Davana

Davana is an odd scent. Kind of fruity, and to me, kind of boozy. It reminds me a bit of cough syrup sometimes. It is also a bit of a chameleon, and can smell differently on different people. Of course that's true of all (or at least many) fragrances, but when creating this scent, I couldn't stand it in the bottle, but liked it on my skin.

I wanted to emphasize the fruitiness of davana, so I added Roman chamomile. Frankincense and Peru balsam at the base added additional sweetness and some citrus. At this point, it seemed like it could be a sugarbomb of a fragrance, and while there is a market for that, I don't want that to be the end result.

Back to the middle notes, I added rose geranium and ylang ylang. This probably didn't help with the sweetness, but adds a small touch of floral. For the top notes I went with spice (black pepper and juniper berry) and some floral woods- petitgrain and rosewood. The scent definitely isn't a fruity floral- the floral aspect is pretty quiet.

Lab #4 Davana is available from Etsy and Ivre de Fleurs for $10.

Also new on Etsy are blended floral balms. There are currently three different blends- Trio Blend, which leans towards jasmine but with hints of rose and tuberose; White Flowers, a blend with jasmine, neroli, and tuberose; and Mimosa Neroli, a honeyed scent with an orange flower twist. These are $10 for each .15 ounce jar.

Product Spotlight: Floral Perfume Balms

Neroli Balm, 1 ounce Size, available in all but Plumeria.

The floral balms I make are probably my most unique product. Both highly fragrant and moisturizing, they can work like a solid perfume, or as a balm for cuticles or other rough skin. My Etsy shop has all sizes of the floral balms available. You can also purchase the quarter ounce jars directly from the Ivre de Fleurs website, where I offer free shipping on all orders.

Floral Balms from Etsy

Quarter Ounce Jars from Ivre de Fleurs Website

The balms are centered around the floral waxes. These are made when the respective flower is washed with a solvent,creating the concrete- the fragrant materials and waxes of the flowers. The concrete is washed with alcohol to make the absolute, leaving behind behind the wax. 

The floral balms combine the wax of the flower, shorea butter, various oils, and a little bit of extra scent from the  to match complete the scent of the wax- for example, the Neroli Balm pictured above uses orange flower wax, and has a little bit of neroli (orange flower) essential oil for a more rounded scent.

.25 ounce jars of all varieties.

I've tracked down as many floral waxes as I can- I've seen lotus and champaca before, but not in stock. I have rose, tuberose, orange blossom (neroli), mimosa, plumeria (frangipani), and jasmine. The jasmine uses two varieties for both the wax and absolute- Jasmine Sambac and Jasmine Grandiflorum. 

All six are available as a set on Etsy for a reduced price.

Minis! Each lasts for awhile. Available in all but rose. 

Try three minis!

Try five minis!

So how to use these unusual beauties? I use them mostly as cuticle balms- a little goes a long way, and I get to enjoy the scent while doing something I find tedious. While it probably wouldn't work as an all over body moisturizer, rub some into particularly rough spots, like elbows. 

They would also work as a moisturizing solid perfume, either using one or layering a few to create a custom fragrance. Please note that since they are natural, the scents won't last as long as commercial perfumes. You can also apply it before putting on your favorite fragrance, giving it a scent unique to you.

Coming Soon! The Ivre de Fleurs Etsy shop is opening this weekend!

Easy to apply and easy to love. Pamper your feet with a blend of lavender, tea tree, and peppermint essential oils. This balm in a tube glides over your feet, softening them with natural butters and oils.

Dreamy lip balms, currently available in sweet Lemon Cream (pictured) and tasty Mocha. Other flavors to follow!

Floral body balms, available in Neroli (pictured), Jasmine, Rose, Tuberose, and Mimosa. Use for cuticles, rough skin, or even as a light perfume.