Today I'd like to talk about how fragrances can affect your senses.
A lot of people switch up what they wear, depending on the season, and some people where the same thing all the time(or go through phases) and some people wear their scents depending on their mood when choosing the perfume for the day.
Did you know that citrus based fragrances, especially those with Grapefruit, are natural mood enhancers? Richer fragrances, such as scents with Amber or Patchouly can make you feel a little more sexy and/or attractive. Scents with water based notes or "clean" notes tend to make you feel more refreshed.
"Smell is the strongest of the senses and is best able to influence brain activity. Olfactory bulbs are part of the Limbic system and directly connect to the areas of the brain that process emotion and learning. This is one of the reasons why so often something that we smell will trigger a memory or remind us of something or someone."
Right now I'd like to focus on the scent that evoke a sunny disposition, as spring is right around the corner, and a lot of people are starting to see sunshine everywhere!
A La Rose by Maison Francis Kurkdjian is an amazing springtime fragrance, and was released just in time to coincide with the spring season. Notes include Damascena Rose from Bulgaria and Centifolia Rose from Grasse, accompanied by Bergamot, Orange, Cedar, Magnolia Blossom and Musk. All the lightness of the season that will leave any woman feeling radiant and feminine.
Honour by Amouage is a white floral based fragrance with Gardenia, Tuberose, Jasmine, Frankincense, Myrrh, Sandalwood, Rhubarb, Coriander, Carnation, Jasmine, Amber and Vetiver. The notes mix so well throughout that you get a perfect combination of the effervescent florals and the gorgeous spices that hold it all together.
Meliora by Parfums de Marly contains Black Currant, Peach, Red Fruits, Amber, Vanilla and Musk for a gorgeously fruity feel that will leave you smiling from ear to ear.
Amethyst by Lalique is a fruity, sweet and feminine scent with Black Currant, Blueberry, Blackberry, Mulberry, Strawberry, Peony, Pepper, Ylang-Ylang, Rose, Musk, Vanilla and woods. All notes are seamlessly combined to create a springtime symphony on the skin!
What you put on your skin really does matter. Perfume makes you feel unique, sexy, sweet, girly, powerful. Springtime scents add to the jubilation of the sun shining on your skin and can enhance your amazing mood on a beautiful day!
If you breathe in deeply enough, you can actually feel yourself becoming more happy in some instances!
The only way to truly feel amazing is to wear that perfume like you own it and rock it!
Written by Valleri Flannery.
What is it about a business that keeps you going back? Do you still go back for a product you love, even if you hate the staff? The environment? Or do you go somewhere else that carries what you love?
We here at Parfumerie Nasreen are always striving to make each visit to our store an experience, not a chore. We want to make you feel welcome, like you're a part of our family. Even if we do not have what you're looking for, we'll always do our best to find you something you will love just as much or more. We will even start you in the right direction for somewhere we think, or know, will have what you are looking for.
We are not just here to take your money. Not at all.
We are constantly looking to build relationships. To get to know you. When we know even a little bit about you, we can get a better gauge on what to show you...what to send you samples of when you're not here to try our new products or something we stumbled upon and know you'll love.
Thankfully we've been able to create experiences that start long friendships. We love getting to know you and who you are and who your family is. We remember you and your special occasions. We remember a story you told us, a memory your fragrance brings to mind. Things you hate, things you love, things you are interested in.
A small number of people we have the pleasure of knowing closely and can relate to their lives and genuinely care for. Sometimes we'll even call just to say hi, check in on that relative that was ill the last time we spoke, or to see how you're doing after a medical procedure you were worried about.
We take great pride and pleasure in being a wonderful part of your lives, and are so happy to have been able to create these engaging experiences.
There are not many places you can go to, or call up, and will know who you are, what perfume you wear, ask about your daughter's dance recital....all before getting down to 'business'.
There are not many places that will take the time to really listen to you and actually help you find something, especially a specialized product. Not many places you can go for a learning experience and get more than your day's worth of "you learn something new everyday".
We absolutely love giving you the knowledge needed to get what you want, even it if is not with us.
There have been plenty of times when I have gone to a store looking for a special product and wished I had someone like me to help me find it easier! I have never been to a store where they remember me and have suggestions for me.
We love creating one of a kind experiences and we always look forward to giving you all the latest updates on everything we think, or know, you'll love. We love making your fragrance shopping as fun and easy as possible. We love to laugh with you!
And we love to thank you for all of it! Striving to create an amazing experience for all who enter our domain, makes coming to 'work' everyday so much fun and so rewarding! In the process, we are creating magical experiences for ourselves as well, and are loving every minute of it!
We continually look forward to your calls and emails and Facebook posts! And we love, so much, that you are all on this fragrance journey with us right now!!
Written by: Valleri Flannery
Each fragrance tells a story. It gives you a feeling, an emotion, a memory. Each perfume bottle plays a role as well. Some are intricately designed, some are painted. Some bottles have so much detail, you wonder how long it took to finish.
I say, the bottle is half the fun of your fragrance:) Think about it, you're usually attracted to the bottle before you start smelling! Some people dedicate their perfume collections to the bottles, and some people keep their bottles for display long after the fragrance has been used up. Others keep bottles for nostalgic purposes.
Bottles, sometimes, are what help you remember the fragrance, and what helps the sales force(like us) when you cannot remember the smell or the name.
Sometimes the bottle tells a story, as with lines like The House of Sillage or Bond No.9. Sometimes the bottle represents the inspiration for the creator.
Each Wednesday, we dedicate our main post to quite a few bottles we've discovered that have blown our minds, whether by being odd, fascinating or beautiful pieces of artwork.
Even without being collector pieces, perfume bottles can be eye catching. Some are made simplistically, with more of a focus on the fragrance itself, and some collections have a style true to their name, such as the Robert Piguet colletion, famous for their tall, black bottles.
Lalique was the main company that started the trend of having perfume come in attractive bottles. Rene Lalique, getting his start in the world of jewelry, began working with Francois Coty to develop beautiful vessels for perfume, a revolutionary concept at the time. Perfume came in ordinary glass vials, and one would need to purchase a separate ornate and expensive bottle to decant their fragrance in if they wanted it stored in a more attractive setting. Lalique also had a stroke of genius when designing a manufacturing process whereby these new, intricate, beautiful bottles could be mass produced.....reducing costs and making them more affordable and easily available.
The House of Lalique is now one of the leading perfume houses with annual limited edition collector pieces within their fragrance collections. Other houses include The House of Sillage, Amouage, Bond No.9 and many more.
Just another part of the infinite fragrance journey we are all on!
Written by Valleri Flannery.
What intrigues you when you're looking at fragrances? The bottle? The scent itself? One thing that always catches me, and that I appreciate very much, is the story behind the fragrance.
Like music, fragrances conjure up 'something' within you when wearing and smelling them. It may be an emotion, a feeling, a memory or a story.
Some fragrance tell a story, and it adds a whole new dimension to your scent.
A newer collection, Arquiste, does just this! Each fragrance paints a picture in your mind. It gives you an idea of what was inspiring creator, Carlos Huber, as he was imagining them into being.
Aleksandr, a divine fragrance with notes of Leather, Fir, Violet and Lavender, tells the story of a fiery gentleman preparing for a duel to the death. On a wintery morning, he splashes on his toilette of Neroli and Violet, dons his heavy fir and leather boots, and rides off to meet his destiny.
Infanta En Flor, a beautiful powdery scent with notes of Orange Flower Water, Leather and Immortelle, tells of Maria Teresa, the Infanta of Spain, who is offered to Louis XIV in exchange for peace between the two nations. Then Fleur de Louis, its counterpart, sets the scene again, telling the same story from the other side. Two scents of different sides coming together into one fragrance story.
Arquiste is not the only fragrance collection to tell stories. An extremely niche collection, Romea d'Ameor, by Annie Vannier, shows a rich history of women throughout time.
The Taj Mahal's Eternal Love, a tragic and eternal love. Lush flowers, including the Taj Mahal Blue Lotus, mixed with fruits and green notes places you in the very palace built for Emperor Shah Jahan's one true love.
The Secret Heroines of the Tsar tells of Tsar Peter the Great sends his favorite spy on a secret mission to commission a now famous painting, so that he may outdo King Louis XV's reputation as patron of the arts. Anna, the spy, travels far and leaves such a beautiful scent from her journey, that it haunts the painter, Francois Boucher, and inspires his painting "The Secret Heroines of the Tsar".
Then there are collections like The House of Creed. While not exactly painting a picture of a rich history or story, tells of the inspirations behind their scents. Sort of a celebrity fragrance collection before celebrity fragrances were a 'thing', the Creed family would create fragrances inspired by, or created specifically for, royalty and celebrities alike.
Spring Flower was created for Audrey Hepburn, and is light and airy is the actress is herself. You can picture her standing next to you if you close your eyes.
Royal Water was created for the the next generation of The House of Windsor; Britain's young royals; a fresh and light fragrance that emanates sophistication.
Bois du Portugal, inspired by the woods of Portugal, leaves you feeling like you've just been on a hike in the Southern countries hills.
Fragrances can even reminisce upon personal stories, created after wearing something throughout a certain time in your life. They inspire the feeling you experience later in life.
This is just one subject that fragrances touch on in the infinite worlds they create.
What story does your fragrance tell?
~By Valleri Flannery
To start, I'd like to talk about what an incredible experience it is to be a part of the fragrance world. Diving into the unknown can begin an amazing journey, which I have had the pleasure to experience for the last 2 1/2 years here at Parfumerie Nasreen!
Fragrances are so personal and unique. They become a part of your memory, they seep into the crevices of your brain and stay there forever. I've heard it said that the link between scent and memory is the strongest of all the links in the brain, followed closely by music. Smell something a relative wore, something you wore back in high school, the smell of fresh cut grass in the summer......smell it again and your mind takes you right back to that time. It can sometimes be an emotional journey.
Fragrances have the power to envelop us wholly. There is so much to be discovered. So much more than the flavor(scent) of the week, more than your favorite celebrity or fashion designer. The unknowns and up-and-comers can be so much more enjoyable than you could have ever imagined.
In my time here, I've come to appreciate what goes into the scent making process. The time and energy that goes into it, what the 'Noses' give up of themselves, and enjoy every moment of it. I've also come to appreciate things that I would not have otherwise. Something someone else may find "too strong" or "stinky", I can appreciate the essence of the fragrance and my mind delves deeper into the potential of it.
With this blog, myself and the people involved in the future of Parfumerie Nasreen will discuss all of the ins and outs of perfume. We'll talk about what goes into it, what to be aware of when trying new fragrances, all the tricks and hidden knowledge we use everyday. We'll discuss new perfumers to be on the look out for, and all things niche about the perfume world. We will involve you in our passion for what we do!
Join us on our fragrance journey!!
