When I was growing up in Virginia, every summer my grandmother and her sister Delia would take me huckleberry picking. Huckleberry bushes grew along ditches at the edge of woods, so one had to contend with ticks, chiggers, mosquitoes, gnats, horseflies, and the occasional snake as one picked the fruit. To foil this onslaught of biting varmints, my grandmother would wear a striking outfit that made her look like a character from a Charles-Dickens-Meets-Flannery-O’Connor tale: a long-sleeved, ground-dragging dress, a tall straw-and-linen bonnet, a gauze scarf that fell to her hips, and, most strangely, kerosene-moistened cotton rags tied in bows around her ankles and wrists.
My grandmother felt sure this get-up would protect her from all manner of animal attack. It certainly attracted attention from passersby — they would slow down their cars and stare at the two elderly women (looking ghostly in their old fashioned white and pale blue outfits) hovering in the shade of the woodland. Me? Between short stints of labor-intensive berry picking, I was usually hidden in the woods, rummaging through the cooler for things to eat and drink.
When we got the buckets of huckleberries home after a four-hour picking spree, my father would cook scrumptious huckleberry dumplings and my grandmother would make huckleberry jam. The smell of huckleberries would fill the house.
I’ve tried to grow huckleberries here in Seattle but the bushes just don’t produce enough fruit to justify the space they take up, so every summer I search in farmers’ markets for the sweet fruit that reminds me, always, of my grandmother.
Voluspa’s Santiago Huckleberry body/room spray smells exactly like fresh, sweet huckleberries; it’s quite startling to smell such a realistic fruit aroma coming out of a bottle. Sprayed into the air, the huckleberry scent is bright and ‘wet’, like a freshly picked ripe berry. On skin, the huckleberry scent slowly sweetens and you can detect notes of sugar cane (huckleberry sorbet) and vanilla pod (huckleberry ice cream).
The lasting power of Santiago Huckleberry is very good whether you use it to scent your house or your body. For those of you who allow your young children to wear cologne, Santiago Huckleberry would be a good alternative to the usual citrus and orange blossom scents made for children — Santiago Huckleberry smells uncomplicated and fun.
I have nothing but kind things to say about Voluspa’s high-quality line of Japonica perfumed sprays, candles, hand lotions and hand soaps. For buying information, see the listing for Voluspa under Perfume Houses.
I must say this is new to me; a spray for both the home and body. Often I've wished that certain room scents were also available as perfume.
This one sounds like I would love it from your description. Any idea as to it's lasting ability on the skin?
And you've triggered a memory for me now of when I was a young child and visiting relatives in Georgia. They were picking berries and I joined in. But coming from the northeast, I soon learned just how truly hot Georgia summers could be. But oh, those wondrous berries made it worth while.
I don't have any problems wearing room scents on my skin. Most of the time the only difference with perfume and room sprays is (less) complexity, concentration, and formulation. And it's basically a linear scent.
The only thing I would feel weird about is…well…smelling like room spray. But the stuff out there these days are so well done one would hardly think it's a room spray at all.
My first love was Pier One's (believe it or not) Citrus Cilantro for $8. Sounds weird, I know, but it's this glorious citrus with an undertone of herbal to tone the sharpness down. I sprayed it on my skin and felt so good all day, I still spray it on me now and then. It was also great for “Febreze-ing” purposes to chase the stale closet smell out of clothes.
This past winter I loved the spiciness of L'Occitane's Amber room spray. It smelled like a spicier version of Shalimar. Interesting that the room spray smelled so different from the EdT, which I love even more.
Thinking of something green for Spring, something like Diptyque's Philosykos. And the search begins! Suggestions welcome folks.
This lasted on my skin for about 4 hours which is pretty good. It also lingered in the air very well. (Can't wait for berry season.) K
Citrus-Cilantro sounds good…I'll have to look for it. Have you ever tried Esteban's Sous les Feuilles room spray (with grass, citrus and tomato leaf?) I can also recommend Cote Bastide's Orange Flower spray and Diptyque's Feuille de Lavande (reviewed here on NST…look under home fragrance), Jacinthe, Lilas and Muguet room sprays. ALL these say: SPRING! and are worthy of wearing on the body. K
What a lovely, evocative story!
If I wanted to smell *exactly* like a bunch of mimosa I would wear Diptyque's room spray: it's the *only* one that faithfully reproduces the smell of that delightful flower (mimosa is my favourite because of its association with the French Riviera). Nothing else comes closer to the real thing. That's why I wouldn't want to wear that spray, after all: it's not complex enough and I'm not a tiny yellow puffball. LOL!
A friend gave me a bottle of Mimosa for Christmas and it went immediately to the front of the room spray “heap.” It DOES smell like there's a huge mimosa bouquet in the room. About two weeks ago I put on too much Eau d'Hermes before leaving the house so I “cut” it with Mimosa which was right there in front of me…and the combination smelled good (like mimosa in a leather vase).
I'm glad you like it too. A big part of my life was spent in Nice so I'm very particular about my mimosa scents. LOL! That one is by far the truest.
Well, this is all a revelation to me! Never knew of anyone using room sprays on their person. I suppose I never did because I thought their would be some components that would irritate the skin. I love Yankee Candle's SAGE & CITRUS, for example. But the label warns against spraying it on the skin.
But apparently with certain ones it's possible.
I can't say for sure about the Yankee Candle sprays, but sometimes chemicals that can cause photosensitivity are used … you can get a skin reaction if you go in the sun wearing the spray. Almost all the roomsprays I use can be worn on the skin…after all, the particles from the spray are going into your LUNGS and touching the skin. K
Thanks for the feedback, Kevin. I would assume then that probably the better quality room sprays would be safe. But I would avoid using any spray that carried a warning on the label against applying it directly to the skin, personally.
Many times I've been tempted to use some of the Body Shop home fragrance oils, but the label gives a clear warning to avoid using it on the skin. But I believe it's generally known not to use essential oils directly on skin undiluted.
What a great story! I don't think I've ever seen huckleberries growing, but after my father moved back to the states for retirement, he made me go w/ him once to pick raspberries and it sounds like a similar experience to picking huckleberries. I'm afraid we didn't repeat it. Maybe we should have worn those interesting and defensive outfits. 🙂
I bought the Champaca Bloom and Fern spray last week – absolutely brilliant and I continue to be amazed at the cost. Will make sure to sniff the Huckleberry next time I'm in that store.
Glad you liked the Champaca/Fern spray. I'm with you…I”m more of a BIG-fruit picker (as in — go grab a watermelon and that's IT!) K
I work in a spa that carried the entire Voluspa range, and Santiago Huckleberry is one of my favorites- I love the entire Voluspa range! Every scent is gorgeously done, even if it’s not my style, I still enjoy the craftsmanship behind each one.