Kaipu Cherry Blossom

Kaipu is an Israeli line of body products and perfumes, which describes itself as holistic, Fair-Trade-partnered and organic. Thanks to a kind and generous fellow perfume lover, I got to try several of the scents, and Cherry Blossom was an unexpected favorite. It was translated to me that Cherry Blossom combines the notes of spring flowers and sweet and sourish fruit...rather vague copy, but it leaves a lot of room for imagination. I imagine that the composition which, again, thanks, translators, is "a combination of lightness and richness", is built on a contrast of fresh, airy notes, like, possibly, lily of the valley and maybe jasmine and sweeter, fluffier notes of heliotrope, with an extra, but not too big, dose of cherry. Ordinarily I abhor cherry and heliotrope in perfume, but here the notes are rendered with such translucency, such subtlety...the scent is tenderness itself, a delicate gauze, the softess caress. I could go on. I like its fresh, dewy beginning, the tart, slightly sweet heart, the slightly powdery drydown. A simple, delightful, truly spring-like creation. Cherry Blossom, $14.00-$29.00, like other Kaipu products, is, unfortunately, only available in Israel. Three Candles by Chagall are from art.com.

Ayala Moriel Hanami

By Tom Ayala is a Canadian natural perfumer, who made an appearance here in Los Angeles to introduce her new scent Hanami. Ayala explained, with her charming accent that she had moved to Vancouver from her home in Israel and longed to recreate the heady scents she remembered from home, which led her into perfumery. Hanami she told us was based upon a poem, but also of the memory of a friend leading her with covered eyes down a city street to uncover them to the sight of a street full of fully-bloomed cherry blossoms, and the desire to capture that scent: the juxtaposition of the hard smells of the city and the creamy whiteness of the trees. Did she succeed? Dunno. There's a sad dearth of Cherry trees in Los Angeles, so I cannot write to the perfection of the simulacrum. I can write that the scent is lovely, a haiku of lotus, tonka, vetiver and woods. People like Ayala make me able to face those EU regulations with less fear.. I smelled several of Ayala's scents at Blunda, but being an idiot, I didn't note them, except that there were two that Wendy wore which she must buy immediately. Check her blog and see if she mentions them. Available at Ayala's website and at these retailers Image of Petals of cherry blossoms on pavement is by Takeshi.yedoensis at flickr