EauMG Reviews Beard Oils

Visit EauMG to read Victoria Jent's reviews of my Blackbeard Oil and Orcas Beard Oil. Both can be used to condition both hair and beard and are made primarily from argan oil.
"...if you like natural oils and if you think you’d like smelling like a lumberyard or salt air, then don’t let 'beard' shy you away. These are high-quality oils with great fragrances".

News from the nose: Fatal Fairytales and Fantastic Fragrances for Fall

With September bearing some of the warm light hearted traits of summer and November being the frigid prelude to winter, ominous October is at the chilly heart of Autumn. This time of year evokes images of harvested sun-ripened fruits and vegetables, carved pumpkins, skeleton-leaves and barren trees.
In light of October’s festivities of transformation and harvest, we have found ourselves captivated by a few haunting stories and legends. The beautiful aspect of story-telling, is that whether the stories are fact of fiction, they capture some of the most relatable, fearful, tragic and joyous aspects of life.
We have selected perfumes that capture the mystical optimism as well as fatal darkness of these legends, many of which are centuries old. Whether you choose to embrace or eschew this fantasy-soaked month, we encourage you to immerse yourself in a beautifully written book, doused in a complex perfume that unfolds on the skin like a story, defying logic or reason while tapping into the deepest corners of your soul.

1. Sleeping Beauty - Treazon

Unlike the 1959 animated movie by Walt Disney, the original fairytale of Sleeping Beauty is by no means a lighthearted story. A dark tale written in the 16th century, the story centers on a young beautiful maiden, cursed to sleep forever until she is kissed by her loving man (spiritually interpreted as the awakening of her animus). Treazon, a perfume that celebrates the narcotic tuberose flowers, captures Sleeping Beauty’s underlying theme of corrupted innocence.

2. Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde - Schizm

 Written by Robert Louis Stevenson in 1886, the sinister tale of Dr. Henry Jekyll and Mr. Hyde has mesmerized and horrified readers since it was brought to print. By day Dr. Jekyll is an appraised doctor and by night he is the sinister, murderous Edward Hyde, the line between his true self and alter ego (or “shadow”) gradually becoming more blurry. The classic story of good versus evil is haunting and unsettling because it represents the battle between lightness and darkness that we each carry inside of us. Schizm pays tribute to this universal theme of internal conflict and contradiction. The fragrance opens as a green, dry and earthy fragrance, cool and crisp as the day time. As the scent warms with the heat of one’s skin, the fragrance transforms into a warm, spicy and slightly carnal oriental perfume, as rich and unyielding as the night.

3. Bluebeard – Orcas Beard Oil

The tale of Bluebeard is one of the most terrifying we’ve ever encountered, of a serial-killer husband whose slain wives are discovered in his basement by his young bride. Once the truth comes out, she no longer can live in denial of the predator she picked for a mate. Not only does she cease to believe in the charm of her blue-bearded companion – she needs to fight for her life. However, most deeply speaking, this sinister discovery led to the awakening of her deep, active soul-force and she is able to not only defeat him, but also emerge as a strong woman out of her naive mistake. Orcas Beard Oil is for the bearded gentlemen and ladies among us, and is as cool as the ocean and refreshing as the breeze. You can wear it as a beard or hair perfume, and use it to style your locks.

4. Hansel & Gretl – Black Licorice

Like so many fairy-tales, this childhood favorite combines quintessentially innocent elements of childhood with dark themes of murder, cannibalism, and witchcraft. Playing tribute to the classic treat of the same name, Black Licorice brings to mind dreams of candy houses, ghouls and shadowy nights spent trick-or-treating.  

5. Cinderella - The Purple Dress

The Purple Dress is exotic and enigmatic, evoking images of an elusive yet vibrant woman who comes alive at night but cannot be found in the day. Star anise, black tea, orange juice, honey absolute, orange blossom, and champaca rest on a bed of sandalwood, nutmeg and guiacwood. This fragrance has a duskier mood, yet shimmers with romance and fantasy.

6. Dracula – Incense & Chocolate

 With smoky notes of frankincense, tobacco and myrrh combining with rich, sensual dark chocolate, Incense & Chocolate one-of-a-kind fragrance embodies the cruel yet sultry spirit of Bram Stoker’s Count Dracula as he cursed Christ in a candle-lit, incense-choked church. Truly a signature perfume, the customer that purchases this fragrance also purchases the rights to exclusivity ensuring that this fragrance would only ever be made for them (and those they choose to bite…). Precious notes of olibanum, labdanum, cardamom, and champaca celebrate the coming together of the physical and spiritual realms through the ancient rituals of drinking hot chocolate and burning incense.

7. Jack the Ripper – Espionage

Smoky dim-lit bars and foggy alleys are the settings for many horror stories and murder mysteries. The mysterious unnamed men of the night have always ignited fear into the minds of those who appreciate a good murder story. Espionage's smoky tobacco, leather, vanilla, orris root and tonka bean encapsulate the smell of scotch and cigar smoke that would fill a hidden, alley-way bar at the darkest hour of night.

8. Alice in Wonderland – White Potion

 Louis Carroll’s eccentric story of a young girl who falls down a rabbit hole into an alternate, hyperbole universe is at once optimistic and ominous. The fantasy of the story and of Alice drinking a potion to fit through a tiny door into Wonderland at the beginning of the story is frightening yet captivating in that she is able to experience this strange new land from many different perspectives and is free to do so without the limitations of normal life. An ethereal floriental, White Potion, with notes of tuberose, coconut, tonka bean, ylang-ylang and grapefruit captures the sweet naiveté of Alice as well as the exotic strangeness of Wonderland. We encourage you to try our White Potion chocolate bar – a bite from which might make you bigger or smaller at will. Creamy and decadent white chocolate that is subtly scented with tuberose and embedded with vanilla seeds, almonds and shredded coconut, it is a treat that you will truly never forget – and can even share with children, as it is our mildest of all 4 fragrant bars we’ve created with CocoaNymph.

9. Snow White - InCarnation

Spicy, fiery and unusual, InCarnation is a soliflore tribute to the rich aroma of carnations. Carnations are a flower with many different olfactory facets: green, spicy, creamy, sweet, cool and warm. The ever-changing, slightly carnal scent of this flower is true to the name of this perfume which describes anything that is in the flesh, incarnate. Reincarnation describes the process of one passing and then being born again as a new being, a theme that is present in many legends and fairytales and is predominant in the tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Snow White was blessed by her mother to contain the three spiritual colours: white as snow (purity and selflessness), red as blood (passion and zest for life), and black as wood (shadow, the dark side of the psyche). However, Snow White chooses to lead a one-dimensional life “white” life which leads to her fatal death by the red poisoned apple – only to later resurrect as a stronger, more complete person that  musters the courage kill the evil queen. InCarnation perfume features all three colours – white intoxicating tuberose, firey red carnation and warm spices, and black and animalic African stone tincture.

10. La Morte Amoureuse – Dreaming Parallel

Dreaming Parallel is a fragrance inspired by the short story "La Morte Amoureuse” that was written by Théophile Gautier and published in La Chronique de Paris in 1836. This tale takes place in France and is about Romuald, a priest that falls deeply in love with a young woman named Clarimonde who is revealed to be a vampire. The nuances of lust, temptation and evil only succeed at making the love story within “La Morte Amoureuse” more inebriating and powerful. As human beings we yearn for love and security yet we also long for adventure and for this reason, forbidden romance stories with elements of danger never fail to mesmerize audiences. Dreaming Parallel’s sophisticated combination of cassie, costus root, ancient patchouli, leather, narcissus, Turkish rose, violet leaf along with naturally-sourced sweet violet notes of alpha ionone play homage to this dark tale of corruption, seduction and forbidden love. This is a very limited edition and we've only got 3 last bottles remaining.

Wishing you a wonderful harvest season and October festivities!

Ayala & Alicia

Fabulously Fragrant Travel Guide: Tips for Successful Packing

“The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” – Saint Augustine

Summer may mean many different things to different people depending on their past memories, background, and country of origin. It can mean longer days to spend with loved ones, sunny days spent by the water’s edge, and rosewater lemonade on the front porch. Or it can mean that there is finally time within your busy schedule (hopefully busy with a balanced mix of work and play) to travel and explore the world. 

Whether you are planning to fall in love on the Seine River in France, want to swim in Bulgaria’s salty Black Sea, or dream of immersing yourself within the untamed wildlife of an African rainforest; travel nourishes, educates, and frees the heart and soul. It is forever inspiring various art forms, including fragrance.

With this concept in mind we have created a travel guide with tips on how to pack for your trip in a way that ensures you will be prepared, will be able to enjoy yourself to the fullest, and will be able to leave a lasting (and fragrant) impression on the people you meet as they leave a lasting impression on you. Included in this guide are products that are ideal for travelling far and wide, hand-picked for all you world wanderers. After all, summer is the season to travel, whether by plane or perfume.

Many people say that it is not the destination that is the best part of travelling; it is the journey that is the most pleasurable. It is not what you go to see but what you didn’t expect to see and find that remains forever in your heart and mind. This may be true, depending on where you are going (Disneyland versus Estonia: the journey is incredibly different) but one thing that is true regardless of your destination, the pre-journey is always tedious, dull, and more often than not, frustrating as can be. 

Retaking that photo for your expired passport, vaccinating yourself against the elements, sorting things out at the office and packing up for the trip are all important but irritating aspects of travel. When it comes to bagging your journey necessities, the lighter you pack, the less frustration you are going to have pre-vacation. It is just crucial that you pack smartly and appropriately for your journey. With that in mind, here are five rules for packing, to ensure that you are as headache free as possible and that you are able to get as much as you possibly can out of your trip.

Just in case - pack up some essential grooming supplies with you on the plane. You never know- you might get stranded en route to your final destination or need to freshen up before landing. Our body oils, available in 6 unique scents, including the new Zohar Anointing Body oil - are all natural. Their non-greasy formulations will keep your skin smooth and hydrated. And for that frizzy hair from hours of dry airplane air, Orcas Beard Oil can be also used to condition your locks.

Soapy Strategy: Why Bars Are Better Than Bottles

Only bring the toiletries that you need from home that you cannot buy at your destination. The majority of the times, hotels have shampoo and conditioner. It is simply a waste of your precious bag space and time to bring bottled shampoo to the airport. Watching as my bottled hair products were tossed by security and having shampoo leak throughout the inside of my bag are only a couple of the headaches that I have experienced when packing bottled cleansers for travel. For those who aren’t going to be staying in a hotel and who need their own cleansing products – bar cleansers pack well and can last for weeks and weeks. They are versatile, easy to pack and will not offend airport security.

Film Noir Soap Bar will not only scent your skin, but will also keep moths away from your suitcase thanks to dark patchouli. Vetiver Racinettes Soap Bar is refreshing with notes of ginger and pepper. To top it off, both double as shampoo bars! Spoken with the experience of two curly-haired women.

Minimize your Travel Wardrobe: Why Less is Actually More (no really)

You will not wear everything you pack, regardless of what you bring. Even if you strategize every ensemble right down to your knickers, you have varying moods and you are going somewhere new. You will not know what you will really want to wear until you are there, immersed in the culture and weather of your destination. Most people who travel find themselves wearing the same couple of outfits over and over again because they are comfortable and effortless. A way to ensure that you are packing lightly but effectively is to bring six to ten comfortable pieces that can mix and match together, and then express your creativity through jewellery (small and discreet to pack).  Clothes are your canvas and jewellery is your palette. 

Red Jasper Mexican Poison Ring and the Aztec Triple Jade Poison Ring will upgrade your travel attire and are instant conversation pieces: each ring has a secret compartment that opens to reveal a solid perfume within.

Near or Far – Take A Little Bit of Home Wherever You Are

Experiencing the sights, sounds, smells and tastes of a foreign country is enriching and exciting. Nonetheless, travelling to a different country can be like visiting a different world. Customs are completely different and food, drink, and accommodations are often completely unrecognizable in relation to home. No matter how incredible a place is, it is natural and expected for one to experience homesickness while away. To combat this it is a good idea to keep a couple of compact comforts from home stashed in your purse at all times.

Vetiver Racinettes Travel Candle is our newest, cutting edge candle with clean notes of kaffir lime leaf and cooling woody vetiver and fresh ginger roots. You may also choose from our other refreshing summery scents: Bon Zai Travel Candle, with notes of shiso and juniper; and ArbitRary Travel Candle, with lime, basil and jasmine floral wax.

Portable Perfumes: They Just Make Scents

For those who can’t live without their favorite scent (join the club), travel sized roll-ons or compact solid perfumes are your best bets for several reasons. One, larger fragrance bottles are more apt to break/leak in your suitcase. With solids or itty-bitty roll-ons there is no need to carefully pack up any fragile bottles; simply toss in your purse or carry on and go.  

Two, it is highly unlikely that anyone would even be able to make it through a 30-50 ml bottle of perfume while on vacation anyways, so it is simply a waste of suitcase space. Three, they are often thrown out by security when people forget to take them out of their purse or carry-on. 

For those who doubt that this happens, ask my aunt Jackie who has had an entire bottle of Chanel No 5 confiscated and tossed out while going through security at the airport(and that stuff does not come cheap!).  One extra benefit to wearing roll-on or solid perfume is that the potential to over-do your favorite scent is significantly decreased as it is delicately dabbed only on your pulse points.

Parfum-Oil Travel Sized Roll-On now also available in Orcas (to celebrate the 2nd anniversary of this 2012 Indie FiFi Awards nominee) and Purse Parfum for the most precious and exotic offerings such as Treazon, Gigi and Kinmokusei. You may also want to mix & match to create your own Bon Voyage Roll-on Trio, and take advantage of our 15% off!

Leave a Lasting Impression

Just as you are enriched by experiencing the nuances of another culture, the people native to your destination are most likely interested to know about where you come from and friends in foreign places are always beneficial. Packing a small amount of stationary and gender neutral gifts will allow you to leave a positive and lasting impression on the people that you meet while on your journey.

Hanami Sachets are hand-sewn from vintage kimono fabric and are filled with a proprietary blend of precious dried botanicals. Used to scent linens, lingerie and stationary, they make a perfect token for your hosts.

Wishing you a wonderful summer, and safe travels!

Ayala & Alicia

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!