May 2013 Newsletter

Greetings Dear Purrfumery Friends!

The month of May has been a whirlwind – we have been here, there and everywhere and there are still a few stops to make! In early May we took the Purrfumery on the road to the Oakland Cat Video Fest – what an incredibly fun and outrageous day! It was great to see all of us local cat people in one place, celebrating the animals we love! I especially enjoyed seeing all the guys with a beer in their hand hanging out in their cat outfits and cat t-shirts. What could be better? Great to see my Purrfumery friends there, too! Thanks for stopping by.

Get Ready for Summer Sale

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It’s heating up out there! Summer is the time for leisure and love – many of us will be taking trips, visiting friends, attending weddings… There are so many summer moments when we want to feel and smell gorgeous! (And natural perfumes and bath salts make an amazing bridal shower or wedding gift.) Through May 28th, I am offering my Purrfumery friends 20% off all perfumes, eau de parfums and bath salts! It’s my way of saying thank you and happy trails! Type Buttercup in the coupon box.

Velvet & Sweet Pea’s Purrfumery to Exhibit at FRAGments

Speaking of happy trails, we’re getting ready for FRAGments, an underground artisan and indie perfumer event on June 22 at MorYork Gallery in Los Angeles. West coast perfumer Maggie Mahboubian of Parfums Lalun organized this series that treats perfumery as fine art – I’m thrilled to be a part of the first event! newsletter-30-b Maggie has brought together perfume artists from across North America in a gallery setting to present a curated selection of their work. Some of the perfumers exhibiting at the June 22 event include Roxana Illuminated Perfume, Ayala Moriel Parfums and Persephenie. “Perfumery as art” is an innovative way to think about and experience scent and an example of how West Coast perfumers are changing the game.

The Art of Natural Perfumery

I look at it this way… Just like a painting hanging in a museum, a natural perfume has a conceptual idea behind it. Natural perfumers are scent artists, working alone and immersing themselves in the moment. When I sit down to create, I select my media and layer my top, middle and base notes so they evolve over time, just like a painter layers paint on a canvas! It all flows around a concept, a dream, or an idea that I want to share with the world. Whenever I make a new perfume, I imagine the scent unfolding like a flower – a new flower that no one has ever seen or experienced before. I layer and mix, breaking down the molecules and putting them together again in a new and delightful way. For example, when I designed Narcissus Poeticus, I was thinking about the arrival of spring. I used orris root – one of the first flowers to arrive in spring – and irises as the base. I added osmanthus, black current bud and natural materials that are evocative of the season of transformation and the earth coming alive again... It was a beautiful and delicious process of concentration and solitude! Wearing a natural perfume is also like wrapping yourself in a one-of-a-kind piece of art. From the moment it touches your skin, you are interpreting the way it unfolds, note by note. What does the scent of rose remind you of? How does a blend of osmanthus and vanilla make you feel? What do you find yourself thinking about as the perfume changes over time? Just like art, you will experience something unique with every perfume you wear. I talk a bit more about our individual and emotional perfume signature in my recent profile on CaFleureBon – a big thank you to Michelyn for inviting me to contribute my thoughts on American perfumery!

Homage to the People Who Inspire Us!

Whenever I think about art – and the art of natural perfumery – I always think of my sister. She taught me how to look at art and how to search my mind, heart and soul for the way art made me feel. We loved to visit art museums when we were growing up – she went on to become a museum curator and educator, and changed peoples’ lives through art. In her museum shows, she used art and history to teach tolerance and made the world a better place. She remains such an incredible source of inspiration! What and who inspires you, my dear Purrfumery friends? Until next time... Peace, love, purrfume, and kitty cats, ~XOXO, Laurie