Fragrance

Eternal Egypt by Nocturne Alchemy

 in Beauty / Fragrance  tagged nocturne alchemy / reviews by

Nocturne Alchemy is a niche perfumer who has designed an entire fragrance collection around Egyptian mythology. Eternal Egypt by Nocturne Alchemy is the perfumers’ signature scent and embodies the mystery behind ancient Egypt through a warm and slightly spicy fragrance experience that evokes memories of Pyramids and Obelisks while offering the perfect fragrance note combination for the dry and warm Silicon Valley weather.

Nocturne Alchemy’ Eternal Egypt starts off with a mildly spicy and warm scent. After about thirty minutes the mild spices fade into the background and a warm mixture of amber, which is both rich and complex, takes you through the day. When the sun goes down, Nocturne Alchemy’s Eternal Egypt leaves you with a warm and smooth, musky dry-down.

Fragrance notes: White amber, red Egyptian musk, Egyptian amber, Sands of Egypt

Although Eternal Egypt by Nocturne Alchemy features a warm combination of notes, the mild spice and medium-heaviness allow the fragrance to be worn in both warm and cool weather.

Nocturne Alchemy’s Eternal Egypt is available in both a 5 ml bottle and a sample or “Skarab” form. The 5 ml bottle is currently priced at $13. For more information about how to purchase from Nocturne Alchemy, please visit nocturnealchemy.com.

Originally published by Cathy on examiner.com.

EternalEgyptphoto21a

Melissa Elia Founder of Mayssa Fragrance Interview

 in Beauty / Fragrance / Trends  tagged interviews / local perfumers / mayssa by

The San Francisco Bay Area is home to a few niche perfumers who create beautiful fragrances that may or may not get noticed beyond the local level. Niche perfumers are increasing in popularity as consumers become bored with “macro-perfumers” making fragrances that all smell alike and follow the “fragrance fashion trend du jour.”

There have been endless fragrance launches over the past ten years that mix and match the same scents over and over again; many of which have celebrity names attached to the bottle just to boost sales of the same boring liquid. The allure of boutique or niche perfumers has increased as consumers have realized there is a whole world of creativity out there that has yet to be sniffed. One of the local, San Francisco Bay Area perfumers worth noticing is Melissa Elia, creator of Mayssa Fragrance.

Mayssa Fragrance founder Melissa Elia created a light, floral fragrance out of love and passion.  Elia was in a classic love story with a man who spoke about future children and their future names. The girl’s name was to be Mayssa (pronounced may-ee-sah). When the relationship ended, Elia knew she needed a way to mend her broken heart. Her passion had been her love affair with a man; it was soon to be replaced by her passion for fragrance.

Melissa Elia always knew she had an inner desire to start and own something. Her entrepreneurial spirit kept bringing her into the fragrance world. Elia began to meet professionals in the fragrance industry and this was her cue to create her own fragrance.

Melissa Elia knew what fragrances she liked and what she did not like. She began purchasing essences and oils and mixing them together in her own kitchen.  Through trial and error, she narrowed down the ingredients that she and her friends liked the best. This is how Mayssa was born. Once Mayssa’s recipe was complete, Elia began to create shower gel, soap and lotion in her kitchen to complement the Mayssa perfume.

Launched in 2003, Mayssa is a beautiful, wearable combination of green, floral and citrus notes. The heart of the fragrance takes Fragrance Fashionistas through a flower garden filled with jasmine, rose and lily. The basenotes of Mayssa are smooth cedarwood and musk. Melissa Elia successfully created a light, everyday fragrance that can easily be worn to the office during the day as well as for an evening out on the town. She used a mix of synthetic and natural oils that are high in quality and long lasting.

Mayssa soon became popular and Melissa Elia realized she could no longer create the perfume in her own kitchen. She began to shop around in search of a perfumery that could produce her fragrance in small or large batches while maintaining the high quality mix of ingredients she demanded. After about a one year search, Melissa Elia found a local company in Livermore, California that could mix her perfume with high quality ingredients and create small or large batches depending on the needs of the business.

This beautiful fragrance is increasing in popularity as more and more Fragrance Fashionistas discover Mayssa. While Mayssa is currently sold in boutique hotel spas and online, the fragrance line is set to expand and be distributed nationally. Mayssa will continue to be a niche perfume while benefitting from national exposure and sales.

Melissa Elia is a true entrepreneur who found her passion and followed it. She is an inspiration to anyone looking to start a company and follow their dream.  Mayssa will not be the last perfume the fashion and beauty world sees from Melissa Elia. She has plans to create a men’s fragrance as well as continue to expand her Mayssa product line. She is definitely a business woman to follow, watch and learn from.

Mayssa

Mayssa Fragrance Line
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Mayssa Fragrance

Traveling with Scents

 in Beauty / Fragrance  tagged solid perfume / travel by

The Bay Area, and most of the nation for that matter, has been suffering from strong winter weather. Dealing with heavy rain and snow can make any fashionista hungry for a vacation! Some people will be heading up to Tahoe or Yosemite to enjoy the winter snow pack while others will be hopping on a airplane to warmer climates. Whether you travel by plane, train or automobile the common problem every fashionista will face is how do you pack your favorite perfume bottle? If you travel by airplane, you may not be allowed to carry-on your favorite scent. Unfortunately, packing your $100, $200 or even $300 perfume bottle in your suitcase that will be checked is not ideal. We all know what happens to our checked baggage! The tossing of the suitcase along with the threat of your suitcase being on the bottom of someone else’s 5000 pound baggage can cause even the most carefully packed glass bottle to break. Not only will you lose your precious perfume but everything in your suitcase will be ruined! Thankfully perfume houses have come up with the perfect solution for scent-savvy fashionistas everywhere. The solid perfume.

Solid Perfume has been around for several years, but lately more perfumiers have been creating solid versions of their best selling scents. Marc Jacobs has put his famous scent “Daisy” into a fun daisy style ring that flips up to reveal the solid perfume. Marc Jacobs and Estee Lauder have also put their solids into jewelry such as necklaces. Bond No. 9, the famous New York perfume house that is known for it’s original scents that are inspired by various New York Burroughs has a pretty, gold compact that fits easily into your purse or pocket. There are even recipes on the Internet in places such as “wikihow” that help you make your favorite scent into a solid for your convenience. This is a great alternative to buying the solid perfume as they can run in price from $20-$100+. Whatever your choice, make sure you have at least one solid scent on hand for traveling, your gym bag, your handbag or anywhere you might be in need of smelling fabulous!

perfume

Solid Perfume shown here; Nuits de noho by Bond No. 9