Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Perfume Pharmer Article About Perfumery Course

Justine Crane of Perfume Pharmer wrote an article about my natural perfumery course.

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Orcas on Basenotes


Orcas Eau de Parfum, originally uploaded by Ayala Moriel.

The upcoming release of the new Orcas fragrance was announced on Basenotes yesterday!

Also, Orcas was added to their fragrance directory. Those of you who have already experienced my new woody oceanic - please add your reviews and help me spread the word around!

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Stock Updates: 10ml Roll-Ons Phasing Out


For those of you who are smitten with a particular scent from my collection and prefer the oil formulation - now is the time to stock up with a 10ml roll-on. I'm phasing out this size and have only 19 bottles left. I'm making room for the new spray bottles, and will be only carrying the 5ml bottles from now on. What's online is all I have in stock (and also there are a handful of the last Zodiac Perfumes in 10ml on my Etsy shop).
Similarly, the extrait roll-ons that will be no longer offered - the last three bottles of Immortelle l'Amour, Gaucho and Roses et Chocolat that are online now are the last in stock.

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Monday, May 23, 2011

Wedding Perfumes


Not only princes and princesses are getting married this spring and summer. And there is no reason why you shouldn't feel like a royal couple on your wedding day!

A friend of mine wore sandalwood on his wedding day. To this day, every time he want to surprise his wife, he will dab a bit of Indian sandalwood oil on his wrists, sneak behind her to hug her and whisper on her ears “this is our wedding day…”. That’s all it takes for this couple to feel like newlyweds all over again!

Your first kiss – do you remember what it smelled like? Maybe it smelled like the delicate fragrance of cherry blossoms and mock orange flowers by your front door? More likely – the smell of a couple’s first kiss would be a completely random array of scents that happened to unite when their lips did: cherry blossoms in the air, strawberry flavoured lip gloss on her lips, and the crisp scent of laundry dryer sheets from his clean shirt…

Much can be said about the connection between scent and memory. It takes only the tiniest whiff of a certain scent has the power to transport you back in time to a special moment. The effect is mysterious, but it has a scientific explanation: Our olfactory bulb (which is the smelling organ that reaches out to sample the surrounding air from inside our nose) is, in fact, part of the lymbic system. This is the part of the brain where we also process and experience emotion and desire. Therefore, the particular scents that take place while we experience a powerful emotion (either positive or negative) will always be connected, by way of psychological conditioning.

When something emotionally powerful happens, we will always associate the scents that surrounded us that moment with the sensations and feelings of the moment – creating a memory that is impossible to erase.

We can’t (and honestly, probably don’t want to) change the random scent memories of our first kiss. However, marking our wedding day with a special scent unique only to that day, will not only transform the experience into something intimate and unique, but also give you the key to unlock this memory for years to come – simply by opening a bottle of perfume and sharing it between you two.

Creating a custom scent for your wedding day will create a deep olfactory connection to your emotions that day. And even better than that – rather than a random array of your scents (how about this: your mother-in-law’s and auntie’s perfumes combined, along with the surrounding scents of flowers and catering) – have a scent that is designed for you two to share and enjoy. It can be designed as to match the bride’s floral bouquet; or better yet - it can smell like your very first kiss did!

By creating a custom scent for their wedding day, the couple will have a fragrant memory that is intimate and all theirs. A flacon of perfume that can be uncorked and shared on your honeymoon, wedding anniversaries, and whenever you want to feel like newlyweds again…!

You can even create your own private (or public...) ritual involving exchange of scents, rather than rings, similar to what my friends, filmmaker Mark Achbar and writer Siobhan Flannagan, have done with the custom perfumes I’ve created for their wedding. Both had completely different taste in perfume, so creating one scent for both was out of the question: Mark wanted a simple musky-vanilla scent, and Siobhan wanted a green floral with a base of oudh. Her favourite perfume, by the way, was l’Eau d’Issey, which she had to give up wearing around Mark because of his allergy. Scent wise, the only thing they had in common was peppermint: they both love it, but we all agreed it was not the best fit for a wedding perfume. And so, I decided to create two signature scents, one for each, and also a peppermint and green tea massage and bath oil that they can both share and enjoy together. I created a musky-vanilla scent for Mark, based on vegetal musks and a few different types of vanilla. For Siobhan I created an elegant green bouquet, with a few types of rose, galbanum for greenness, and a base of vetiver and precious oudh. To my pleasant surprise, not only did they like their own scents - they have also worn each other’s perfumes after their wedding, which they spontaneously felt was the most appropriate thing to do after their reunion!

For more information about our wedding perfume services, click here.

* Photo: Noam Dehan

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Sunday, May 22, 2011

White Spring at Lighthouse Park

I went for a hike today at Lighthouse Park, and stumbled upon some beautiful white flowers, not all of which were fragrant, but all the same beautiful:

The white lilacs were on the way to the park on Beacon Lane. Crisp looking and befitting a bridal bouquet in appearance alone... Their scent is just a tad cleaner and less sweet than the purple lilac.

Within the park, blooming tall shrubs of what looks like a wild pear judging by the flowers and leaves, but is more likely to be Saskatoon (which will turn into not too small-apple shaped berries later in the summer).

Red elderberry's flowers (aka elderflowers) are described in Plants of Coastal British Columbia as "White to creamy, small, with a strong, unpleasant odour; muberous, in a rounded or pyramidical parasol-like cluster". Admittedly, they did not smell all that bad to me... Not any worse than blackcurrants. But my nose is more tolerant than my taste buds, and I'm still not quite sure if I like elderflower cordial or not.

And last but not least, the pristine lily of the valley blooming by the rocks in the lighthouse keeper's garden. A feast to the senses and a pleasant surprise to find them in the forest by the sea!

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Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Last Hours of Online Spring Sale

Enjoy up to 25% off Ayala Moriel Parfums while the spring sale lasts - it will end tonight at midnight!

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Midsummer's Night Dream Perfume

Tomorrow I'll be sending off samples of my perfume contribution to Midsummer's Night Dream perfume blogs event. It's been sitting and maturing for a whole month, which is pretty good... But all in all, I can't say I had enough time to bring the formula to perfection with this perfume, which is not unusual for these kinds of projects.

So, this morning, I had to revisit what I did on April 15th, and tweak it just a wee bit... It needed just a little bit more of bouquetting. And by adding no more than a single drop of a certain flower, I hope it achieved the roundness it needed, or at least closer to it. By doing this, I'm also killing another bird - which is demonstrating to my perfumery students this week what "bouquetting" is and how some notes have a transformative, harmonious effect on the perfume as a whole.

I've got 4 more days of teaching ahead of me, plus the incoming orders from my online spring event, so this will be a rather busy week! I'm not sure how much blogging I could get done this week, but I sure will try... I wish I could tell you more about the perfume I created, but I will have to wait another month for all the bloggers to try it and write about it, and I shouldn't be revealing the notes or anything else about its personality or how it smells, even though I'm itching to do so. We'll just have to wait for June!

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Friday, May 13, 2011

And They Said It Would Never Happen...



...But It Did!

Ayala Moriel perfumes are now available in spray bottles! The new bottles have arrived this afternoon. We are totally smitten and think you will be too!

And there is one more thing.

We're running out of space on our shelves in our little boutique perfumery and we need your help.

So we are having a SALE.

Starting May 12, 2011 thru May 18, 2011 you can enjoy up to 25% off on our mini and roll-on perfume oils, as well as our pampering all-natural body products & beautiful soywax candles.

Happy Spring!

:-) Ayala

CLICK HERE for details

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Wednesday, May 04, 2011

Mother's Day Tea Party - This Sunday - May 8th

Ayala Moriel Parfums is proud to host our first Mother's Day tea party and summer style extravaganza, hosting a few of my favourite local designers at my downtown Vancouver studio!

Celebrate Mother's Day with the ultimate treat of an afternoon tea, and browse and shop directly from these 4 local talents:

Cuchebikinis - Beach and resort wear by Eden Rausch



Mindan's Designs - Original handcrafted jewelry in sterling silver by Mindan Gunther-Moore


Ayala Moriel Parfums - Natural perfumes, bath & body products, home scents and scented chocolates & teas by Ayala Moriel


Jola V. Designs - Leather bags & accessories, originally designed & hand sewn in Vancouver from rescued leather by Jolanta Va


What:
Tea Party & Private Sale
Friends, Designers, Music & Drinks

When:
Sunday, May 8th, 12-6pm

Where:
#314-1230 Haro Street, Buzz #295

Menu:
1st Tier: Sandwiches & Savouries
Tomato + Feta Tea Sandwiches
Babaghanush Tea Sandwiches Egg Salad Tea Sandwiches
Banana + Peanutbutter Tea Sandwiches
Asparagus Spears + Dip 2nd Tier: Scones Sweet Scones, served with:
Devonshire Cream
Wild Saskatoon & Rose Jelly (handmade by Wild Westcost Rainforest Products)


3rd Tier: Desserts

Jasmine Tea Shortbread Cookies
Violet-Lavender Cupcakes Fudgey Chocolate Brownies with Peanuts & CocoaNymph's English Toffee Cream Earl Gray Tea Truffles

Teas & Beverages:

French Earl Gray

Magnolia Oolong
Jasmine Green Tea

White Wine

Hendricks Gin & Tonic

Please RSVP by MAY 5th - via phone (778) 863-0806 or email ayala@ayalamoriel.com.
Door cover is $5 and will be donated to the Japanese Red Cross. You can get your tickets online here - or get your tickets at the door for $8 :-)

Looking forward to seeing you!

Jolanta, Eden, Mindan & Ayala

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Tuesday, May 03, 2011

Orcas Eau de Parfum in New Spray Bottle!


Orcas Eau de Parfum, originally uploaded by Ayala Moriel.

Orcas - the new fragrance that I've been working on all last summer, is due to be launched next month, in time for Father's Day. Even though the scheduled launch date is June 12th (mark your calendar for a tea party to celebrate if you are planning to be in Vancouver then!) - It's already gone live online so that you can order it now and have it in your hands for Father's Day (for yourselves or as a gift).


I'm super excited about this launch, and for two reasons: first of all, the scent makes me happy every time I wear it, that I just can't wait to share it with you!
Secondly, this will mark the launch of a new packaging: a spray/splash bottle! It will be shipped with the screw-cap on, and the spray on the side. My alcohol-based scents work so much better in a spray form and I've been waiting for years for a suitable bottle, and I hope this one will prove to be the one, at least for the time being.


The method of spray application makes for a different scent experience, as it helps open up the scent and with natural fragrances - it improves the sillage tremendously. With that being said, those of you who prefer to dab, can enjoy doing so with the splash option (you don't really need to "splash" it on so to speak!) and discreetly apply as much as you'd like. And of course, I still have a few tear-drop flacons left as well. The new bottles should arrive next week, and once they are here, most of my scents (except for the One of A Kind perfumes which are only sold in the flacons; and Moon Breath, which is only made as an oil perfume) I hope this new packaging will make a lot of my customers happy and bring even more people to appreciate natural fragrances!

Monday, May 02, 2011

Thawing


Thawing, originally uploaded by Ayala Moriel.

This Saturday we went for a little hike in Lynn Canyon (which have become painfully touristic, fast becoming only another version of Capilano suspension bridge affair - it's only a question of when they will be charging us to cross the bridge!). Thankfully, the trees and the vegetation and melting snowtops take no notice of who is watching them and the show went on as far as their concern went...


New smells of spring grab my attention this year - especially balsam poplar buds. At least, that's what I think is what I'm smelling. Smells are never easy to describe, and especially not without reference to another smell they resemble (in this case: Sève Exquise). Or it could be the smell of cottonwood trees in bloom, which unlike the latter, was not discontinued. But I'll attempt to put these comparisons aside and try to describe it as it is.

The air of the forest surrounding Lynn Canyon was chilly from the moisture in the air and rushing river of freshly melted snow. But it smelled warm and balmy, graced by a fuzzy warm blanket of honeyed sweetness and wild flowers. It smelled so warm and sweet that it might as well have been the sole cause for the thawing snow capped mountains.

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