You're never fully dressed until you've applied perfume. That's the advice my mom gave me when I was around 10 years old -- right before I was given my very own (and very classy) bottle of Cinderella perfume for my birthday.
Since then, fragrance has played a big role in my daily beauty routine, and I never miss an opportunity to give myself a quick spritz -- even when I'm at home with the flu. For me, a splash of my favourite scent instantly classes up any outfit I may throw together, even if I'm rocking a lazy day ensemble of sweatpants and a tank top.
The problem with many perfumes and colognes is that they're synthetic in the worst possible way: they often contain harmful ingredients like parabens and phthalates, which have been linked to hormone disruption and carcinogenic side effects, respectively.
Years ago, I made the switch to all-natural products for all but one aspect of my beauty regimen. I've simply found it too hard to let go of my favourite perfumes (I'm looking at you, Flowerbomb!), but this year I've vowed to kick the synthetic scent habit and stock my dresser with natural perfumes from companies like Grasse Roots Perfumery.
Based in Stratford, Ontario, Grasse Roots Perfumery is a vegetarian (and mostly vegan) perfumery that crafts luxurious perfume blends with pure natural essences and botanicals. Often times, these blends are even made with certified organic essences whenever possible.
I contacted Grasse Roots in an effort to broaden my natural perfume horizons, and they generously sent me samples of each of their pure perfumes to test out. Each one was lovely in its own way, awakening old memories in me with every fragrant application, and I found that natural perfumes don't last as long on the skin as their unnatural cousins. However, there's something to be said for knowing -- and being able to pronounce -- a perfume's ingredients. It's very liberating.
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| Photo courtesy of Grasse Roots Perfumery |
Here's what I thought
Geisha is a seductive oriental that blends jasmine, ylang ylang, neroli, earth, wood, spice and dusky rose. It's sexy in a girl-next-door kind of way in that it isn't in your face with its sensuality. It seems like a great everyday fragrance that could easily be dressed up or down. The neroli is really present on me, and it makes me feel very classy whenever I wear it.
Delicacy is a mellow blend of earthy notes like moss, patchouli, sweet geranium petals, and tea that produces a fresh, soft, and romantic scent that reminds me of the Lisbon girls in Virgin Suicides. (Translation: it's classy, girly, soft, romantic, and retro. If that makes sense?)
Ingenue is a fresh and green concoction that blends ylang ylang with grass, lemony leaves, and Moroccan rose. When first applied, Ingenue is very green and spring-like, but it later dries down to a very boho chic scent that smells like an entire Lush store had been distilled into a precious bottle of perfume. I dig that.
Beloved is a soft floral that combines rose essences with sweet resins, citrus, woods, and resins. It's a graceful and earthy floral that's not overpowering, and it reminds me of the soft yet heady aroma of the Queen of the Night flowers I used to watch bloom with my Nana in her garden when I was a kid.
Blood Orange boasts notes of orange flowers and citrus that make it a flirty and bright scent that's reminiscent of the now discontinued Blood Orange pu'erh tea at Davids Tea. Sadly, I'm not a big fan of fruity or flirty scents, so this one was a bit of a dud for me.
Janus features notes of patchouli, herbs, woods, moss, and resins that make it an earthy, heady, and slightly masculine fragrance. Strong and powerful, it smells like the perfume equivalent of a power suit. Bonus points were awarded to this little guy because whenever I wear it, Mr. Picky Bitch nuzzles into my neck while enthusiastically saying, "Ooh, you smell so good!"
Tuberose Musk features tuberose and (vegetable) musk, making this scent a woody, powdery, and slightly floral blend that is full of seeming contradictions that work together perfectly. Tuberose Musk is a sophisticated blend that reminds me of a natural, less potent version of Thierry Muegler's Angel (which I love). This one is definitely my favourite fragrance of the entire Grasse Roots range.
If you're interested in ditching the gross, chemical-laden world of mainstream fragrances for something more natural, I highly recommend trying out Grasse Roots Perfumery. Grasse Roots perfumes retail for $75 (for 15 ml) or $30 (for 5 ml) online. Or, if you can't decide which yummy-sounding scent would work best for you, pick up their sample set for $32.
Are you considering switching to natural perfumes? What's your favourite natural perfume brand or fragrance? Let us know by commenting below, or by tweeting us at @PickyBitchez
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