Harvesting and distilling organic ylang ylang in Madagascar. Video from Aura Cacia.
The Bubble Roome Ylang Ylang & Cinnamon ~ scented body products
The Bubble Roome is a Brooklyn-based company offering handmade bath and body products in a range of five natural fragrance blends; my favorite for this time of year is the Ylang Ylang & Cinnamon blend, which is sensual and cozy at the same time. To date, I’ve tried the Bath & Body Wash and Hemp Oil Lotion in this scent.
The Bubble Roome’s entire line of bath and body products is paraben-free; the body wash is also sulfate-free, and includes chamomile and allantoin to soothe the skin, as well as fruit- and sugar-based alpha hydroxy acids and salicylic acid for exfoliation. It’s a gentle, low-lathering formula, and I find that it works best if I shake it before using. The lotion contains aloe vera, glycerin, coconut oil, and hemp oil to nourish and protect the skin, and it has the perfect consistency: easy to dispense and quick to absorb, but just thick enough to feel luxurious. The fragrances are all composed of essential oils, and they have various aromatherapeutic properties. Ylang-ylang, as The Bubble Roome reminds us, “is considered one of nature’s aphrosidiacs.” It’s the small but intensely scented flower of the cananga tree, native to the Philippines and Indonesia, where it’s traditionally spread on the marriage beds of newly-wed couples…
Estee Lauder Private Collection Amber Ylang Ylang ~ perfume review
A few weeks ago I wrote about “cashmere sweater” scents — fragrances that are cozy and uncomplicated and warm their wearer like cashmere. A few days later, thanks to Robin, a sample of Estée Lauder Private Collection Amber Ylang Ylang appeared in my mailbox. If I've ever smelled a cashmere sweater scent, this is it.
Amber Ylang Ylang is as close to a pale gold cashmere sweater as you can get in smell. It's a simple cardigan with a jewel neck and small, mother of pearl buttons, and it hugs the body. It's silkily warm, well made, and goes with just about anything in the closet. For some people, the functional simplicity of a cardigan like this is enough. But for others, it lacks panache…