orange blossoms

Transitions can be challenging. Transitions can be smooth. Either way, it’s nice to have something guide the way. We perfume lovers often look to fragrance to illuminate the path for comfort or energy. Moving from winter into spring often requires a bit of both, something vibrant to help grow new leaves and something soothing to protect us from the bitter chill that still lingers. A dear friend (I’m blowing kisses of gratitude to you duVergne!) sent me a perfume the other week that does just that.

Indulgence by natural perfumer JoAnne Bassett is indulgent in its abundance of lush flowers. Rose and ylang ylang dance gracefully around heady orange blossoms not only in the heart, but also in the topnotes. Lime, blood orange and clementine lift the orange blossom in the fragrance’s beginning, making Indulgence an unmistakably citrusy floral perfume.

I find citrus, even citrusy florals, very uplifting and energizing. Yet, there is more to Indulgence than its pretty, merry-making side. Wafts of cardamom and nutmeg are to be found within the first stages of its composition. These wintery spices give Indulgence a cozy temperament as well as a gentle edge adding complexity to what might have otherwise been a straightforward floral perfume.

Cardamom really warms up in the drydown, issuing forth its unique and intricate blend of balsamic depth, nutty spiciness and almost sweet, floral undertones. I love cardamom in perfume and JoAnne uses just the right amount in Indulgence. Her pinch of cardamom tempers the rich florals with warmth, and also provides a contrast to create an intriguing twist for a lovely spicy springtime fragrance. Quite appropriate since transitions are often unpredictable aren’t they?

JoAnne has very generously offered a 30ml bottle of Indulgence (or your choice from her French or Royal Collection) to a Scent Hive reader. So let’s do it! Giveaway time! Please leave a comment to enter. You can also get extra entries if you follow Scent Hive on Bloglovin, Twitter, Google Friend Connect, Facebook’s Networked Blogs, or subscribe to Scent Hive. (Check the right sidebar for the Scent Hive links). Additionally if you follow Joanne on Twitter, Facebook, or subscribe to her Blog you’ll also get extra entries. Good luck and please let me know what you did for extra entries, preferably in one comment for easy counting. We have our winner!

Posted by ~Trish

Photo from Dancing With Unicorns

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Colonia Dulce Eau de Cologne by Maoli Perfumes is a sweet perfume (colonia dulce means “sweet cologne” in Spanish) that has a sweet story to go along with it. Two tween-age brothers, Kai and Kalani Hughes, had to leave their beloved Hawaii and move to the rainy Northwest. Homesickness set in, and they asked their mother if they could create a fragrance for themselves that would smell like the Hawaiian sunshine to help appease their moments of tropical solar longing. Mom said “of course, but let’s do it right”.

Kai and Kalani studied natural perfumery with their mother and Colonia Dulce was their final project. According to Kai and Kalani in this interview at Fragrantica, they never intended to create a business. But as it turned out, there were so many interested moms in the boys’ fragrance, that selling it seemed like a savvy idea.

When you read the interview, you get a real sense of the boys’ dedication to botanicals and natural essences. I love that they each have their own favorite scents. Kai’s are ylang ylang and vanilla, but he also loves to combine Turkish rose and lemon. Kalani’s favorites are tangerine and vanilla. All of the ingredients in Colonia Dulce are organic. When I spoke to the boys’ mom, she said that not all of the ingredients have been certified organic, but she assured me that they are all indeed organic and 100% natural.

So let’s get to what the fragrance smells like. The notes are listed on the Maoli website as: Mexican wild lime, pikake and orange blossoms, juicy Ka’u Gold oranges and vanilla. Upon the opening, it’s all about citrus and pikake, which reads as plumeria to my nose. And this is definitely a good thing in my opinion! There are many types of plumeria which have a variety of smells. But the common white ones with the yellow center, the celadine plumeria pictured above, have a decidedly citrusy neroli accord with a slight suggestion of jasmine and gardenia. Snapping a blossom from its branch and inhaling the aroma literally makes me weak in the knees. It’s one of the reasons I crave trips to the Hawaiian Islands and hopefully their Colonia Dulce makes Kai and Kalani feel comforted, not even more homesick!

Regardless, the plumeria-like topnotes and heart definitely have a sweetness to them, undoubtedly due to the vanilla. This is afterall, Colonia Dulce. The drydown then loses the florals all-together and becomes a simple and sweet fragrance. It’s not cloying, or overly foody, because I can assure you it would have been scrubbed off without a second thought had that been the case. Rather, it’s like smelling the hard shell of a Jordan Almond before the first bite; subtly sugared.

There’s another aspect of Colonia Dulce to love aside from the plumeria scent, its being organic, and the fact that it was created by two boys. Its price; only $28 for 30mls. Or you can get a 4ml deluxe sample for $5. So go grab yourself some Aloha spirit.

posted by ~Trish