In My Bag: Nomaterra's Founder Aggie Burnett Posted on 4 Mar 15:05 , 0 comments

Here's a glimpse into Aggie's everyday carry-ons -- overflowing with travel, beauty, and Nomaterra essentials.

The Bag: Dior Saddle Bag: "I bought this bag in 2007 -- It was one of the first items that I purchased while working at Glamour Magazine."

Nivea Hand Cream: "I love this hand cream because it's really moisturizing for my super dry hands in the winter and it absorbs quickly."

Duri Rejuvacote: "This is a perfect product to use to touch up your nails right before an event, plus it makes your nails super strong and makes them grow quickly. And it's made in Brooklyn!"

Laura Mercier Travel Mascara: "This mascara makes my lashes voluminous and jet black on-the-go."

Laura Mercier Lip Glacé in Bellini: "This lip gloss is really special to me; I wore it on my wedding day!"

Benefit Benetint: "I've loved this since it first came out and I haven't stopped wearing it. It's great for lips and cheeks for a just-ran-outside flush."

Inglot Liquid Eyeliner in #25: "I will never wear any eyeliner but this one. It goes on perfectly, makes your eyes pop and never smears."

Nomaterra East Hampton Travel Spray: "With the coming of spring I'm starting to get in the mood with Nomaterra's East Hampton fragrance. It's clean, fresh, and how I want to smell now."

Travel & Leisure: "I love catching up on the newest and greatest spots to travel to while I'm on the subway."

Nomaterra Samples: "I always carry samples with me wherever I go to have people try our scents."

Nomaterra Fragrance Wipes: "I always carry a few of these in my bag for sampling or for personal use."

Tide To Go Pen: "This instantly removes any clothing stains that may happen throughout my busy day."

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat: "This makes me look completely rested even if I only slept three hours last night."

Nomaterra Business Cards: "These are essential."

Inglot Lip Pencil in #12: "I love this lip liner because it doubles as a lipstick and it doesn't smear."

Necklace: "My grandmother's diamond necklace. I carry it with me for good luck."

Hershey's Kisses: "I don't leave my apartment without a few Hershey's milk chocolate kisses. They give me an instant energy boost."

Sunglasses: "I love my $5 turquoise retro sunglasses. I never buy name brand glasses because I lose or break them too quickly."

Givenchy Card Holder: "I use this convenient little holder to store my ID, metro card, and other essentials."

Passports: "These get me to wherever I need to go in America, Europe and beyond."

Kindle: "Perfect for a quick read on the subway or during airport delays."

Cashmere Gloves: "These are great transitional gloves from winter to spring and they're special to me because I got them from my sister-in-law."

Nomaterra Post Cards: "These are great for when I want to share more information at an event or in a store."

What's in your day bag?

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Art of Scent at the Museum of Art and Design Posted on 28 Feb 12:49 , 0 comments

introduction to the exhibit Today the Nomaterra team ventured up to Columbus Circle to check out a fragrance-focused exhibit at the Museum of Art and Design. The exhibit, called the Art of Scent, features twelve scents laid out chronologically. The exhibit's brochure explains that "olfactory arts have historically been overlooked as a significant creative practice. New materials and technologies that have appeared since the 19th century have transformed the medium and have been used by scent artists to achieve previously unimaginable works." The exhibit highlights some of those new materials and technologies in the perfumes on display, such as Olivier Cresp's Light Blue, who used olfactory holograms of his ingredients to this favorite. His modern process also allowed each of the key notes to stand out as separate entities while being in equilibrium, which is unlike the traditional form of composition where the blend was created to be seamless. The usage of synthetic ingredients is also on full display in all of the perfumes highlighted at the exhibit, including Jicky, created in 1889.

Our favorite were among the newer fragrances; we enjoyed the final two scents, produced in 2006 and 2010, the most. Osmanthe Yunnan (loaned by Hermès) was a very fresh, clean scent that "achieved an amazing effect, suggesting the diaphanous quality of light in a scent." We also enjoyed Untitled (loaned by Maison Martin Margiela, L'Oréal and Givaudan), which was very green and smelled both grassy and earthy at the same time. The bulk of this perfume comes from galbanum, which is a plant resin with an intense green scent. Our only dissappointment: no natural fragrances on display. Along the rear wall at the end of the exhibit was a series of five scents on a card, all different versions of what ultimately became the popular Lancôme fragrance Trésor. Each step was more complex than the last. In the first, the notes of rose otto, orris, heliotropin, geranium leaf, musk ketone, ionone alpha, and vetiver were all characteristically distinctive. The second modification gave off poweder-y, woody accents, while the third was completely different, with a hint of nuttiness. The 4th version had green, metallic, and lavender accents, and the 5th and final version, well, is Tresor. What's cool about the final Tresor is that it's impeccably quite different than any of the preceding versions. You can tell the perfumer, Sophia Grojsman, made many adjustments between the 4th and the final version.

version three of Lancôme's Trésor

The exhibit only runs through March 3rd, so be sure to get up to the MAD and check out this great exhibit soon!

Art of Scent, 1899-2012 at the Museum of Art and Design

The Museum of Art and Design is located at 2 Columbus Circle, New York, NY 10019. It is open Tuesday-Sunday from 11 am until 6 pm, and on Thursday and Friday from 11 am until 9 pm.