Demeter has launched La Vida Latina, a new collection of fragrances "blending the passion of the Latin lifestyle with the unique perspective of Demeter". There are currently two fragrances in the set, Saguaro Cactus and Sweet Cilantro.
Saguaro Cactus ~ "Absolutely energizing. Feel the heat from this fresh, lush, green scent from the deserts of the American Southwest and Mexico."
Sweet Cilantro ~ "Incredibly sensual and filled with passion and challenge. Like the leaves of the herb coriander – this is a crisp, fresh and fragrant scent that people either love, hate, or love to hate."
Demeter Saguaro Cactus and Sweet Cilantro are available in 15, 30 or 120 ml Cologne ($6 - $39.50) and in matching bath & body products. (via demeterfragrance)
I wonder who buys the 120 ml sizes of this stuff? I mean, they’re fun and entertaining…but not really something you’d want to wear on a daily basis.
I know there are like, a million demeters available and I’ve only tried one (Bulgarian Rose)…it doesn’t seem to last very long…and considering the notes I wonder if these are even shorter lived. So maybe you need to spray liberally and frequently, so 120 ml might be necessary. ???
I didn’t know you hadn’t tried any – I’ll send some along next go-round. Some of the more “normal” scents are fine to have in big bottles. I would totally use a big bottle of Dandelion if it would ever freakin’ get hot enough here to wear anything but patchouli.
mmmm cool, thanks! I’ve got a dab of that dandy lion on the back of my hand right now…it does sort of make me think of a big sunlit field of wildflowers! (in spite of the clouds and rain)
Apparently: I lie like a dog! I do have some samples! silly me. ;-D
Did I send them to you? I thought I did but I have no idea now what I sent.
uh-oh…getting more like me everyday! I can never remember what I send…so I started keeping lists…so now I lose the lists.
sigh
but yes! You sent me Wisteria and Dandelion….no Earthworm (thank goodness!) I’m really enjoying the Perlier Vanilla Mango too.
I have tended to use them more as room sprays than as perfume and have never bought one in a big size. Actually, I just bought the Gin & Tonic … it was super-cheap at Victoria’s Secret online, and I thought I remembered hearing good things about it from someone here …
Use as a room spray sounds like a great way to enjoy Demeters … thanks for the idea
If I remember right, Sephora sells the largest size only. A friend of mine bought the Play Doh one as a joke for someone, and was stunned when it showed up in a HUGE bottle. I don’t think they give you an option there. But yeah, it doesn’t seem like something you would need an enormous bottle of. (Well, and for me, there’s nothing that I need an enormous bottle of, since I can’t ever conceivably run out of a bottle of anything–I think I’m pretty much good to go with what I have until I die. Not that that stops me from buying more.)
Its kind of ..disturbing to know that you’ve got enough perfume to last until you die, no? Thats me too!
Yeah, I try not to think about it too much! I’ve got enough reasons to feel bad about myself, I don’t need another.
no no no! it’s REASSURING to have a perfume collection that will last so long…the idea of running out is horrible!!
I have two darling daughters, and the way my life has gone, I may have nothing else to leave them. They may be destitute, but they’ll smell good! (Ok, not for long, because I’m still in full-on sampling mode and haven’t bought much for FBs…but I don’t plan to die *quite* yet.)
Incredibly glad to hear that!
Thanks for the reframe, Daisy! You’re right, it would be so much worse to ever run out. We’re just being PRACTICAL.
That’s right! Clearly you are a woman of great intelligence and sensibility! (I had suspected but agreeing with me was the clincher!)
Miss K and Daisy, I don’t even know why I posted that. I hate the idea of running out more than the idea of having a lifetime supply.
I bought the super big Gingerale!
Ok, I *might* make an exception for that one…but even there, probably 30 ml would do for me.
The Gingerale sounds good to me too….and don’t they have some cake fragrances? I could go for cake….boy, could I go for cake!
I can’t believe you haven’t tried Gingerale! Had I known, I’d have tossed a sample in your package. Oh well, next one….though it’s a shame I don’t have the spray vials. Not sure it has the same effect dabbed as sprayed (you can smell the bubbles!).
I like their Angel Food Cake.
The Gingerale one sounds wonderful – they had a bunch of Demeters that had been abused at Marshall’s a few weeks ago for $3.00. Of course, they were the little bottles and most of them were only about a third full, but most of the ones that I sniffed were nasty. I think that the only one I liked was the Pink Lemonade and it was also almost empty. I still wouldn’t mind trying Gingerale and these two. Of course, every time that I’m in Sephora or Ulta, I have bigger fish to fry than the Demeters.
I’ve never tried any Demeter product. The cactus sounds interesting. Don’t know about smelling like cilantro though. One of the most important ingredients in Latin cooking….but as a scent. Hmmm
The cilantro is appealing to me, I love cilantro … but as a perfume, I’m not sure either!
I’ll third that. I would just imagine smelling like pico de gallo. Now the cactus, that one I want to try…
I think you either like the idea of the odder single notes or you don’t. A dead ringer for cilantro: I’d buy it.
I guess I’m one who doesn’t like the idea too much… or just doesn’t feel the need to own any. Though certain single notes like tomato leaf I just love, or certain soliflore notes. I got a sample of Gingerale weeks ago that I still haven’t cracked open, can you believe it?
Tama shared Earthworm & Wet Earth with me recently and I found those interesting, but tiny vials are plenty!
Duh! I did smell ONE Demeter! I totally forgot…Patchouli 2009!
I can’t quite imagine cilantro as a single-note scent myself: they currently have Basil and Parsley, and though those things smell pretty good, I can’t imagine them as solitary scents, either. On the other hand, if they had Tarragon and it was accurate, I would buy at least one four-ounce spray and probably a second as a hedge against discontinuation, because tarragon is an absolutely fantastic thing to smell like.
Tarragon is a great smell. But I do love basil too. Parsley, I can’t see buying in a fragrance.
Fresh basil’s gorgeous. The trouble is that when I smell it in any concentration, I immediately think of pesto. The Body’s Shop’s Minteva has a jumbo wad of basil in the top, and I kept expecting to smell garlic. (It isn’t even very minty, either, mostly lilies. Very dull after that big pesto opener.)
Yeah, I can see that connection. Tarragon reminds me of cream sauce, for that matter…
So I’m the only one who finds this concept cringe-worthy? (It’s not serious enough to be offensive, just sigh-level irritating.) La Vida Latina all boiled down to, um, cactus. And cilantro. Please don’t tell me what’s coming next… In this series, or as part of other, similar series (Chaim Heb?)
I think these are only the first two in the series (i.e., cactus & cilantro aren’t meant to be the entire “vida Latina”). And to me, no more cringe-worthy than something labeled “La Vie en Provence” or “Memories of Brazil” or something like that… But that’s just me.
I am becoming more & more immune…esp. if it is not serious enough to be offensive. See the jalapeno pepper discussion the other day over Brasil Dream! Which is not to say that I am trying to discourage you from being irritated. And perhaps it is just that it is summer & I can’t be bothered.
Joe, I really don’t know if more are coming or not. Sort of assumed so or why come up with a series name to begin with? But it might have some short term marketing purpose, who knows.
How about an “American Life” line to compliment it. It could start out with apple pie, leather baseball glove, and couch potatoe (polyester blend sofa with a hint of potatoe chips)
Add in BBQ, funnel cakes and KFC chicken, and I think you’ve appealed to the masses.
I didn’t cringe but I was like “errrrrrrm… kay”
I guess it isn’t worse than spices for scents inspired by India though
Hmm I could see enjoying a bitter cacoa, or a hot pepper maybe chipotle, or cayenne if they came out with them for this line if the normal demeter line doesn’t already have them. To me their truest and best green scent is the fig leaf, not sure if I want to smell like a cactus or cilantro.
They *must* have a hot pepper already! But too lazy to go check
Chipotle would be awesome! I’d wear that for sure!!
They have that jalapeno jelly belly one….;) Or the mango pineapple salsa one…
I just looked and didn’t see the jalepeno jelly bean, but did see the salsa one. So Mango Pineapple Salsa, Black pepper, Fiery Curry, and Fresh Cut Ginger seem to be all the heat demeter has to offer. Who will sign my hot pepper petition?
OH, man. Imagine if a fume listed chipotle or ancho as a top note instead of the ubiquitous “pink pepper!” I’d be trippin’!
They should do a Hanseatic League series.
They should do a series for Indonesia and the first two can be Durian and Pandan Leaves.
Great idea — durian would be hilarious! Couldn’t sell it in Singapore, however…
I’ve never smelled durian.
I’ve had pandan truffles though and they were DELISH. idk what pandan smells like, I don’t think it would be bad though.
There are tons of fruits/plants unique to Southeast Asia, they could do a series.
Demeter doesn’t have a coffee… Coffee Bean can be one too.
does Demeter seriously not have a coconut? o__O
they already have a vetiver.
Durian! Gak. My boss brought those to the office one day – I did eat some and it was okay but it makes your pee smell really bad, worse than asparagus.
Well, Seguaro piqued my interest and I wandered over to the Demeter site as it was all new to me. Thank you again for introducing me to something I would otherwise never have looked at, Blog Mistress Robin! I ordered mostly samples of Sawdust, Poison Ivy, Pink Lemonade, Apple Blossom, Honeysuckle, Gingerale and Turpentine. (The Poison Ivy and Pink Lemonade are going out as gifts. )
Oh, let me know how sawdust is, that sounds wonderful! If you get the chance, do try Thunderstorm too some time, that one’s fun. I also love Egg Nog & Beetroot.
Sawdust is on sale – I’m really tempted. My dad is a carpenter and he worked for 84 Lumber when I was a little girl, so it sounds like this would be a great scent memory for me.
I have a mini of the Sawdust, and it is very true to life. My dad had a woodshop in the basement, and my favorite chore as a child was to sweep up all the sawdust. If it weren’t a classic Demeter in terms of longevity, it would make a fabulous layering agent.
Oops, meant to add – sounds like I should get the turpentine to go with it!
Thanks Boojum! I’ll have to try it.
Thunderstorm is the only one I have tried (got a great deal at a local discounter), and I love it! One of the things I love about Demeter is that it really triggers those scent memories. I would be interested in trying both of these. I spent a spring working in the deserts of Big Bend National Park, so I’d be interested to see what they came up with for Saguaro.