Sometimes I see a picture and in my mind a scent appears. It is as if I would really smell it in this moment. I mean, I spend so much time with smells, that I have kind of a database in my mind. Some smells are evoked by scenes, movies or pictures. The best smell of today: The smell of my son after being at the playground. Sun and sand on warm children’s skin. Smells like a day at the beach.
Concerning the photo above I thought of The 7 Virtues perfumes, especially of Middle East Peace. Although the picture is showing a mantra scarf, and in the background you can probably see a beach and not the desert.
The 7 Virtues has been launched at the Galeries Lafayette in Berlin recently. All perfumes are made with natural oils. The orange blossom oil in Afghanistan Orange Blossom is produced by farmers in Afghanistan, the grapefruit oil in Middle East Peace is sourced from Israel. The CEO of the company, Canadian author Barb Stegemann wants to support nations that have experienced strife and now are rebuilding like Afghanistan, Haiti or the Middle East. A friend of Barb, who is a soldier, had been injured in Afghanistan and she had promised him on his bedside to follow his mission to help poor families in Afghanistan. Barb spent a lot of time in the troubled country and there her idea was born: “We source essential oils for our fragrances from our supplier in Afghanistan who provides seasonal employment for his tribe and community. Every time we purchase legal essential oils from Afghanistan, we are doing our part to provide alternatives to the illegal poppy crop which causes instability in our own communities.“
For those who love layering, I recommend the Custom Blend Box with four perfumes: Middle East Peace, Afghanistan Orange Blossom, Vetiver of Haiti and Noble Rose of Afghanistan. Middle East Peace serves as a base and has the double size.
For my taste Middle East Peace is perfect without layering – spicy without an oriental overkill. One of the main ingredients is the ethereal oil of the so-called sweetie fruit, a new twist on citrus. In the opening the perfume really smells as if you squeeze out grapefruit peel. Add some lime, basilic, cedar wood and bamboo – in my opinion also some musk – and you get a refreshing, clean summer scent with an oriental touch, which could be deepened with Afghanistan Orange Blossom. This is, by the way, my favorite layering composition of the Custom Blend Box – and the perfect beach scent!
Photos: via TheyAllHateUs, The 7 Virtues
