Greetings, my dear Purrfumery friends!

Valentine’s Day is around the corner, and it’s my favorite holiday of the year, so let’s have some fun!

Name my New Perfume!

I’m kicking off the new year with a new perfume and I need YOUR help to give it a name. I will include a sample of this gorgeous new scent with all perfume orders until the end of February. Inhale deeply, think creative thoughts, and email me your name ideas at laurie@purrfumery.com. The winner will receive a jewel box solid of my new perfume!

I am loving this new scent! For now it is available in a solid, and the best word to describe it is YUM! It has top notes of blood orange, which make it very juicy and tart. I used a very rare and special Tasmanian boronia wax that my dear friend Lisa gave me, benzoin resins and fir absolute that are wonderfully jammy and rich. I also used juicy black current bud and lush, floral osmathus. 

I can’t wait to receive your ideas!

Valentines Day Special

I get lots of requests for my imported Verreries Brosse bottles with stopper tops – they are gorgeous, aren’t they? Fun facts: The Verreries Brosse factory is in Vieux-Rouen-sur-Bresle, Normandy. The company started in 1854 as glassmakers, but their destiny was in luxury and lead crystal flacon and toiletry containers. Manufacturing gorgeous perfume bottles for luxury brands is what they are known for to this day! 

From now until February 7th, if you order the 30 ml spray of Luminous Lemurs ($195), I will package your perfume in an opulent Verreries Brosse bottle with a stopper top, and tuck it into a velvet pouch. Normally these bottles of perfume would cost $265 – it’s my way of saying Happy Valentine’s Day to you! 

(If you prefer the spray and do not want the Verreries Brosse bottle, just let me know in the notes.)

I continue to donate a generous portion of the proceeds from Luminous Lemurs to Centre ValBio, in Madagascar. Yes, perfume can help make the world a better place for animals and people!

Love, Love, Love Pangolin Violette Rose!

Pangolin Violette Rose is such a special scent, created for a Chicago art exhibit that showcased and celebrated femininity. This scent combines gorgeous and rare essences – many that will never be available again. Pangolin Violette Rose is a wonderful Valentine’s Day indulgence for yourself or someone you love. 1/2 the cost of the perfume will go to the Pangolin Crisis Fund, helping this most trafficked endangered species and saving them from extinction.

And I’m excited to report that Pangolin Violette Rose was voted one of 2021’s 10 Best Perfumes by award winning writer Ida Meister of CaFleureBon! Thank you for this amazing honor!

Luxurious Moisture – Frostings are back!

Is your skin feeling dry from the winter air? My Face & Body Frostings drench your skin with organic oils that are rich in antioxidants and high in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. I have Frostings in…

Kashmir Rose: A rich combination of Himalayan Rose otto and Moroccan Rose absolute.

Gardenia: A true labor of love! I use more than 150 hand-picked gardenias and draw out their scent using a process that takes two weeks. 

Black Cat: A bewitching blend of mouth-watering cocoa, sensuous ylang ylang, juicy blood orange, and a hint of sweet, surprising aniseed myrtle.  

Luminous Lemurs: A sensuous and transporting blend of ylang ylang, clove, nutmeg, and blood orange.

Orange Blossom: Gorgeous! I blend this Frosting with Italian Neroli flowers and organic tangerine and orange essence oils. These essence oils are made from the juice – not from the rind – so they are not phototoxic or skin damaging. Many people don’t realize that there is a big difference between citrus essential oils and essence oils.

New Earth-Friendly Packaging

I am making every effort to phase out plastic packaging, and that includes sprayer tops. I’m excited to announce the new bottle I found for my 4 ml eau de parfums – I will start using them this month. They’re beautiful and Earth friendly and have a screw top. No more hard-to-recycle sprayers on the 4 ml bottles! Some of you may have noticed that I am using eco-friendly silicone wax containers now for the solid perfume samples.

I’m happy to refill your bottles when they run low – just let me know what you need.

Shopping bliss

If you have questions or need gift ideas, let me know! You can call me at 510-334-8824 or email laurie@purrfumery.com. 

Happy Valentine’s Day to you all!

Peace, love, purrfume, social justice and kitty cats,

Laurie

Greetings, my dear Purrfumery friends!

The Purrfumery is open! I’m scheduling in-person appointments and would love to see you! When you visit, I will set up a table outside the Purrfumery and make it easy to social distance. You can sniff and sample to your heart’s content… again! Call me at 510-334-8824 or email me at laurie@purrfumery.com to plan your Purrfumery visit.

Also, as you’ve probably noticed, deliveries are taking a lot longer these days. My advice is to do your holiday ordering early so you receive your orders in time for gift-giving. 

Orders this month will include a new tiny treasure solid perfume and a sweetgrass hydrosol spray!

I have a new solid perfume in the works- it’s a fruity, berry, jammy, woodsy purrfect for the holidays bonbon delight, and I haven’t even named it yet!  I’ll include a cute little silicone (more sustainable than plastic) pot of it in all orders in November. 

Also, while reading a lovely book all about the sacred herb Sweetgrass, Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer, and I was lucky to find this rare hydrosol! She shares “stories meant to heal our relationship with the world… stories that allow us to imagine a different relationship, in which people and land are good medicine for each other.” Her own family upbringing – reflecting the original richness of the traditions of her Potawatomi people – is based on a radically different assumption: that our species only exists through mutually enriching bonds with all other living creatures.

Sweetgrass is known as the hair of Mother Earth. It is one of the four sacred herbs of indigenous North American peoples and is represented in the East on the traditional medicine wheel. It was also strewn throughout churches in medieval Europe so that the sweet smell rose with each footstep. Sweetgrass hydrosol is distilled from fresh grass and has a pleasing scent with honey and vanilla notes. Use this powerful aromatic water to uplift your senses! This organic hydrosol is from the Pacific Northwest.

50% of proceeds for animals in need

My goal in life is to use my art to help animals in need. I’ve discovered that when I help one endangered animal, I help many others. I also help people.

My newest perfume, Pangolin Violette Rose – available in liquid and solid – benefits the Pangolin Crisis Fund. Pangolins are among the most trafficked mammals in the world, and the Pangolin Crisis Fund is working to reduce the demand. I’ve learned that the same people and groups that poach rhinos and elephants and sell their tusks also trap pangolins for their meat and scales. So, when the Pangolin Crisis Fund works with government officials and communities to end pangolin poaching and smuggling, the ripple effect helps rhinos and elephants too! 

My perfume Luminous Lemurs benefits Centre ValBio – they’re an incredible group that’s replanting the forests in Madagascar so lemurs will have a place to live. They’re also helping girls from remote villages attend high school. And they’re planting vanilla orchids that farmers grow and harvest – vanilla is a super-valuable crop! 

Yes, it’s true that a natural perfume can make the world a better place! Through December, I am donating 50% of the proceeds from Pangolin Violette Rose and Luminous Lemurs to the Pangolin Crisis Fund and Centre ValBio. Thank you for inhaling deeply and helping animals and people!

Pangolin Violette Rose in the news 

People are talking about Pangolin Violette Rose! 

Matt Morris at Fragrantica – Matt’s questions are so thoughtful and really gave me an opportunity to share my process and inspiration. We also talk about “Red Wedding,” his Chicago art exhibition that launched Pangolin Violette Rose.

Ida Meister at CaFleureBon – Many thanks to Ida for exploring the rose-violet connection! Beautiful!

Jen at My Beauty Bunny – This is a wonderful cruelty-free website, and I love that Jen says Pangolin Violette Rose has “a dark, sexy, vintage feel!” Ooh la la!

A song for you: Shower the People

I recently attended the Jackson Browne and James Taylor concert in San Francisco and the only words that come to mind are “life-transformational!” I’ve been a huge fan of James Taylor forever. He’s so generous with his fans – he did about four encores! He sang Shower the People and I thought… yes. This song captures exactly how I feel as we’re all finding our way out of such a difficult and stressful time. He also recently narrated a short documentary on his local animal shelter. Another passionate animal advocate! Share your love, my dear Purrfumery friends!

My 2021 artist statement

I hope that as people start to get out more and find their family and friends again, that they acknowledge the struggles we’ve all had, and also carry a sense of gratitude. We have much to be thankful for. I want to thank all of you for giving me the gift of your support and love all these years. Through the Purrfumery, I can help and support animals and people, expand my art, and be as creative as I want to be! Here’s a great example: I asked my friend Lisa Rappoport to letter-press a ribbon for my over-the-top packaging for Pangolin Violette Rose. She’s a wondrous letter-press artist, and poet. Her subscription is magical!

The ribbon reads:

Meow meow frills, furbelows, kitty tutus and tiaras, meow deep love for our planet meow its magical diversity of cultures, flowers, plants and animals (especially cats)!

Don’t you love it?

Ok, so I may not be everyone’s cup of tea. But if I am, let’s have tea! Call me at 510-334-8824 or laurie@purrfumery.com. 

Enjoy the gorgeous colors of Fall!

Peace, love, purrfume, social justice and kitty cats,

XOXO~ Laurie

Greetings, my dear Purrfumery friends!

Spring feels very special this year – it’s incredible to see the beauty that’s all around after such a challenging era in our lives. The Perfumer’s Garden is more spectacular by the day. Every morning I see something new that’s ready to bloom and share its signature with the world. Nature reminds me that I will spend a lifetime exploring, changing and growing.

All orders must be in by April 28. I will resume shipping in early June.

Shop Early for Mother’s Day!

Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 9! Take advantage of the Flash Sale to shop early for Mom, or for the mothers in your life. All of our gifts are elaborately packaged, one-by-one. We can ship to you, or directly to your loved ones. 

Here are a few favorites to give you some ideas for Mom:

Luminous Lemurs: Quickly becoming a Purrfumery favorite! This is a beautiful, juicy, and complex scent I mixed using Madagascar ylang ylang and my 20-year-old Madagascar vanilla. A generous portion of the proceeds goes to Centre ValBio to help Dr. Patricia Wright continue her conservation work in Madagascar. Here’s a story by Eleanor Vincent for Local News Matters that shares the background of this incredible scent.

Kittylicious Eau de Parfum: This line of affordable luxuries has something for everyone. These are among the Purrfumery’s most popular scents: Rose Jasmine, Mojito, Jasmine Orange Blossom, Black Cat, Eze and Rose Jasmine. A Kittylicious Eau de Parfum makes a lovely gift, packaged in a cute roll-top bottle and tucked into a gold foil box with a ribbon. 

Introducing Pangolin Violette Rose, available at The Red Wedding

I’m thrilled to announce my newest perfume, Pangolin Violette Rose! I developed this dreamy, rich perfume for The Red Wedding, an art exhibition that opens in Chicago in May.

The scent
I hand-blended Pangolin Violette Rose with Egyptian violet leaf and Persian rose otto. It opens with candied violets and evolves into a luxurious bouquet of roses dusted with powdery Orris absolute. It’s available in solid and liquid – the solid is more violet than rose. And the liquid is more rose than violet. This is the magic of perfume alchemy and how different materials unfold in solid and liquid form – I love the differences!

This is a scent that stays close to you, inspired by a gentle animal that needs our help.

Pangolins are native to Asia and Africa, and they roll into a tight ball when they feel threatened. The threat is real. Pangolins are among the most illegally trafficked mammals in the world, poached for their scales and meat. Now, they are in danger of extinction. A portion of sales from this perfume will go to the Pangolin Crisis Fund, an organization fighting to reduce demand for pangolins around the world.  

The Red Wedding

Curator Matt Morris describes The Red Wedding as “a gathering of Lipstick Formalists, agony aunts, Aunt Flo, former lovers of mine, faggots, frippery, adolescence reminiscence, beauticians and the beasts that dwell herein, former students of mine, Instagram crushes, analysts, the artists at the center of my twin sibling’s dissertation, the artists who produce the podcasts I listen to, the artists who produce the perfumes I wear.” 

During the development of Pangolin Violette Rose, I found myself thinking of my sister Gail, a museum curator who more than 40 years ago created forums for the world to experience immigrant artists, women artists, and African American artists. Gail curated exhibitions that confronted racism and negative stereotypes over the past 100 years in advertising. She looked at how dangerous these messages were throughout history. 

At that time, shows like hers bucked museum conventions – I always admired her for starting those artistic conversations! And now here I am – a part of a show that celebrates and explores gender and shares the voices of underrepresented artists from around the world. It has been an incredible honor to be involved!

Emerald, Velvet & Sweet Pea’s graphic designer has designed a fabulous fan for the exhibit, which will be sprayed with Pangolin Violette Rose perfume for visitors to experience!

Where to buy Pangolin Violette Rose

I created Pangolin Violette Rose for The Red Wedding, and it will be on sale at the gallery for the run of the show, which ends in July. This is a limited-edition perfume, so if you’d like to experience it, don’t wait! I plan to sell Pangolin Violette Rose on Purrfumery.com after July… but I can’t guarantee availability. You can find more info here.

Or, contact Eric here

If you have questions or need gift ideas, let me know! You can call me at 510-334-8824 or laurie@purrfumery.com. 

Enjoy these beautiful spring days!

Peace, love, purrfume, social justice and kitty cats,

Laurie

Greetingss, dear Purrfumery friends,

Happy New Year! The kitties and I ushered in the new year with a toast to hope, health, happiness, and service. With your help, we’ve been able to help our friends in Madagascar with my newest scent, Luminous Lemurs. The Purrfumery has donated more than $2,000 so far to help Centre ValBio, led by Dr. Patricia Wright, who is working to save Madagascar lemurs. Thank you all!

I heard from Dr. Wright recently and here are some of the things Centre ValBio is doing to help Madagascar communities and lemurs:

Vanilla! This precious orchid has been overharvested in Madagascar. Centre ValBio is replanting what has been overharvested and planting new vanilla orchids. Vanilla is a valuable crop in Madagascar that helps to sustain their local communities. 

More trees! Centre ValBio staff is planting trees that are indigenous to Madagascar! Lemurs need these trees if they are going to survive and thrive in their native land.

I want to share Dr. Wright’s book with you too! It’s called “For the Love of Lemurs: My Life in the Wilds of Madagascar,” and it’s excellent! Dr. Wright is not only helping to keep lemurs alive in their native habitat, she is also researching the lineage of lemur species and which species have been extinct. If you like conservation stories that read like adventure novels, you will love this book!

Valentine’s Day Sale – 15% off all Purrfumery products!

A luscious new scent is a Valentine to remember – and I will wrap it beautifully just for your beloved! Try something new! My Valentine to you is 15% off everything on the site until Febuary 1st. Type Emmylou in the discount box.

Need ideas? Call me! Here are a few off the top of my head:

Terrain: I made this for a guy (my husband, Gary) who is not a “perfume guy.” Men and women will love this blend of Mexican lime with wild Bulgarian geranium, Japanese yuzu, frankincense and rare sandalwoods, including my 20 year old Tamil Nadu from India.

Luminous Lemurs Gift Set: This luxurious gift set combines Luminous Lemurs Perfume, Bath Salts, and Frosting. More help for Madagascar lemurs!

Bed of Roses: This is the ultimate rose perfume, blended from an accord of nine incredible roses. I cushioned Bed of Roses with aged Tamil Nadu sandalwood, dark chocolate and rich cognac, and you’ll also find accents of tuberose, Boronia, orange blossom and green mandarin here too. 

Kittylicious Eau de Parfum: Black Cat, Mojito, Jasmine Orange Blossom, Rose Jasmine, Eze and Rose Ensens! These are among my most popular scents for adults and teens too. Kittylicious scents arrive in a roll-on bottle, tucked into a luxurious gold box with their own scent card.

A Purrfumery Bon Bon for You

My Purrfumery friends inspire me every day. A few months ago, I started blending small batches of scented treats with you all in mind – I call them Purrfumery Bon Bons! Many of you have told me how much you love getting a free treat with your purchases, so I am going to make some more and tuck them in with your orders for as long as they are available. We all need an aromatherapeutic, Purrfumery bon bon now and again!

Give that Lemur a Medal!

My year ended with some wonderful news! Luminous Lemurs and the Purrfumery caught the attention by some of the top international blogs last year. I’m beyond thrilled! 

1. Matt Morris from Fragrantica gave Luminous Lemurs the 2020 Best Perfume award!
2. ÇaFleureBon named us the Best Natural Perfume House and Perfumer!
3. Michelyn Camen and Ida Meister of CaFleureBon put Luminous Lemurs on their 10 Best lists! Check out Michelyn Camen's list here and Ida Meister's list here.

Thank you to everyone who has tried my perfumes and shared them with your readers, friends, and loved ones!

If you need something beautiful to lift your spirits, let me know – I’m here for phone calls or Facetime appointments. Call me at 510-334-8824 or laurie@purrfumery.com. 

Happy Valentine’s Day to you all!

Peace, love, purrfume, social justice, lemurs, and kitty cats,

Laurie