The Power Of Scent Part II

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“As if you were on fire from within, the moon lives in the lining of your skin.” Pablo Neruda

Do you remember what it felt like when you met that person that gave you butterflies in the pit of your stomach? Did you meet on a train, at a quaint little coffee shop or at 69 Colebrooke Row? Was the smell of rain and fresh dirt subdued in the spring air or was the sun streaking rays into your garden warming the nectar of honeysuckle outside your door? Sometimes, our conscious memory fails us with these significant details and we simply forget. There is one part of memory that lies in the frontal cortex of the brain and is so powerful it can rouse the most dormant memories in a flash of an instant, almost like magic. It is triggered by scent. The woodsy and spicy smell of cinnamon takes me back to my grandmother’s kitchen when I was seven years old. When I delve into this memory, I can visualize her in her flower-print apron stirring a pot of sweetened milk-soaked rice allowing me to grind fresh cinnamon into her delicious rice pudding. I can see her paper-maiche hands, soft and fragile as she stirred with her wooden spoon because, as she used to say, stirring properly was the trick to her pudding’s creaminess. (She was right, of course, as she often was about most things.)

I love the connection between scent and emotion and I had a realization that scent is a part of the beauty process we do not focus enough on. I work in a lab surrounded by some of the most incredible and often mysterious ingredients. I am obsessed by the essential oils, resins, absolutes, hydrosols, plant butters, herbs, fruit and natural ingredients that arrive on a daily basis to us. My favorite part of the week is when our shipment arrives and we're carefully restocking our shelves, my olfactive senses in high gear. My mood is blissful because one cannot feel anything other than blissful surrounded by beautiful scents. This part of the beauty experience seems to have gotten lost somehow. It seems, we focus so much on the way we look that we’ve forgotten about the way we feel. To me, the way I feel on a daily basis is paramount to the mood I’m in, as well as the confidence I exude and manifest into my life. Most days I want to feel great and this feeling can carry me very far. I’m conscious of my feelings daily. I tend not to go through the motions and whether I’m happy, sad or angry, well it’s quite obvious and I allow myself to experience it. We are, after all, creatures of complex emotions. 

We wanted to go a step further and engage our customers with a “three-dimensional” approach in the form of olfactive, interactive and emotional storytelling. We’re a team of indomitable storytellers with an inherit passion to share the fundamentals of a product. Our jobs are to educate and break down ingredient viability, scientific methods and to encourage our customer to understand the integrity of our process. We added a visceral element to our new perfume-grade candles. Hoping to engage lovers of scent with the ceremony of lighting a candle, setting a mood and experiencing a moment that evokes emotion. The stories we share from Burning For A Wolf and A Constellation Of Ghosts are romantic, whimsical and adventurous. These emotions are universal and genderless. Every human has a sense of adventure waiting to be ignited inside of them and a longing to experience love, connection and romance. 

The scents for both candles are intoxicating. I created them to compliment one another adding an olfactive range if one wishes to burn them together. Personally, burning these two together is my favorite way to burn them, but I may have my own reasons for that. The perfume emitted from our candles is sophisticated and delicately layered opening up as the candle burns. The notes in both candles are evocative, graceful and center around the perfume quality of the essential oils and absolutes I adore. For Burning For A Wolf, I wanted to recreate a cocktail experience I had at a fabulous bar in London called, Nightjar. (If you’re ever lucky enough to find yourself in London, do not hesitate and visit this gem in Shoreditch.) The character profile for BFAW is a tribute to a flamboyant punch I enjoyed there with the most excellent company. I was also enchanted by the remarkable St. Pancras Renaissance Hotel in London. Specifically, the grand architecture and ornate details displayed on the windows throughout the hotel. The artwork for our packaging reflects this Neo-gothic style perfected by English Gothic revivalist, George Gilbert Scott. On New Year’s morning of this year, I treated myself to a glass of champagne as I admired the gorgeous architecture of St. Pancras and knew somehow I would encapsulate the moment into something for our stylish customers.

We hope to incorporate the component of nostalgia and happy associations into your beauty experiences with our luxurious perfume-grade candles. We invite you to imagine endless adventures and romantic moments that burn like wildfire whenever the mood strikes you.

With love,

Victoria

Burning For A Wolf and A Constellation Of Ghosts will be exclusively available at www.labellafigurabeauty.com June 9. 

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3 Comments

  • I’m getting so excited for this! I followed your stories on Instagram Victoria and got to hear all about the candles and it melted my heart. I agree that beauty is more than what you see in the mirror. Great post as always lbf!

    best,
    Janet

    Janet Kowowski on
  • Hi Adrianna,

    Thank you! We’re very excited for you to bring our perfume-grade candles into your home and olfactive beauty routine. I hope you enjoy the experience.

    Cheers,
    Victoria

    Victoria Fantauzzi on
  • I cannot wait for these candles to come out! I’m a candle hoarder and Ive tried them all, but your ideas and packaging sound incredible. so excited! Thank you Victoria for always getting us excited about the products you ladies make and for all beauty of yourself you extend into the world.

    Adrianna

    Adrianna on

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