadi rose, is further divided into seven groups: French red flower, wild rose, tea flower, miniature red flower, Bengalese red flower, and Iranian red flower.

Out of all rose species, the Iranian red flower or Mohammadi flower is unique and most botanists have opined that it has been first planted in Iran and then taken to other countries.

Experts maintain that Ghamsar has been a place for producing flower and rose water since a long time ago. Some believe that under Malekshah the Seljuk, when Miyandeh Mosque of Ghamsar was built, representative of an East Roman officials picked some roses from the slopes of Kouh Asbi mountain near Ghamsar and took them to Damascus (which was called Damask in those times) to be grown. This is why Iranian red flower is sometimes called Damask rose in English.

Although production of plant essences has a long history in Iran, but traditional rose water production machines were used to produce rose water for commercial purposes. Before that, rose water was produced through small distillation equipment for local uses. Anyway, production of rose water has been in vogue since ancient time and has sometimes led to prosperity of copper, glass making and packaging industries. Most of the local product is exported to other parts of the country and, therefore, despite most handicrafts, it has held its ground in contemporary times and has constantly improved in terms of quality and quantity.

Another outcome of that situation was spread of the industry to neighboring villages of Ghamsar and even toother provinces during past decades. The emphasis put on Ghamsar is due to high quality of its rose water which results from natural conditions of the city.

The city has been and still is the main production center for the highest quality rose water as a result of its natural and climatic conditions. According to a study carried out by professors of Tehran University, the essence of Mohammadi flower of Ghamsar and the subsequent rose water has a concentration of 35 mg per 100 ml or 350 ppm, which makes it the finest and highest quality rose water in Iran and even in the world.

Equipment used for extraction of rose water in Ghamsar is nearly traditional and has hardly changed over the years. They include:

1. A copper pot with a capacity of 120-150 liters;

2. A big clay pot, which has not been replaced by the copper pot and is used to cover the pot. A major advantage of clay pot was that it did not burn the fragrance of the flower;

3. A copper pitcher with handle and a capacity of about 30-40 liters which is put in cold water, so that flower streams are turned into liquid;

4. Four wooden canes which are attached to each other to connect the pot to the pitcher; today, they use aluminum pipes instead of those canes;

5. A water pool where liquefaction is done; and

6. Heating equipment under the copper pot which is usually fed by oil or diesel fuel. In the past they used wood and bushes to warm it up.

First the copper pot is put on an oven made from bricks and cement or stones and mud. The heating agent is put below it. Then up to 30 kg of rose petals are poured into the pot and 80 liters of water is added. The pot is then covered and a heavy weight is put over it to control steam pressure. Probable holes and cracks are covered with a mortar made of the remnants of boil flowers and bread dough to prevent loss of steam.

Instead of weight and dough, they use elastic washers, screws and levers. The copper pitcher is put into the water and is kept in place by a ladder, or more recently, by cast iron pipes, so that, it will not rise to the surface of the water. Then canes or aluminum pipes are inserted into the pot, on the one side, and into the pitcher, on the other side and they wrap it in a piece of fabric with a cotton ball, so that, water would not penetrate into the pitcher. Water or any other foreign object will ruin the rose water.

Now, everything is ready. They kindle the oven to boil the pot. At that time, rose water and water steam progress in the pipe as far as the angle. From there, rose water steam continues toward the pitcher and is liquidated due to low temperature of environment. It takes about 4 hours before a pitcher full of rose water (40 liters) is obtained. When they pour the rose water into the bottle, they wait for it to cool down.

Then they rub some oil on the bottle. The waste collected at the bottom of the pot, which is called “bongol”, is used to feed livestock and is also dried to be used as fuel in winter or as fertilizer for gardens.

During the whole process, the flame should be steady and mild. In better words, the longer the distillation period and the steadier the flame, the higher would be quality of the end product. The water poured into the pot should be measured accurately to be proportionate to the weight of flower petals.

Ghamsar is the breeding ground for the finest and the most exquisite Mohammadi flowers and has the best traditions and methods for production of rose water. It is also the first place where industrial production of rose water has begun and there are many workshops in the city which produce rose water.

The first rose water production plant in Iran was established in Ghamsar in 1974-75 after studies were conducted by Bulgarian experts. It was built on the outskirts of Ghamsar (at 15th kilometer of Ghamsar – Kashan road). The second rose water production plant was established at the entrance of Ghamsar city and is called Golriz. The cooperative company of rose water producers of Ghamsar has established a plant at industrial park of Ghamsar in order to solve the problem of pasteurizing traditional rose water, which was the main hurdle on the way of production and sales of rose water. Behin Golab Company of Ghamsar is another example of industrial rose water production plants in the city and more plants will be launched soon.

Due to containing tannin, gallic acid, essence, fatty acids, pigments and ascorbic acid (vitamin C), petals of Mohammadi flower are used not only for production of rose water and essence, but for production of rose petal jam.

Since a long time ago, this plant was used in traditional medicine to treat various diseases including chronic diarrhea, rheumatic pains, blood abnormalities, and sore throat.

The part of the flower, which is used to produce rose water and essence, is petals. Boiled petals of Mohammadi flower are alkaline and constitute a good remedy for stress, flatulence, and abdominal colic. The boiled petals are also used to fight depression and to treat palpitation, insomnia, ordinary and bloody diarrhea, sickness, and inflammation.

In the past, rose water was used in traditional Iranian medicine to treat rheumatic heart disease, to strengthen gastric nerves, and to treat some forms of headache and sickness. ( Source: www.iranreview.org)

Britney Spears Fantasy Perfume Review

Gaudy bottle check, teeny bopper  celebrity endorsement check, Way outta my comfort zone check. Did it stop me   from buying a bottle, emm...no.

This bottle is probably the ugliest  least favorite in my collection. Barbie pink with green swarovski crystals and a cheap looking plastic cap. Fantasy is the second release from Britney Spears under Elizabeth Arden. This is a very sweet gourmand. In perfume world, a gourmand scent is when the perfumer has used edible notes in making of  the perfume.

With time, I have come to really appreciate Fantasy. Despite the name and the gaudy bottle, Elizabeth Arden has done a very good job with it. I find my self reaching out for this a lot in spring and winters. It starts off fruity and then becomes creamier and creamier with time. The juicy kiwi note is the strongest on my skin and stays for a long time. The longevity of this perfume is amazing. I smell white chocolate and raspberries in the heart

 and the dry down is soft vanilla/cupcake accord and orris root. I failed to smell any jasmine or other flowers. Apply with a very light hand as its quite strong and can get too sweet if applied too much. It`s a must for gourmand lovers.
It literally grew on me. From ridiculing to loving, I have learned my lesson.

  This perfume`s claim to fame was the use of cupcake accord :) I think that`s cute.

Perfume Notes:- 

Top Notes: Kiwi, Red Litchi

Middle Notes: White chocolate, Jasmine and Orchid             
Base Notes: Musk, Cupcake Accord, Orris root, Woodsy Notes.    

GOOD FOR: Colder months, And people with a sweet tooth :)

After the success of fantasy she came up with these flankers below.

(From Left to right) Fantasy, Hidden Fantasy, Midnight Fantasy and Circus Fantasy
Image courtesy of google

GOURMAND SCENTS:   The trend of Gourmand scents was started by Thierry Muglar when he came up with  the infamous perfume ANGEL  in 1994. Thierry Mugler asked the perfumers to create a perfume that possesses the smell of a tender childhood memory at the fair, with notes of cotton candy, caramel, vanilla and chocolate.
The main notes of the fragrance are:
Bergamot, Jasmin, red currant, dewberry, honey, patchouli, vanilla, coumarine, chocolate and caramel.
For the sugary note of the cotton candy they used Maltol what makes an interesting combination with Helional an ozonic note resembling the electric ozonic smell around the bumping cars on the fair. For the jasmin note they used Hedione that has an aroma of jasmin and magnolia.
                   Another note used in some gourmand fragrances is almond milk and vanilla.Other notes used in gourmands are Coffee, Tea or Green tea, Cumcumber, Coconut etc  but also notes of whiskey or cognac. And of course the spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, coriander etc. ( source erfumemaking.blogspot.com/2006/07/gourmand-fragrances.html )

Hermes Elixer Des Merveilles Perfume Review

I have a magical scent to share with you all today. It is from the house of Hermes, and the creator is the legendary house perfumer at Hermes,  Jean Claude Ellena..

I had an eye on this beauty for quite sometime but, it was out of my league retailing for Rs.12000+. Then one day, I stumbled in a little shop and saw it tucked up on the top shelf. I asked the price and almost choked on my coke when the shopkeeper said, it`s for Rs.4000. I regained my composure, and asked in a bored voice if I could see it. On inspecting it very VERY closely, I knew this was the real deal and and not fake. I asked him if this is his final price, and he said yes that`s what the shop owner has quoted him and further added that the shop owner was given this as a gift from some family member when he went abroad and he hated it and asked the sales man to sell it at whatever price he thinks best. I don`t know whether the owner didn`t care or was too lazy to check it`s price in the market (as its not available widely) or he didnt know just how expensive Hermes is. Whatever the reason, I was overjoyed. The shopkeeper said baji isko choro, ck k achay achay naye perfumes dekhaoon? (forget this crap, let me show you nicer perfumes  from CK) Lol. Imagine Hermes vs CK!"" Well"", I said (in a pretend bored voice)'' I was just looking and will come again''. He then said that  if I buy it today he will sell it to me for Rs.3500. I needed a brown paper bag to breathe I was that excited.
   Well to make a long story short, I bought the gem of a bottle right then and there, and lived happily ever after :) Later I got the bottle checked at a very reputable perfume dealers and they said it`s 100% genuine. I knew it! Yaaaay!

Elixir des Merveilles is the the third release in the Merveilles line. The box is a beautiful greyish silver and orange and is adorned with the classic Hermes logo,

The bottle is enough to lure you in. Beautiful.
The composition only works in cold weather on my skin. Opens up very masculine with notes of  bitter, aromatic orange peel and salty ambergris. Very sharp and dry. It mellows down and becomes sweeter when it has had sometime to warm up on the skin. At this stage, it smells like bitter orange peel dipped in Christmas spices, dark bitter chocolate and biscuits.The biscuit note is the strongest on me and stays till the dry down. The resin in this is  rich and thick and compliments the bitter chocolate. Elixer is quite strong, so very little is needed.The scent I sprayed on my scarf stayed true for a week! The first time I wore this, I went out to dinner and it stayed with me until I took shower the next day. So the staying power is incredible. 
 I find this perfume too spicy to be worn in the summers, but it`s just magical in the winters. It`s very abstract and has a depth to it. It changes a lot on the skin. You can tell how the scent changes from when you first spritz it on. You can smell different notes after a while, Incense is perfectly blended together with all the other notes the patchouli is very subtle. The result is salty/sweet without being too foody or gourmand.

                                         I love how the bottle tilts at an angle  




CATEGORY: Oriental  Fougere
Good for: Winters and colder months and for people who like sweet spicy, woody orangy scents.


Perfume Notes: Peru Balsam, Vanilla sugar, Ambergris, tonka bean, Patchouli, Caramel, Siam resin, Incense, Cedar, Orange peel covered in chocolate, creamy milk, vanilla biscuit, Oak and Sandalwood. 

What is Ambergris that lends a salty notes to most perfumes?
And my answer always is oh it`s whale puke :) here is a more detailed information if you`re interested.
Ambergris (pronounced am-ber-grees) is derived from French ambre gris and literally signifies “gray amber.” Ambergris is a solid, fatty, waxlike substance produced in the intestines of whales. It occurs only in the sperm whale (cachalot) and is believed to be^caused in some way by the beaks of cuttlefish that are often found in it. Cuttlefish and squids .form the chief food of the sperm whale. Although disagreeable to both sight and touch, ambergris even in the crude state exhales a pleasant, earthy fragrance faintly resembling that of sealing wax. .In color it ranges from light to dark gray and is variegated like marble. Next to choice pearls, ambergris is the most valuable product by weight taken from the sea. At present green ambergris is worth from six to twelve dollars an ounce, depending on its quality and the amount of impurities. Dry ambergris has a wholesale value of twelve’to thirty dollars an ounce. Formerly it was widely used as a medicine, but its efficacy was purely imaginary. It was also used in the Orient as an incense. Now the use of ambergris is limited almost entirely to the perfume industry, in which it is employed as a fixative to make odor essences retain their fragrance. No satisfactory substitute has been discovered for this purpose. Although it is a rare substance, occasionally large pieces weighing as much as a hundred pounds are found: There are authentic records of lumps that weighed as much as a hundred and fifty pounds. Sometimes it is taken from whales directly, but more frequently it is found floating on the waters in tropical seas, or cast upon beaches in lumps.( source: www.4information.com)

J LO Sunkissed And Miami Glow Perfume Review

So today I`m reviewing two of my favorite glows from Jennifer Lopez`s line of glow perfumes i.e. miami glow, and sunkissed glow. She came out with the original JLO GLOW perfume a few years back and then followed with these two flankers. There is also  L.A glow, My glow, Glow after dark and the latest is Blue glow.(wew!)

L. Miami Glow, R. Sunkissed Glow

                                   

All the glow bottles are curved and comes with some kind of charm on them. These are both summery beachy scents perfect for taking along with you on a holiday.

Miami Glow

                                              

Jennifer Lopez said at the launch of this perfume that beside her home town, New York, Miami is her favorite city in the world. This is a really cute bottle and was a gift. The charm is a colorful thread bracelet with adorable gold flip flops. Very cute.At spraying you get a strong scent of coconut and passion fruit with hints of refreshing grapefruit. The coconut in this is subtle, but stays true till the end.It has an exotic feel to it. Very tropical and might I say it again, beachy.Somehow it evokes the image of lying on the beach on a hammock with an icy cold pina colada and waves lapping gently. Its coconuty and yummy for summertime.Sadly this has been discontinued, but you can still find it on ebay at ridiculous prices. Mine was a gift. 

Top notes: passion-fruit, coconut, grapefruit

Middle Notes: Cyclamen, heliotrope, orange blossom

Base notes: Amber, musk, vanilla

SUNKISSED GLOW

                                           

                                           
Sunkissed glow comes in a falcon with beautiful colors mimicking sunset on the beach. This too is a summery tropical scent and very similar to Miami glow. Except this one is fruitier with a pineapple note instead of coconut and the drydown is very nice. Sandalwood and sand accord. Imagine how they must have captured the scent of hot sand on the beach. Perfumers are very creative people. Its like pineapple, golden dunes of hot sand and a fruity cocktail with a colorful paper umbrella in it. Wrapped around the neck of the bottle is a pretty shell pendant. This too was a gift I think this may retail for Rs.3 to 4 thousand.

Good For: Summers. You will like these if you like sweet fruity tropical scents like summer escada limited editions.


Category: Fruity Floral

Perfume Notes:

Top Notes: Lily, passionflower, pineapple

Middle Notes: orange blossom, grapefruit

Base Notes: Hot sand accord, sandalwood, amber and musk.

image source google

                                                 

My Favourite Lush Shower Gels

I have a confession to make. I am a big lushhead. It`s embarrassing just how obsessed I am with this brand. I love everything about `em. I`m a sucker for their non-waste packaging, their quirky marketing and of course their (not all) natural hand made products. It also amazes me how a husband and wife team ( Mark and Mo. Even their names match) opened up a little shop in 95 in UK and came this far.Their aim was to make safe, 100% vegetarian, environmentally friendly products with as little chemicals as possible. they are famous world wide  now,with more than 600 stores in 43 countries. Sadly Pakistan even though has plenty of body shops, Lush has not been launched here.

        Today I will be reviewing my three most favorite shower gels from them i.e. Glogg,the olive branch and snow fairy.
 

This is my big 500gm of much loved (and used) bottle. Glogg is basically Christmas spices in a bottle. Its based on a mulled wine drink served at Christmas in Nordic countries called Glogg. Lush came out with this on Christmas as part of their holiday line.It only comes out once a year. It`s rich ,warming ,spicy aroma is perfect for a hot shower in winters to melt the chills away. It mostly smells of cinnamon and cloves, and lathers very well. It says on the label that it can be used on hair and body and I have tried both. Leaves hair very shiny, if a little oily but that`s ok as its super moisturizing and made to use in harsh cold winters. But beware, the cinnamon in this is sugar free and not sweet at all. If you are expecting sweet vanilla laden cinnamon like in apple pies and regular cinnamon scented products, you will be dissapointed as the cinnamon in it has a bite to it. It is straight up cinnamon,strong, even a bit bitter like we find the cinnamon sticks in sabat garam masala. So its really spicy filled up with holiday scents.

This is my small bottle (100gm) of much hyped about snow fairy. This too only comes out once a year during Christmas. Its bubblegum pink and has shimmer in it and can be used on body and hair (the shimmer thankfully doesnt stick to your body or hair). It says on the label:'' Candyfloss pink and sweet as sugar. With iridescent sparkles and a hint of wicked fruitiness''. I`m sorry for bad picture quality, this is actually a very pretty pink color. I found it ok. I mean I don't hate it or anything but well...it was a bit too sweet  and reminded me of the body shop`s banana shampoo somehow :) Lathers well and lingers on the skin for hours. Perfect for girly girls and will make your bathroom smell yummy. Snow fairy is the perfect name for it. Sparkly, pink and festive.

This by far is my favorite of the lot. Aaahhhh! Bliss. This is a 250gm bottle and it is divine. I can go on and on about my love for this product and thankfully its part of their regular line so is available all year round. O Olive branch how can I even begin to praise thee? !:) The label says "Reassuring shower gel to hold you in its arms and keep you safe. With vine leaves and fresh mandarin juice, Sicilian olives and bergamot". This is lovely to use in hot summers and has lashings of Mediterranean scents in it. The scent is unisex so can be used by men as well. It is quite runny but lathers pretty well. The scent grew on me the more I use it. I`m so addicted that I got a solid perfume in the same scent too and find myself taking 2 or 3 showers some days just to get my fix. It`s like wandering in the vineyards in Italy or Greece with a light summer breeze scented with bergamot and mandarin mixed in with saltiness of the sea ruffling your hair. Sorry....I drifted off for a while there:) couldn't help it.Love it.

I love how lush puts a sticker on the back of all their products with a picture and name of whoever made it with an expiry date.
    Fingers crossed they will soon open up a store here as well.

VS Beauty Rush Double Body Mist Review

Hellooo ladyz! The monsoon season has officially started in my part of the world. As much as I love summer rains snd monsoon, they do come at a price. It gets extremely humid and everything turns soggy and sticky. The perfumes you love turn cloyingly sweet on the skin, induces headaches and make people around you turn blue in the face from trying to hold their breath when around you. So puhleez laydeez, lets go easy on the spray factor. I usually stop wearing perfumes and go for body mists. They are lighter and not so harsh in this heat and humidity. The beauty rush line is available at Shams in Islamabad for Rs.1400 for a big 250ml bottle. Mine were gifts from abroad and retails for $12. I`m in loove with Victoria`s secret beauty rush and Pink line of body mists. I have three in, Appletini, slice of heaven and candy baby scents. Here`s my review.

                                   After shaking it up it turns a nice fresh green color


The thing with body double mist is that you have to shake it  for it to mix and then apply. As you can see in the first picture, they have two layers, one of fragrance, and the other of skin conditioners. So if you`re in a hurry, it  moisturizes and scents the skin in one go. The green one is called Appletini and is a crisp apple scent. Very refreshing.

            This one is called Slice of heaven (cute name) and is very sweet. Its like cupcakes and caramel. The only downside of this one is, it gives me  a bad craving  and I want to pull up in front of a bakery and indulge :)

                                         Look how pretty the shimmer is
        The last one is not technically a body double mist, but, a body shimmer mist, and comes in the scent candy baby. This scent is straight up candy floss. If you love the smell of candy floss at fairs and carnivals, this is exactly like that. It wont make your skin ridiculously sparkly but will add only a hint of shimmer.
   I hope you enjoyed reading this review, if there are any questions I would be glad to answer.
   Have a lovely day.