Posts

Showing posts from December, 2008

A Happy Naturally Perfumed New Year!

Image
I'm trying to take a few days off from the perfume business, but you know how it is. Artisans are workaholics and devoted to the art, so I'm still fiddling with mods, packaging up the boronia for the Guild members, fielding questions, etc. It's been a great year, but what I wouldn't give for some truly carefree days. My mother is doing incredibly well for 89, friends are, for the most part, hale and hearty, family is cruising along pretty well, and the cats are being their same old catty silly selves. I will now have three perfumes released early next year, well, at least by spring, I hope. Also, the Prima Aroma line will launch. Stay tuned for updates, and some more specials for the Guild members. Take care everyone, and remember to reflect and use your wisdom in moving forward. Most of all, take care of yourself.

Organic White Rose hydrosol from Anya's Garden Perfumes - limited supply

Image
Shhhh --- a quick, limited offer from Anya's Garden - a glorious organic white rose hydrosol! This sale starts December 25th, 2008 Notice: Anya's Garden of Perfumes regular store is closed for a lovely holiday until Monday January 5, 2009 But , due to popular demand, the Organic Bulgarian White Rose Hydrosol will be sold during this time - get it while you can! Supplies are limited and it is expected to sell out quickly. Click here to purchase. Rosa damascena var. Alba is a descendant of the ancient apothecary rose, Rosa gallica. Used for centuries for skin care, it is lovely just sprayed on the face and body after a shower, or sniffed to be enjoyed anytime to refresh and lighten your spirit. It blends beautifuly into lotions and creams during the "water phase". Mix with some clay for a facial mask, and spritz some hydrosol on after you remove the mask because it's a wonderful toner for your skin, balancing the sebum production. I love to spray it on

Happy Holiday Wishes from Anya's Garden of Perfumes

Image
Wishing you lovely perfume this holiday time of year Check back tomorrow for another giveaway

Please don't vote for my blogs on fragrantica.com ;-)

It's very sweet some readers nominated me for this blog and also the Natural Perfumers Guild blog - but I have no use for the prize, which is a gift certificate to a store that sells only perfumes containing synthetics. It's sort of like a vegetarian winning a prize hunk of meat. It's nice that they're gathering all the blogs and are going to put them into a common area, but please - save your votes where I'm concerned.

I Want a Secretary of Agriculture that Supports Organic Ideals - Do You?

I've been writing about organic gardening since 1972 (admittedly for a school paper, but it was a start!) and organic agriculture since the mid 70's. In the 1990's I wrote Organic Gardening magazine asking why they didn't have a "Zone 10" (South Florida) writer and they asked me to write for them. I've started several community gardens that asked for (we couldn't demand) the gardeners to use only organic methods. The first was in 1976 in Riverside, California, at the married student housing center. So you can say I really have a decent resume in promoting organic gardening and farming methods, but this is the first time I've ever been fired up about the United States Secretary of Agriculture. Too often, we've only had tools of the ag chemical industry in that position, but hopefully this time we might get a voice for organic agriculture and hopefully (because I never stop hoping) sustainable agriculture. A fellow on Facebook posted a link to th

20% off Natural Perfumers Guild membership Fee Offered Through December 31, 2008

Image
We welcome you to celebrate December is Natural Perfume Month and we invite you to visit the Natural Perfumers Guild site to learn more about us. We welcome you to join the Guild, and a 20% discount on the membership fee is being offered throughout December in celebration of Natural Perfume month. Fill out the form on the Guild site this month and you will be refunded the difference of the discount. Help us celebrate natural aromatics and work with us as we promote natural fragrances and educate the public as to the beauty of fragrance from a plant, not a test tube. The Natural Perfumers Guild supports artisanal distillers, works to lobby for fair business practices for artisan business owners, provides business support services and best of all - a network of like-minded people.

Anya's Garden Giveaway - the winners

Image
Winners of the natural perfume samples and ambergris giveaway are - Stephanie (general public) - and Keri (from the Natural Perfumers Guild applicants.) Each giveaway will have two prizes - one for the general public and one for the members of the Guild. Stephanie and Keri: please send me your mail address privately by visiting the contact page on my website: http://anyasgarden.com/contact.htm Everyone else - a new giveaway will be announced in a few hours so check back!

Pass me the oakmoss and a crooked banana I'm going to live dangerously - Fight the FDA Global Harmonization Act of 2008

Image
I was noodling around the Internet this morning and found this: "Until recently, the EU banned the sale of ugly carrots with knobby protrusions, cucumbers that were grossly curved, and equally unaesthetic specimens of 24 other fruits and vegetables. "It makes no sense to throw perfectly good products away, just because they are the 'wrong' shape," said the EU's commissioner for agriculture." I've often related to disbelieving friends and colleagues that the EU is so out of hand with their Draconian, bad-science, big brother is watching you (and forcing you out of business) mentality that they regulated the curve in bananas. Too much curve, can't be sold in the EU. My particular peeve with them is the bad science and horrid fees they impose on perfumers both artisanal and corporate alike. They've been partly to blame for the reformulation of many perfume classics, deeming oakmoss and orange oil alike too dangerous for us poor silly une

The First Anya's Garden of Perfume Podcast - Perfumery Terms

Confused about chypre, ambergris, ylang ylang, absolute or concrete? Well, let my New York/Philly accented voice clue you in and I hope, help you out ;-) I originally recorded a version of this for my online perfumery course and I've seen over the years how often these terms are the subject of concern on my yahoo perfumery group , so have a listen - it's short and sweet ;-) PS: Is this the first-ever perfumery podcast by a perfumer? I've searched and never found one. Let me know if you know of any, otherwise I'm laying claim to being the first perfumer to podcast. Beauty blogs where they pod about the latest perfume releases don't count, LOL. Click below to play:

Anya's Garden Giveaway - Win a set of perfume samples and ambergris tincture

Image
Anya's Garden is Celebrating the Redesigned Website with a Giveaway Celebrate the Natural Perfumers Guild-designated "December is Natural Perfume Month" With Us! Click on the graceful photo of Anya's Garden perfumes with a fabulous clereodendron flower and wander down the fragrant garden path to discover the new aromatherapy and potpourri line that I'll be launching next year. Post here with the name of the new line and you will be entered in a giveaway. The winner will receive a set of samples of Pan, Kaffir, Fairchild, RiverCali, Temple and a 2ml tincture of the legendary rare and gorgeous ambergris. These samples retail for $30 and the ambergris is very hard to find, and I know a lot of perfumistas would love to experience my private stash aged, glorious tincture. This contest closes in five days on Dec 7th at midnight, so check back here after visiting my new site, and post. This offer is open to anyone anywhere in the world with the exception of Germany an

20% off all Allured Publishing Media books through December 31, 2008

Image
All Allured Publishing Media books on sale for 20% off through 12/31/08 The image above is of the Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin volume - generously offered separately by Allured when they realized the demand for it among natural perfumers. Previously it was bundled in a three-volume set and cost $900 dollars. When Guild member David Mark contacted them, and their Book Manager and I talked, they realized that the natural perfumery group on Yahoo and the Natural Perfumers Guild were signs that this book was needed as a solo item. We will forever be grateful to Allured Business Media for this. For several months now Allured has made a very generous discount offer on all the books they publish. Now, through December 31, 2008 just use the code anyaperfume at checkout. The Steffen Arctander book Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin is widely regarded as the natural perfumers bible. Click here for the Arctander book on Allured.com - but don't limit yourself t

December is Natural Perfume Month

Image
The Natural Perfumers Guild Celebrates "December is Natural Perfume Month" December is Natural Perfume Month - When Fragrant Trees and Wreaths Bring the Outdoors In, and Natural Perfume is the Gift of Choice for Many For a limited time only - in celebration of Natural Perfume Month - join the Natural Perfumers Guild and receive 20% off your membership fee. In 2006 The Natural Perfumers Guild named December Natural Perfume Month in recognition of the growing interest in natural fragrances. The first naturally-perfumed gifts associated with the month of December were frankincense and myrrh which we use in their pure form in our perfumes. Click below to see a picture of rare Hojari Frankincense incense, one of the most beautiful fragrances in the world: Ancient traditions called for a fragrant conifer tree, wreaths and boughs decorating the home during this time of year. Today, the wonderful aroma of cooking with sweet spices like cinnamon and clove adds to the ambiance, creatin