Nostalgia Posted on 16 Oct 10:22 , 0 comments
Are there scent memories that make you feel nostalgic? It can be a person, a place, or a number of other things. For us, it's the memory of scent of a place we've traveled to in the past, that makes us both nostalgic to go back, and makes us want to reminisce of the memories that have been permanently ingrained in our minds.
The real question though is, is it the memory of the physical location that one feels nostalgic for, or the connections made with the people in that place at that time? A whiff of a spice, plant, or tree can instantly transport you back in time to that place, with those people, in that gratifying moment.
What does nostalgia mean to you? What if you could replicate and bottle the memory of your first solo journey or your honeymoon, so you could smell it everyday, would you want to? Or would you want to protect it in the back of your mind?
Following last week's ingredient spotlight on the Oahu Gardenia, I bring you a personal photo of my trip to the island from 1998. This was before I actually learned a thing or two about photography, so apologies if the photo isn't of the highest quality.
I remember the trip started with a bought of food poisoning (eating a pineapple pizza from a dingy restaurant wasn't the best idea)...but the rest of the trip made up for it. The island of Oahu is beautiful, quaint, and peaceful, and the land is overall respected by its inhabitants. One of the highlights of our trip was getting to visit the Polynesia Cultural Center in Laia, Oahu, which is a center for authentic polynesian traditions and activities—a day of educational shows, activities, and feasts ends in one of the best luau's of the island (though I've heard in recent year's the center has gone a bit downhill and has become a tourist trap). Not surprisingly, I remember really enjoying learning about the usage of herbs and plants in Polynesia for treatment purposes at the medicinal hut also known as "Hale Hana." (Fun Fact: Indian Mulberry, aka "Noni" used to be one of the most popular plants for healing of various ailments and disease.)
One of the others things I found most fascinating about Hawaii, was the landscape, particularly seeing the spontaneous-looking rock formations created by lava eruptions that slowly flowed and solidified in the surrounding waters. The idea that new land is and can still be created in this over exposed planet is exciting... and hopeful. While all the volcanoes on Oahu island are now extinct, the Kilauea volcano on Hawaii's Big Island has been continuously erupting lava since 1983, adding more than 500 acres of lava rock to the island's topography with no signs of stopping. I never got around the visiting the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island, where you can get up close to an active volcano, but I certainly have plans to return there.
What Hawaiian islands have you visited? What would you recommend as the top sites/activities?
In continuation from last week's travel shot Tuesday, I bring you collage of images of our experience with the majestic Perito Moreno Glacier in El Parque Nacional los Glaciales in Patagonia.
After a week's journey through the Argentinean countryside, which included everything from buses, planes, to buggies and bikes (not to mention a special glacier boat), we finally made it to the main purpose of our Argentinean trip, a glacier trek atop a continually mobile glacial formation spanning 30km (19mi) in length (Fun fact: this glacier is one of the only in the world that is still growing, unlike most other glacial formations, which are melting and shrinking).
The night before we had a hearty Argentinean meal by fireplace with about 20 other backpackers at our hostel. We had purchased a glacier trekking tour that day via Hielo y Aventura (http://www.hieloyaventura.com/). The next morning we headed out for the adventure of a lifetime. Surprisingly, the climate was actually not that cold, a warm fleece would do, and you didn't really even need gloves. Each hiker had put on crampons, which were these special boots with spikes that dig deep into the ice for traction. We departed the mainland via a glacier boat to the side of a mountain, which, after a few minutes of trekking the woods of said mountain, it jutted us out onto the glacier's facade. All of a sudden we were 70 meters above water standing on a gigantic block of ice. Majestic—yes. Life-altering—certainly.
It was one of the most breathtaking views I'd ever seen in my life, in fact, it may still be to this day (and I've seen my fair share of natural wonders). The finale of the 2+ hour trek found us in a little dug out inlet in the middle of nowhere atop this ice sheet, where we were served whiskey on ice from the glacier (natch).
The smell was unique and surprisingly, easily describable. Clean. Fresh. Crisp. Polar. The smell of Patagonia, the freshest air I'd ever smelled.
We ALREADY have winter vacation on our minds, and what better place to escape than Hawaii!? My trip to Hawaii in 1995 inspired our creation of the Nomaterra Oahu Gardenia perfume oil. I still remember very vividly being able to smell the pungently sweet and balsamic aroma of the exotic nanu gardenia, found in gardens and random locations on the island of Oahu. I also received a leis upon arriving at the airport in Oahu, which was made of mostly plumeria (also found in our Oahu fragrance).
In Hawaii, the gardenia was often used for corsages or leis, particularly traditionally during weddings. It has a romantic meaning, “You are lovely,” and is also a symbol for secret love. The nanu was prized by ancient Hawaiians for its fruit, which was used to produce fade-resistant dyes for kapa (a traditional cloth made of pounded tree bark).
The natural, organic gardenia found in Nomaterra’s Oahu fragrance is extracted through the ancient process of enfleurage, using only organic palm oil and organic alcohol derived from organic sugar cane. This fragile flower exudes a sweet and succulent smell that encapsulates the energy, spirit, and beauty of Hawaii. The rare species of gardenia, Gardenia Manii, also known as “Nanu” in Hawaii, is native to the island of Oahu and can’t be found anywhere else in the world.
Come see Nomaterra this Saturday, October 5th, from 10 am to 6 pm at the Hester Street Fair. Try out our newest scents--Malibu, Oahu, Boston, and Savannah. We'll finally have our candles available for sale for all of you that have started planning your holiday gifts!
In 2010, my husband and I traveled the Argentinian country-side for over a week. We knew our one trip goal was to reach the glacier, Perito Moreno in El Parque Nacional los Glaciales and left the rest of the journey up to spontaneity and chance. We had planned to visit the national park first, but missed our flight due to what we thought was a lost passport (I'll cough that up to the plights of travel adventures). We had already checked out of our hotel in Buenos Aires, and on a whim, took a taxi to the national bus station, and hopped on a bus going to Bariloche, via Bahia Blanca.
This image was shot during a 35 km bike trip in and around the majestic lakes and mountains of Bariloche. The air was crisp, the views were like nothing I'd seen before. It felt like time stopped moving, the magnitude of the sheer beauty of this place took our breaths away. I could only capture a portion of what we could see, and only the slightest fraction of what we felt at that moment. It is a place that I hope we return to one day.
I hope to one day be able to capture the scent of Bariloche. It's difficult to capture such immense beauty and the memories that come along with it in a bottle. I'd need to find an ingredient or a blend of ingredients that could translate the crisp, glacier-like air. Perhaps mint, and citrus, and cyprus. A future project for sure!
If you're intrigued by Bariloche and interested in this picturesque bike tour, check out the link to Circuito Chico Bike Rental: http://circuitochicobikes.com/ You bike on your own and find your own paths and secret discoveries, which is part of the fun.
I was doing some fall cleaning, and came upon my old fragrance collection, which I started in my early teens. Some are classics, and some I'm slightly embarrassed for even buying, buy hey, I was experimenting! I think I may have even had a Gap fragrance at one point, but I threw that one out a while ago. It's amazing how my taste has evolved from fragrances like CK One and Tommy Girl, to indie perfumes, to creating my own fragrances for Nomaterra. One thing that hasn't changed though, is my joy for exploring different perfumes. There's nothing wrong with trying it all, from completely obscure brands that only ever came out with one scent, to best-sellers. Even with my own brand, I still enjoy exploring what's new, what's out there.
One scent that sticks out in this collection is CK One. CK One debuted in 1994, and was revolutionary for its time due to its forward thinking ad featuring Kate Moss and LGBT activist model Jenny Shimizu, and most importantly, for the fact that is was a unisex eau de toilette, a first of its kind. It now smells like nail polish to me, mostly due to the fact that its been aging in a box for over 10 years. What's interesting though is that CK One really started a movement in the creation of unisex fragrances, that is still very much alive now. You name it, and almost every designer and niche brand has at lease one unisex fragrance.
The last one in these row of oldies is Acqua Di Gio. Another renowned classic that's won its fair share of awards including a Fifi Men's Fragrance of the Year Nouveau Niche in 1998 and had been entered into the Fragrance Hall of Fame last year. This is what my husband used to wear, like many men. He's now moved on to wearing our Brooklyn Violet Leaf Cologne.
What fragrances do you remember experimenting with from your childhood/teens/early years? Do you still wear them? What do you wear now?
We've been hard at work all summer on new city-inspired scents, traveling to these great American cities, and finding out what makes them unique. We've done our research too. Did you know that Gardenia Manii, is a type of gardenia that can only be found on the island of Oahu? Gardenia is a succulently rich, jasmine and vanilla-like scent, and it is found as the key ingredient in one of our newest fragrances, Oahu Gardenia. Plumeria, an exotic Hawaiian tropical flower used to create leis can also be found in the Oahu fragrance. In addition, we are excited to also debut Boston Tobacco Leaf, Savannah Magnolia, and Malibu Honeysuckle (our favorite to wear right now in this beautiful autumn weather). Each of these new scents come in 10ml perfume oil roll-ons. What do you think these great cities should smell like?
You can try out all our scents in the Nomaterra
adventure set. Perhaps they will remind you of your hometown, a place you've been to, or a place you dream of going to.
Happy Adventuring!
Join us this weekend as we debut our fall collections. Nomaterra will be revealing all of their latest fragrances--Oahu Gardenia, Malibu Honeysuckle, Boston Tobacco Leaf, and Savannah Magnolia. Stop by from 10 am - 7pm, Friday - Sunday, at 731 8th Street SE in Capitol Hill, D.C. Can't wait to see you all there!
