Last year, Steve and I discovered his Meyer Lemons and Blood Oranges. I was so sad when the citrus season ended.  Fresh off the tree and so juicy and flavorful – his produce tastes like I imagine sunshine would.  Just the pick-me-up I’ve been craving. 

My family is big with the citrus – I’ve often joked that my daughter, Sarah, is half mandarin orange. She puts away about 5 of those little oranges a day, I kid you not. I love to decorate my kitchen with big bowls piled high with citrus fruit. My sister gave me a glass triffle bowl for Christmas – it looks gorgeous filled with lovely yellows and oranges.

Steve used to make a simple vodka cocktail with the fruit from the Farmer’s Market. He skipped the simple syrup step, juiced the lemons and oranges, added a little raw sugar, a splash of vodka. Very easy, very refreshing.  If you are looking for a cocktail on the fancier side, you might want to try a Blood Orange Cosmo from Life Should Be Beautiful.

If you’d like to add a touch of citrus to your beauty routine, you can mix up a simple Citrus Sugar Scrub by combining 1 cup of raw or brown sugar, 4 Tablespoons cold-pressed oil (I suggest Almond oil), 4 tsps of honey, and 10 drops of lemon, orange, or grapefruit essential oil (use singularly or a mixture of the 3).  The Citrus Sugar Scrub will keep about a month in a well-sealed container.  

If a salt scrub is more your thing, then Aly has a great do-it-yourself recipe over at Pretty By Nature, that was the inspiration for this entire post. Thanks Aly!

I’m going to be running a citrus giveaway at Veggie Chic, starting tomorrow (1/12/09). Ten winners will recieve a shipment of Cuties Mandarin Oranges.  Don’t forget to come by and enter the giveaway!

Image credit: Michelle Smith

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Fresh Citrus – Just the Pick Me Up I Need!

The skin tech used the products on me and the change was swift, it felt like the bumps were smoothing over. He explained that they were a reaction of stress and that the products would counteract the blemishes (my first lesson in aromatherapy). I don’t remember the exact science, it was a long time ago and like any facial I’d been a party to before or since, I was relaxed and sleepy.

The point of my story is that Aveda products have always had a sort of magical feel to me. They smell incredible, in particular, the Shampure shampoo. The Shampure fragrance is also available in a candle. It has one of those scents that make me feel like I want to bury my nose in it and sniff  deeply (okay, yeah, that sounds silly, but it’s my honest reaction).  Shampure’s fragrance is a combination of over 25 pure  organic flower and plant essences, among them lavender, ylang-ylang, bergamot, rosemary, peppermint, and orange.

Today only, Aveda is currently offering free shipping and in addition, you will receive a free gift - a sample size Calming Body Cleanser.  To receive the free shipping and sample, be sure to use the code FREESHIP128 at check out.

Take a look at the gift sets currently offered at Aveda – they have come up with something really special in regards to their packaging. 

Aveda gift sets—with sustainably sourced ingredients and certified organic essential oils, pure flower essences and plant-based aromas—what’s inside is truly extraordinary.

And what’s on the outside serves an even greater purpose—to help sustain families and forests in Nepal. Our special boxed gift sets embellished with paper handcrafted by men and women in Malika and Dalika—two regions high in the Himalayas—help them improve their lives and reverse deforestation. Aveda began partnering with these communities in 2002 and we continue to strengthen this relationship. The purchase of these gift sets helps employ 1,282 women and men, preserve 90,000 acres of Himalayan forest and send the children of 500 families to school.

Here are a few of my favorite gift sets.For the man in your life, try Aveda’s shaving ritual for men

Be smooth. Give him all the tools he needs to make his grooming ritual a comfortable, soothing experience.

•	Aveda Men Shampoo Bar—7 oz/200 g
•	Aveda Men Shave Creme—8.5 oz/250 g
•	Aveda Men After-Shave Balm—3.4 fl oz/100 ml
•	Blue Oil Balancing Concentrate—.24 fl oz/7 ml

This gift is filled with items sure to induce a feeling of spa-like luxury, it’s ultimate sanctuary …

Nurture with gifts of pure relaxation:

This gift set features two of my favorite Aveda hair products and it offers  100% comfort

Show you care, from head to toe.

Do you know someone in need a boost?  This set will make them tingle all over…

Create an invigorating feeling from head-to-toe with some Aveda favorites.

Image credit: Aveda.com

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Final Day For Free Shipping and Gift At Aveda

World AIDS Day Limited Edition Lip Balm #1

• Special Limited-Edition packaging of our same, classic formula – to benefit YouthAIDS
• SPF 4 sunscreen
• Relieves Cracked or Chapped Lips

Temporarily protects and helps relieve chapped or cracked lips. Helps protect lips from the drying effects of wind and cold weather. 100% of net Kiehl’s profits up to $50,000 will be donated to YouthAIDS, which is committed to AIDS awareness, prevention and research.

While you are there, check out Kiehl’s two wonderful scents…………

Forest Rain Eau de Toilette Spray

• For both Men and Women
• Convenient Eau de Toilette spray
• Scent not derived from animals
• Not tested on animals

Our fresh, yet spicy woodsy blend of Muguet, Vetiver, Citrus and Musk was inspired by the extensive essence collection of the original “Kiehl Pharmacy,” where 122 unique fragrant oils from the world over have been offered over the years.

And……….

Musk Eau de Toilette Spray

• Our Kiehl’s Signature Scent
• For both Men and Women
• Convenient Eau de Toilette spray
• Scent not derived from animals
• Not tested on animals

This modern version of our classic signature scent is based on the unique blend that is Kiehl’s Musk. Our special Musk “recipe” begins with an initial creamy, fresh citrus burst of Bergamot Nectar and Orange Blossom…followed by a soft floral bouquet of Rose, Lily, Ylang-Ylang and Neroli. Finally, Original Musk Eau de Toilette dries down to a warm, sensual Oriental finish of Tonka Nut, White Patchouli and, of course, Musk…the soul of this distinctively modern scent.

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Kiehls Lip Balm #1 To Benefit World AIDS Day 2008

Looking for something light and refreshing in an organic scent?  How about Caudalie’s Fleur de Vigne Fresh Energizing Fragrance.

Fleur de Vigne is the flower that precedes the grape on the vine. This scent is enriched with essential oils derived from fruit and Bergamot as well as the plant waters of Sandalwood and cedar.

Bergamot is citrus tree (Citrus bergamia), but the name is also applied to various mint plants and pear trees that carry a Bergamot-like scent.

Fleur de Vigne Fresh Energizing Fragrance

What is is: A fragrance with aromatherapy and skincare benefits.

What it is formulated to do: This splash is full of energy. One spray of this water lets the fragrance blossom onto your skin. This fresh fragrance pays homage to the Fleur de Vigne (grape blossom). Its freshness comes from ultra vitamin-rich fruits: grapefruit, mandarin, bergamot, lemon, and orange.

Notes: Grape Blossom, Italian Bergamot, Grapefruit, Mandarin, Blackcurrant Bud, Green Mate, Sandalwood, Cedarwood, Grape, Lemon and Orange Botanical Waters, Trace Elements, Mineral Salts.

Style:  Soft. Sensual. Vibrant.

Caudalie suggests using this fragrance on more than your body – spritz a bit on your lingerie and linens. 

Image credit: Sephora

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Organic Scent – Fleur de Vigne Fresh Energizing Fragrance

I met Biggs & Featherbelle at Brooklyn’s Renegade Craft Fair this summer.  They are “a health conscious company that promotes the healing elements of Mother Nature by creating body care products free from synthetic fragrances, dyes and additives.”  Nice!  I’m a scrub junkie, and their scrubs are so fresh and fun and lovely!  There’s a little bit of something for everyone – a sweet coffee scrub, a salty adzuki bean scrub, and a more traditional sugary nut scrub.  They are heavenly and have natural scents from essential oils.   I sniffed them all and honestly could not pick a favorite.  They will be at Renegade in Chicago as well as Crafty Bastards in DC, so check them out if you’re in the area.

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Biggs & Featherbelle – lovely scrubs!

As for the long answer – we first need to define our terms.  When I say “organic” I mean certified organic by the USDA or similar regulating body.  Lots of things are organic or natural, this just means they’ve come from the earth in some way.   Crude oil comes from the earth, but I don’t think that would be a good thing to put on your skin or in perfume.  So natural perfume is an even tougher word to define.   I’d be likely to say that natural perfumes are derived from plants and other naturally-occuring substancec.  Most of these are generally essential oils, but there are also other scented items that can go into natural perfumes.  Natural perfumes may or may not be made from organic materials.

One of the best sources on the web is Natural Perfumers.   This is a guild of many highly-skilled perfumers who have taken their art to another level, and for health, moral/environmental, or spiritual reasons choose to use only natural scents.

Since these scented oils and essences are the highly concentrated scents of plants, they often smell very strongly and when presented in the proper carrier and with good fixatives, can indeed last all day.  The catch, of course, is that these artisan perfumes can be quite expensive to produce, and therefore, to purchase.  Because no two years are the same, a batch of rose oil from the same location can differ depending on temperature and rainfall.  And to be sure,  lavender from Spain smells quite different than lavender from France, and so on.   So no two batches of perfume would smell exactly the same!

Here’s a list of the Natural Perfumers Guild members.  Please visit their sites and be sure to let us know what your favorite natural perfume is!

AbdesSalaam Attar – Dominique Dubrana
Aftelier Perfumes – Mandy Aftel
Anya’s Garden Perfumes – Anya McCoy
Artemisia Natural Perfume – Lisa Fong
Ascent Natural Perfumes- Rohanna Goodwin Smith
Desire in Sunlight Perfumes - Isabelle Aurel
Ecco Bella – Sally Malanga
Fleur de Lis Perfumes – Janet Cutler
JoAnne Bassett Perfumes – JoAnne Bassett
Lunaroma – Leyla Bringas
Maui Perfumes — Jackie Cummings
Mundo Botanica – Sevi Kay
Passion Flower Perfume – Paula Moreschi
Sharini Parfums Naturels – Nick Jennings
Strange Invisible Perfumes — Alexandra Balahoutis

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Organic and natural perfumes

The contest asks you to watch a video on the whole foods site and leave a comment, including “makeup loves me” in “website” field for your comment. your comment may be anything you think would be useful to the whole foods team. You have until next friday, march 21st.

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Win some Dr. Hauschka from MakeupLovesMe!

I admit I love it when my clothes smell really nice.  I haven’t gotten to put up a clothesline, which is my favorite scent, so this will just have to do.

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Eco-friendly dryer sheets

1.  Blue.  Navy/Royal blue is in right now, but just like that Chanel Black Satin nailpolish craze a few seasons ago, I think it won’t be long before we move to something new.  Completely opposite.  So – Orange.  Safety Orange this summer! And both these colors have perfume corollaries.

Blue – think Penhaligon’s Bluebell, blueberries, D&G Light Blue, Blue Sugar by Aquolina.

Orange – Citrus of all sorts, grapefruit, yuzu, tangerine,

Merge the two and you get a light (not white, though) floral citrus.  I’m loving the idea of it.

2. The “green” trend (some call it greenwashing) but for me that means: more natural scents.   All this tree-hugging (whether genuine or not) can only lead to one thing:  WOOD.  So bring it on.  I think women don’t wear enough wood scents.  Sandalwood,  cedarwood, it’s all good with wood.

3.  expansion of mass-tige.  I’d love to see Target do a similar approach to perfume and hire the best perfumers in the world to do Target-exclusive, limited edition scents.  I guess this isn’t so much a prediction as a wish.  But seriously, it would put me over the moon and I bet they’d be coveted items.  Let’s make it happen, Target.

4.  Fewer, but higher quality celebrity perfumes.   Less oversaturation and more exclusivity. I want to see J.Lo release a line of baby/mama products.  I just got wind that Britney Spears is putting out yet another scent, but it’s a rehash of Curious.   I’d love to see Sarah Jessica Parker put out a perfume to match Covet.  Like Derek Jeter Driven from Avon, these scents would be available only through one or two outlets.

So, what do you think?  Am I on track or way off base?

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New Year, New Scents! A Perfume Prediction…