Immortelle l'Amour Soap

It takes a bit of imagination and creative formulation adjustments and changes to translate some of the perfumes into soaps. Last month, I've whipped up the first version of Immortelle l'Amour soap, which was tricky because immortelle (Helicrysum italicum) is one of the most expensive perfume and aromatherapy materials. The bars have been curing nicely for a month now, made with decoctions and oil infusions of the fresh and dried plants from my organic garden; as well as cinnamon, chamomile, marigold and vanilla beans and powdered cinnamon bark. A little bit of maple syrup added in the as well!

The result is delicious, albeit not exactly like the perfume. It has the same sweet intensity but a little more fresh and light because I did not use the heavy, curry-like immortelle absolute (otherwise nobody would have been able to afford it).

The soaps will be ready and wrapped April 17th, but you can already order them online now!


Ingredients (In order of presence in the formula):
Saponified Virgin Coconut Oil
Saponified Olive Oil
Saponified Shea Butter
Saponified Palm Kernel Oil
Saponified Cacao Butter
Jojoba Oil
Maple Syrup
Vanilla Paste
Natural Immortelle l'Amour Perfume Blend (Benzoin, Peru Balsam, Sweet Orange, Cinnamon Leaf Oil, Marigold, Chamomile)
Cinnamon Powder

New Immortelle l'Amour Tea

Floating maple leaves, a photo by Ayala Moriel on Flickr.

The other day I had a "Eureka!" moment, when upon blending the 2nd version for my Immortelle l'Amour tea (which was discontinued a couple of years ago, when my tea blending master Dawna retired from the business - though I always hope only temporarily! Her tea blends are exceptional and inspiring). So the moment it got to where I wanted it to be made my heart skip a beat: I smelled the blend, and it reminded me both of my perfume, and of Dawna's original blend. I had to steep a few teapots before sharing the news (what if it was just that scoop that tasted like this?); and yesterday it passed the final test, as I shared a tea pot with this tea's greatest fan - my friend Dean. While it is obviously more vibrant and fresh than what I have left from the previous tea version, I think I've finally nailed it down. Yay!

It was a tremendous challenge to source all the ingredients I needed to re-create the blend, and have my own seal of approval of it, and embed my own interpretation of tea into the project. The first new tea blends I released (Charisma and Zangvil) were my own original blend, so it was a lot easier to simply go wild and blend the best imaginable tea surrounding the chosen ingredients, and with reference to the perfume as a starting point. Both were a purely creative adventure. Charisma being my very first tea blend ever, which was based on a blend of fresh spearmint and verbena leaves with jasmine green tea (and had to be modified for a dried herb and tea blend); and Zangvil being a multi-faceted tweaking project for a very clear vision of a perfumed tea I had in my mind.

With Immortelle l'Amour and with Roses et Chocolat the challenge was greater. First of all, sourcing wise, it was a lot more difficult than I even imagined to source the tea leaves themselves (the black teas for Roses et Chocolat; and the rooibos - as common as it may seem, is difficult to source high quality in bulk, while meeting various wholesale companies' minimums...).

Recently, at long last, things came together in the tea frontier. Partly because deadline was pushing and I really didn't want another winter to pass without my teas. But the other part must have been serendipity, and I was able to work with one of the leading tea importers in town - Pedro Villalon from O5 Tea Bar - and source a few of the missing tea leaves. I now have organic rooibos of the best quality I've ever encountered for Immortelle l'Amour; and a few other teas that you will meet later on in my upcoming new tea blends...



My new version of Immortelle l'Amour is based on a robust, full-bodied organically grown red rooibos, a tad malty, reminiscent of vanilla-scented tobacco, ripe apples and is utterly smooth and sweet as it is. With the added elements of Yellow petals of organic calendual add a fiery visual effect that truly reflects the tea's warmth and golden sweetness.

Immortelle l'Amour tea is prepared by steeping the tea in boiling hot water for at 5 minutes. Another brew can be made by re-steeping - resulting in a milder tasting liquor, but still very fragrant and flavourful. Double steeping is rarely a possibility with rooibos teas, so you can only imagine how excited I was about the potency of this tea!

Immortelle l'Amour tea has a very smooth, almost velvety finish, and a sweet aftertaste. It is delicious on its own. For added sweetness and to exemplify the maple-theme of the perfume it was based on*, add a few drops (but no more than 1/2 teaspoon) of maple syrup. And to make it even more luxurious - add a splash of whole (and preferably non-homogenized) milk.

Suggested pairing: this tea will make a wonderful addition to brunch affair with cinnamon waffles or whole wheat pancakes, served with real maple syrup, of course! It also makes a luxurious, relaxing evening or afternoon tea on its own or with a slice of pumpkin pie or with few dried Gala apple chips on the side. Kids particularly like this tea, as it is sweet and fruit and flavourful but gentle on their delicate palates. For a grownup's nightcap, add a shot of whiskey to a warm cup of Immortelle l'Amour tea and stir with a cinnamon stick! 

The next phase is completing the design and print of the label - and of course going to production and making a first larger scale batch. I'm excited and thrilled that it will not only be ready in time for my Halloween Tea Party, but also for the inaugural Vancovuer Tea Festival which I'm part of, taking place November 2nd, 11am-5pm at the Creekside Community Centre in the Olympic Village (1 Athlete Way, Vancouver). You can get your advance tickets for the festival, and also pre-order your own tin of Immortelle l'Amour Tea (please note that it will come in a 2oz white tin, the new tins like the one I was using for the Charisma and Zangvil teas - I just have to wait for the labels to be ready before I can do an Immortelle l'Amour tea photoshoot!). 

* Immortelle l'Amour is a perfume that revolves around the theme of immortelle or helicrysum flower, which is reminiscent of maple and fenugreek

Smells Like Canada, 2013 Edition...

Happy Canada Day!

Last year I did a little post and giveaway for Canada Day, which was spontaneous and completely improvised... Today I'm preoccupied with teaching my Floriental week-long intensive course, so I'll keep it short.

 I'd like to add a few more smells to the growing list of Canadian odours I'm fond of and sentimental about:

Artemisia:
Artemisia is the true (Latin) name of what most refer to as "sage". This sacred plant is burnt by the First Nations of Canada at the beginning of rituals to clear space of all negative energy. I begin with this unique plant as a gesture to the original people of this country and as a gesture for healing for the many wounds that the Europeans have inflicted on them ever since landing in the "New World". The local "Sage" has an overwhelmingly intoxicating aroma (wormwood is the only comparison I can make - and technically it IS wormwood). Tannin, acrid, full of ketones and strongly herbaceous and medicinal-bitter. That should make all the negative stuff go away, for sure. 

Elderflower: 
Elderflowers have became an annual obsession last year, when I made cordial for the first time from flowers I bought at the farmers' market; followed by a few more batches of cordial and tinctures from wild-foraged flowers. Their scent has a unique character, simultaneously fruity-berry-like (cassis comes to mind) as well as honeyed-floral and slightly green. If you missed the foraging season, try buying dry flowers and mixing them with osmanthus. Also, Shaktea's Elderlower Cantaloupe Tea is spectacular (green darjeeling with elderflowers, cantaloupe, rhubarb and other botanicals). It makes a fantastic iced tea as well.

Juniper and Canadian Gin:
Juniper are a quintessential foresty scent that is unique as it is not just a straighforward coniferous scent; but also woodsy and spicy at the same time, with a clean and elegant appeal. 
A few years ago, the most exotic gin you can get was Tanquary Ten and Hedricks' Gin. This week, I was pleasantly surprised to find the shelves at the liquor store brimming with local offerings, including oak-aged gin from Vancouver Island, and this particularly strange number, Ungava gin, featuring arctic botanicals such as Nordic juniper berries, rose hips, Labrador tea, cloudberry, crowberry and an "arctic blend" of secret botanicals. It has a beautiful bright yellow colour, and goes well with elderflower liquor, bitters or cordial to make a very refreshing and Canadian-forest like cocktail!

Red Cedarwood:
Nothing says "Pacific Northwest" better than red cedar (also known as cherry cedar). The oil is hard to come by, and is a little harsh and intensely smoky, but also got some interesting fruity-berry nuances that are not unlike cherries. It also strangely reminds me of the Canadian whiskey, Crown Royal: Burning yet sweet.


Castoreum:
Castoreum is probably one of Canada's most important contribution to the world of perfumery. It goes oh so well with birch, another Canadian tree reminiscent of wintergreen, and that can be produced into "birch tar" by destructive distillation.
 Douglas Fir:
Douglas fir is a uniquely fragrant tree, also special for the Pacific Northwest. Its needles are deliciously packed with vitamin C and can be added to your drinking water for an added tangerine-like flavour, and - vitamin C. In the springtime, pick the new buds that are as soft as silk tassels. Dry them and prepare a sweet and sour citrusy wild tea. It's also wonderful blended with jasmine tea, which reminds me of my perfume Fetish (the perfume features the deliciously jam-like balsam fir absolute).

Rhubarb:
Sliced rhubarb reminds me of the ocean and ozone and it is ever so refreshing with its sour crunch. Also a recent discovery of mine (and I'm sure the plant is not unique to Canada but also is ever so popular all across North America); but to me it's as distinctively Canadian as cranberry and maple.

Tobacco:
Also a sacred plant to the First Nations, Tobacco was used for healing and for the famous "Peace Pipe". It's use in perfumery is limited, but it makes its mark in the Chypre-Tobacco category and in Leathery perfumes. Also will go well with the abovementioned birch.

Leave a comment with more ideas for what smells like Canada (and Native American botanicals of significance), and enter to win a mini of Immortelle l'Amour - which is about as Canadian as it can get, reminiscent of maple syrup poured over hot cinnamon waffles!

Tragic Love Stories, Bottled

Different pages; same story., a photo by DaedaLusT on Flickr.

I've decided to dedicate my 4th annual Valentine's Day tea party to broken hearts - those of us who are suffering from unrequited love, or are simply lonely on this day that's supposed to be celebrated in a twosome.

There is no real of art more obsessed with love, passion and desire than perfume. Nearly all perfumes are a promise of a love potion; an elixir so irresistible that it will capture your heart's desires, and lure in new ones... And some were inspired by the most tragic love stories. Others, even more so inspiring, by the perfumer's real life stories, agony and muses.

Let's begin with the house of Guerlain. More than any other perfume house I know, their perfumes bottle love stories and are usually inspired by women and created first and foremost to be worn on a woman's skin.

Jicky (1889) In 1864, Aimé Guerlain had to interrupt his studies in England and return to the family's business due to the illness of his father, Pierre-François. Him and his brother, Gabriel, now had to take charge of all aspects of the company - and his role was as perfumers, while his brother's was to take care of the business and marketing side of things. Years later he created this masterpiece, and although another story says this was his nickname for his nephew, Jaqcues - another story says this was the name of the lover he left behind in England.

Mitsouko (1919) is inspired by the heroine of Le Bataille (The Battle) - a novel about a Japanese girl who was abandoned by an American naval officer who married her, got her pregnant and never returned to her. She tried to perform harakiri but was found by one of her maids, who saved her life. The perfume is redolent of Asian woods, spices and delicate aldehydic peach note.

Nuit de Noël (1922) was created by Ernest Daltroff with his muse, lover and business partner
Félicie Vanpouille. She was a dressmaker by profession, and became Caron's legendary package and bottle designer. Her creations really completed the perfume and together the couple created masterpieces in both visual and olfactory aspects. She always turned down Daltroff's proposals, so they never married. But, she did become an equal partner and shareholder in the business, and when Daltroff fled Nazi-occupied France to Canada (he was Jewish) - he gave her the entire Caron company. He died two years later from cancer - or was it a broken heart? 

Shalimar (1925) was inspired by the tragic tale of Shah Jahan (an Indian king) to his favourite wife Mumtaz Mahal. She died in child birth and left him broken hearted. The perfume is named after the gardens of shalimar, where the royal lovers spent their happy times together before her untimely death. Next to them Shah Jahan build the Taj Mahal - a tomb and monument for Mumtaz Mahal. His resting place is adjacent to it, so he can watch her monumental beauty for many years. The perfume contains all the abundance of the imaginary oriental garden and is presented in a bottle that resembles a water fountain - or a fruit bowl. Take your pick.

Femme (1944) was released by Marcel Rochas as a coming-of-age tribute to his wife, Hélène. It was, however, created earlier by Edmond Roudnitska, with whatever raw materials he had from a raw material supplier he worked with. The materials were inevitably aged during the war and he quality of the perfume has a certain darkness to it that truly reflects its time. Despite the gravity of the events outside, Roudnitska maintained his creative spirit and his commitment to his art. And that, to me, is the true love story behind this perfume.

Chamade (1969) is the name of a particular military drum beat, and also doubles as the heartbeat of surrender - to love, of course. Jean-Paul Guerlain said he created it for a certain woman in mind - but won't reveal who she was. With notes of black currents, ylang ylang and green galbanum over a base of vanilla and oakmoss it was one of the perfumes that predicted the sharp-angled greens of the 1970's.


 

Please leave a comment with perfumes that were inspired by a love story - tragic or otherwise. Among the commentators, there will be a lucky draw on Friday, February 22nd, to win a package with a mini of Immortelle l'Amour - my own contribution to the world of broken-heart-inspired perfumes.

Monkey Monday Winner (Smells Like Canada)

Happy fragrance summer to all Canadian perfume lovers!
Congratulations to Il Graham, winner of our Smells Like Canada contest of last week. My apologies for taking forever to make the draw. I've been on the road so to speak and immersed completely with the Artisan Fragrance Salon and all the events around it, not to mention visiting our neighbours to the south ;-)
Please email me your mailing address so I can ship your prize to you - a mini of the deliciously Canadian and maple-syrupy Immortelle l'Amour!

We will return on Monday with another Monkey Monday contest + giveaway.

Feminine Things picks Immortelle l'Amour for Vaneltine's Day

Immortelle l'Amour was created from the most vulnerable place of a broken heart. Probably not my first (or last) perfume created with such "inspiration".
Nevertheless, it's strangely comforting to find it recommended as a perfume of love under the title "Love is not love until love's vulnerable. " on Feminine Things blog by Diana Wiener.

Immortal Rose

Immortelle, originally uploaded by Églantine.

Immortal Rose is a new one of a kind perfume that I've just added to the website yesterday afternoon. It's a beautiful and unusual combination between two very bold notes: immortelle absolute and rose geranium absolute.
How this perfume came about is interesting: when I was working on my Immortelle l'Amour back in 2007, I asked for feedback from one of my long time customers, and a fellow perfumista who's known to many of you as FiveoaksBouquet on Perfume of Life forum.
The reason why FiveoaksBouquet was the perfect person to ask opinion about was because she loves immortelle so much, and is a huge fan of Annick Goutal's Sables, which she kindly sent me a sample of, since it is no available in Vancouver. She even sent me a handful of beautiful immortelle potpourri made over 20 years ago by Caswell-Massey.
One of her suggestions was to add rose to my 1st mod, and so I did. Neither of us was too smitted with the result, and 4 mods later, the Immortelle l'Amour that you all learned to known and love is non other than the very first mod that I created...
However, the idea of immortelle and rose note appeals to me, and 3 years later, when I have at my disposal a bold and beautiful geranium absolute, I decided to play with this perfume again. I feel that the rose geranium (both oil and absolute), in addition to some rose absolute creates the desired effect that I was hoping to find originally. Gernaium has the "rosier than rose" quality, and although it's not as fine and complex as rose absolute, it is exactly that quality that makes it so suitable for the dark, dusky and earthy maple tonalities of immortelle absolute.
I have decided to offer this perfume as a one of a kind perfume because I think it takes a very unique personality to pull such a perfume off. It is very sweet, with an overdose of vanilla like my original formula; yet earthy and rosy as well, with fresh notes from the geranium and orange that balance it well. And 3 years in it is also beautifully matured into a very smooth elixir.

Fall Harvest Tea Party

Just to give you an idea what's been going on here in the past few days... I've been baking like a madwoman for my Fall Harvest Tea Party, because thanks to some unexpected flood in the space here, I had to spend two precious days out of my prep-work getting this problem solved. So, in the end, I had 25 hours to bake and prepare 15 items on the menu. Not a simple task, especially if one intends to get some much needed sleep. It was made possible thanks to the awesome and generous help of my friends - Monique, Yaniv, Brenna and Shawn whose professional photos of the event will be posted later on. For now - here are some snapshots I took with my iPhone in some rare quiet moments during and after the event...

Fall studio display, reflecting the changing leaves outside...

Flower arrangement by Brenna.
The lovely leaf doilies were generously donated by my student and intern Monique.



Fruit & Flower Fall Display by Brenna, also known as the altar of offering to Martha Stewart and all other home goddesses thereof!



Japanese rakku glazed porcelain leaves

Raffle tickets... The prize was a gift bag with Lavender Bath Salts, Dao Tea Sejak (green tea), and Charisma perfume mini, which went to leaf no. 11 - held by the lucky Melinda!


Goody bag! These had gift cards and some amazing osmanthus tea in them - a personal favourite :-)

Fall display of perfumes and fake leaves raffle tickets...

Now, you probably want to hear about the food... There's a few shots of the infamous 5-tiered tea-tray, and this time instead of printing out menus, I asked Monique to prepare little signs for each food item. She kindly agreed, and I wish you could see her awesome calligraphy... Oh, wait! I'll snap a shot of them now, after they'd served their purpose. They were really quite something:

The full menu included some classic favourites from my tea parties (I think after doing these tea parties for a year and a half I have formed my own "classics"...), and a few experimental ones - such as a the new truffle flavours infused with oolong tea or with saffron and osmanthus tea (shaped as squares, by the way).

Everything was planned with harvest in mind - pumpkins, squashes, carrots, corn, seedcakes... The seedcake madeleiens (which just looked like any other madeleine) were spiked with cinnamon, cloves and caraway seeds. This is an interesting marriage between the English seedcake, which was traditionally used in harvest celebrations, and the dainty little French cakes (awesome for dunking in spicy chai tea the next day when they turn stale!).

Tier 1: Savoury Appetizers & Canapés
Roasted Beets ****
Polenta with Roasted Butternut Squash, Portobello Mushroom & Sage
Red & Green Tortilla rolls w/ Guacamole or Black Beans (Vegan)

Tier 2: Tea Sandwiches:
Brie & Pear Tea Sandwiches
Carrot & Ginger Tea Sandwiches
Fennel & Tarragon Tea Sandwiches
Egg Salad Tea Sandwiches

Tier 3: Scones
Concord Grape + Blue Cheese Scones
served w/ Devonshire Cream & Merlot Wine Jelly

Tier 4: Desserts
Carrot-cake Sandwich Cookies
Gianduja (Hazelnut) Brownies **
Seed Cake Madeleines

Tier 5: Truffles & Petitfours
Oolong Truffles**
White Saffron Truffles**
Espioange Truffles**
Marzipan & Apricot Pettitfours ****

* Dairy Free (contains eggs)
** Gluten Free
*** Dairy & Gluten Free
**** Vegan & Gluten Free

Here are closeups of two of my brand-new desserts:

White Saffron & Osmanthus truffles

Gianduja Brownies - these are packed with fresh, organic and local hazelnuts, and are dairy and gluten free!

The heart of the event was Pedro's tea tasting and demonstration - he brewed a wild suk (artemisia) - an herbal tea from Korea, from shade-grown and very youngn leaves; Sejak green tea from China, and Balyhocha (yellow tea oolong) from two different farmers in Korea - Kim shin ho, and Kim jong yeol.

Pedro is an unusual tea curator and importer that traveled through the mountains of China and Korea to connect with small independent tea farmers. These farm-to-table connoisseur teas tell the stories of the soil they were grown in and the hands that harvested them. More about each tea on Dao Tea website.

More photos of guests during the tea tasting (they were so serious and quiet taking notes during the demo - that is the only reason I was able to take all these photos LOL!)





And last but not least - my own presentation, featuring three scents for times of transition, and giving some advice about how to pick a scent for fall. I passed around scent strips and roll-on bottles of Moon Breath (in honour of Artemis, the goddess of the moon, and to reflect the tea menu which included artemisia tisane). This is a perfume I originally created for the moon breath meditation - a type of breathing that involves breathing with the left nostril only, while covering the right one with your right index finger. It has soothing notes of amber, incense and eurphoric jasmine - all associated with the moon. I originally had it as a meditation and anointing oil for the candles I burnt during meditation. I find meditation to be very helpful in transitional times - which tend to be very stressful (especially now with market season approaching!).

Immortelle l'Amour is a classic comfort scent - it smells like sweet breakfast food (cinnamon waffles with maple syrup!), and just makes one feel warm and protected...

And last but not least - a not-yet-released perfume which I have been blogging about its creation for a while here - my ginger & amber perfume, in its 6th and final mod. This is very cozy, bracing hot and cold at the same time. The amber makes it feel like a warm fuzzy cashmere sweather. The ginger has both heat and coolness to it, and the orange is very juicy - it's with orange juice essence, rather than just using the peel. More about that scent at another time though!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Sold Out: Perfumed Teas

My perfumed teas have been very popular this past weekend and are now nearly completely sold out: none of Tirzah is left, and I'm down to the last tin of Gaucho and the last tin of Immortelle l'Amour tea. All teas are organic and wild crafted, with no artifical flavouring. They are perfumed with the aromas of high quality dried leaves, fruit and flowers (i.e.: osmanthus blossom, vanilla beans, citrus peel, damiana leaf and so on).

I don't know when the next batch will be made available again for all three; but in the future, the tins will be lighter (with less tea blend) to make them more affordable. We have been filling them all the way up, making for a full tin of between 70-80gr of tea, which is a lot more than the standard in the market for such a small tin.

Mental Notes: Good Food

Cinnamon waffle@Wawee, originally uploaded by mink~.

Gourmand scents are not for everyone. Some get completely turned-0ff by the notion of smelling like desert. Apparently my fondness for food did not go unnoticed and I belong to those who have a weakness for a good gourmand scent.
Today I am wearing my beloved Immortelle l'Amour; one of those scents that I have created out of a necessity for an enveloping warmth of vanilla and maple with cinnamon and orange. Immortelle absolute and rooibos tincture add a herbaceous tea-like dimension and I am loving every moment of it. It's particularly appropriate on snuggly rainy days, or stormy ones that force people to stay indoors and embrace romance.
Perhaps this is why I spent the evening baking cookies with my daughter (peanut-butter filled chocolate cookies, if you must know!). I think Immortelle l'Amour is the first scent where I really managed to capture the scent of baked goods (cinnamon waffles), most thankfully because of the wheat absolute and cinnamon CO2.

Sweet dreams...

Or, if you are still awake, would you care to share your favourite cooking smells (as well as your fragrance for the day)?

Immortelle l'Amour Tea on Now Smell This

Immortelle l'Amour perfumed tea has been reviewed on NowSmellThis.com!

Immortelle l'Amour Tea

Immortelle l'Amour Tea, originally uploaded by Ayala Moriel.

I've had the pleasure to share my first Perfumed Tea several times with clients and students, and it's just magical. It's amazing what few ingredients do to each other when blended in the right proportions and made by a true artisanal tea-maker. Thank you to Dawna Ehman, the fine lady who has made this tea with love and care to the last detail as she does with all her teas under the Inner Alchemy Tea Co. The tea is beautiful, both visually and aromatically, from the loose tea in the tin, to the entire process of steeping, pouring, mapling and sipping it. One of the coolest thing about this tea is that at the end of the batch, the bottom is dotted with real vanilla specks!

This tea is best served with maple syrup, which echoes the perfume it was inspired by. It can also be served with milk or cream, but I prefer it without - it feels like drinking liquid gold. Which is what wearing Immortelle l'Amour feels like as well. It's truly soothing and beautiful.

Here is more information from Dawna Ehman about the properties of rooibos tea:
"Rooibos is produced by oxidizing the green needles of Aspalathus linearis, a wild broom-like shrub native to South Africa. It is a full flavored tea with low levels of tannin and no calories, oxalic acid or caffeine. Rooibos tisane contains many nutrients including a full spectrum of minerals, vitamin C and high levels of antioxidants. For optimum extraction and flavour, steep in boiling water for a minimum of 10 minutes.
The nourishing properties of Rooibos enable it to regulate nervous system imbalances such as headaches, irritability, insomnia, hypertension and depression. The anti-spasmodic properties of Rooibos aid in digestive imbalances like nausea, cramps, heartburn and constipation. As well, Rooibos is reputed to strengthen the body of low immunity and allergies like hay fever, asthma and eczema."

Also, according to Dawna, rooibos tea is also served as a drink for children in South Africa. It is sweetened with apple juice, served cool, or frozen into popsicle molds for a special summer treat.

Immortelle l'Amour Perfumed Tea is out for only a week now, and we're already down to only 3 last tins!
The next batch will be ready by December 14th. Until than, take advantage of the introductory price of $18 (the real price is $30 per tin!) to enjoy this real special, organic artisanal tea. All the ingredients are top quality and organic: the Cedarberg red rooibos tea, Madagascar vanilla beans, hand-crumbled Ceylon cinnamon bark, freshly dried orange peel and hand-picked calendula petals.

News from the Nose: Perfumed Tea from Ayala Moriel and Gift Guide

In this newsletter:

• Immortelle l'Amour Organic Tea - Ayala Moriel's First Perfume to Tea Adaptation


• Immortelle l'Amour Brewing Tips


• The Properties of Rooibos


• Free Shipping for all orders of $100 or more - WORLD WIDE!!!


• Canada Post Cut-Off Dates for Shipping Your Holiday Gifts


• Smelly & Wonderful Gift Ideas


• Poison Rings and Perfumed Collectibles


• Chocolate Truffles Ordering Information


• Coming soon: Bois d'Hiver soy wax perfumed candle


• Portobello West this Sunday, November 25th; Christmas Market December 16th

Immortelle l'Amour Organic Tea

When I created Immortelle l'Amour it had Alice's "Drink Me!" label all over it. Today, my dream has finally come true: I had my first tea blend, accompanying my newest perfume, Immortelle l'Amour, is finally ready to be enjoyed. I had the pleasure of tasting this liquid perfumed-tea perfection this afternoon and it has exceeded my wildest dreams of my perfume-to-tea adaptation.

Made with the finest organic rooibos, infused with Madagascan vanilla beans, and with a touch of cinnamon, fruity sweet orange peel and a splash of calendula flowers for colour - Immortelle l'Amour is exquisite in every possible way - visually and aromatically in it's dried form and delicious, full-bodied and sweet when brewed.

It's amazing what a few simple yet exquisite ingredients can create when married together. As with perfume - so it is with tea: the sum is greater than its parts. And here these are all the best quality there is: all organic, fresh and blended carefully by hand. Immortelle l'Amour perfumed tea is co-designed with Dawna Ehman, and produced and packaged by Inner Alchemy Tea Co. in Vancouver. It was such a delight to work with Dawna on this tea, and I am looking forward to be able to drink many more of my perfumes in the future - in the form of tea - and share them with you, of course!

Immortelle l'Amour is a living evidence for the beauty of plants and how they can be incorporated into our daily life, adding peace, pleasure and the

opportunity for sharing the moment with loved ones.

Our first batch of tea is offered at an introductory price of $18 per tin (each contains 70gr. Of organic tea; regular price is $30). Quantities are very limited, so order your tea now before this opportunity is gone!

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Immortelle l'Amour Brewing Instructions & Serving Suggestion

I have this fascinating information and brewing tips for the Immortelle

l'Amour tea, from the tea-creator, Dawna Ehman of Inner Alchemy Tea Co.:

"For each 5 oz. cup of tea desired, add 1 tsp. of rooibos to freshly boiled water. Cover and steep (or simmer gently) for at least 10 minutes. Serve with cream and maple syrup for an exquisite dessert tea".

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Rooibos Information & Properties

More from Dawna Ehman of Inner Alchemy Tea Co. - about the origins and properties of rooibos tea:

"Rooibos is produced by oxidizing the green needles of Aspalathus linearis, a wild broom-like shrub native to South Africa. It is a full flavored tea with low levels of tannin and no calories, oxalic acid or caffeine. Rooibos tisane contains many nutrients including a full spectrum of minerals, vitamin C and high levels of antioxidants. For optimum extraction and flavour, steep in boiling water for a minimum of 10 minutes.

The nourishing properties of Rooibos enable it to regulate nervous system imbalances such as headaches, irritability, insomnia, hypertension and depression. The anti-spasmodic properties of Rooibos aid in digestive imbalances like nausea, cramps, heartburn and constipation. As well, Rooibos is reputed to strengthen the body of low immunity and allergies like hay fever, asthma and eczema."

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Free Shipping During November & December

Free shipping for all orders of $100 or more. This offer is valid through
December 2007, for orders from all over the world!

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Canada Post Cut-Off Dates for Shipping Your Holiday Gifts

For those of you in a rush to get a holiday gift anywhere in the world, and
want to get your packages in time before December 24th - here are the
cut-off dates, as provided by Canada Post:

USA & CANADA: December 10th
ASIA, EUROPE, AUSTRALIA & MIDDLE EAST: December 3rd
SOUTH AMERICA, AFRICA: November 26th

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Smelly & Wonderful Gift Ideas

Ayala Moriel's natural and original perfumes make a perfect gift. If you are

not sure which perfume to give your family and friends, we are always here
to help you pick the perfect perfume, or a lovely gift-box of sample-sized perfumes.

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Poison Rings and Perfumed Collectibles

And if you want a true surprise or a real shocker of a gift for someone real special - ask us about our uber-fantastic, magical poison rings and other perfume-fillable collectibles. Some appear on the website, but we have many more hidden and waiting for the right person to find them... Just tell us what you are looking for and we might be convinced to bring them out just for you...

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Chocolate Truffles Ordering Information

Chocolate truffles can be also made to order (minimum order is a batch of 40 truffles, for $60). Or you can select from the fresh truffles with have in stock, which come in packages of 8 each for $12. Due to the fact that these are made with fresh organic cream and are perishable, these are offered to local customers only. Sorry if we made you drool...

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Coming soon: Bois d'Hiver soy wax perfumed candle

We are now working hard to bring to you another new and exciting, all-natural and beautifully scented product. Tune in late November for our new soy-wax candle, co-designed with Nikki Sherritt - candle expert from Seattle who specializes in creating natural candles only. You can now pre-order your candle.

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Portobello West - Two Last Markets!

Don't miss Portobello West's two last Christmas Markets, closing year 2007:
This coming Sunday, November 25th, and next month - on Sunday, December 16th. These are Ayala Moriel's two LAST markets, so don't miss them - just step out of your door, breath some fresh winter air, and come see us and tons more cool and beautiful locally made art & fashion at the market! Free admission, and parking is also free and in abundance; and for those of you who prefer the car-less life (like me!), there is a free shuttle from Main Street SkyTrain station every 20 minutes. And did I mention the yummy buckwheat crepes yet? They sure make me look forward to another market, but it will be so much better if you'll be there too!
For more information about Portobello West visit the website.

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Fragrant Blessings,

Ayala

Ayala Moriel Parfums

AyalaMoriel.com
My SmellyBlog: SmellyBlog.com
Tel.: (778) 863-0806
Address: 1230 Haro Street, Buzz #295,Vancouver, BC
Hours: Mon-Fri 8:00am-4:00pm; Sundays & evenings by appointment only
Address: PO Box 93589 Nelson Park, Vancouver, BC, V6E 4L7

© 2007, Ayala Moriel Parfums. All Rights Reserved.

News from the Nose: Ayala Moriel's Winter 2007 Newsletter

Click here to read Ayala Moriel's latest news, or continue to read below...

News from the Nose: Ayala Moriel's Winter Newsletter

In this newsletter:

• New Retail Locations in LA and Japan
• Immortelle l'Amour - New Perfume and Ayala Moriel's First Tea Blend!
• Smelly Stocking Stuffers
• Ayala Moriel's Referral Program
• Candle Making Workshop and other DIY Holiday Gift-Making Workshops
• Foundation of Natural Perfumery Course

New Retail Locations!

This season is a very exciting time for Ayala Moriel Parfums, as our perfumes are now offered in several new and very prestigious locations. For our Los Angeles and Japanese customers - you can now get your scents directly from:

Blunda Aromatics
304. So. Edinburgh Ave
Los Angeles, CA
90048
Tel: (323) 658 7507
e-mail: info@blundaaromatics.com

Lovely Antiques
169-27 Sakura-dai
Noda-City, Chiba, 278-0032
Japan
Tel: 04-7124-5724
Mobile: 090-6566-8802
e-mail: info@blundaaromatics.com

Immortelle l'Amour - New Perfume and Ayala Moriel's First Tea Blend!

This November, my newest perfume addition to my ready-to-wear fragrance collection is a perfume that I hold dear to my heart. I chose the dark maple-like aroma of immortelle (everlasting) flowers to play the lead role in this romantic, aromatic harmony. It also contains three different infusions of vanilla (vanilla absolute, CO2 and vanilla beans that I have infused myself), along with rooibos tea, wheat absolute, broom, sweet orange and cinnamon. Immortelle l'Amour is darkly sweet and hopelessly romantic.

To read more about the inspiration for Immortelle l'Amour, click here.

To purchase Immortelle l'Amour, click here.

Later in November, Immortelle l'Amour will also be available in a tea form, another heart-warming way in which botanical aromatics can be enjoyed... Immortelle l'Amour tea will be a rooibos based tea blend, infused with vanilla beans, orange peel and cinnamon created and hadncrafted especially for us by Dawna Ehman of Inner Alchemy Tea Co. in Vancouver. If you love tea, and particularly rooibos and vanilla, it will be wisest to pre-order your own tea-box, as quantities are extremely limited.

Smelly Stocking Stuffers and other Gift Ideas

Looking for ideas for the perfect gift this season? Our sample packages and Miniature Fragrance Wardrobes make a perfect stocking stuffers. And of course there is the ultimate gift - a custom scent especially designed for your special someone! Put it on your wishlist or you can purchase a gift certificate for a custom scent - simply by purchasing online and emailing us to let us know this is a gift. We will gift wrap your order upon request, or send a gift certificate per your request.

Ayala Moriel's Referral Program

To thank you for spreading the word about my little perfumery, for every time you refer someone to us you will receive $25 off your next purchase - effective towards both workshops and perfume orders (excluding sample purchases).

Candle Making Workshop and other DIY Holiday Gift-Making Workshops

Don't miss this rare opportunity to learn how to make beautiful, all-natural scented soy-wax candles with candle expert and artisan Nikki Sherrit of Garbiel's Aunt. Nikki will be coming to Ayala Moriel's Studio especially from Seattle to teach this workshop - and help you get your holiday gifts ready in the most creative and scentual way possible, the DIY way! Click here and visit our calendar for more details and to read about other workshops and classes offered this winter at Ayala Moriel Parfums studio - we will be offering other great opportunities for you to handcraft your own original gifts, including scented greeting cards, personal perfumes, body products and more!

Foundation of Natural Perfumery Course

In February 2008, Ayala Sender will be offering a unique course for those interested in pursuing a career in the field of Natural Perfumery. Spaces are extremely limited to ensure each students receives one-on-one guidance as much as possible, and includes 5 small group classes and 1 personal studio session with the perfumer. Click here for more details and course syllabus.

Warm regards,

Ayala

Ayala Moriel Parfums
AyalaMoriel.com
My SmellyBlog: SmellyBlog.com
Tel.: (778) 863-0806
Address: 1230 Haro Street, Buzz #295,Vancouver, BC
Hours: Mon-Fri 8:00am-4:00pm; Sundays & evenings by appointment only
Address: PO Box 93589 Nelson Park, Vancouver, BC, V6E 4L7

Immortelle l'Amour and Vetiver Racinettes on SavvyThinker.com

Karin of SavvyThinker.com has published her thoughts on my latest two perfumes - Immortelle l'Amour and Vetiver Racinettes. While Immortelle l'Amour is to be lauched this November, along with a beautiful tea blend made by Inner Alchemy Tea Co., Vetiver Racinette's launch date is still undercover...

Immortelle l'Amour

Fiery flower withholds
the moments of untold love
Written with the flames of phoenix feather
Leaving ashes forming into letters
Our walk was interrupted by the ghostly winds
and misty sea spray remained on our breath
Two hearts warming to the dancing flames in a fireplace
Skewered together with that same bleeding feather
Their longing for a kiss freezes on the snow
Like Tire sur la neige

The maple-like nuances of immortelle absolute are used here along with sweet orange, cinnamon, wheat and three different infusions of vanilla, creating a perfume that truly captures the aroma of cinnamon-pancakes and Tire d’Erable (“taffee on the snow”), an inseparable part of the Quebec heritage in the Maple Harvest Festivals. You’ll find it hard to resist licking this perfume, but it will prove to be a true friend for a love-injured heart. Immortelle l'Amour will be available as parfum extrait and in a tea-form.

Top Notes: Sweet Orange, Cinnamon
Heart Notes: Rooibos Tea, Broom
Base Notes: Immortelle, Vanilla, Wheat

* Immortelle l'Amour will be launched for Fall-Winter 2007-2008, along with a complementary tea blend, and will be available exclusively through Ayala Moriel Parfums starting November 2007.

More About the Inspiration of Immortelle l'Amour

Immortelle l’Amour, my new perfume created for the chilly fall and winter months tells the story of undying love. The formula was ready long ago, yet it was particularly difficult for me to name the perfume. Although I had a few names – all with an equal appeal of both meaning and sound – I had to choose the right one and know it’s right before releasing the perfume. When it comes to matters of love, it sometimes takes courage to say the truth. And so I ended up with the name that seemed to me, at first, to be too romantic, bordering on the cliché… Once I realized this is the right name, the best to describe both the botanical and inspirational origin of the perfume, I felt the time was ripe and it was just a matter of picking a particularly chilly day in November to release it to the world and add some warmth when its most needed.

Immortelle l’Amour was inspired by the immortality of true love and the unique aroma and energy of the everlasting flower – Immortelle. Immortelle is also known as helicrysum or everlasting flower. The essential oil is prized for its unusual healing properties, including pain relief and skin rejuvenation. The Latin name Helicrysum points to its connection to the sun and its own healing properties, bringing a soothing warmth to the soul.

In Immortelle l’Amour, the helicrysum (immortelle) flower absolute is used as the main theme for the perfume. Unlike the essential oil of helicrysum, which is herbaceous and honeyed (very similar to both chamomile and marigold), the absolute has a dark, ambery fragrance with a somewhat spicy-earthy underlining note, reminiscent of both fenugreek and maple syrup (incidenatally, both immortelle and fenugreek are used in the flavour industry to create a maple-syrup flavour.

The immortelle note is juxtaposed with a rich vanilla accord, using a few different varieties of vanilla: a dark absolute from Madagascar, a vanilla CO2 from Bourbon islands, and a tincture of vanilla which I made from plump vanilla pods (seeds and all) from Ghana. Another home-made tincture is used – that of red tea (rooibos), as this material is rarely available in the market as an absolute. Another interesting edible note that I’ve used is wheat absolute. It has a very subtle, iodine-like note, and along with cinnamon CO2 Immortelle l’Amour fills the air with an authentic warm cinnamon-waffles with maple smell… As it dries down, it feels as though an invisible maple taffee is spread upon the skin, sans the stickiness…