Indult ~ An exclusive society of perfumes

Indult: Privilege granted to certain people by the King of France or the Pope to few people in order to profit of certain exclusive favors. Indult Perfumes are inspired by these aristocratical privileges from the past centuries and the wish to present a new concept of perfume for people who appreciate the feeling of exclusivity. These exclusive and confidential perfumes are the result of delicate and exceptional ingredients. Each fragrance is edited in 999 bottles, Indult perfumes are made of natural and extremely rare extracts and contain no colorants or additives. The three perfumes were composed by nose Francis Kurkdjian who also created the MDCI perfumes that I reviewed several weeks ago.

TIHOTA

"Means Sugar in Polynesian. It’s an exotic marriage of musk infusion with the sensual vanilla pods. Like the blow of a warm breeze that wraps the body and invades the atmosphere in a singular way. Tihota is a magical trip, the incandescence of the sunrise that embraces the far horizon." The verdict: Have mercy! This is the mother of all vanilla scents, but with an incredible twist. If you are familiar with Vanille Abricot by Comptior Sud Pacifique, then just imagine that fragrance times ten. My sample was crushed in shipment, so there was only about a drop that I could safely test without cutting my arm with glass shards, but that one drop sent me over the edge of vanilla heaven. Full bottle worthy at any price!!

MANAKARA

"Madagascar’s area famous for flourishing the most beautiful lychees in the world.
When roses are fruits, they associate best with lychees. The most beautiful roses in perfumery are the ones from Bulgaria and Turkey; they could only find their alter ego in the heart of a Madagascar region where the most beautiful lychees are made. An exclusive fragrance where the voluptuous essence of rose is married with the fresh and subtle scent of lychee." The verdict: Sniff, sniff...I wish I liked this better, but I can only think of a very, very sweet rose flavored cotton candy and you'll get a very good picture of that this smells like on me. I think my chemistry intensifies the canned syrupy lychee fruits and I'll have this for dessert with ice cream rather than wear it.

ISVARAYA

"Meaning divine in Hindi. In India, the patchouli is traditionally the favorite scent of Vishnu, god savior of men and life, the guardian of universal harmony. From this secular legend, an olfactory allegory is born that associates the sensual intensity of the patchouli to the fruity and suave scent of the Indian plum trees and the flowers of Jasmine Sambac. Isvaraya is the fantasy of a diverse India, culturally and ethnically, between the spiritual legend of Vishnu and the fantasy of Bollywood." The verdict: It's really super rich and exotic, like Indian incense with heavy woods and florals. Not my cup of tea, but very exotic and sexy and it will be savored for those 'extra special' moments when only a mature siren of a scent will do.

Get over to Lucky Scent and order a sample when it's back in stock. And visit Indult.fr if you want to join the 'exclusive club' of the faithful and privileged 999.

Finding your 'happy groove'

The aim of a fragrance is to make you feel happy! The packaging of Smiley alone started the smiles and chuckles even before I got to the scent inside. Fragrance therapy without an RX? And what's with those crazy bottles that don't even stand up but prefer to just roll around? So fun! When most fragrance designers add glamor and value to their scents by bottling them up in fine cut baccarat crystal, sometimes even studded with diamonds....Smiley says, "No thanks" and instead comes packaged in a pill shaped bottle tucked away in a box that looks like it came from a pharmacology company. So original!

Ah ha!! There in lies the genius of this product, created by the very famous Jean Pierre Bethouart, mastermind of fragrances such as Caron, Christian Dior and Versace with the packaging credit going to Ora Ito who's reinterpreted everything from Vuitton backpacks to Heineken bottles, mobile phones and Mac computers.
So famous!

The Smiley formula combines theobromine and phenylethylamine, both natural mood elevators found in cocoa beans, as well as the more conventional notes of bergamot, orange, pimento and bay leaves; the middle notes are cacao, praline and curaçao; the base note has patchouli, myrrh and musk. Is this the smell of happiness? Anytime I can get a legal giddy boost that's not from a bottle, not from a pill and not from someone who's billing me by the minute - that's got my attention. Smiley calls itself the first anti-stress perfume and those who wear it are 'in therapy'. Now, granted this could be a bit too much hype, but really, who cares? If there is something in these pill shaped bottles that ups the happy factor for my stressful day, I'm at least smiling more just looking at those cutsie bottles labeled in French, English and Braille with such great smelling fragrance. So quirky!

Available in a preponderance of potent perfumed products...you can get your smiles in bath gel and bath fizzies, body lotion, massage oil and my favorite, the Smiley perfume extract. Honestly, you can measure this out by the drop and it lasts all day. Now that is something you can smile about. So happy!

Go on...purchase your own Smiley products at HappyTherapy.com or BigelowChemists.com and let the happy begin!

Ebba Los Angeles

"Mom I'm busy creating." When Viktoria Fisch's mom Ebba would wonder what her daughter was doing, she somehow new that the little girl and the elementary lotions and potions she was mixing in the bathroom would lead to greatness. Viktoria says that not much has changed in the years that have passed as one little girl grew up to demonstrate that anything is possible.

Finding the 'abundance within' must have destined her to become quite the talk around Hollywood, CA where flocks of the faithful drop by to experience first hand the fun and flirty scents that abound. Seems like there is always something new happening at Ebba Los Angeles. Perhaps the best known of the Miss collection is Miss Marisa and if you love mint, you'll love this fragrance. At first it developed with a somewhat 'soapy' opening, that made me wince just ever so slightly. It was also confusing as notes of peach and licorice played dueling matches on my skin. But wait...give this perfume oil about 15 minutes and then you have the most beautiful floral bouquet remaining with just a whisper of mint. I got raves when I wore this last week and it's definitely appropriate for office wear as it's not a suffocating scent, but polite in every aspect. The verdict: it's not your average floral bouquet, but you really don't want to wear 'average' do you?

The Miss perfume oils are packaged in a beautiful decorate box with a hand pressed wax seal. Available from Ebba online in a delightful collection of perfume oils, spray, bath and body and boudoir candles.

Get your samples here!

It's About Thyme

you discovered the amazing world of Thyme's collection of personal, bath and home fragrances.
"Beauty, not superficial beauty but true beauty, lies in the small details of life. These details...a greeting from a neighbor, the feeling of a plush towel against your skin, a stroll in the warmth of the sun...nourish our individual selves and nurture our connections to others. Finding beauty in these moments brings a thoughtfulness, a sense of well-being and fulfillment, to our sometimes hectic, always demanding lives."

Leslie Ross Lentz, founder of Thymes has a singular and abiding philosophy: "Our mission is to help you enhance and enjoy the quiet moments in your life. We honor this through every aspect of our manufacturing process, and we try hard to treat ourselves, and one another with the same degree of attention and care."

The perfumer at Thymes works as an artisan mixing blend after blend, to find a crisper note of citrus, the lushest-smelling lavender, a bergamot with just the right bloom. The perfumer's staff gives attention to these small details to ensure that the fragrances you experience will always be complex, delightful and more. Their packaging is a work of art! Each fragrance package is uniquely and playfully styled to make taking the bottle out the box as enjoyable as spritzing the delicate yet long lasting scents inside the box! I love to spritz a cloud of fragrance and then 'walk into' the scent. I get a head to toe experience that lasts all day!

My favorite collections are Gold Leaf, Wild Ginger and Kimono Rose.

Goldleaf "When perfume is a work of art. Experience a fragrance of exceptional elegance and grace, enhanced with the skin-soothing properties of nature's most luxuriant ingredients. Bee pollen extract infuses skin with vital nutrients, and golden honey draws in moisture to keep skin supple. Smooth jasmine, fragrant roses, hyacinth and creamy lily of the valley blossom on a background of oak moss and musk to create an elaborate tapestry for the senses."

"Make both you and your skin happy all over with the fresh, inspiring scent of Wild Ginger. Bursting with the bright, mood-elevating essence of effervescent organic ginger balanced with refreshing cucumber; touched with creamy vanilla and spiked with a slice of Tahitian lime and Moro orange. Energized with organic red clover to soothe and moisturizing honey to hydrate, it keeps your skin (and your spirits) positively glowing all day long. Slightly Untamed, Entirely Uplifting."

"Sparkling and lyrical, Kimono Rose is unabashedly feminine, beautifully layered with an undercurrent of intrigue. A sheer, sensuous floral heightened with effervescent sweet clementine and voluptuous cassis on a creamy bed of satiny rose, peony and jasmine petals…finished with a kiss of smooth, silken vanilla. Delicate but dynamic; soft spoken, yet striking, it is a modern reflection of who you are, and who you want to be…all wrapped up in one truly lovely fragrance."

All Thymes are available online and tucked inside each uniquely created box (it's almost a work of art) is a matching sample of body lotion.