Category Archives: Fragrances

Pet’s Best Friend – So many holiday hazards for our curious, hungry pets

December 25, 2011

Christmas is a fun and festive time to celebrate with our family and friends. Our pets, as a part of our family, enjoy the holiday season with us, too.

However, Christmas can be a curious time for our pets. we bring a tree into the house, and hang brightly coloured objects all over the house, many which look like toys but are not for playing. there are lots of extra smells coming from the kitchen, and lots of people coming to the house — it really is a curious time!

Some dogs and cats love the holiday season, some are stressed by all of the commotion, and others still are full of wonderment and curiosity — not so different from us humans!

While we get into the spirit of the season, there are a few things to keep in mind, to make certain this holiday season is a safe time for your pets.

• Christmas trees should be safely secured.while some felines are able to resist them, many cats find Christmas tree climbing an irresistable sport!

Both dogs and cats are often captivated by the ornaments and things hanging from the tree. My own Pomeranian ended up wearing many ornaments from the lower branches of our tree last Christmas when his tail caught the ornament hooks as he walked underneath.

Regardless of whether your pet has an interest in the tree, or just walks around it as another object in the home, a falling tree can be a hazard. be sure your tree is secured and won’t be easily toppled over by your pets.

• Tinsel is one of the most dangerous holiday decorations. It’s light, shiny and it dangles from the tree — which makes it especially attractive to cats and young dogs. while these shiny strands are attractive décor, tinsel can cause obstructions if ingested. there are far too many stories about animals needing surgery to have strands of tinsel removed during the holiday season — it can be a very dangeous and costly decoration.

• Holiday plants are beautiful décor, but there are quite a few plants that are toxic to pets. Holly and mistletoe can cause gastrointestinal issues and cardiovascular problems. there are also a variety of holiday lilies that can cause kidney failure if ingested. Poinsettias, however, are not as dangerous as some would have you believe. They are not considered toxic to dogs or cats, but could still cause vomiting if ingested.

• Lights are everywhere at Christmas, from scented candles to brightly coloured bulbs that add a holiday glow. If your pet likes to chew, make sure that cords and wires are out of reach. while LED lights have reduced the danger of being burned, many of the old-style lights are still out there. Candles are also a holiday hazard that can cause burns — and a lot worse if knocked over!

• Potpourri, essential oils and other heated holiday fragrances are dangerous for pets. Animals are often interested and attracted to the different smells, and ingesting these scented substances can cause oral, dermal and ocular damage, especially in cats.

Remember that putting things up on a shelf doesn’t necessarily deter cats!

Read labels carefully and unless a scented product is labelled as safe for pets, it is best to assume it is not.

Leftovers are tempting to share with your pets over the holidays, but be wary of what foods you share.

• Turkey and chicken bones splinter easily, and the sharp pieces are easily swallowed.

• Macadamia nuts, commonly used in holiday treats, are highly toxic to dogs. They can cause neurological problems that range from tremors to hindquarter paralysis.

• Cookies and candies really aren’t good for your pets — but those containing chocolate, coffee and caffeine are toxic to dogs.

• Dough is another holiday hazard, and it can cause serious problems if it contains yeast. If ingested, yeast dough will continue to rise in the stomach, causing gas to accumulate. this can be very painful, and can lead to rupturing in the stomach and intestines. while yeast-based dough is dangerous, the danger diminishes once the dough is cooked and the yeast has risen.

Dana Grove is an animal lover who works with several pet organizations in Brandon.

Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition December 15, 2011

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How to Locate a Discontinued Perfume

October 4, 2011

Have you ever found that perfect perfume that you just absolutely love, and then before you know it, it has disappeared off of the market? then, of course, you ask about it only to find out that the perfume has been discontinued. WHAT? we have all been there. we know exactly how you feel.

So, now you have a couple of options. First, you can buy up every bottle of the perfume at various other retail locations to get that stock pile built up for several years to come. second, you can begin the process of trying to find another perfume that suits your taste.

But, instead of going to extremes and having to store all of those extra perfume bottles or spending months and wasting money trying to find the right scent for you, you do have other options, because there are several other ways that you can locate a discontinued perfume once it disappears from the shelf at the store.

1. the Manufacturer: When looking for a product that you cannot find anywhere, the first thing you should do is check the source itself. (The company who made the product.) the best way to do this is usually by calling the customer service number that every manufacturer offers. if they have any excess stock (and most of the time they do), they would be happy to sell it to you to keep them from having to store it. Also, they just might sell it to you at a discount price

2. Discount Perfume Stores: yes, these stores do exist. Just like with other discount stores, they happen to purchase excess inventory straight from the manufacturer and then offer it at a discounted price. if there are any of your favorite discontinued perfume left, you will surely be able to find it at one of these specialty stores. Even if you do not have one of these stores in your local area, a great way to locate one is through the use of the Internet. Look up the phone number for a discount perfume store, then just call them and ask them if they have the scent. in most cases, you can purchase the discontinued perfume over the telephone, and then they will ship it to you.

3. the Internet: besides using the Internet to locate a discount perfume store, you can also use it in a variety of other ways in order to locate that special discontinued perfume that is becoming extinct by the day. Check out the various auction sites and also do a search for the name of your perfume. nine chances out of ten, you will be able to locate someone who has extra bottles available for you to purchase.

Just because your favorite perfume has now become a discontinued perfume does not mean that you will not have access to it any longer, and it does not mean that you have to start acting like a hoarder in order to make sure that you have the perfect perfume for you.

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How to Shop For Discount Fragrances Online

September 21, 2011

Fragrances and perfumes make wonderful gifts for that special person or close friend. With so many people shopping on the internet, it is really easy to find great bargains for any fragrance. now you might be wondering if there is any special way to learn how to shop for discount fragrances online? As with shopping for any product online you want to take precautions and we will cover a few here.

First you want to decide what type of fragrance you want to buy, what do you have in mind, a Christian Dior fragrance or maybe a Dolce and Gabbana fragrances. once you have a particular brand in mind simply go to Google and type this name in the search bar along with the word ‘store’. this will bring up tons of results and you will need to sift through the sites to find a good price. to narrow down your search try typing in this phrase Best Selling Discount Fragrances Online. this should give you the most popular shopping sites. Try using other words such as popular, discount perfume and cologne, today’s special fragrances, best prices, and best deals.

Once you find a good site you want to also check out things like shipping costs and delivery time. this will also add to your total costs. Make sure that you can return any products which you are not happy with too. any reputable seller will give you a hassle free money back guarantee.

When discovering how to shop for discount fragrances online you are going to have to be aware of knock off products. these will be discounted perfumes and cologne that look like the actual fragrance but are not. take a look at the labels and the size of the bottle. The prices could also be ridiculously low and this should be a warning sign. There is a difference between a discounted fragrance and a really cheap bottle. The quality will just not be there and you will be extremely unhappy with your purchase.

Many of the larger retail sites are able to offer great bargains for discounted fragrances simply because they purchase in such large quantities. Manufacturers regularly offer retailers high price discounts per unit when ordering big amounts. As well, you can feel more confident when shopping from a well known retailer. they will definitely offer money back guarantees and many times are large enough to offer cheap or no cost shipping.

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Unique Small Businesses Have Become Highly Desirable to Multi-National Companies

September 14, 2011

For over 50 years Estee Lauder has been the pre-eminent luxury Cosmetic, Fragrance and Skin Care Company in the Beauty Product world. since the founding of the firm by Mrs. Lauder in the early 1950′s, the Company has prospered by constantly developing line extensions and new categories that it Markets to specific demographic targets. Clinique (Skin Care), Clinique for Men and Aramis (Mens Skin Care), Prescriptives (Problem Skin Care) and Origins (Bath & Body Care), along with numerous Perfume Brands made this Marketing juggernaut the envy of competitors.

Estee Lauder had developed, quite rightly, a reputation for having the magic touch. then a funny thing happened. the Company hit a development wall. the men’s lines sales leveled. Prescriptives suffered the indignity of being sold on QVC. new brands stopped coming or experiencing startling growth as enjoyed in the past. the Company then had an epiphany: it was faster, more economical and easier to buy interesting, small entrepreneurial brands and integrate them into Estee Lauder’s vaunted Logistic and Marketing systems than to develop brands in-house.

La Mer, Jane, Bobbi Brown, Mac, Smash Box, Aveda, and numerous Fragrance licenses have been added in recent years to the Estee Lauder stable of brands. Theses Brand purchases and strategic alliances have rapidly extended the Company’s reach into many new areas of distribution.

La Mer is an interesting example of how a small brand can have a unique importance to a powerhouse like Estee Lauder. the La Mer Skin Care line enjoyed very limited distribution in a few exclusive department stores for many years. the sea algae-based product had a cult following. the sales of La Mer were much smaller than the reported price that Estee Lauder paid for the line. why was such a small minnow of interest to such a mammoth multi-national Company and at such a steep purchase price multiple to actual sales?

Large Companies must feed the monster and the monster is an insatiable distribution chain. Estee Lauder is sold in over 120 countries around the globe and at about 50,000 outlets. the initial pipeline production order to fill distribution requirements covered the purchase price paid for a brand like La Mer several times over. this model is constantly being repeated.

Proctor & Gamble, the Cincinnati-based Consumer Product giant has undergone a similar re-invention. For most of the 20th century the Company was renowned for in-house creativity and the Brand Management system that the Company pioneered. in the 1990′s P&G hit a wall. Growth flattened. a number of competitors began to take market share in important categories.

A new management team was brought in to P&G and this group decided that new direction was essential for kick starting growth. they announced that a target of 40% of new products that P&G would launch in the next decade would be discovered and purchased from outside sources. this was a shock to the hide-bound corporate culture of staid Proctor & Gamble. but it worked. Today over 50% of new product introductions have resulted from acquisitions. IAMS Pet Foods, Spin Brush Toothbrushes and numerous Cosmetic Brands such as Max Factor, Cover Girl, Hugo Boss Fragrances and Giorgio Perfumes have led the Company’s resurgence.

Jones Apparel Group (Shoes, Clothing), Nestle (Food, Drinks) Unilever (Personal Care), Phillips (Small Electrics), Hasbro (Toys, Games), General Mills (Foods), Pepsi-Cola (Drinks, Snack Foods), Shiseido (Cosmetics), Electronic Arts (Video Games) and Rubbermaid (House Wares) are only a few of the multi-national Companies that are aggressively searching the marketplace for the next great addition to their line-up.

What is required of a Small Business, Inventor or Entrepreneur to be a target for their attention? your product must have an easily recognizable niche. it should have Features and Benefits that offer separation from the competition. it must be perfected. an idea or unproven technology is just a glimmer, it is not marketable unless wrapped in due diligence and supported with performance data.

The hardest hurdle to overcome is to get your product in front of decision makers from acquisition hungry companies. we do this in a number of ways for our clients. Attending industry specific trade shows are an excellent vehicle to receive exposure. Test markets and focus groups are invaluable for creating proof of product concept. Customize a Business Plan that is built on assumptions that are accompanied with hard data that is quantified, qualified and well narrated.

Remember, if it was easy everybody would be successfully doing it. Do not take shortcuts. Be passionate about your product or service. make a great first impression. Estee Lauder started by making creams in her kitchen. now the great Company that she founded and built is looking for products that offer a performance advantage to her Companies customers. so are many other multi-national enterprises. you must be in play in order to be discovered.

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Is it weird that my signature perfume is Chanel 5?

September 7, 2011

I'm not an old lady. I'm 22.
My aunt thought it was high time we found a signature perfume for me. after four weeks of going back to the shoppe…well, we got the Chanel #5 EDP.

If you ask my mother – she hates the perfume! she says it's matronly, although she's complimented me on my fragrance and asked what I was wearing.

The lady at the Chanel counter last time said it was weird – the perfume really does change on my skin. Allure smells rancid or like ammonia on my skin. No. 19 smells "oriental" and has citrus notes.

Has anyone ever had different experiences with perfume?

Oh goodness, I really hope I don't make Chanel a habit. it would be an expensive lifelong addiction; hopefully my auntie will visit me more often, LOL. thanks in advance.

It's not weird, you just have sophisticated taste in perfume. Back when Chanel No.5 was released, it appealed to young women around your age as an elegant, classy, somewhat daring fragrance. People have gotten too used to the idea that anyone under 30 should smell like a basket of fruits or candy. Kudos to you for wearing Chanel No.5!

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What Does Triple Scenting a Candle Actually Mean?

August 5, 2011

What does triple scenting a candle actually mean?

Quite often when I am scoping out the competition, I run across websites that advertise that their candles are “triple scented.” That sounds great, right? The more the better, but what does “triple scented” actually mean?

Here are my thoughts: First, it’s hard to define triple scenting, triple scented from what amount? One needs to know what X is before one can solve for Y. Wax manufacturers give us guidelines on how much fragrance a specific wax can hold. on an average it is 1.0-1.5 ounces per pound of wax. Some fragrances are a lot stronger so less is required. That’s where testing comes in.

Here’s an analogy: think of wax as a glass of iced tea and sugar as the fragrance. The right amount of sugar dissolves perfectly and the tea tastes great! Add too much sugar and it will not dissolve; the tea has been saturated with the sugar and the sugar will sink to the bottom of the glass. I’ve read another great analogy involving a sponge and water. you get the idea. The same rules apply to wax and fragrance. too much fragrance added to a candle is wasted like the sugar mentioned above. too much fragrance is not a good thing. too much fragrance will produce a candle that will not burn properly, creating large amounts of soot. too much fragrance will produce a hazardous candle!

We use 7-9% fragrance in our candles, depending on the fragrance. If we were to actually triple scent, we’d be required to use over 20% fragrance oil…and that high amount of oil contained in a candle would be dangerous. so…we’re back to what triple scenting actually means.

Reputable candle makers adhere to their wax manufacturer’s fragrance load guidelines and produce great burning, great smelling candles. I would define the fragrance amounts in their candles with adjectives like “strongly”, “highly” or “maximum.” They are all the same really.

We choose to use the wording: “strongly fragranced soy candles”. using the description “triple scent” is a play on words and a great marketing maneuver. It leads the consumer to think that he is getting more of a good thing, but are you really? 

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Pochet Cachet- The Designer Perfume Bottle

July 27, 2011

There are an estimated twenty thousand different perfumes being marketed at any one time, and that means there must be an estimated twenty thousand different perfume bottle designs aimed at attracting the consumer’s eye better than those of their competitors. Perfume bottle making is big business, and the leader in the perfume bottle making industry dating back to the nineteenth century has been Pochet SA of France.

The History of The Pochet Perfume Bottle

Today Pochet is the perfume bottle provider for such perfume makers as Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent, Calvin Klein, Coty, Dior, and Kenzo. The company is actually the descendant of two ouch older companies, Verreries du Courval which had originally been the maker of glass windows for the French aristocracy, and Pochet DeRoche, which in the 1830s was one of the leading producers of painted porcelain and glass luxury items in Paris. Pochet DeRoche became the Paris distributor of du Courval windows, and when du Courval entered the perfume bottle market at around that time, a partnership was inevitable.

The very first “designer” perfume was a Guerlain scent commissioned by the Empress Eugenie in 1858, and Geurlain commissioned du Courval to create the first designer perfume bottle for it. The limited edition “Eau de Cologne Imperiale” sent du Courval to the top of the list of perfume bottle makers.

Until the 1930s, when the company changed its name to Pochet and dropped its porcelain business to specialize in the perfume bottle market, it had handcrafted its perfume bottles from blow molded glass, and even today some of its limited editions of perfume bottles have hand made elements. but its 21st century state-or-the-art factory has enabled it to keep satisfying a perfume bottle market which requires more and more exotically designed bottles.

Pochet and Lalique

The 1930s brought with them the Great Depression and a serious decline in US perfume sales. For the French perfumers who survived, the machine made perfume bottle was an economic necessity, and perfume bottle makers began to look to Hollywood for inspiration. Lalique, which Pochet would buy some six decades later, came out with a perfume bottle for the 1932 Worth’s classic scent Je Reviens was of dark blue ribbed glass shaped toe resemble a New York City skyscraper, and was packaged in a chrome-finished box.

Lalique is still one of the most respected designers of premier quality perfume bottles, and attempts to imbue each perfume bottle with the feel of the fragrance it contains, because the perfume bottle is the consumer’s introduction to the scent inside, and will often be what draws a customer to purchase it.

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Mmm…..Smells Good!?

July 23, 2011

What do you use (or do) to make and keep your house smelling good? I have a few things that I do myself but, I want to know more ways than what I have. Air fresheners dont last, incense only last as long as they burn and so do candles.

I have a oil burner thing. Instead of buying the expensive oils, I use 1 part of Victoria Secrets body spray and 1 part water. After about 5-10 minutes, I can smell it all through the house. you can use less water for more fragrance if you want. try 'Strawberries and Champagne' or 'Pear Glace'.
Also, for the cold winter months, I boil cinnamon. Coat the water with it, bring it to a boil for 5 minutes and turn it down to a medium-low heat. Your house will quickly smell of cinnamon.

My friend in VA sends me a fresh wreath every Christmas, this year's was so yummilicious – I put it outside after season and it still smelled so wonderful even after it dried, I put some pieces in my oil burner water and just sooo nice.
I'm going to see what I can do with some of the herbs I am growing right now, I have a chocolate mint that is so mmmm!

carpet freshners. Vacuum with them every few days

I use candles..
love 'em

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