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Post by Val the Cookie Queen

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I spend a lot of my time in kitchens, both at work and in the home. Much as I love to always wear perfume, I can´t. There is nothing that smells worse to me than things baking and perfume together, not to mention perfume and garlic. Ugh. (I once nearly killed myself mixing an Amouage with 7 hours in the kitchen, but that´s another story!) When I finish baking, I usually head off to deliver, which is where a solid perfume comes into play for me. Turning up covered in freshly spritzed perfume is just not my thing. That is not to say that I don´t enjoy having people take notice, (I have worn Rubj EdP to church!) but along with freshly baked goods, it really is not a good mix.

Which is exactly why I enjoy Alahine, the solid perfume. I can put it on anywhere without it being immediately obvious. I must admit it took me a while to look into Teo Cabanel. I am sad (and embarrassed) to say I thought it was some sort of natural line that might have been sold in a health food store! I have no idea as to where I got such a peculiar notion. When I tried this at Bloom´s in London I realized what I had been missing. The House of Teo Cabanel, has been established for well over 100 years, firstly in Morocco, and later in Paris. Their fragrances cannot be purchased along with your wheatgrass juice.

Alahine by Teo Cabanel 2007 Solid Perfume

Photo Stolen Fragrantica

Fragrantica gives these featured acciords:
Top: Bergamot, ylang-ylang
Heart: Jasmine,orange blossom, pepper, rose of Morocco
Base: Iris, cistus, patchouli, benjoin, vanilla, sandalwood, musk

Alahine is really quite seductive.. A blend of all things lovely; bergamot, jasmine, Bulgarian rose, Morroccan rose, iris, patchouli, benzoin, vanilla, sandalwood ……… Just edgy enough to be different from other bog standard perfumes, but not enough to upset anyone. That makes the solid perfume ideal. Especially in the cooler months. As it says on the Teo Cabanel website, it has been designed to apply to pulse points, décolleté and bare shoulders. (Well, my shoulders aren´t too bare here in the winter, but you get the picture.)

Photo stolen Wikipedia

It takes a few seconds to melt into the skin and then slowly releases the most delicious fragrance. Slowly being the key. After about half an hour you are wrapped in a warm blanket of ambery, spicy, sumptuousness. Now at this point I really must add, do NOT be fooled by this solid perfume. It is strong stuff. Pure perfume. That means it is very easy to overdose on it. You need the smallest amount. Not to be applied liberally, tempting as it is.

I like to dab my fragrances. Not always, but often. It makes me feel refined and debonair, ripped jeans and all.

Alahine is absolutely affordable, comes in a heavy brass, square shaped box which is perfect for the handbag, where mine lives. It means I am never without a perfume. It can´t leak, break, or spill. It comes with 2 x 2 grammes of the solid perfume. Which is a lot more than it sounds!

Further reading: Perfume Shrine and Olfactoria’s Travels
Teo Cabanel has €65/solid, €95/50ml & €120/100ml

Photo Stolen Teo Cabanel

When I received my package from Teo Cabanel I was delighted to find a beautifully packaged set of the entire Teo Cabanel perfume collection. Can´t do better than that!

Back to the oven.
Bussis.
CQ xxxx