VIOLETTE MARKET!

"You've got to pick up every stitch...must be the season of the witch." Donovan

Feeling a bit witchy myself these days, Goddess Granny here to scent up this season of all this smokey and spooky in the BEST possible way! After the Summer from hell here in South Texas, I am feeling the cooler breezes signal a need to lay my precious floral "Black Gardenia" scent by Michele Bergman to rest for a few months and have been on a hunt for "something" that would envoke all that is Autumn and sexy in a bottle for this change of season!

I strolled, I sniffed, I searched. I am not one to buy the latest "designer in a bottle" scent simply because I want to send not only a message by my choice of how I smell but also NOT to smell like 10 other women in a room wearing exactly the same one. Yes, there ARE so many perfumes out there to choose from and literally if I could, I'd sample them all, I adore perfume that much.

I wore (and still enjoy on others) "Angel" by Thierry Mugler for 15 years but when I could no longer smell it at all nor could my man, I knew it was time for a change. I also decreed never again to be "labeled" by one scent again, perhaps a sign of my personal evolution as well? Why drink from only one teacup when life has so many to offer, right? Or in Meg's case, only one wine glass? :)

I began to stick my nose into some of the more esoteric "bottles" out there: those small batch creators who probably spend hours locked in their studios sniffing and messing around with eyedroppers until they create something they approve of and can feasibly recreate for those of us who want to smell like NO one else's grandma? There are actually a few such places and true creative genius scent-designers around but I'm going to rave here about one of my favorites, Lori of "Violette Market." She somehow manages to conjure up THE most thought-provoking, unique, and flat-out SEXY scents on this planet while presenting them with class, intelligence, and more than a bit of humor and wit.

"As a perfumer I strive to create aromatic and homepathetic blends that invoke memories and visions of times long past. I hope that you will appreciate the history and the quality that forms the complete theme of my line. All of the perfumes are hand-blended in small batches and I use only the finest oils, essentials, and extracts available. I use no animal ingredients (other than beeswax when noted) and do absolutely no animal testing. All of my products are tested on friends and family.
Our blended perfumes and bath products that are inspired by literature, poetry and mythology. I find inspiration everywhere and am most fascinated by the Medieval Period, the Victorian Era, Cathedrals, Pirates, Old Libraries, and Ancient Myth and Lore."

For example:
Miss Dani Doe, The Cathouse Kitties
Creamy Harvest pumpkin cheesecake with a hint of clove spice

Vamp Lounge
Dim red lights, black leather, hazy clove incense, red sandalwood, a roaring fire in the stone and iron hearth, golden vanilla, toasted coconut, blond patchouli, cinnamon leaf, residual grave loam, and dried tobacco.

Feathertop
Inspired by the short story written by Nathaniel Hawthorne and published in 1852 about a scarecrow created and brought to life in seventeenth century Salem, Massachusetts. Warm farm hay, golden amber, blond patchouli, sun-dried sweet grass, green fig, oats, beeswax, and a trail of pipe smoke infused in organic grain alcohol.

Get the idea of how her fabulous mind works? Not only does she create incredible perfumes,she knows just how to make you "smell them with your mind" as well! I get a bit lost on this site and find myself daydreaming and getting all poetic in the very best way. :)

 I have been LOVING and LIVING in this one for a week:

Pumpkin Coach
A shimmering, glistening display of sugared pear, frankincense, golden quince, gardenia buds, raspberry roses, vanilla orchid, pink jasmine, and the magic dust sprinkled on one unsuspecting orange pumpkin.

There are sections devoted to "Limited Editions' on the site where seasonally-inspired and special scents can be found as well as the "regular" fare if "Vampre" and "Myths and Legends" and "Victorian Apothecary" can be considered regular? You can spend quite a bit of time reading around/enjoying the site and Lori even has prose and poetry contests from time to time. To be able to use the written word as inspiration as well as to be inspired by that which most of us don't think much about ("Cathedrals"...are you kidding me??? :) absolutely defines Lori as someone who "gets" the perfumer's art in all of it's multitude of layers and relentless sniffs!

You might well spend quite a bit of time on the site but I promise you that you will not go broke: not sure how she does it with the cost of supplies but Lori also manages to keep her amazing scents very affordable so I feel totally spoiled with I can order 5 or 6 scents as opposed to one measly bottle of a department store smelly. The scents arrive BEAUTIFULLY packaged in glass bottles with applicator tops, they are not sprays (which I personally hate) but rather real perfume you dab on those precious hot-spots. She somehow finds organza-bags for each bottle in a color that reflects the name of the scent and also includes generous samples.

Have I mentioned that her customer service is just about as good as it gets? Delivery usually within a week-10 days and all questions are answered by Lori promptly and graciously, she is an absolutely lovely lady!

I may have been on a hunt for that first "scent of a pumpkin" but I found so much more at "Violette Market" and will not rest until I have at least sampled everything Lori creates at least once ! I am even more impressed in this current business climate when an e-tailer goes the extra distance both in product and service and this delightful and EVER so brilliant perfume-house manages to do just that with a hefty dose of style and sexy thrown in for good measure.The art and creation of perfume is one that goes back to the dawn of time and I for one have always been fascinated by how it all works: "Violette Market" allows all of us who love the thrill of a good smell the opportunity to experience some absolutely original and high quality fragrances with ease and without much guilt!

The "Diablo Canyon General Store" that she says will be open in October on the Home page? Wow....that's when and where you can order custom scents and body products for a limited time and I plan on doing some shopping then for that date in December which shall remain nameless for sure!

Do you like to keep your scent a signature one or like me, are you craving something new and exciting with the flip of the calendar page?

CHECK IT OUT HERE!