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10% off at Anya's Garden Perfumes through April 4, 2009

To obtain your 10% off any scented purchase at Anya's Garden Perfumes, just use the code kaffirlime at checkout.

Anya's Garden Perfumes Kaffir Reviewed on I Smell Therefore I Am

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I'm very touched that Kaffir Perfume, a Lime Leaf and Leather perfume from Anya's Garden, was reviewed on I Smell Therefore I Am on March 27, 2009 and received a rave. Abigail is a perfumista with a skeptical nose about natural perfume, and the diffusivity and longevity of Kaffir has won her over - horray! As she notes, so many think that when you say "lime" that it'll be like the citrus fruit, but no, kaffir lime leaf is an aldehyde of a different sniffa - a chemical tweak on the typical (-) citronellal, being a (+) citronellal. I pushed the envelope with the opening blast of this unusual and fascinating citrus oil, and it's a great springtime scent because it embodies all the green sprigliness of the awakening of earth. Abigail then really "got" the leathery woody drydown, because after all that green hormonal surge and floral heart of sexiness, you need some good, unctuous long-lasting grounding ;-) When Kevin of Now Smell This reviewed Kaffir l

Anya's Garden Wins Top Florida Environmental Yard Award

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Anya's Garden of Perfumes is Named a " Golden Oak " yard for environmentally-sound practices I'm honored to announce that the perfume-centric garden that surrounds my home in Miami Shores received the highest award that the University of Florida's Friendly Yards and Neighborhoods program. I was the 17th person to go through the evaluation process back in 2003, the first in my village at that time. They recently revamped the program to reflect three levels of environmentally compliant gardens, and the Golden Oak award is the highest. A yard has to achieve at least 50 points, and I had 65 ticked off my checklist. Barbara, the State of Florida rep who came to evaluate my hard walked around asking questions about my irrigation practices, fertilizer use, grouping of plants according to water usage and function, and many other subjects. The program is meant to encourage water conservation, discourage the use of invasive plants, protect the waters of Florida from

Dispute over the Invention of "Cologne" Settled

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UPI reports that a centuries-old dispute between two Italian families as to who could claim their ancestor invented Cologne has supposedly been settled by the discovery of a note found on a bottle of Cologne by a researcher. You just have to love the intrigue that goes on in the perfume industry!

Room Perfume - Incense Warmer is a wonderful smoke-free way to add natural fragrance to your home or office

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Natural Perfumers Guild member Katlyn Breene of Mermade Magickal Arts is the Supplier of this wonderful gadget that allows me to enjoy incense once again. I'm very allergic to smoke. I used to smoke two packs a day and quit many years ago. I guess it was just overexposure to smoke that brought the allergy on. The first bad episode I remember was in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew. They burned tons of debris for weeks on end, and started coughing, having respiratory problems and headaches. No - wait. I remember an earlier incident. In 1987 I was visiting my family up north and we went to a restaurant and there was smoking and I was "stuffed up" for a week. But the Andrew aftermath really got me good, and by that I mean bad. During the mid-90's, I did some freelance PR work for music artists here in Miami, but by 98 or so I had to stop because they still allowed smoking in clubs and I just couldn't attend events I had planned and was hosting. I still used st

Anya's Garden Temple Perfume Featured in Sniffapalooza Magazine

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The March 1, 2009 issue of Sniffapalooza Magazine features Anya's Garden Temple Perfume in the article Comforting Scents for Uncomfortable Times by Michelyn Camen, Senior Contributing Editor. Temple was created with the purpose of comforting and focusing people - particularly, but not limited to women - who had undergone a traumatic incident. I gave away 100 samples for those who asked for a sample because I felt it was just a good way to pay forward the comfort and security I had found from natural aromatics, friends and family. The outpouring of intimate and touching stories that accompanied the request for samples humbled and also encouraged me I was on the right path with my concept. So, Temple, my first aromatherapy perfume was introduced to the world. Aromatherapy perfumes are created with a purpose, and the purpose is healing on some level, always. Myself, I find Temple a bit overpowering to wear. The deep, narcotic Oud used in it overwhelms my nose, and instead I use it on

Perfume and fragrance and body care business owners - don't be caught asleep at the wheel with the FDAGA2009 HR 759

You can't move forward in fear. You must be motivated and feel you have some power, some ability to change things, or effect a different outcome. The following blog is meant to erase fear and replace it with a sense of being awake and aware at the forces that shape our artful industry. What is all means to me: I don't want any more government regulations that can limit my ability to conduct a safe, environmentally-friendly small business. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." If you have a small USA-based business that manufactures perfume, aromatherapy or body care products such as lotions, body butters, soaps (soaps with a claim of moisturizing or some other attribute beyond cleaning) and related products, the Federal Drug Administration's Global Harmonization Act of 2009 (FDAGA2009), currently in committee, but fast moving towards a vote into law, can pose problematic to you continuing your business. The requirements for testing, paperwork and personnel ar

The Architecture of the new Grasse International Perfume Museum

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Many of us perfumers and perfume lovers have read about the opening of the refurbished International Perfume Museum in Grasse, France in October, 2008. There is a short, illustrated piece from Metropolis magazine that captures the theory and application behind the design, and for me, a former landscape architect who loves design as much as I love perfume, it transports me there, immediately. I am able to understand how and why the architect Fréd­éric Jung arrived at the final design. Here is a link to the article.

More to worry about - spread the word - hidden in the FDA Globalization Act 2009 HR 759

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From the Farm Stand to the Farmers Market - if you make food or cosmetics, the FDA wants to change your way of life I've been putting these mini updates on Twitter and Facebook to the neglect of my blog. I'm going to start posting them here, too. Spread the word, and look for a more in-depth post in a few days. 1. The way the FDAGA2009 is written - it reads like there are no fees now, but they can set fees in a year or two. At their discretion. 2. The FDAGA2009 revised - allows an exemption for foodie small businesses (to be given special consideration because they are a small business) but NO exemption for cosmetic small businesses! Big trouble looming. More later. 3. T he FDAGA09 will allow the FDA to force registration of farm kitchen goods for sale. Up til now, it was the USDA. TWO Federal agencies in your kitchen? All artisan, craft and indie associations we can find will be contacted about this. If you can spread the word to foodies - breadmakers, chocolatiers, folks wit

Book Review: Roja Dove's "The Essence of Perfume

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Anya McCoy's review of "The Essence of Perfume" by Roja Dove has been published by Basenotes .