SmellyBlog

New Online: Poison Rings and Solid Perfumes

2009-11-20T11:17:00.004-08:00

I've just added poison rings to AyalaMoriel.com, in the new Poison Rings section in the store.
Also added are the various other colours of pendants that were especially made, in limited edition, besides our signature blue opal pendants. The one in the photo below is an ethnic Indian Moonstone one, filled with Moon Breath solid perfume.

If you love Solid Perfumes - check out the new section, with vintage pillboxes containing larger amount of solid perfume (up to 1/4oz). The picture above has beautiful bird illustration on its porcelain lid, and is filled with Kinmokusei solid perfume.

Other perfumed jewelry items of interest will be added as I go and find more interesting vintage and ethnic pieces. I'm always on the hunt of vessels that can contain perfume!

More poison rings can also be found on Etsy.

Body Oil Poll

2009-11-19T11:04:00.003-08:00

While I try to get better with bitter Chinese herbs, here's something for you to think about: since the highest votes in the last poll went for adding body oils to my product line, help me decide which scent would be the first in my body oil line (these will be semi-dry-oils, with a base of fast absorbing frationated coconut oil as the main component).

Which perfumes would you like Ayala Moriel's body oils to smell like?(surveys)

Back issues...

2009-11-18T19:56:00.004-08:00

A wake-up call early Monday morning from my injured back caught me in the middle of a feature article about tobacco in perfumery. Unable to sit and type for any prolonged amount of time this and any other blog posts will have to be postponed until my back allows me to function again. Until than, I can be found with acupuncture needles and Chinese herbs or in the hot tub chasing off the pain.

Katie Puckrick Smells Avery Gilbert

2009-11-16T16:04:00.003-08:00

Katie Puckrick interviews sensory psychologist Dr. Avery Gilbert (author of "What The Nose Knows") on her YouTube channel. They discuss bod chemistry, pheromones, indoles and other fascinating scent-related anecdotes and myths.

The Countdown Begins...

2009-11-12T23:57:00.006-08:00

Only one more month left till the online launch of The Purple Dress...
You can order samples already, and also pre-order it (only 12 bottles were made).

To RSVP for the launch party click here.

Poll: Which Scented Products Are You Craving?

2009-11-12T23:35:00.005-08:00

I wish Ayala Moriel would make the following scented products:(surveys)

Tobacco Bouquet

2009-11-12T14:00:00.006-08:00

Any old weed will do, originally uploaded by aussiegall.

Trust Ineke to find a place for bright florals even in a dusky leathery-tobacco. Field Notes from Paris is a study of the tobacco concept from head to toe, leaves and flowers included. This take gives it more of an American character, which is the origin of the plant, no matter how much of it is smoked in Parisian cafes… To me, it illustrates the life of the plant from growing in the sunshine, being harvested, hanging the leaves to cure and flavour, and finally enjoyed as a guilty pleasure once burnt and smoked to the last puff from a fragrant cigar.

Orange blossom is the star of the show at first, bright and with lavender and rosewood side-kicks it’s almost squeaky clean and with a strong masculine reference. Crushed coriander seeds notes are effervescent and floral but add a hint of dirty woodsy spiciness along with roasted coffee nuances. There is also a distinct fruitiness right from the beginning that smells like davana to me, even though it is not listed in the notes. It could very well be the tobacco flower note, which I can't recall ever smelling - but is described by the expert (Stephen Arctander) as having a scent "somewhat similar to carnation with a fresher note, almost fruity".

As Field Notes from Paris develops on the skin, it becomes more warm, woodsy, full bodied and little tannin with notes of dry cedarwood and patchouli, polished by pollen-like beeswax absolute and the pipe-tobacco flavouring note of tonka bean. The tannins become more apparent in the final dry down, as the cure tobacco leaf, leather and patchouli notes take over, sweetened and softened by vanilla bean and the powderiness of the tonka.

Previous post about Field Notes from Paris includes information about the perfume's inspiration and notes. I would only add that this is the most warm and complex fragrance from the line so far, even more than Evening Edged in Gold and it is my favourite next to After My Own Heart. But there are still a few more letters in the alphabet to cover before we get to know Ineke's full potential...

The scent is available directly via Ineke's website.

Burning Tobacco, Sans the Smoke

2009-11-10T22:16:00.003-08:00

Un jour d'août au champs de tabac, originally uploaded by pfala.

Burning tobacco without the smoke is made possible via Bohem, Gabriel's Aunt scented soywax candle. While it isn't in the least smoky, it has the unique effect of tobacco absolute, smelling simultaneously fresh and deep, warm and woody. It's a rather simple candle yet smells sophisticated because of the unusual choice of notes: tabac blond absolute, patchouli, vetiver and davana, which adds a curiously fruity and herbaceous-freshness to the mix.

Bohem reminds me of a gypsy or a voodoo dance rather than a bohemian smoking den. The raw and unrefined qualities of the materials and the relative simplicity of their orchestration creates an unfamiliar experience that is curiously appealing.

But Bohem is not only a candle. It began as a perfume, and it is the first of Nikki Sherrit's candles to reflect her natural perfume collection. The perfume is more sophisticated, with the fruitiness of the davana even more pronounced. It plays on the contrast between that wine-like fruitiness and the dryness of tobacco, amplified with the other woody notes which later on evolve into a smooth, chocolatey tobacco dry down. Both the candle and the perfume represent the cured tobacco leaf rather than any tobacco product (i.e.: cigars, cigarettes or pipe tobacco); a choice that makes Bohem stand out in this genre. While there are leathery qualities, an inevitable aspect of the tobacco leaf, there is none of the smokiness or imposed sweetness that happens when you light a match to flavoured tobacco.

Notes: Vetiver, Virginia Cedarwood, Patchouli, Tobacco, Allspice, Cassie and Davana.

Must Read: Visions of Fall and Winter on Scented Salamander

2009-11-09T19:30:00.002-08:00

The Scented Salamander hosting a short series of articles about independent North American perfumers: their relationships with the seasons and nature, the inspiration and creative process that lead to the creation of their perfumes for fall and winter. The article is titled "North-American Originals: Perfumers on Fall & Winter".

Monday Musing

2009-11-09T16:07:00.007-08:00

363/365 - I'LL BE WAITING, originally uploaded by auntsmack4u.

Life's demands got the better part of my attention than this blog usually reserves (and rightfully deserves). Which got me thinking to which direction to take it this coming new year. I want SmellyBlog to remain a unique blog about fragrance, with focus on the natural raw materials with which I work and love.
I'd like to throw the idea to your courtyard to see what will happen: What do you, SmellyBlog readers, most enjoy about it? What do you want find when you type in the url in the address bar? And what do you hope to be reading here in the next year or so?

Generally, SmellyBlog articles can be divided into a few major categories. Can you please determine (by posting a comment below), which you are most interested in?
1) Raw materials - information about the raw materials of perfumery

2) Perfumer's journal - diary-like entries about progress of perfume project in my lab/studio

3) Perfume reviews

4) Perfume related news (including my newsletters)

5) Recipes and formulas for perfumes and body products as well as fragrant foods, desserts and beverages

6) Perfume advice

7) OTHER: if there are any other things you'd like to read and learn that is not in that list, please add it on!

Your opinions and input are greatly appreciated.

Warm regards,

Ayala

Chai Recipe No. 2

2009-11-09T15:02:00.002-08:00

Ok, I'm awake enough now to type up the chai recipe:

4 cups 1% milk
2 Tbs. cane sugar
2 tsp. organic Assam tea
The following whole spices:
2 star anise
1 stick cinnamon
3 allspice berries
5 clove buds
1 piece fresh ginger (about 1" long)
1/2 tsp. fennel seeds
25 black peppercorns

Mix all ingreidens in a small pot and bring to a boil. Cover and let sit for about 5 minutes to steep. Strain and serve warm.

Fashion and Tea Day

2009-11-08T23:49:00.007-08:00

Harvest-inspired treats at The Secret Garden Tea Co.

Sunday was packed of fun things: brunch at home with family, notably with a new recipe (sorta) of chai tea (will type that up tomorrow morning when I'm more awake). Than instead of lunch, afternoon tea at Secret Garden which ended, suprisingly, instead of at the movie theater wacthing Coco Avant Chanel going to Vancouver Fashion Week (a good friend has given us tickets), where I also got rid of a pack of The Purple Dress flyers (my very first time handing flyers for my perfumes, which is very strange).

Designer Tanya Min Jee Ellis with her collection in VFW international design competition (I voted for her but I couldn't find out the people's choice award results today yet)

I'm now exhausted and smelling strongly of Velvet Gardenia (a perfume I associate with fancy tea rooms ever since the first time I worn it at The Empress). Sweet dreams...

Holiday Mailing Deadlines

2009-11-06T09:46:00.003-08:00

Christmas Eve traffic on O'Connor St. in downtown Ottawa..., originally uploaded by Steve Brandon.

Even Santa has deadlines, and Canada Post just put out their send-by-dates so that your gifts can make it by the holidays around the world. I'm only posting the regular parcel services (which is how much I charge on my website). If you place your order after that date, it will have to be shipped Priority (for an additional cost of course).

Canada - December 11th
USA - December 14th (must be shipped Xpresspost - might require additional shipping costs)
Asia, Europe, Middle East and the Caribbean - December 1st
Africa - November 23rd
Australia & New Zealand - December 7th (Xpresspost - might require additional shipping costs)
Central & South America - November 23rd

For more details on shipping options and cut-off dates for holiday mail click here.

Our holiday gift guide will be coming out soon in our next newsletter.

Wishing you all a stress-free pre-holiday season!

Stock Updates

2009-11-04T14:40:00.003-08:00

For those interested in the stock market... We have very limited stock on some of our perfumes containing rare essences (i.e.: boronia, osmanthus) and do not know when we will be able to replace them and create a new batch.

Charisma - 2 x parfum extrait flacon, 1 x travel-size perfume-oil roll-on
Grin - 1 x parfum extrait flacon, 3 x travel size perfume-oil roll-on
Hanami - 4 x parfum extrait flacon
Indigo - 1 x parfum extrait flacon, 1 x travel size perfume-oil roll-on
Kinmokusei - 2 x parfum extrait flacon, 3 x travel size perfume-oil roll-on
l'Écume des Jours - 1 x parfum extrait flacon

And lastly, Black Licorice, or Halloween limited edition has only 1 bottle of extrait and 2 bottles of travel-size roll-on bottles left.

Liquid Fume

2009-11-04T09:44:00.002-08:00

Frankincense, originally uploaded by galeriacores3.

Smoke is the origin of perfume: an ancient ritual of burning resins to create and purify mental space and exalt one’s soul to connect to the divine. By fire and alchemy physical matter (resins, spices) transform into spirit through smoke.

Burning loose incense is one of my most favourite ways to experience and enjoy fragrance. There’s something magical about the transformation of golden frankincense tears into smoke. Sparks fly when the charcoal is lit on fire, and that’s just the beginning of the excitement. Once the heat takes over the charcoal, a few precious resinous tears are placed on the ember. At first, they just rest quietly with their majestic dusted gold appearance. But soon enough, they can’t stand the heat any longer and begin to sweat their perfect aroma into the air, which turns from invisible vapours in the first few moments into smoldering smoke the next.

Frankincense has a way of affecting the human mind, coaxing it into relaxation and a meditative state of consciousness. The mere act of burning incense connects one to different elements of nature: fire, wood, metal. It gives me a sense of connection to my ancestors, the deserts of the Middle East and ancient rituals that were meant to bring people closer to themselves and closer to the gods. When I burn incense, a fransformation occurs in front of my eyes, taking over my space with its smoky perfume that is at once balsamic, sweet, woody, resinous, fresh and calming. All that remains to do is to let go and devote oneself to the experience this ancient perfume

With Liquid Fume I tried to create a perfume that captures the experience of burning incense, within the liquid medium of grain spirits. Without any matches or charcoal and real smoke, I tried to bring a sensation of warmth, dryness and the rich, resinous balsamaic odour of burning frankincense. I tried to imagine the most dense incense condensed in a bottle, with the warmth of embers and the dripping honey of melted frankincense tears… This is what I hope Liquid Fume will be for you.

Frankincense is of course the core of this perfume. But other notes were added for bringing out different qualities of an incense burning ritual: Virginian cedarwood and guiacwood were chosen for their smokiness, liquidamber for its molden-gold sweetness, helicrysum and labdanum absolutes for their rich, sweet honeyed and resinous qualities, and sweet orange to brighten everything up and remind us of the fresh, almost citrusy aspects of frankincense.

Top notes:
Sweet Orange, Virginian Cedarwood, Copaiba Balsam

Heart notes:
Liquidambar, Guiacwood, Atlas Cedarwood

Base notes:
Golden Frankincense, Labdanum, Helicrysum Absolute

Liquid Fume one-of-a-kind perfume is available on AyalaMoriel.com or via Etsy.

Bvlgari Black

2009-11-02T20:58:00.005-08:00

Crushed violets, originally uploaded by oksidor.

“Forgiveness is the fragrance that the violet sheds on the heel that has crushed it.” (Mark Twain)

In the summertime, Bvlgari Black wears like a molten asphalt and roof tar, underlined by purring black cat’s fur. Intense and linear, it grows on the skin until it becomes unbearable. In the cooler fall weather, it wears like a woolen sweater contaminated by the smoke escaping from the fireside. And a cup of Lapsang Suchong comes to mind. But this is only temporary: soon violets take over. Violent violets of the candid kind that you can find in the two Lolita Lempicka and the Au Masculin (both are also by Annick Menardo). It also is quite similar to two other masculines that played florals in a cheeky way: Joop! (Michel Almairac) and Le Male (Francis Kurkdjian) - a trend that most likely began with Geoffrey Beene's Grey Flannel (André Fromentin).

Lapsang Suchong, originally uploaded by Ayala Moriel.

Bvlgari Black is intriguing and quirky and reminds me of both the smoky tea of Dzing! And Tea for Two (both created by Olivia Giacobetti for l’Artisan Parfumeur). I’m still not decided which one of the three I like the best. The dry down of Bvlgari Black is a rich though not smouldering vanilla, reminiscent of Shalimar's counterpoint between sweets and smokes, confection and leather.

Twitter Draw Winner + New Contest Announcement

2009-11-02T13:55:00.002-08:00

Thank you for all of you who tweeted about #ayalamoriel on Tweeter!

We have a winner!
Congratulations to ScentHive, who were randomly chosen via random.org to receive a roll-on bottle of my perfume. She gets to pick which one...

And you get another chance this month to win a roll-on bottle of your own!

As of today, I'm starting another contest for twitters. Here are the rules:
1. To be included in the lucky draw, you must include the topic #ayalamoriel in your tweets. I won't include anyone who tweets back @ayalamoriel in the draw next time
2. Tweets must express genuine opinions/impressions/experience and contain accurate information.
3. If you tweet about #ayalamoriel more than once, your name will be entered into the draw more than once as well.
4. All tweets dated no later than November 30th will be entered into the draw.
5. Winner receives a free roll-on perfume of their choice (excluding the exclusive line)
6. Winner announcement will take place December 1st.

Sniff or Treat Halloween Tea Party + Lucky Draw Announcement

2009-11-01T07:24:00.010-08:00

Here are some of the highlights of the Sniff or Treat Halloween Tea Party that occurred yesterday afternoon. Hopefully the sights and the stories will convince you to be among our guests next time (if you happen to live or visit in the erea).

But first of all, let me announce the lucky winner among the guests who signed the guestbook - who will receive a 5ml travel roll-on perfume oil of Black Licorice perfume.
We numbered the guests based on the order they signed the book, and than got Random.org to pick them. The lucky winner is guest no. 8, who's no other than (drum roll)...

James Sherrett!

Congratulations James, I hope you will enjoy the sweet smell of Black Licorice and come to many more parties!Black Forest cupcakes (left) and Spider Eggs (right) which really are almonds covered with dates and rolled in roasted black sesame seeds.

Pomegranate tarts, with strawberry creme fraiche or lime curd; and fig tarts in a match-cream cheese filling.

Pumpkin tarts with lavender-orange shortbread crust.

Blue Cheese & Concord Grapes scones, Fennel & Golden Sultana scones, served with Devonshire cream and various jams and preserves, such as:
Bluebarb by Karin Brauch of Preserved BC Sunshine
(created with Vancouver unsprayed rhubarb, wild Cloverdale blueberries and married with a hint of Okanagan white wine).

Spiced Eggplant Confiture
(I made them myself based on a Morrocan recipe)

Raspberry Jelly by Naturally Rooted

Tea sandwiches: in the picture you see the tarragon-orange-fennel tea sandwiches, made with organic cream cheese and freshly grated orange zest and tarragon herb, and finely sliced fresh fennel bulb.
We also made cucumber-wasabi sandwiches, carrot-ginger, and deviled-egg-salad ones.

Fresh Mission figs and homemade biscotti (anise-almond; chocolate-hazelnut)

Kurogoma cupcakes, with black sesame cake and a matcha-cream-cheese frosting.

Teas served:
Hulnejan (the witche's brew)
Roses et Chocolat
Lapsang Suchong (ArtFarm)

And last but not least - the presentation touched on the connection between the spirit world and incense and plant essences; how incense was and still used to communicate with the spirit world and with loved ones that passed away, and smelling some of the essences of resins and woods used from ancient times for making incense: opoponax, myrrh, frankincense, costus, agarwood and more. We also smelled cade oil, which has a smoky, camp-fire scent and is similar to the Lapsang Suchong we drank in the party. And lastly, we burned a Japanese Kyara incense stick (the highest quality of oud) of the kind that is burnt on a daily basis in home-shrines for the family ancestors, and myrrh resin because of its connection to earth and embalming the dead in Egypt.

And below are some pictures of the guests at the party:

Night of Hallows

2009-10-31T22:33:00.014-07:00

Halloween Special, originally uploaded by em`lia.

"Halloween is a time that reconfirms the social bond of a neighborhood (particularly the bond between strangers of different generations) by a ritual act of trade. Children go to lengths to dress up and overcome their fear of strangers in exchange for candy. And adults buy the candy and overcome their distrust of strange children in exchange for the pleasure of seeing their wild outfits and vicariously reliving their own adventures as children". (Richard Seltzer, "Why Bother to Save Halloween")

It took me no less than 11 years to start to slightly enjoy or even remotely appreciate Halloween. The notion of celebrating death is very foreign to me and how I grew up, and the scary and gruesome imagery of the modern incarnation of the holidays are off-putting to say the least. The Real Origins of Halloween make more sense of this special holiday and shed some light on the issues surrounding this holiday and how it is celebrated today. Perhaps we all need a little scare to bring us back to full life.

Death is really part of life. And because we live in such a sterile, generational-segregated society, death seems a lot more foreign and unknown and therefore even more frightening than it ever was before. Halloween seems to be an exceptional occasion where we can deal with our fears. But what is death is not scary at all? What if it is really part of life? What if we can communicate with the dead, our dearly departed ones who seemingly left our lives forever?

According to various pagan traditions around the world, it is possible to communicate and connect with the dead. For example, most people in Japan do this every day, burning incense in home shrines for the ancestors. And they are not the only ones. It is interesting that incense smoke or perfume is incorporated into different techniques of inviting the dead and the spirits to communicate.

Halloween is the best time of the year to do so, as the barriers between the world of the living and the world of the dead are thin and it is easier to travel in both directions. Spirits of the dead can visit our world and vice verse.

"And the clothes you left, they lie on the floor
And they smell just like you (...)" (Avril Lavigne, "When You're Gone")

We become greatly attached to the scent of our family members, friends and lovers. When we smell their favourite food or perfume or cologne, we immediately think of them or can even sense their presence. This is because the sense of smell has a direct connection to the part of the brain that processes emotions. Our smelling organ (the olfactory bulbs) are in fact part of the brain. And when a person leaves our life - because of death or other reason - it is usually their smell that we miss the most. With the absence of the person, their unique smell dissipates and there's no way to bring it back. Or is there?

People who were visited by the spirit or soul of a loved one have witnessed a familiar scent - a perfume or aroma that the person loved in their life in this world. The Mexicans, for example, burn copal resin as incense to attract the spirits of the dead, and also for protection. Rituals from around the world designed to invoke spirits of the dead often include burning incense. Incense has a powerful impact on the psyche - incense and agarwood, for example, both bring a person into a meditative state of mind. And also, the thick smoke from the incense served as a stage for the shaman/witches' imagination. Burnt incense, similarly to their essential oils, are mostly heavy "base notes". Resins and gums such as frankincense, galbanum, myrrh, opoponax and more. And since theyr contain a high percentage of essential oils, they really come out clearly over the embers or charcoal, even more so than the precious woods (sandalwood, agarwood). Considering that in ancient times, the alchemists believed essential oils to be the spirit of the plant, it is not surprising that these very same resins are to this day used for increasing spiritual awareness, and perhaps even communicates with other spirits than our own.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Eden Botanicals New Website

2009-10-30T09:39:00.004-07:00

Pure essential oils supplier Eden Botanicals has just launched their new website. Besides looking so inviting and being organized and user-friendly, there are some additions to the content.

On the essential oil pages you can find some of the ad copy that your humble self has contributed to the site with introductions to each portion of the aromatic alphabet. Hopefully, having more educational and informative content on this website will contribute to the understanding and preservation of the arts of natural perfumery and aromatherapy.

It's been a very interesting project and there is still more to come, including several articles about the art of perfumery, detailed descriptions of the oils how to use them in perfumery and aromatherapy, and last but not least - formulas for using these precious essences for creating your own personal perfumes, scented body and home products and aromatherapy synergies and remedies.

Eden currently carries around 170 different oils, and completing the project of writing descriptions for all of the oils will take a while longer. Be sure to check the website for more updates in the future. They really are one of the finest suppliers of natural raw materials and are an excellent resource for smaller-scale independent businesses that want to incorporate pure, high quality natural raw aromatics to their product lines.

Pois de Senteur

2009-10-26T22:45:00.006-07:00

Sweet Pea, originally uploaded by Jennie Anderson.

Pois de Senteur de Chez Moi (1927) has the attitude of a bygone era, when perfumers tried to capture the scents of impossible-to-extract bouquets of flowers. There is nothing light or cheerful about these sweet peas: they are so self-absorbed in their seriousness that they literally smell like they’ve been rotting in their own green leaves for a while once first inhaled.

Green hay note is dominant at first, alongside powdery and sweet-cloying notes that bring to mind old scented lipsticks and face powders from the 40’s, and flowery linden and lilac milled soaps. Like most Caron’s perfumes, it takes some time to unravel the density of what smells like an aldehyde boosted sweet pea absolute (if such thing was to be found). A spicy cinnamon-and-bay-rum note attempts to rise above the bouquet without much success, and only once the hay and aldehydes subside, the almond-and-vanilla of heliotropin nearly take over with very little floral bouquet or greens left. It is similar to Farnesiana but not at all a comfort scent, but a rather uncomfortable and complicated floral bouquet past its prime. Hours later, the orange blossom is revealed, but more as an aspect of heliotrope flower rather than on its own.

Notes include: Sweet pea, rose, hyacinth, bay rum, jasmine, orange blossom, linden, lilac, hay, vanilla, heliotropin, musk.

News from the Nose: Aromatic Autumn And Flavourful Fall

2009-10-22T07:11:00.004-07:00

Dear Fragrant Friends,

Fall set the city on fire with leaves the colour of gold, burnt orange, crimson and wine. And although it is not exactly quite cold yet in Vancouver, we know very well that soon enough we’ll all find ourselves locked up indoors for longer than we’d care for… My response to that? Let’s Par-TEA!

Fall is a time of transition and change, and also a time to celebrate the abundance and accomplishments of summer. My harvest happens to come in the shape of a champaca flower: The Purple Dress. And that is a reason to celebrate - with you, of course!

In this newsletter:

The Purple Dress: Blurring the Boundaries Between Scent and Sound

Fall Flavours: Pumpkin Pie with Lavender-Orange Shortbread Crust

Fragrance DIY – Scented Workshops at the Studio

Portobello West Sunday, October 25th

The Purple Dress Launch Party December 17

Join Ayala’s Social Network Twitter, Facebook and Ning and Win!

Customer Appreciation Week: Gift with Purchase

1. The Purple Dress Perfume: Blurring the Boundaries Between Scent and Sound

On 12.12.2009 Ayala Moriel will release The Purple Dress, a chromatic champaca perfume that blurs the lines between soliflore and oriental.

A salute to Sasha Argov's famous song, The Purple Dress is just as romantic in a chromatic, nocturnal, off-beat way. Champaca flowers from India are the main theme of this spicy, floral tea-like composition, supported only by hints of white magnolia and star anise, and a foundation of black tea and smoky woods.

Top Notes: Star Anise, Nutmeg, Mace, Orange Juice & Peel

Heart Notes: Red Champaca, Golden Champaca, White Magnolia, Tea Rose, Orange Blossom, Henna

Base Notes: Agarwood, Sandalwood, Guiacwood, Black Tea

Fragrance Family: Soliflore (Champaca), Floral-Spicy

Official launch date & party:12.12.2009

Offered in Parfum Extrait 9ml flacon ($160) and Crème Parfum in Ayala Moriel’s Signature Peprfumed Pendant ($150). This is a Limited Edition perfume of 12 bottles and 4 pendants.

Samples and pre-orders via ayalamoriel.com.

2.Trick or Sniff: Halloween Tea Party October 31

Trick or Sniff!

Join us for a spooky tea party on Halloween, October 31st. Enjoy some deadly treats handcrafted by Ayala and her witches, such as the infamously addictive Blood Truffles (dark chocolate with chili and rose), lavender-crusted pumpkin pie, licorice cupcakes, tarragon tea sandwiches, our exquisite perfumed teas.

Visit our haunted perfume lounge and experience Ayala Moriel's concoctions, brews, potions and unique collection of vintage poison rings.

Nosh, sip, sniff and explore while meeting other passionate perfumistas in Vancouver!

Potions and Poisons

The feature presentation at 2:00pm will discuss and demonstrate scents that can bring the dead to life and other fascinating ghostly perfume traditions.

And as if this and all the treats and good company is not enough reason to come - you will also be getting goodie bags and door prizes, and a lucky draw to win a bottle of Black Licorice perfume!

SPOOKY MENU will include:

1st TIER - SAVOURY TREATS

Fennel & Tarragon Tea Sandwiches

Wasabi & Cucumber Tea Sandwiches

Ginger & Carrot Tea Sandwiches

Deviled Eggs

Mushroom Mini-Quiches

2nd TIER - SCONES

Coronation Grapes & Blue Cheese Scones
Wild jams and jellies made by local artisans
Devonshire Cream

3rd TIER - SWEETS

Blood Truffles (75% cocoa with rose, chili, saffron and Kahluah)
Pumpkin Tarts with Lavender Shortbread Crust
Pomegranate & White Chocolate Tarts
Licorice Cupcakes
Anise Biscotti
Black Forest Cupcakes

TEA SELECTION:

Witches’ brew will be bubbling in our cauldron – this traditional winter-time recipe from the mountains of the Galilee is a steeping of flamboyant roots and spices.
And of course - we'll serve top quality teas, including:
Roses et Chocolat (Ayala Moriel Parfums)
Chartreuse Eau de Vie - digestif tonic/tisane with tarragon, fennel and flowers (Inner Alchemy Tea Co.)
Little Star – an earthy Pu Erh with rare, licorice-sweet chrysanthemum flowers (Inner Alchemy Tea Co.)
Earl Gray Cream (Herbal Republic)
Lapsang Suchong (Artfarm)

* Costumes are welcome - you can also continue on for trick or treating in the neighborhood afterwards :-)

3. Autumn Aromas: Harvest, Chypre and Burning Leaves

Apples ripening in the orchard (Naramata, BC)

There is a reason why the Chypre family is so strongly associated with the fall: the combination of oakmoss, labdanum and bergamot brings to mind foliage, undergrowth, the damp forest floor and the sweetness of burning leaves.

The West Coast is not nearly as fragrant in comparison to the region where I grew up in (the Western Galilee hills kissing the Mediterranean sea). When I first came here 11 years ago, I missed the scent of the first rain in autumn, falling on the thirsty dry earth. It’s a scent one can’t describe… But the closest I was ever able to explain it is that it is wet, musty, dusty and fresh. The scent of spikenard essential oil comes very close to this (although the whole sensation of the clean air and the wetness is lacking from the experience of sniffing an oil from a bottle, instead of the air on your porch!). In 2001 I tried to capture that scent, and the result smelled ironically of the Pacific rainforest after the rain instead. So I decided to name it Rainforest.

Autumn leaves fallen to the Pacific Ocean (Stanley Park seawall, Vancouver BC)

Later on, after living in Vancouver for a while, I noticed that the forest has an intensely sweet scent during late summer and early fall. On those beautiful autumn days, sunshine brings the most out of the forest floor: the decaying leaves that piled up all summer but didn’t get quite so wet and cold emit a sweet scent that is nothing short than magic. It’s hard to say where exactly it comes from, as it is everywhere. You’ll notice it the most as you enter the forest (for example, in Stanley Park I smell it the strongest in the area just off 2nd Beach outdoors pool, where I discovered it first, and also South Creek trail just by the Rose Garden). That Chypre in the forest air smells like sweet maple, dry cedar wood and balsam fir needles with a hint of rockrose (although the latter is a plant native to the Mediterranean and does not grow in the rainforest…). Although I don’t have one perfume that was created as a tribute to this unique aroma, a similar accord is at the base of several of my perfumes – namely Ayalitta, which although starts up a little sharp and green becomes a most earthly, sensual and sweet upon drydown.

Dry, desert-like hills in the Okanagan Valley (British Columbia)

Fruity Chypres are big and luscious, and nothing like the myriads of canned fruit-salad florals that flock the department stores these days. The first fruity Chypres were invented by Jacques Guerlain (Mitsouko, 1919) and Edmond Roudnitska (Rochas Femme, 1944). The addition of fruity notes such as peach, apricot, melon and plum to the basic Chypre accord creates an impression of dried fruit and red wine, sometimes even mulled wine if there are spices added.

I created Autumn in fall 2001, long before my first (and hopefully not last!) visit to the Okanagan (it took me 11 years to make it there, can you believe it?). Autumn perfume recalls the harvest and the overripe fruit, almost fermented and fallen to the ground. It recalls the special light in the season – golden, soft yet warm, diffused through myriads of golden leaves.

4. Fall Flavours: Pumpkin Pie with Lavender-Orange Shortbread Crust

And of course no harvest season is complete without a good home-made pie. My favourite and easiest to make is this pumpkin pie with a twist – adding orange and lavender buds to the dough, creating and unforgettabley flavourful shortbread crust. These flavours really complement the pumpkin and the spices.

For the Orange-Lavender Shortbread Crust:

100gr (1 stick) butter

1 cup + 1 Tbs Whole Wheat Flour

2 Tbs Orange Juice

Rind from 1 orange

1 tsp fresh or dry lavender buds

2 Tbs Sugar

1/2 tsp. Vanilla Extract (Or use vanilla sugar instead of the sugar above)

- Using your fingers or a manual dough blender, mix together butter and flour inside the pie pan. Add the rest of the ingredients and knead just until a dough forms (avoid overworking the dough, as it would take away from its flakiness).
- Press the dough firmly onto the pan to spread it evenly and line the pie pan (including the sides of course!).

Pumpkin Custard Filling:

4 egges

1-1/2 cup Cooked and pureed pumpkin (if you have fresh - all the better; if not - canned pumpkin is good too)

1 cup cream or hald&half (I prefer full cream)

2 Tbs Orange Juice

3/4 Cup Brown Sugar

2 Tbs grated fresh Ginger (I freeze my ginger and than it is really easy to grate it; the taste is incomparable to the dried ginger!)
1 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Cloves

1/4 tsp Allspice

1/4 tsp Nutmeg or Mace

Bake in 350 F (170-180 c) degrees for 40-60 minutes, until the filling is set.

Serve warm or cooled down to room temperature.

Serving suggestions: I like it best on it's own with milky cinnamon or chai tea on the side. But of course you can’t go wrong with the traditional a-la-mode (be sure to use real vanilla bean ice cream) or a dollop of freshly whipped cream or crème fraiche.

5. Fragrance DIY – Scented Workshops at the Studio

Students rolling incense cones at the The Art of Incense workshop

It's getting cold outside... so let’s get crafty! This series of fragrant fireside workshops offered this fall and winter 2009/2010 will not only keep your hands and noses pleasantly busy – it will also help you get ready for the holidays nice and early with gifts that look professional but feel personal. I've decided to share my creative space on a weekly basis with fragrant

workshops on Tuesday nights. I can’t think of anything else that would
make this time of year more cozy and fun. Additional workshops (private or small groups) can be arranged as well. Visit our website for more information available workshops.

All the workshops are hands-on and you will take home with you the finished product. These make excellent gifts and also will improve your home for the cold months, creating a feeling of well-being and cozy cleanliness with the extra therapeutic benefits of the natural essences used.

Tuesday, November 3th, 6:30-8:30pm

PotPourri and Sachets

Create all-natural sachets, scented powders and potpourri based on vintage recipes from the turn of the century.

Tuesday, November 10th, 6:30-8:30pm

CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES WORKSHOP

Make handrolled, scented chocolate truffles with fine chocolate base and precious floral essences. A sensual experience through and through!

Students immersed in chocolate at the chocolate truffles workshop

Tuesday, November 17th, 5:30-8:30pm

Crème Parfum workshop

Learn how to design and create your own personal perfume from precious botanical essences. By the end of the workshop, you will have made a perfume to take with you.

Tuesday, November 24th, 6:00-8:00pm

Stunning Stationary: Scented Holiday Cards

Add a personal touch to your holiday greeting cards by scenting them with your own unique blend of natural essences.

Tuesday, December 1st, 5:30-8:30pm

The Art of Perfumed Candlemaking

Join our guest instructor Nikki Sheritt, an artisan candle maker from Seattle, for an afternoon of candle-making using natural botanical essences, soywax and cotton whicks (Nikki handcrafts our fine candle line).

Nikki pouring melted, scented soywax into tins for travel-candles

Tuesday, December 8th, 6:00-8:00pm

The Art of Incense

Learn about the origins of incense and create your own incense blend using precious resins, gums, woods, spices and herbs.

Burning chai incense cones at The Art of Incense workshop

Tuesday, December 15th, 5:00-8:30pm

Aromatic Cooking with Fresh Herbs, Spices & Floral Essences

Join Ayala for a fabulous evening of aromatic cooking- using fresh herbs,freshly ground spices, floral waters and essential oils - in both savory dishes and luxurious desserts.

Private workshops can be booked for individuals or small groups of up to 6 people. We offer additional workshops, including workshops for creating your own scented body products (i.e.: bath and massage oils, bath salts, body butter and sugar scrubs). for children (i.e.: lip balm workshop, ice cream workshop, milk chocolate truffle workshops, etc.). For a full list of our curriculum visit our workshops page.

6. Portobello West Sunday, October 25th

This Sunday, October 25th is Portobello West Art + Fashion Market.

Where:
Rocky Mountaineer Station (Cottrel & Terminal Ave.). Click here to learn how to get there.

When:
Sunday, October 25th, 12-6pm

What:
Canadian fashion designers, artists, artisans and crafters showcase their creations. Check out the latest fashion trends, find that special accessory that will make your outfit stand out, find unique art pieces and designs to make your home a better place - while supporting local economy and independent designers and artists!

Ayala Moriel Parfums will be there with my entire perfume line (atleast I’ll try!) and for the first time this year – bewitching chocolate truffles in seasonal flavours - Blood Truffles for the vampires among you, Black Licorice Truffles and a few other surprises...

If there is a particular or special product that you know you want to get at Portobello, please email me to make sure I bring the right size/quantity/fragrance etc. so that I can have it ready and put aside for you. Please let me know by Friday. Thank you!

7. The Purple Dress Launch Party December 17

On December 17th, Ayala Moriel will be revealing to you her newest creation: THE PURPLE DRESS

Join us to light the 7th candle of Hanukkah and revealing The Purple Dress perfume.

What: Fragrant cocktails, perfumed teas and handmade goods and refreshments will be served in abundance, there will be door prizes, lucky draw for a The Purple Dress perfume, and a presentation about the inspiration, creation and construction of The Purple Dress and the connection between music and perfume.

TUNE IN TO MORE DETAILS IN OUR NOVEMBER NEWSLETTER

When: December 17th 2009

6:30-11:00pm; presentation at 7:30

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

RSVP: Tel. (778) 863-0806 or email or Facebook.

* Space is limited to 30 people, so guests are encouraged to RSVP early in advance.

** Please wear something PURPLE!

8. Join Ayala’s Social Network Twitter, Facebook and Ning and Win!

Back-lit guests at the Tropical Tea Party(July 19th, 2009)

Those who are too far away to visit the studio and attend our tea parties can join Ayala Moriel Parfums virtual community on Ning.com or Facebook

and meet other fragrance enthusiast and natural perfume fans. The Ning
group has many interactive options, including discussion forum, videos
and photos uploads, polls, an event calendar and more.

Follow us on Twitter and if you tweet about #ayalamoriel you'll be entered to win a weekly draw of travel size perfume roll-on!

9. Customer Appreciation Week: Gift with Purchase

Online fall event at Ayala Moriel: All orders over $50 receive a free 1oz tin of perfumed tea. When checking out, please mention in the comment box which tea you'd like. Choose from: Charisma, Immortelle l'Amour, Roses et Chocolat.

Offer valid till October 31st, or until quantities last. All purchases qualify for GWP, excpet sample orders.

Have a wonderful fall season!

Warm & fragrant regards,

Ayala

Sweet Peas

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Sweet Peas, originally uploaded by judy stalus.

If you ever grown sweet peas in your garden, you know how cheerful their smell is. It is sweet as the name suggests, and has spicy and green elements, make is why it also feels very balanced – not cloying or heady or indolic like lilies, for example.

Both Arctander and Poucher mention orange blossom, hyacinth and rose to describe the scent of sweet pea flowers.

Arctander writes that the scent of sweet pea (aka lathyrus) flowers “(...)recall that of freesia, certain roses (e.g. the wild rosa canina, also called hip-rose or hedge-rose) with a very delicate touch of orange blossom or hyacinth. However, the most typical feature of the fragrance of lathyrus is its suave lightness, almost balsamic (like the non-aldehydic part of hyacinth), sweet (like rose-freesia) and yet honeylike sweet, subdued floral (like orange flower) with
a light bouquet and top of mild greenness” (Stephen Arctander, Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin, p. 605).

Unfortunately, although the flowers yield themselves to extraction with solvent, an absolute is not produced commercially at the moment, so whenever you see sweet pea mentioned in a perfume, it is actually a sweet pea base, not the absolute or essential oil. A base is a harmony of notes created by the perfumer to reproduce the impression of the flower.

Poucher's compounding instructions for a sweet pea base stress the importance of methyl anthranilate in the heart. This molecule is the characteristic in orange blossom note, present in neroli, orange blossom absolute and petitgrain - as well as tuberose, ylang ylang and even in jasmine absolute). He offers the following guidelines for compounding a sweet pea base, which include the following :

Green top notes: Linalol, Petitgrain, Benzyl acetate

Orange-Blossom heart notes: Neroli, Methyl anthranilate (fruity orange flower), Broom absolute, Ylang Ylang

Base notes (sweet, warm and spicy): Methyl naphthyl ketone (sweet and powdery orange blossom), hydroxylcitronellal (sweet orange blossom/lily), Penyl acetic aldehyde (for the hyacinth and clover effect), Styrax, Tolu balsam, Vanillin

I'm quite curious to see if it would be possible to create a match to a floral without its actual essence (i.e.: essential oil or absolute), using just floral absolutes and essential oils. It's very challenging to create the illusion of a flower with only naturals, unless there is actually an essence from the flower itself (i.e.: essential oil or absolute). I also feel that heliotropin is really important in this one, yet is not to be found in any essential oil or absolute that I'm aware of (and heliotrope absolute is not available either). I will need to start by creating a heliotrope base before creating the sweet pea.

For sweet pea I would start by using the following notes:

Top notes: Rosewood or ho wood (because of the high linalol content), Bergamot, Narcissus Absolute, Sweet Orange, Petitgrain

Heart notes: Guiacwood, Styrax oil, Broom absolute, Jonquille absolute, Rosa rugosa (hedge rose) essential oil, Ylang ylang absolute, Orange flower absolute, Jasmine absolute, Tuberose absolute, Neroli, Heliotrope Base

Base notes: Benzoin, Ambrette seed, Styrax resin, Tolu balsam, Vanilla CO2

Si Lolita

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Is it possible for a perfume to be simultaneously floral, fresh, warm, spicy and woody? Apparently yes. Si Lolita succeeds in being all of the above without any clashing of the elements. It is all at once pretty, happy, girly fragrance and a surprisingly spicy. Beginning with a dry peppery freshness of pink peppercorns, cedar and the lemon-and-pepper balsamic pungency of elemi resin. Si Lolita glows softly on the skin, revealing its almondy tonka and heliotrope foundation with hints of patchouli that smells musky-animalic in this context rather than earthy (that’s the magic of perfume: blending tonka and patchouli together creates something new altogether). At its core lays a sweet pea accord, a flower that hasn’t been exactly popular since, perhaps, Caron’s Pois de Senteur (1927). After searching high and low for a sweet pea scent on Basenotes, I found only four that either have mention of this in their name, or as a note.

If you ever grown sweet peas in your garden, you know how cheerful their smell is. It is sweet as the name suggests, and has spicy and green elements, make is why it also feels very balanced – not cloying or heady or indolic like lilies, for example. Both Arctander and Poucher describe sweet pea flowers to have a scent of hyacinth and orange blossom with a little bit of rose. Unfortunately, although the flowers yield themselves to extraction with solvent, an absolute is not produced commercially at the moment, so whatever is in Si Lolita must be a sweet pea floral base (created by the perfumer to reproduce the impression of the flower).

But I digress. (update: I decided to move the portion about composing sweet pea accord into another post). I got a sample from Holt Renfrew on Saturday afternoon, and by Sunday night my grocery list already included a bottle of the juice (as I’m writing this, I am still waiting for my daughter to return from school so I can do my “groceries”). This is not to say that Si Lolita smells like a grocery item, but it has captured my nose immediately, that I am feeling deprived since yesterday night – so you see, it is a necessity!

Si Lolita is mischievous, pretty, chic and easy and fun to wear. While it has enough warmth in it to make a fall day feel cozy, it is a rather light scent, even at the EDP concentration (which explains why I run out of the sample in less than two days – I had to reapply a lot). It’s not nearly as potent as its big sisters Lolita Lempicka and L, but it would be a bit much if the entire line was heavy orientals, wouldn’t it?

The bottle and packaging is whimsical in a non-chalant, effortless Parisian style. It’s romantic without being nostalgic, the design feels as effortless as a non-committal sketch in water colour, yet it works. It’s easy on the eyes and easy to handle and apply (something I can’t say about either L or Lolita Lempicka’s bottles). The flow of design is thankfully not reserved for the visual alone but also the fragrance. And the most surprising part – it’s interesting and even original in its choice of notes and comosition.
It’s refreshing to see a scent that is pretty and perhaps even “cute” by some standards, easy to wear without being pretentious, and even has a spark of originality in it. It really shimmers as a result. And I think it is even going to sell well with that lucky four leaf clover.

Top notes: Bergamot, Mandarin, Pink Pepper
Heart notes: Sweet Pea, Giroflée (Wallflower), Heliotrope
Base notes: Tonka Bean, Elemi Resin, Patchouli, Amber

P.s. I really recommend you read Octavian Coifan's commentary on this unusual perfume.

Trick or Sniff Halloween Party

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Trick or Sniff!

Join us for a spooky tea party on Halloween, October 31st. Enjoy some deadly treats handcrafted by Ayala, such as the infamously addictive Blood Truffles (with chilli and rose) chocolate truffles, lavender-crusted pumpkin pie, licorice cupcakes, tarragon tea sandwiches, our exquisite perfumed teas - and last but not least: Ayala Moriel's perfume line guests are invited to sniff and explore while meeting other passionate perfumistas in Vancouver!

At 2pm there will be a presentation about scents that can bring the dead to life, and the less-known connections between witchcraft and perfumery.

And as if this and and all the treats and good company is not enough reason to come - you will also be getting goodie bags and door prizes, and a lucky draw to win a bottle of Black Licorice perfume!

The spooky menu for this wild tea party will include:

1st TIER - SAVOURY TREATS
Fennel & Tarragon Tea Sandwiches
Wasabi & Cucumber Tea Sandwiches
Ginger & Carrot Tea Sandwiches
Deviled Eggs
Mushroom Mini-Quiches

2nd TIER - SCONES
Coronation Grapes & Blue Cheese Scones
Locally made jams and jellies
Devonshire Cream

3rd TIER - SWEETS
Blood Truffles (75% cocoa with rose, chili, saffron and Kahluah)
Pumpkin Tarts with Lavender Shortbread Crust
Licorice Cupcakes
Anise Biscotti
Black Forest Cupcakes

TEA SELECTION:
Top quality teas, including:
Roses et Chocolat (Ayala Moriel Parfums)
Chartreuse Eau de Vie - digestif tonic/tisane with tarragon, fennel and flowers (Inner Alchemy Tea Co.)
Little Star - Pu Erh with rare chrysanthemum flowers (Inner Alchemy Tea Co.)
Earl Gray Cream (Herbal Republic)

Costumes are welcome - you can also continue on for trick or treating in the neighborhood afterwards :-)

RSVP on Facebook

P.s. The photo, which looks a bit Hieronymus Bosch like, is from last Halloween: the young woman who lives upstairs wanted to participate in Trick or Treating even though her suit has no access to the street. Being the creative person she is (which shows on her costume) - she used this umbrella to send the treats down to the kids on the street. It was so unique to see and so heartwarming that she went through all this effort sitting on the porch that cold night just to give West End kids a good Halloween experience!