Molton Brown is a line of products I'm not terribly familiar with, although my sense is that they are generally quite good, if not outrageously wonderful. I occasionally come across them in the bathrooms of upscale hotels, or when I sneak into a business class bathroom on an overseas flight. I love the English look and feel about them, a sort of steady and reassuring quality, unflappable with a stiff upper lip.
Several years ago I came across their Naran Ji Liquid Hand Wash and Soothing Hand Lotion in the ladies room in the lobby of the Peninsula hotel in New York. I used it with great interest and enjoyment, and my lingering recollection is an experience of quite tenacious orange blossom that softly cocooned my hands in a subtle silken luxury. When I received a sample of Naran Ji Air (their room spray), I expected it to be a variation on the same theme, but in fact the only common theme between the hand wash, lotion, and air spray is some version of orange. Only the lotion contains neroli. According to their website, Naran Ji Air contains orange, Egyptian basil, Russian carvi, thyme and black currant. In case anyone is wondering — as I was — what Russian carvi is, carum carvi is caraway, but Russian caraway usually refers to the seeds of the nigella sativa plant, also known as "black cumin" or "black caraway".
The first impression after spraying it was heavily reminiscent of Eau de Cologne. In fact, both the Eau Fraiche and the Eau Forte of the Eaux de Caron unexpectedly came to mind — probably the combination of citrus and sharp basil of the Fraiche, as well as the rounder orange and black currant of the Forte. But Naran Ji Air offers only a nod in that direction — overall it is a much lighter, airier, and more pungently herbaceous scent. The citrus and herbal accords are prominent in the opening, and recede only slightly to share the stage with a rather spicy note which I could not identify (probably the Russian carvi), followed by a sweet fruity note that reminded me of holiday scented candles. I imagine the fruit to be the black currant, but it lacks the lush purple black tart and depth of the real fruit, offering instead a more generic 'winter berry' scent.
When I returned to the room 10 minutes later, the fruit met me outside in the hallway but when I opened the door I found only citrus and herbs. After another 15 minutes had passed, I stepped in the room to unexpectedly encounter a light but very smoky, almost leathery note, something I had not anticipated from the initial evolution.
Overall, I found Naran Ji to be pleasant enough and mostly unisex, although the smoky arrival at the end made it just a bit too masculine for my own taste. I can imagine it working quite well in corporate settings (insofar as they allow scent), or even in the restrooms at restaurants and bars, where its zest would be refreshing. It could make a fabulous house warming gift for someone who likes Molton Brown, especially if you combine it with the other Naran Ji products, but overall it didn't create enough ambience to tempt me for home use, and like other Molton Brown home products, this one is not cheap. At $37 for 100 ml, you would probably find me sneaking over to the Diptyque counter instead, to indulge in one of their fabulous sprays for the same price.
For buying information, see the listing for Molton Brown under Perfume Houses. Print Article
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Filed in: home fragrance

Of late, I have been consciously trying to switch most of my household cleaning products over to those made by eco-friendly companies. After several month's effort, I've become so unused to "chemical smell" that on the rare occasion I do use something full of chemicals, I find the harsh aroma harder to endure than I once did. The difference is really notable. And while at one point in the past, I would have assumed that in order to go 'natural' I would have to lower my expectations for the creativity/enjoyability factor, the new line of household products by Seventh Generation says otherwise.
Seventh Generation has updated their line of products; there are seven scents, and they all sound quite tempting: White Flower & Bergamot Citrus, Blue Eucalyptus & Lavender, Lemongrass & Clementine Zest, Lavender Floral & Mint, Emerald Cypress & Fir, Green Mandarin & Leaf, and Ruby Grapefruit & Herb. Their website maintains that they use only 'whole and pure plant and flower essences' with aromatherapeutic effects. I like the innovation behind their concept as well — the underlying vision is that of a tree, with the fragrances each corresponding to one of seven parts: roots, core, wood, seed, leaf, flower and fruit.
Two of my new staples are the White Flower & Bergamot and the Blue Eucalyptus & Lavender liquid laundry detergents. The White Flower & Bergamot is lovely and sheer, with "bergamot, petitgrain sur fleurs, blood orange and nutmeg CO2". The petitgrain sur fleurs (oil distilled from both the leaves and flowers of the citrus aurantium) is very generous, giving the fragrance a predominantly light citrus floral effect that is soothing and uplifting — the primary aromatherapeutic properties of neroli. Subtle hints of bergamot add a little depth rounded out by the warmth and spice of a very minimal nutmeg. It's such a delightful scent for a detergent that I have on occasion wondered if I could use it for a bubble bath. I find it quite feminine and love it for linens, delicates, and other more refined laundry loads. The detergent does a fine job cleaning, although with most Seventh Generation products I find I need to use a bit more than I would with a mainstream product.
For loads that call for something more robust, I switch to the Blue Eucalyptus & Lavender detergent. This one contains "A blend of lavender vera, lavandin, eucalyptus dives (peppermint gum), eucalyptus radiata, eucalyptus polybractea (blue mallee), and pine". It combines the calming and centering effects of lavender with the fresh pungency of eucalyptus and pine, leaving an overall sense of cleanliness and well-being in the laundry room. I like using it for socks and towels and anything else that might benefit from the disinfectant properties of these oils. Neither of these detergent scents linger much on clothing after it's been through the dryer (perhaps adding the matching fabric softeners would strengthen the scent), but I actually prefer it that way. ($14.39 for 100 fl. oz)
In the kitchen, I have come to appreciate the Lemongrass & Clementine Zest dishwashing liquid. This not-so-humbly scented dishwashing liquid contains "clementine, bergamot, blood orange, lemongrass, and elemi". It's very subtle; I can't smell much unless I'm right in the middle of doing the dishes standing above the steamy sink, and what I do get from it is the stalky green-ness of lemongrass combined with the particular peppery warmth of elemi. It's friendly and inviting, and easy to appreciate for not competing with the smell of cooking in the kitchen, nor adding any imposing synthetic overtones to the air around it.
The Lavender Floral & Mint version of the same product is also unusually scented for a dishwashing liquid, boasting "lime, lavender, ylang ylang complete, peppermint, and spearmint." The primary impression I get from this one is the unexpected combination of spearmint and ylang ylang. The lavender adds a bit of texture, and possibly the lime a tiny bit of zest, but it is primarily a floral mint with the characteristic sweet opluence of ylang ylang. It is as subtle as the other scent, quite easy to miss unless you are close up, but I still find the deep richness of the ylang ylang surprising in this context. That's not to say it's bad, but just surprising every time I catch it! ($2.99 for 25 fl.oz.)
Finally, in the bathroom, the Emerald Cypress & Fir Toilet Cleaner (balsam fir, lime and emerald cypress) is an unabashedly 'green' scent, with the strong refreshing lime enhanced by the slightly resinous wood notes of the fir and cypress. It's clean and cooling, and works very well. ($5.39 for 32 fl. oz)
I have yet to try anything in their Green Mandarin & Leaf range (which sounds lovely with green mandarin, petitgrain and spearmint), or in the Ruby Grapefruit & Herb (grapefruit, geranium and basil) but I am willing to wager they are as good as the others. Clearly, I am really thrilled about this line! All the products are non-toxic and biodegradable and, with this added addition of beautiful whole plant oils and essences in creative and enjoyable blends, this is fast becoming my favorite way to be eco-friendly in the house.
Learn more about the company (which has some pretty original ideas and initiatives going) and their products at seventhgeneration. The products are available at drugstore.com.
See also: Scented household cleaners from Earth Friendly Products, The Thymes Apricot Quince Dishwashing Liquid & All Purpose Cleaning Spray, Downy Simple Pleasures Fabric Softener, Vanilla & Lavender and Dawn Botanicals Uplifting Lemongrass and Orange Blossom. Print Article
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Filed in: home fragrance

I have always had a soft spot for Valentine's Day. I can't help but feel that there must be just a little bit of magic in anything that brings deep rose, burgundy and crimson colors into the heart of a fluffy white snow-filled February. Small but decadent boxes of chocolate beckon, velvety red petals abound, a brief moment in time where one is allowed to be unabashedly romantic if one wishes....
Having only recently discovered Les Parfums de Rosine, I am tempted to say that this delightful, albeit expensive, little Parisian line is sort of the fragrance industry equivalent of Valentine's Day. With their lovely perfumes, soaps and candles, luxurious packaging, and unapologetic preference for roses of all sorts, they bring the same sense of indulgent romance into the house as a box of bon-bons wrapped in a huge pink bow. And, although I have not tried their other fragrances, I can't imagine that any product in their line does this more so than the La Rose de Rosine perfumed candle.
With its violet/rose accord, it is slightly reminiscent of Paris by Yves Saint Laurent. La Rose is described as follows on the Parfumes de Rosine website: "The woman who wears it is ultra feminine, and a kind of diva. She is sensual, noble, beautiful and so refined. Her world is the boudoir and opera front seat...La Rose de Rosine is made with the sumptuous and opulent red rose...Intense, velvety, intriguing La Rose de Rosine has a long-lasting trace. It brings an impression of power and refinement." It is true that this is not a meek fragrance, and it has a certain self-confident opulence — intensely sweet, but buttressed by enough structure to carry it through.
The notes are listed as Violet from Tourette sur Loup, tagete, ylang ylang, roses, rose attars from Turkey, Bulgaria and Grasse, jasmine, iris, tonka bean, benzoin and Peru balsam. It's quite a variable scent, even in candle form, starting up immediately with an initial and persistent note of almost soapy rose powder tempered by a somewhat green violet. The tagete may afford a little herbaceous balance but it's very subtle. At times, as it warms, the soapiness recedes and the accord shifts into a juicy violet and mouthwatering rose, bringing a lush and playful tone with it. Occasionally, particularly when sitting closer to the candle, the rose fleshes out into a full-bodied beauty lounging on a bed of tonka bean in the warm embrace of benzoin and ultra-smooth Peru balsam. The combination is quite stunning — the basenotes are somewhat reminiscent of Ormonde Jayne's Tolu. And then that image disappears and the violet re-emerges cheerful, and sweetly bold. My only wish is that it would not go back to the soapy notes (as it inevitably does) as I find them a bit too cloying and sweet.
I am trying the 35g "mini" size (please comment if you have tried the large size!); the throw is decent for a mini, but the depth and complexity of the scent do not carry well. The burn is also a bit sooty, but the wax burns cleanly down so you should do fine if you trim the wick often.
La Rose de Rosine, much like a box of chocolate covered bon-bons, is a little too sweet for my taste and yet, I just can't seem to stop lighting it for the pure delight of bringing such wonderfully Parisian decadence into my home on this dreary, snow-laden February afternoon.
The La Rose de Rosine candle is $17 for 35g or $65 for 200g; for buying information, see the listing for Les Parfums de Rosine under Perfume Houses. Print Article
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Filed in: home fragrance