Ayala Moriel Parfums at FRAGments

FRAGments is tomorrow - Underground, Artisan and Indie Perfume Event/Collective, at the
cabinet-of-curiosities studio of eclectic sculptor and patron to the arts, Clare Graham.

I'd like to present to you the mini-collection that will be representing Ayala Moriel Parfums at this show. My intern Alicia Arruda and I have spent the week indulging in each and every one of them, and are excited to share with you our experience with them and why we think our friends, fans and customers in Los Angeles are going to love them!

Cabaret is deliciously sultry with creamy vanilla absolute, dark coconut, orris root and tropical magnolia, it is no question why this scent, which evokes images of nights spent dancing on the beach, will be perfectly suited for sunny Los Angeles.

Fetish is a scent that is as sexy as it's name. Fetish is flirtatious but surprisingly complex and while it first teases with a sweet citrusy opening, it gradually fades into a soothing, refreshing scent with notes of apricot scented green tea, jasmine sambac, lemongrass, orris root, Himalaya cedarwood and fir. The scent's cheerful and bubbly spirit make it another perfect choice for Los Angeles's FRAGments where it will be featured! Film Noir was the first one I packed for the show. What better suited scent for the city where so many films of this genre came from?
As dark as Norma Desmond's private screening room Sunset Boulevard; and even darker than the soul of the genre's script writers - Film Noir doesn't even have any top notes. Or heart notes. It's all about musky patchouli, with just enough cruelly spicy dark cacao, and cool bitter myrrh from the catacombs to spark your imaginations.



Zangvil  was inspired by the texture of cashemere wool on bare skin.
It's a sexy gourmand, centered with ginger and amber at its core, complemented by sparkling notes of wild orange, sensual honey, botanical musk and spicy ginger lily. Try it tomorrow on your own skin!


Last but not least - Treazon, which is my newest perfume. The star of the scent is the narcotic night-blooming tuberose. A surprisingly wearable scent, Treazon is bold as it contrasts the floralcy of tuberose with medicinal-fruity notes of wintergreen and cassis, spicy notes of cinnamon and star anise, and gourmand nuances of dark vanilla, and last but not least - the animalic notes of African Stone and indolic orange blossom. Like all grand-tuberoses, Treazon has a strong lineage to the classic and controversial fragrance “Fracas” and is already gathering a cult following.
 
Treazon was dubbed "breathtakingly beautiful" by both The Non Blonde and Now Smell This (who immediately added it to their "to-buy" lists - the greatest compliments from ladies with such fine taste in perfume!, and is an 2013 Indie FiFi Award Nominee. 


Where:
MorYork Gallery
4959 York Blvd
Highland Park
Los Angeles, CA
90042
 
When:
Saturday June 22, 2013 (that's tomorrow!)
11am-5pm

What:
11am-12pm, Moderated Discussion Session with perfumers
12pm-5pm Pop-up Shop, with emerging and established, leading perfumers-artisans-artists from across North America (including Dawn Spencer Hurwitz, Persephenie* and Yosh).
* Persephenie will present an experimental olfaction project.

P.s. Due to schedule conflict, I won't be able to attend in person; but my perfume friend, Faith Frenz, will be there to help you make your selections. 

FRAGments this Saturday, June 22nd at MorYork Gallery!

I'm honoured and please to announce that Ayala Moriel Parfums will be part of FRAGments - Underground, Artisan and Indie Perfume Event/Collective The 1st Event to be held on June 22, 2013 at MorYork Gallery, 4959 York Blvd, Los Angeles, CA. On June 22, 2013, FRAGments - Underground, Artisan and Indie Perfume Event/ Collective will bring together olfactory and perfume artists from across North America in a gallery setting to present a curated selection of their work. The event will be the first in a series to be held in a unique space and coincide with the first Saturday of the season. Each event will feature a moderated salon discussion followed by a reception and exhibition where perfumer/creators will be able to present their work in a collective pop- up shop designed and styled by FRAGments.

The name for the series is derived from FRAGRANCE MOVEMENT and picks up on the slang word for perfume, "FRAG". While the event represents a collective, implicit is the recognition that independent, artisan perfumers are fragments of a whole that move in different directions. FRAGments seeks to celebrate these differences.

“Artisan perfumery is a growing movement where individuals are exploring unique olfactory directions through a variety of fragrant media and palettes” says Maggie Mahboubian, founder and curator of FRAGments. “However, very few venues exist for these perfumers to present their handcrafted work. FRAGments will fill that gap”. She adds, “it will provide a small scale, intimate forum for artisan perfumers to interact directly with their audience”. Another unique aspect of this event is that it will define a community and spotlight the art of fragrance design through interpretive and experimental work.

The first FRAGments event will be held at MorYork Gallery in Los Angeles, the studio of eclectic sculptor, Clare Graham whose work visually embodies the spirit of this diverse group of perfumers, who create unique, multifaceted and experimental olfactory art. For more information about Clare Graham and this extraordinary venue please visit: www.claregraham.com.

The event will begin with a salon-style discussion session moderated by Saskia Wilson- Brown. Ms. Wilson-Brown is the director of the newly formed Institute for Art and

Olfaction in Los Angeles. The IAO supports the work of olfactory artists through grants, research opportunities, lectures, workshops and a materials library. For more information please visit www.artandolfaction.com.

Event Details:
Summer Solstice Saturday, June 22, 2013
11am-12pm, Moderated Discussion Session with perfumers 12pm-5pm Pop-up Shop

The following artists will present their work at the 1st FRAGments event on June 22:

JK DeLapp, The Rising Phoenix Perfumery
David Falsberg, Phoenicia Perfumes 
Amanda Feeley, Esscentual Alchemy
Lisa Fong, Artemisia Natural Perfume 
Heather Kauffman, Jolie Laide Perfume 
Maggie Mahboubian, Parfums Lalun
Christi Meshell, House of Matriarch
Mik, MIKMOI San Francisco 
Ayala Moriel, Ayala Moriel Parfums
Persephenie Lea, Persephenie
Sherri Sebastian, Sebastian Signs 
Nikki Sherritt, Rebel and Mercury Parfums 
Meredith Smith, Sweet Anthem Perfumes 
Dawn Spencer-Hurwitz, DSH Perfumes 
Laurie Stern, Velvet and Sweet Pea’s Purrfumery
Roxana Villa, Roxana Illunimated Perfume 
Shelley Waddington, En Voyage Perfume
Yosh Han, YOSH Olfactory Sense

Event Highlights and Notables:

*Persephenie will present an experimental olfaction project.
*En Voyage Perfume will be launching their new fragrance at the 1st FRAGments event. *House of Matriarch will spotlight their Blackbird fragrance which was just named a Top 10 fragrance for 2013 by Men's Journal magazine, the only Indie fragrance that made their Top 10 list.
*Esscentual Alchemy will present “Moon Valley” - Featured in Vogue UK May '13 issue in their Natural Beauty Selections.
*Ayala Moriel Parfums will bring Treazon, which was nominated for the Indie FiFi Awards 2013, and 4 more perfumes especially curated for this unique event.

About FRAGments:

FRAGments was founded by West Coast perfumer Maggie Mahboubian who launched her Parfums Lalun brand in September 2012. Maggie has the unique advantage of approaching FRAGments as an “insider” with knowledge about the details and tools needed to create a successful and vibrant event. Her background as a professional architect gives her the skills to coordinate a complex project and see it through to completion. The FRAGments series intends to uncover the potential of this rapidly evolving genre by highlighting artistic exploration and experimentation.

Follow/like FRAGments on Facebook and visit the website for more details. 

Come sniff, get the story behind each perfumer's art and, if you choose, purchase directly from us!
I won't be there in person, but my perfume-friend Faith Frenz will be representing me and will help you discover a collection of 5 perfumes I curated especially for Los Angeles! 

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased online in advance on the FRAGments website.

Ayala's Perfumed Food in Super Style Magazine and Muza Perfumista

Read my interview for Russian magazine Super Style about Perfumed Food. The English version is on Muza Perfumista's excellent blog. Enjoy! 

TMS

"In this same vein, patients are taught that there is no correct way to bend or lift, one doesn't need to avoid soft chairs or mattresses, and in general the great number of admonitions and prohibitions that have become part of back pain folklore are simply without foundation, because TMS is harmless condition, and there is nothing structurally wrong with the back. Running is not back for the spine; weak abdominal do not cause cause back pain; strong back muscles do not prevent back pain; it is perfectly all right to arch the back, swim the crawl or breast stroke; man WAS meant to walk upright (homo sapiens and his ancestors have been doing so for somewhere between 3 and 4 million years) (...) One could go on and on."
(Dr. John Sarno, "Healing Back Pain", 1991, p. 110)

I spent the past 10 days debating whether or not I should publish this post... This blog is usually dedicated to perfumery, aromatics, and related culinary arts. This post is an exception: it's related to health and wellness, and is rather personal. I am openly and shamelessly taking advantage of my large readership and following, in order to share something quite radical, that can change your life in the best imaginable way, as it has for me.

If you or someone close to you has been suffering from low back pain, shoulder, neck pain, sciatica, knee pain, hip pain, plantar fasciatiis, carpal tunnerl or any other muculoskeletal pain - and epscially if they have a history of other psychosomatic symptoms (i.e.: tension headaches, migraines, acid reflux, eczema, psoriasis and many other quite unpleasant yet harmless symptoms) - it's very likely that they are suffering from TMS (Tension Myoneural Syndrome). That means, that the cause of these debilitating ailments is not physical, but psychological. In other words - it's a mindbody disorder (a more apt name for psychosomatic disorder). It does not mean you "want" to be ill; it does not mean that you're crazy either. It just means that your mind has come up with a very effective solution to deal with intimidating emotions such as anger, anxiety and other intense emotional pain. This is a psychological defense mechanism, hat shifts your attention from the emotion to your body by creating immense pain in your back (or neck, shoulder, knee, etc.).

If any of what I said strikes a familiar chord, I really urge you to read the book Healing Back Pain by Dr. John E Sarno, MD, a revolutionary physician that specializes in psychosomatic medicine and has helped thousands of people free themselves from this very devastating and limiting life-style.

Orcas 2nd Anniversary + Beard Oil

It's Orca's 2nd anniversay. Last year, I celebrated the occasion with the handmade candle collaboration with eikcam and Gabriel's Aunt. This year, I've created 2 oil-based formulations for the scent: Perfume oil roll-on, and a beard oil!

The latest in men's grooming, and just in time for Father's Day, Orcas Beard Oil conditions and softens the beard and takes care of the skin while scenting your face with the delicate aroma of ocean air and rosemary. These pure natural nourishing oils keep a balanced skin, clean and soft hair and help prevent ingrown hairs.

To apply, work into a damp beard with the fingertips and massage into the skin.

Ingredients: Argan Oil, Squalane oil, Jojoba oil, Vitamin E, Orcas fragrance (with Seaweed oil, Rosemary, Blue Spruce, Geranium and other essences).
 
Also, please visit EauMG to read Victoria Jent's review of Orcas fragrance which came out this week! 

Interplay Project: Multi-Media Dance Show Featuring Fragrances by Ayala Moriel Parfums June 7 & 8

The Contingency Plan Collective puts together annual multi-media shows centered around dance in collaboration with other mediums and local artists. This spring, there are six choreographers who are working in collaboration with other artists such as live musicians, media artists, visual artists and more.

I'm extremely honoured and excited to be collaborating with dancer & choreographer Katie DeVries in her piece, which will be featuring 2 of my fragrances as part of her dance performance. Please go there and support local contemporary dance and art!

What:
The Interplay Project

Where:
The Moberly Arts and Cultural Centre

When:
June 7th and 8th at 8:00pm

Tickets are $15 at the door