Greetings, my dear Purrfumery friends!

The Perfumer’s Garden is retreating as it does every year, going to that magical place to rest and rejuvenate for spring. But the osmanthus is singing above all the quiet – it’s in full bloom outside the Purrfumery window and it smells absolutely gorgeous! Our guava tree is heavy with fruit and dropping guavas everywhere, delightfully perfuming the air. Even as the air is chillier and the days are growing darker, there is still so much beauty in the garden! 

Sometimes, when the chill hits my bones, I light some candles, run some water, and sink into a luxurious bath. That reminds me…

20% off sale and Magical Kitty Mermaid Bath Salts to the rescue!

I’m offering 20% off everything on the site until November 26. Type Mermaid in the discount box. Now is the time to stock up on your favorites, like Bed of Roses, Fleur de Caramel, Highway, and Songbird. I also made juicy new batches of Jasmine Dawn & Dusk and Honey! Get your holiday shopping done early, and inhale deeply!

The kitties and I have filled the shelves with something for everyone on your list. Our newest creations are our Magical Kitty Mermaid Bath Salts! 

Whether you want to relax and forget the world or get your holiday shopping done early, Magical Kitty Mermaid Bath Salts can do it all! 

These little bon bons came to me in a dream and making them is a labor of love. When I released the first batch in September, they sold out in 24 hours. I’ve posted more to the site and you can order them any way you choose!

• One by one
• Sets of 3
• Sets of 6
• Sets of 12

When you order sets of 3, 6 or 12, I can select a lovely variety for you. I tuck each one into a beautiful organza pouch, so all you have to do is open the box and commence gift-giving! They make beautiful gifts – perfect for a dresser or a window, scenting your bath water, or as an indulgent smelling salt pick-me-up! 

Kitty Mermaid Bath Salts are my little gift to you when you place orders of $100 or more, until the end of November. You may also buy them individually. Enjoy these little treasures, my dear Purrfumery friends!

Every little kitty detail

Like all my products, I make these bath salt treasures one-by-one. They are gifts from the inside out! 

I start with my antique bottle collection that I’ve cherished for the last 50 years. I wash each bottle carefully and thoroughly until it sparkles. Then I mix a big bowl of Sonoma coast and Epson salt crystals with dried flowers of rose, calendula, and bachelor’s buttons, and pour them into the bottles. Then I get the cards ready! One by one, I adorn every card with iridescent seashells from my vintage 1950s necklaces, and I add dots of 100-year-old imported glitter. I tie a tiny scroll around the neck of each bottle and then I wait for your order. 

When your order comes through, the computer says “DING!” the kitties say, “MEOW!” and I get to work hand scenting each bottle to your choosing! They are available in lavender, geranium, ylang ylang, vetiver and frankincense.

A gift for turtles too!

Every project I do is one that I truly love and it has to benefit animals in some way. I’m donating a portion of Magical Kitty Mermaid Bath Salt sales to two groups: Turtle Island Restoration Network, which is working to save sea turtles, protect critical habitats, and change laws to protect marine species. I am also donating to Sea Turtle Recovery, a group that’s dedicated to rehabilitating sea turtles in my native New Jersey.

These magical bottles started as a dream, and now they’re real – and they’re making a difference in animals’ lives!

Frostings are back

Chillier weather means… Whipped Face & Body Frostings! This year, I’m offering two scents – my best-selling Gardenia and Orange Blossom. I’ve been using Frostings as a night moisturizer for its deeply penetrating, overnight moisturizing power. Have you tried it this way, my dear Purrfumery friends? It’s a delightful way to moisturize and lull yourself into sweet-scented dreams!

Stop by my new Vintage Treasures Flea Market!

I’ve been collecting vintage treasures at antique shops and flea markets my whole life. I’ve enjoyed each and every one of these collectables for years, and now it’s my turn to have a flea market!

Bookmark my flea market and stop by often. I will have antique laces, jewelry, and one-of-a-kind bon bons there for your shopping delight!

Let's have tea!

I’m here for appointments so you can peruse the Purrfumery and sniff and sample to your heart’s content! Stop by for a cup of tea and try on a few new things! 

Call me at 510-334-8824 or email me at laurie@purrfumery.com 

Peace, love, purrfume, and kitty cats,

Laurie

Greetings, my dear Purrfumery friends!

There’s a moment at the end of summer when I can feel that fall is close. Today is that day! I’m excited to welcome the changing colors of the leaves and the morning chilly air, but first, I want to remember all the fun I had this summer. 

It was a marvelous season of creativity that started with a batch of mulberries in June. We drove out to farm country and picked big boxes of mulberries – these exquisite fruits are heaven to munch on, and they make the most incredible jam! I added mint and lime and indulged for weeks on jars of deep purple mulberry jam. 

Then I moved on to peach sorbet. A few years ago, Gary spit a few peach pits off the deck and this summer we had our first little peach crop! The trees are small, but they produce juicy, sweet peaches, and I whipped them and more into incredible sorbets. When I’m canning, I use my perfumer’s nose and think about which different flavors I could add. Mint! Peach and mint sorbet is divine! And rosemary peach too!

Then one afternoon, I cleaned my basement, and that is where this dream begins…

Welcome Kitty Mermaid Bath Salts!

You all know how I spent my early years, right? I used to tag along with my sister to antique shops, where all I could afford was a vintage kitty postcard or apothecary bottle. Well, 50 years later, I have hundreds of antique apothecary bottles, some of them dating back to the mid 1800s. After going through box after box of these delightful treasures one afternoon, I fell into bed exhausted. As I drifted off to sleep, I had the most incredible dream. 

Apothecary bottles danced through my mind, and they were filled with scented bath salts and adorned with pearlized seashells from my 1950s necklaces. An ocean wave lapped against my feet and one of the apothecary bottles had a tiny scroll inside. There was iridescent glitter all around me… and then I woke up.

Another thing you may know about me is I grew up on the Atlantic City boardwalk, and my Dad had gift shops. I worked there for as long as I can remember! I could wander in whenever I wanted and find a gift for a friend or something fun to take to a party. And that experience – that peddler history – shaped my life.  And apparently it shaped my dreams, too! I woke up after my “message in a bottle” dream and I got to work designing what I’d seen. 

No two are alike

Each one of these little bon bons is unique – an antique apothecary bottle filled with crystal bath salts, dried roses, bachelor buttons, and calendula flowers. I adorned the scent card, with pearlized seashells and glitter I found decades ago, and Emerald outdid herself on the graphic design! They are delightful as bath salts or smelling salts, and they’re available in lavender, geranium, ylang ylang, vetiver and frankincense. You get to choose the scent!

These days, I am only interested in projects that I truly love. And they have to benefit animals in some way. I am donating a portion of bottle sales to two groups: Turtle Island Restoration Network, which is working to save sea turtles, protect critical habitats, and change laws to protect marine species, and Sea Turtle Recovery, dedicated to rehabilitating sea turtles in my native New Jersey. Thanks Lauren, for helping me pick them!

Kitty Mermaid Bath Salts are my little gift to you when you place orders of $75 or more, until the end of November. You may also buy them individually. Enjoy these little treasures, my dear Purrfumery friends!

End of Summer 20% Off!

From now until September 23rd I’m offering 20% off on all orders. The changing season is the perfect time to try something new! Type KITTYMERMAID in the discount box.

Speaking of something new, have you tried my latest?

Beaumes de Cassis is very popular right now – it’s the ultimate fruity bon bon, the essence of celebration. It opens with a burst of juicy blood orange, ripe berries and jammy black currant bud. Then osmanthus and Tasmanian boronia join the party for a scent that’s bold in one moment and dreamy in the next. Beaumes de Cassis is available as an exquisite, creamy solid and as a organic jojoba oil based eau de parfum.

Taking a break Sept 25 - Oct 25

The kitties and I are taking some creative time to get the Purrfumery in order for fall and the holidays. I’ll be taking a little break from shipping from September 25 to October 25. 

And last, but not least…

Stay tuned for more vintage!

I will be parting with some vintage goodies very soon, so stay tuned for laces and velvets and much, much more!

Until next time…

Peace, love, purrfume and kitty cats,

Laurie

Greetings, my dear Purrfumery friends!

I look out my window and the Purrfumery Garden is changing a little more each day. Our Mexican and Pineapple Sages are still in bloom, and my favorite Peace Roses and Morning Glory welcome me each morning. Monarch butterflies visit the native Milkweed, their orange wings flashing across the sky. Other plants have become quiet and dormant. These are beautiful moments to witness – the earth’s lush carpet of plants turns inward for its annual rest. The bulb that is so rich underground today will burst forth in the spring! 

Free Shipping in November, Winter potion in December

Mother Nature knows best – every living thing needs deep rest and relaxation. But if you’re like me, your calendar is looking as full as it did before the pandemic! As we go into the holiday season, life will get even more hectic. 

Kitty Magic, Truffle and I want to be part of the solution, my dear Purrfumery friends. Here are the results of our annual board meeting!

Free shipping through November with orders over $100.
Type KITTYLICIOUS CHEER in the discount box.

All orders in December will receive a rare and divine relaxation treat – a 5 ml relaxation potion that you can use in the bath or as a perfume. My December potion will feature French lavender and blue chamomile essential oils cradled in a sandalwood treasure I discovered more than 20 years ago. I’m sharing my extraordinary stash of rare oils, packaged in a Verreries Brosse crystal bottle, as a gift for my dear Purrfumery friends! Inhale deeply! 

New Kittylicious Scent and Sizes!

One of my wonderful customers recently asked me a question. She told me she loved the bold and dreamy scent of Beaumes de Cassis, but she wasn’t a fan of solid perfumes. She asked if I could make it for her in an oil-based liquid, and I said of course!

Drumroll please…

Introducing the newest addition to my Kittylicious line…

Beaumes de Cassis! 

The kitties and I listen to our customers! A little mixing and testing and we discovered that Beaumes de Cassis makes a sumptuous eau de parfum with its juicy blood orange, jammy black current bud, Tasmanian boronia and more.

And I have even more fabulous news!

My customers asked for larger sizes for Kittylicious, and again I said of course! I’ve added new sizes to the Kittylicious mix. I’m using French crystal bottles for my 8 ml and 15 ml offerings. These gorgeous bottles are crafted by Verreries Brosse, a Normandy company that has been making bottles for royalty since the 1850s. 

I love Kittylicious because it embodies all the sultry fun and delight of a purring kitty sitting in a sunny window, or playing with a velvet ribbon! I’ll be highlighting Kittylicious this season with regular posts on Instagram, Facebook and on my website – it’s time to reconnect with your inner kitty!

Caring For The World

I recently received a note from a customer saying she was inspired by my art and the way I care for the world. These words feed my heart. Thank you for sharing these sentiments. And thank you for joining me on my journey to honor humanity and nature! 

The pain we hear about every day weighs heavily on us all, and when I feel helpless, I reflect on this: Caring for the world – for its ecosystems and every living thing – can connect us, if we let it. This is a guiding light that guides me every day.

I’m inspired by the ideas of conservationists like Hana Raza, founder and chairperson of Leopards Beyond Borders. 

Hana was born in Iraqi Kurdistan and endured years of war and conflict.

Her message is profound:

“Growing up and living in a region of the world where instability and war have been the immediate reality, I have always found that the bigger picture has been lost on my nation: that species conservation and the preservation of ecological stability is the uniting concern of mankind; that conservation is necessary for the future well-being of the entire planet.” (From Future for Nature.)

Learn more about Hana’s life and work.

Here’s a podcast about Hana.

Thank you, Hana, for all you do!

Wishing you peace...and Peace on Earth This Season

I’m grateful to all of you and wish you all a lovely holiday season. Get in touch if you’d like to make an appointment. I’d love to see you! Call me at 510-334-8824, or email me at laurie@purrfumery.com. 

Until next time…

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

XOXO~ Laurie

Greetings, my dear Purrfumery friends!

Have you stopped to smell the flowers lately? I have. Some of my Purrfumery friends have reached out and asked me where I’ve been. I’ve been around… but I’m taking it slow, enjoying the moment, and thinking about what I want to do next. What do I want my work to be about in the years to come? My answer is led by my love of animals and a commitment to protecting them. I’m working on a few new products and I will be sharing more soon!

In the meantime, the Purrfumery Garden beckons me every day. The rain and storms have transformed it into a paradise of blooms! The wind wafting through the fresh jasmine blossoms in the rain was intoxicating, and the irises are going bananas! The osmanthus and daphne sway in the breeze and send their exquisite perfume into the air. It’s a treat to walk outside each morning and inhale deeply!

20% Off Spring Fling Sale

Let’s celebrate this season of rebirth, renewal and joy! We’re all starting to get out more – I hear about people traveling and visiting friends. Doesn’t it feel amazing to hug a friend you haven’t seen in a long time? In the spirit of friendship and love, I’m holding a Spring Fling sale until April 15th. All perfumes are 20% off! Just type Spring Fling in the discount box. Custom perfumes excluded. This is a great opportunity to stock up on some of your favorites, or share something new with a friend or loved one.

Need ideas? Here are a few of my favorite scents for spring…

Beaumes de Cassis: A fabulous solid to tuck into your pocket or purse when you’re out and about. This is the ultimate fruity bon bon, blending blood orange, ripe berries and jammy black currant bud. Osmanthus and Tasmanian boronia complete the fruity mélange that finds its heart in a woodsy mix of benzoin resins and fir balsam. Celebrate love and joy!

Rose Encens: Rose, citrus and resin essences dance in perfect harmony. Sensuous and warm, Rose Ensens opens with a deep, rich scent of rose that mingles with sweet, tart Italian blood orange and Mexican lime top notes. The mystery of sacred Frankincense resin emerges as time passes. A perfect scent for spring!

Terrain: Earthy, bright and intoxicating! Men and women will love this blend of Mexican lime with wild Bulgarian geranium, Japanese yuzu, frankincense and rare sandalwoods, including Tamil Nadu from India.

Luminous Lemurs Gift Set: Looking for a hostess gift for your Spring Break getaway with friends? This luxurious gift set combines Luminous Lemurs Perfume, Bath Salts, and Frosting. More help for Madagascar lemurs!

Let's have tea

I am taking appointments through April, so let me know if you want to stop by and try something new. Call me at 510-334-8824, or email me at laurie@purrfumery.com.

Hope to see you at the Purrfumery sometime soon!

Until next time…

Peace, love, purrfume and kitty cats,

Laurie

Greetings, my dear Purrfumery friends!

I’m celebrating my birthday this month! I gave myself the ultimate gift last year when I decided to embrace the change that my heart and soul had been calling for. Last year, I decided to focus on conservation and helping endangered animals through my art. It’s been an incredible and creative journey that started with Luminous Lemurs and continues with my latest perfume.

I’m delighted to introduce you to Pangolin Violette Rose, my second limited edition perfume dedicated to helping endangered species come back and thrive in the world we all share. Pangolin Violette Rose is absolutely dreamy – it opens with jasmine auriculatum and jasmine sambac and has top notes of candied violet, with a little carnation absolute. The scent blooms into a complex bed of roses, with a jammy Indian Rose Edward and candy-like Persian Rose Otto. As the scent dries down, the roses turn sultry and rich with Bulgarian rose absolute and otto and Turkish rose absolute. Egyptian violet leaf absolute mingles with the roses, bringing them even deeper, and a touch of cocoa absolute adds a little bonbon. The perfume rests on a throne of aged Tamil Nadu and New Caledonia sandalwood. As time passes, the orris absolute and orris concrete linger with a dusting of powdery gorgeousness. I set all these magical, rare natural materials in a base of 20-year aged Tahitian vanilla-infused biodynamic grape alcohol.

Rare and Precious Naturals

I love Pangolin Violette Rose and for me, it's a testament to the magic of naturals. The solid is more violet leaf – more deep and green – and the liquid is more rose-powdery. This is the alchemy of working with oil and alcohol, and that's what the violets, irises and roses decided to do! You may decide you like both for different occasions, and indulge in the solid and the liquid.

Pangolin Violette Rose is a pinnacle of creativity for me – it is a collector’s item, a gift from the inside out, with packaging that includes my letter-pressed artist statement on the French ribbon, and bottles bedecked with vintage flowers. I hand-blended the liquid parfum in a small batch using the most exquisite and rare materials available, and once it’s gone, it’s gone forever. The solid is a little more plentiful, but not by much… 

Here are the details! 

30 ml Collector’s Edition Verrieres Brosse flacon in a corsage hatbox: $750 each 

8 ml Collector’s Edition Verrieres Brosse flacon in corsage hatbox: $350 each

10 ml Collector’s Edition solid perfume in Violette sterling silver Jewel Box in a lavender silk and rhinestone pouch: $500 

10 ml Collector’s Edition solid perfume in Violette porcelain box in a lavender silk and rhinestone pouch: $350

5 ml Starlight solid perfume in velvet pouch with vintage flowers: $95

I donate a generous portion of the proceeds from Pangolin Violette Rose to The Pangolin Crisis Fund. This initiative, led by Paul Thomson, a conservation biologist, raises money and pays for projects that are working to stop the poaching of endangered pangolins, reduce demand for their meat and scales, and raise awareness. The fund is managed by the Wildlife Conservation Fund, a group that I’ve supported for years! 

The Pangolin Crisis Fund started with $100,000 in 2019 and has a goal to raise $1.5 million by the end of this year. The kitties and I are on board, and we want to help them make their goal! One thing I like is that they send 100% of all donations directly to the field, without taking any overhead.

I love that the Pangolin Crisis Fund supports The Tikki Hywood Foundation, a Zimbabwe-based conservation group with a wildlife rescue center that runs 24 hours a day! Tikki Hywood’s mission is to rescue pangolins from poachers and from illegal bushmeat markets. Once they’ve rescued the pangolins, they rehabilitate them and bring them back to the wild where they belong. 

I’m thrilled that the Purrfumery supports these conservation projects!

The Story Behind Pangolin Violette Rose

Pangolin Violette Rose bloomed from serendipity. After I created Luminous Lemurs, benefitting Centre ValBio’s work with Madagascar lemurs, I turned my attention to pangolins. Pangolins are native to Asia and Africa, and they are among the most illegally trafficked mammals in the world, poached for their scales and meat. Now, they are in danger of extinction, and they need our help. 

I was daydreaming about rose and violet leaf, mixing a perfume with pangolins in mind. Then I heard from artist, writer, curator, and educator Matt Morris and gallery owner Eric Ruschman about The Red Wedding, an art exhibition that opened at Ruschman Gallery in Chicago in May 2021. Matt designed and curated The Red Wedding as an experiential journey through the essence of femininity and he wanted a perfume to be one of the artworks in the show. He said he had been daydreaming about a scent of roses and violets… My heart jumped. This is the scent I was working on! I completed the scent and Emerald, Velvet & Sweet Pea’s amazing designer, created a fan that gallery guests received, each with a spritz of Pangolin Violette Rose.

Matt told me that many people visited The Red Wedding multiple times. Ruschman Gallery is not a very big space, but Eric noticed some visitors would stay for over an hour, just softly circling around the room, perfumed fans in hand. Visitors described the show as feminine, feminist, utopian, comforting, soft, dreamy, lovely, and lots of people would mention that it was like a satisfying dessert course. 

The show also sparked conversations around diversity. The Red Wedding included artists working across many different media, and from different age groups, races, genders, sexual orientations and nationalities. Yet despite these differences, the artists collaborated to create an exhibition that was cohesive in vision and touched people deeply.  

With this perfume, I am helping animals in need, and I am celebrating the essence of The Red Wedding and the unique expression that each and every one of us make in this world. I invite you to be part of this celebration, my dear Purrfumery friends!

A Gift For You

On this birthday occasion, I want to thank you all for being a part of my life, my dear Purrfumery friends! From today until August 29th I will offer 15% off anything in the Purrfumery. Be sure to type VIOLETTE in the discount box. All orders through the end of August will receive a sample of Pangolin Violette Rose too! Maybe it’s time to try something new?

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

Enjoy the rest of your summer!

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

Laurie