Happy Summer Solstice

Summer Solstice, originally uploaded by Ayala Moriel.

Hope you all enjoyed the first day of summer and longest one in the year. I spent most of it chasing the sun in the Sunshine Coast and waiting for the tides to clash at Skookumchuk Rapids.
Memorable scents of the day: salty ocean air with wafts of wild roses and resinous conifers.

Accidents Happen

Accidents happen. And sometimes they turn out to be more happy that they may have seemed at first. Take today's accident, in which for the first time in my life I broke my own bottles (yes, 3 of them, all at once!) of perfumes. I coudln't for the life of me even recognize the scent that I lost; it smelled like nothing I've smelled before, nothing I've made before to be sure of it.

And that's because it wasn't just one scent; it was two which knocked into each other as they broke their necks, spilling out their guts and mingling with one another.

The two scents where two I would have never in my dreams think of mixing, and the result was intoxicating. If you guess what they were, you'll win a special prize... I'm not sure what that could be... How about those two perfumes mixed together in equal amounts just to prove my point?

On another note, my day was filled today with a photo shoot for a really, really cool display gadget for my perfumes; and also I made some amazing teas from some of those incredible materials I had to buy from the market for the photoshoot. One tea was jasmine green tea mixed with spearmint and omsanthus blossoms; the second being lots of freshly sliced lemongrass with a hint of lemon verbena and jasmine green tea. Both were very refreshing and thirst-clenching.

Happy Shavuot!

Shavuot on the fields, originally uploaded by Pictures from Rungholt.

Happy Sahvuot/Bikurim/Hag Matan Torah!

The day was mostly spent baking while the evening was spent celebrating with friends and eating the fruit of my labour - blinztes, cheescake and cheese and wine of course. It's a cheesy holiday ;)

For those not in the know, Shavuot occurs 7 weeks after Passover, which is when Moses got down from Mount Sinai with the Torah and gave it to the people of Israel. It also coincides with the beginning of the wheat harvest season and celebrates the first crops of summer - hence the first fruit, vegetables, wheat and the infant stock animals would be brought as offering to the temple when it was still standing. Nowadays, what we just stay up late for Tikkun Leil Shavuot and/or eat cheese...

As far as fragrance goes - since the weather was so un-summery and inappropriate for the holiday (at this time of the year in Israel it's unbearably hot and the air is full of little black flies that were disturbed from their home inside the wheat straw stems) I wore my interpretation of In A Station of the Metro which reminded me of the beginning of spring when the weather is mostly gloomy and is only cheered up by the presence of myriads of pink cherry blossoms.

Za'atar and Sahleb

zaatar herb, originally uploaded by afuna.

The parcel that arrived from my mom today delivered more than silk scarves with shimmering coins. It brought with it the mountain air, filled with the mosque-chants of mouazines from nearby villages and the rustic perfume of za'atar. An herb grown wild mostly in Lebanon and the northern parts of Israel, with aroma reminiscent of oregano but milder and sweeter (less pungent and peppery). It can be used fresh, but is more commonly used after it has been dried - it is than kept for seasoning all year around, mixed with sesame seeds and sumac (the latter adding a salty-soud flavour).

This mixture is a staple food in the Middle East, and when mixed with olive oil is used for pita-dipping or spreading on bread, it's as popular as butter, really (only with none of the cholesterol associated with butter). It is also used to top-off Labaneh (a yoghurt cheese, which you can easily make at home yourself, by straining plain and pure yoghurt, preferably of the most sour type you can find, through a cheescloth or a coffee filter; add salt to taste and sprinkle with za'atar and drizzle some olive oil on top before serving). It can also be used to season salads - no salt will be necessary if your mixture includes sumac. The fresh sprigs can be fried lightly in olive oil and than served on fresh bread. They can also be added to salads, pasta sauces and stews.

Half of the small bag of za'atar got spilled on my kitchen floor, unfortunately; the better part was that for several moments, the kitchen smelled like a walk on the mountain behind my house in my home village, in the end of the winter when there are za'atar leaves in abundance and awaiting harvest by shepherds and other passersby.

On another (mental) note, I spent the best part of the morning in the lab replenishing jus for many perfumes that were sold out. The latter being Sahlab, a creamy-starchy orris and musk scent which I decided to wear for the rest of the day. Flavours of my homeland been an important part of my day.

White Peonies

Today I discovered that white peonies not only smell different than the pink or red ones; they are also well worth bending over and perhaps even injuring your back on the way to inhale their delicate perfume.
Trying to describe it, all I can say is that white peonies smell like lily of the valley with a hint of carnation and an even tinier hint of rose. Beautiful is an understatement. The scent was so heavenly I had to keep my nose buried in the cellophane-wrapped bouquet all the way home, ignoring the staring faces of passersby who probably wondered why there's an astronaut walking up Robson Strasse.

Mental Notes: Apple Breeze and More Sweat

I woke up this morning to a surprisingly familiar scent accompanied by the sound of lawn-mowing. It was obviously coming from the grass 4 stories below; but it had the crisp scent of green apples - just like the artificial symbol of green apples, to be precise.

The weather was muggy again, but not so sunny; I was brave enough to go out (even in the evening) with no umbrella and no jacket despite of the clouds though... Aside from a pashimna scurf, the only added accessories to cover my skin were, yet again, Azuree body lotion (ahem, yes, with sprakles), and Film Noir in solid perfume (and inside my pendant). I am again surprised at how dry it comes across on a sweaty day.

Mental Notes: It's HOT!

I is over room temperature in Vancouver today (verrrry unusual), and we are all cooking... To top it off, I spent most of the day at the market, not the beach...
I wore my Charisma, with its refreshing spearmint and green tea notes. And served a cool Tirzah tea (which is now sold out until a new batch is made! Yay!).
I suppose the need for hydration is excellent day for increasing tea sales...

Being one of those days that calls for an extra shower in the evening, I was given the opportunity to switch my perfume once again. So this evening I am wearing Bronze Goddess lotion (the scent has already faded into a warm-skin-and-sand subtlety) as a background, and in the foreground, I've anointed my wrists and pulse points with nothing less than Film Noir in creme parfum. The creme parfum makes it smell drier, somehow.

Tomorrow I'll be back with some more substantial entries. In the meantime - share your parfum de jour or any other interesting olfactory encounters of the day. Alternatively, I'll be more than just a little curious to hear what fragrances help you cool off in a very hot and humid day.

Good night!

Mental Notes: Burnt Proteins, Anyone?

Bonfire Night, originally uploaded by adraskoy.

With summer just around the corner, the stench of barbecue is already starting to overwhelm me. As soon as it doesn't rain, some people feel the urge to fill with air with the smoke of burning charcoal and meat. There is something about burning protein that I just can't get myself to appreciate. Perhaps if I wasn't vegetarian it could have been different. Perhaps it also explains why I usually avoid the Lag BaOmer bonfires (Happy Lag BaOmer, by the way!).

Today I was wearing my 3rd mod for the ginger & amber perfume and it goes stronger than the previous ones. This one has a touch of marigold and immortelle in it, making it sunny but also with a greater depth and slightly animialistic undertone, maybe even a tad smoky.

It's strange, I love smoky notes in perfume, but in real life it makes me immediately uneasy, even if just a little. It's the smell of danger.

Tea Time on the North Shore

Marriage Freres Sakura 2000 Tea, originally uploaded by Ayala Moriel.

On a somewhat rainy and not particularly cold afternoon, three ladies of varying ages sat to have some tea at the stuffy Mariage Frères boutique/tea house in West Vancouver (Park Royal).
Tea service included cheescake with stilton and rhubarb and strawberries, pistacchio and sour cherries, and almond and pear tart. This was accompanied by the Sakura 2000 green tea, scented with cherry blossom and rose petals.
I have to say that while I enjoyed the company
And the scent for the day is Terre d'Hermes.

Mental Notes: Freshly Cut Grass & Mojito

sunset mojito, originally uploaded by edo40ode.

It was outrageously hot today in Vancouver (by outrageous I mean 23 celsius), which calls for light summery scents and also brings forward whatever spring flower scents there are in the air and amplifies them ten-fold.

I chose to veer away from my default refresher for a day like this (Philosykos or Le Parfum de Thérèse), and instead try something relatively new to me - Citta di Kyoto. A scent I am still on the fence about and was hoping to form a more solid opinion about.

Visiting the horselands of the city (aka Southlands) for my daughter's weekly horseback riding lesson, we were immersed in heavy scents of blooming trees, and most notably the sharp and penetrating odour of freshly cut grass.

And later tonight I will be dancing the night away in a "Mojito Night" salsa event, with live music. Who knows, I might even try some Mojito, to go with the memory of cut grass (undoubtedly the cocktail will remain unfinished so consider it up for grabs as of now).

I am still undecided about what scent to wear tonight; I'm tempted to immerse in the Philosykos I deprived myself from in the morning; or alternatively, wear something tropical (i.e.: Gigi, Azuree Body Oil or Songes).

What would you wear for a Mojito night of dancing?

Mental Notes: Mix and Wear

Today I've been mixing a trial version of an Epice Sauvage reformulation, so that's what I'm wearing at the moment.
To the original formula, I've added two notes I've been dying to add to Epice Sauvage for a long time: ginger and orange blossom.
I still can't tell if I like the original better or this new version; better let it sit and mature a bit before I cast any judgement.

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)?

Mental Notes: Nuts on Matcha and Lilacs

Today (or is it already yesterday?) is an exotic nutty day - I was wearing Vetiver Tonka, which had that unique sesame seed note roasting in the background.
Surprisingly, the traditional (unsweetened) matcha I had late this afternoon at Steeps Tea was nutty and smelled like white chocolate or cocoa butter.
On the way back home this evening after belly dancing I met two lilac bushes, one in full bloom with tiny flowers and one with large ones but not as fragrant or as abundant quite yet. The small one, planted in a bit pot on the patio of a restaurant on Davie street, was so fragrant it was just like perfume on a bush.
It reminded me of how strange it was to compare Diorissimo just a few days ago with the real living flowers. Side by side, they almost had nothing common. At least it wasn't all that obvious with the parfum concentration. Which goes to show that Diorissimo is a perfume, not just a lily of the valley note.

Mental Notes: Just Before Bedtime

Dying freesias in a vase are not exactly fragrant; I'm wearing Covet from Sarah Jessica Parker once again (I worn it yesterday but didn't tell you as I was too busy to blog this weekend!). Gill Evans is playing in the background with his velvety big band and I am barely resisting falling asleep...
I have to say, I was not impressed with Covet when it came out but I find it fuzzily enjoyable in the last two days. It's ambery (the cocoa note?) yet fresh, and I can now sense the lavender and lemon and perhaps am even starting to become convinced that it is a fougere.
Other than that, I can think of nothing either fragrant or exciting to write home about. I'll pass the ball to you folks to comment on Covet or tell me what you have on (or under) your skin.

Mental Notes: l'Écume des Jours, Gardenia, Lily

Gigi, originally uploaded by Ayala Moriel.

My parfum de jour is l'Écume des Jours. Some spilled as I was filling up purse roll-ons with the perfume oil. Some spilled on the table and that was the best use I could think of, so it wasn't quite intentional so to speak. Which is sometimes the best way to introduce scent into one's day.
I'm surprised at how indolic it is in the oil concentration, on my skin. The pink lotus is really coming through beautifully underlined with those salty seaweed notes. The alcohol version shows more of the boronia in my opinion.

I also visited several flower shops today, mainly in search for a descent gardenia plant with some flowers for my Gigi photoshoot, and found only a couple that are sort of in bloom. The scent is beautiful. And so was the scent of lily of the valley that I decided to postpone buying till tomorrow so they stay fresh and lively for the weekend.

Mental Note: Green Powder Addiction

sencha in blue, originally uploaded by pzed.

I am willing to admit of having one addiction.
Matcha.
Perhaps the only thing I drink (almost) every day.

Today's mental note is for the scent of green tea. There are many types and grades. But I'm particularly smitten with the ones grown in Japan. The other day, my friend Junichi gave me a couple of tea bags that are a non-traditional alternative (shall I say sacrilege? But since it was given to him by his mother, who is Japanese through and through I think it can be trusted) for a loose-leaf brewed tea. It's a blend of sencha leaves and matcha powder. I couldn't help but deelpy inhale this green goodness (only to find some suspicious green powder residue up my nostrils a bit later...). What a way to start the day.
The brand I believe to be Kirkland and it is quite good actually. I particularly like the fact that the tea bag is not made of paper but of some kind of sheer fabric of sorts, through which the appearance and aroma of the leaves and the matcha powder comes across quite invitingly.

And throughout the day I was sipping not matcha, but my own (first) tea invention: jasmine tea with lemon verbena leaves (the latter are organically grown at my mother's garden, harvested, dried and packed with plenty of love which makes it taste all the more magnificent).

Today was an ode to tea. Of the green kind.

Mental Notes: SmellyBlog's Take On Parfum de Jour

Every day there are fragrances that make it for me. The smells of cooking, of plants and flowers or city odours in my surroundings, essences that I immersed myself in at my lab, and of course the perfume I chose for the day. It would be interesting to keep a daily log of little, mundane olfactory events that caught my attentinon.

Cooking:
Matza Brie frying for breakfast. It's amazing what a difference one little dish can make in creating a holiday atmosphere (or not, if you choose to not make it and miss out). Essentially, it's the scent of wet crackers dipped in eggs and pan fried...

Random Encounter:
My Pilates teacher's Gucci perfume this morning. I'm almost certain it's Gucci Rush but have to check it out to confirm.

Parfum de Jour:
Razala parfum oil. It's interesting how the rose and the oudh are coming out today on my skin. For the record, I've been wearing Le Parfum de Thérèse in the past few days as it reminds me of wearing it in the heat of Passover in Israel. It's hot here too, as long as I'm indoors and looking at the sun from inside, avoiding the chilly breezes.

This is going to be a new feature of SmellyBlog. Simply sharing the fragrances that made my day. I hope you'll chime in and tell us about yours. Not meant to replace the more in-depth features of this blog or interfering with its nature, but merely an excercise of keeping a daily olfactory (or is it smelly?) log, and making this webspace a little more interactive.