The Moon & the Stars Around Your Neck: a New Scent and New Lockets from Velvet & Sweet Pea's Purrfumery

by: Jodi Battershell

Velvet & Sweet Pea's Purrfumery released its newest scent, The Moon & the Stars, in the last quarter of 2015. Many of the house's fragrances are offered across multiple media (parfum, eau de parfum, crème parfum, body care products) but The Moon & the Stars is available exclusively in the crème parfum format. However, even with the medium settled, additional choices are in order. The Purrfumery offers this gorgeous natural fragrance in a scent locket adorned with a beautiful Victorian-era woman gazing dreamily at the night sky, in small or medium sizes (above). The scent is also available in two crème parfum compacts, with brocade or tiny flower patterns (below), as well as a series of vintage-inspired brass lockets on matching chains (the Swirl Oval locket below is just one of four designs available). 

Vintage-style scent compacts in Brocade and Tiny Flowers designs

I love solid scents and have extolled their virtues in several articles and on multiple threads in our forum. I have a sizable collection of solids and in some cases, I even prefer the solid format of a fragrance to its liquid counterpart. Solids are ideal travel companions that are perfect for the purse or pocket. Solid scents housed in the form of rings, braclets or necklaces that can be worn as beautiful jewelry offer additional appeal, of course. When you need to refresh your fragrance, you're already wearing the means to do so, in an attractive piece of jewelry that complements your ensemble.

Solid scents also deserve consideration for reasons other than practicality and portability. They're perfect for when you want to keep your scent "aura" close to you. If you work in close quarters with a lot of people or work with people who are sensitive to fragrances, you can often fly under the radar with a solid scent and still enjoy your own pleasant aroma. Notes that might be quite loud and overpowering in an alcohol-based format are often tamed by the oils and waxes of a solid. Those oils and waxes are another great thing about solids, too. Their skin-softening properties make every application of a solid perfume feel like a calming mini-ritual of self-care.

Vintage-style Swirl Oval Scent Locket, clasped and unclasped

The Moon & the Stars contains some powerhouse florals—jasmine and tuberose—which dominate this fragrance. Their indoles are still noticeable, for those who appreciate this aspect of white florals (which I do), but they're subdued in this solid format and those who normally find them off-putting will not be distracted by them. Topped with warm cinnamon and red mandarin, these delicate white blossoms are firmly rooted in an earthy base of sandalwood, frankincense and cacao. At once spicy and floral, The Moon & the Stars becomes warmer and woodier as it dries down.

Another feature unique to solids is the opportunity for the medium to contribute to the overall scent experience. In The Moon & the Stars, a balsamy vanilla note is imparted by the vanilla-infused organic jojoba oil. Solid perfumes made with natural beeswax—in this case, from the Purrfumery's very own bees—also have a delicious natural honeyed aspect that is simply not possible in an oil-based or alcohol-based liquid perfume. The consistency of The Moon & the Stars crème parfum is perfect: firm and substantial, but when warmed by a fingertip brushed across its surface, it softens and spreads easily across the back of my wrists and the base of my throat. The sillage is close, as is characteristic of a solid, but the longevity is good, with the base notes still detectable three hours later, at which time I opted to reapply. You really can't overdo this one.

Cat charm necklaces in three sizes, filled with Honey crème parfum

The Purrfumery has long made several of its classic scents available in the crème parfum format, but in 2016, the offering has been expanded with the addition of a new series of lockets. An adorable cat charm necklace (above), inspired by perfumerLaurie Stern's collection of vintage cat-themed Valentines, is available in three sizes and filled with the house's delectable Honey fragrance. (The Honey scent is also available in a romantic heart-shaped charm locket adorned with roses from an 18th-century Flemish painting.)

The house's sexy spicy/floral Songbird perfume is available in a delightful and wholly appropriate pigeon-themed charm necklace. The handsome fellow on the locket, Kingpin, was painted by artist Ashley Dietrich, and all profits from the Songbird scent locket go to the San Francisco Bay Area Palomacy Pigeon & Dove Adoptions.

Kingpin portrait charm necklaces, in three sizes, filled with Songbird crème parfum 
(Artwork by Ashley Dietrich)

The new scent lockets start at just $24 and are a great way to try a new fragrance from the Purrfumery or carry a beloved scent with you. Like all items from the Purrfumery, they are beautifully packaged in specially designed bags and boxes and would make a wonderful Valentine's gift or a special treat for yourself. Velvet & Sweet Pea's Purrfumery is offering free shipping on orders over $50 through February 28, 2016, with code ValentineKitty.

Thank you to Laurie Stern and the Purrfumery for the opportunity to try The Moon & the Stars and share its beauty with our readers! 

All images:  Velvet & Sweet Pea's Purrfumery

It's Kittylicious: Velvet and Sweet Pea's Purrfumery

by: Jodi Battershell

Though my first opportunity to try the fragrances of Velvet & Sweet Pea's Purrfumerydid not come until 2015, with the FRAGments swag bag, I've been aware of this house for years. Once seen, it's not forgotten, even if you're not a cat lover like me. Amidst the Victoriana and beautifully saturated hues of magenta, purple, turquoise and orange, cats are in play—literally and figuratively: in the logo and name, in the packaging, in the product photos, on the house's Facebook and Instagram pages.

It's all by design, and all so wonderfully designed, by the founder and perfumer of Velvet & Sweet Pea's Purrfumery, Laurie Stern. It all began when Laurie, formerly a florist, was transitioning from creating bouquets for weddings in Napa Valley to creating olfactory bouquets in the form of natural perfume. Little did she know that two rescue cats were about to change her personal and professional lives forever.   

"I’m a lifelong animal lover. Whenever an injured animal comes into my karma, I try my best to help it out. That’s how I met Velvet and Sweet Pea, who were lab animals I rescued," recalls Laurie. "Velvet and Sweet Pea became my kitty muses, and they paved the way to a new consciousness about the horrors of animal testing. Ultimately, the lessons Velvet and Sweet Pea taught me became the pillars of my life and the principles behind my natural, botanical and very whimsical Purrfumery! Their images are immortalized in my elaborate, fanciful packaging that accompanies every product I create."

Laurie Stern with a feline friend

Velvet and Sweet Pea enjoyed long and happy lives with Laurie and new animals joined her family after they passed. These days, not all of them are even feline. "Cruelty-free is my commitment and my way of life. Animal rescue is a part of that. A few years ago, I built an aviary for an injured homing pigeon and his mate who came in the cat door for help. I’ve brought home a few more pigeons from a local animal rescue and the aviary is very cozy!"

Her experiences with Velvet and Sweet Pea prompted a new direction in Laurie's efforts as a perfumer. "As I deepened my study of natural perfumery, I also learned that many commercial and natural perfumers used animal products, like musk and other secretions, for animal notes and fixatives in their products," explains Laurie. "Sure, these materials are natural, but do people realize that animals are held, tortured, or even killed for their musk? The civet cat is one animal that endures tremendous suffering for the sake of perfume. The methods people use to harvest its musk are cruel and archaic, and have been scrutinized by animal rights activists for years." (For those who wish to learn more, Laurie has a detailed article on her websiteabout the use of civet and animal musks in perfumes, as well as the kinder, gentler alternatives available for both perfumers and perfume consumers.)

An ode to cats and conifers: Fir-ever Young

Working exclusively with natural ingredients already, Laurie made the decision to forego the use of all animal musks in her products. (Even ambergris no longer made the cut, once she learned that much of it came from slaughtered whales.) The only animal-related products you'll find in Velvet & Sweet Pea perfumes and personal care products are honey and beeswax from the Purrfumery's own bees, which Laurie looks after herself with tender loving care.

To that end, it's no surprise that Velvet and Sweet Pea's Purrfumery is Leaping Bunny certified. Leaping Bunny is an international coalition that promotes a single, comprehensive standard for cruelty-free cosmetic products. "Eight years ago, after many months of work and research, the Purrfumery received its Leaping Bunny certification, which certifies that we don’t do animal testing (of course!) and neither do any of the companies we patronize." As Laurie explains, this is not as simple as it sounds. "This involved contacting and receiving documentation from every supplier I work with, or may work with in the future—no small job as I source ingredients from all over the world!"

Choosing to create perfume exclusively with natural (botanical) ingredients presents a unique challenge, and choosing further to avoid animal musks and source only from suppliers whose ethics are compatible with her own makes the task even more daunting, but it's a challenge Laurie embraced with enthusiasm. A quote from her website says it all:

"There are enough amazing plant essences in this world to create an infinite number of gorgeous scents. We are at a point in our perfume development where we have more access to beautiful, incredible essences than ever before."

Honey

I've sampled all of the Velvet & Sweet Pea fragrances (except its newest, The Moon & the Stars), and nature's beauty is exalted in all of them. It appears Laurie and I share a love of jasmine, which features prominently in several of the Purrfumery's fragrances. My favorite is Jewelry of Heaven—so perfectly named, with its plush jasmine and jammy rose notes enhanced by a base of rose-infused alcohol. Honey is also a particular delight, marrying lush orange blossom with velvety rose on a gently sweet base of honeyed vanilla and sandalwood.

And, oh! The packaging! All Velvet & Sweet Pea fragrances feature the most adorable cat-themed labels and scent cards. Laurie even sent a sweet little fan featuring two tabbies drinking tea. As a child of antique-collecting parents, I thought I recognized some inspiration from vintage postcards and Valentines in the Purrfumery's packaging. 

Indeed I did ...

Laure confirms it. "Everything I love is incorporated into Velvet & Sweet Pea’s Purrfumery. Obviously I love kitties, and I’ve been collecting Victorian cat postcards and antique trade cards since I was a kid." Now based in California, Laurie is originally from the East Coast, where she found much of her inspiration for the Purrfumery's imagery. "I used to go antiquing with my older sister along Route 9 to Cape May, New Jersey, and these charming cards were all I could afford. I create the packaging—the little silk bags, pouches and scent cards—with the help of my incredible graphic designer, Emerald, and find inspiration in my collections of postcards, antique perfume bottles, laces and fabrics."

There are more amazing scents and delightful product designs from this house than I can cover in a single article, so I want to focus on a particular line within the house:Kittylicious. The Kittylicious Collection is a great point of entry into Velvet & Sweet Pea, whether you're a natural perfume novice or a seasoned appreciator of all types of fragrances. Any of its four fragrances—Rose Jasmine, Mojito, Jasmine Orange Blossom and Black Cat—would be an excellent choice for a gift or a special treat for yourself. The collection is available as a set of four or individual bottles.

"I designed the Kittylicious line to be an affordable luxury for my younger customers. A bottle makes a beautiful first perfume for teenagers or young adults. Right after I launched Kittylicious, I noticed it had wide appeal—people of all ages love these scents," says Laurie. "And I love the name—Kittylicious sounds so fun and yummy."

Like all of of the Velvet & Sweet Pea scents, the packaging on the Kittylicious collection is an absolute delight. "I create each bottle of Kittylicious perfume to be a collector’s item. I make them in small, numbered vintages, and the rarity of the ingredients alone ensures that only a limited number will ever be created. In earlier eras, a perfume bottle was a precious thing to treasure long after the perfume itself was gone. I try to continue this tradition with my creations."

I truly enjoyed all four scents. Mojito smells just like the drink and is easily a unisex fragrance. Laurie notes Rose Jasmine is the most popular scent of the collection, and Orange Blossom Jasmine features two of my favorite florals together, which plucked at my heart strings in a special way. But a certain little onyx-colored kitty just cried out for more attention. "I launched Black Cat right before Halloween! Of course, I had to make it! It was really fun to make a scent that was all of my favorite candies, with chocolate, vanilla, licorice, blood orange, and more…"

Halloween has come and gone this year, but Black Cat's gourmand notes are also perfect (or rather, purrfect) for parties and wintertime wear. The fragrance is like a delicious candy or cookie sampler of wonderful holiday treats that needs no added frosting or honey to be delicious...unless you want to add some, of course! And if you do, Black Cat is also available as a moisturizing Whipped Frosting, as well as a solid Scent Locket made with beeswax from the Purrfumery's own bees.

Scent lockets for Black Cat solid perfumes

2015 has been a busy year for the Purrfumery, with the addition of a new men's line—Mr. Whisker's Beard Balms—and a recently released fragrance. Plus, Laurie offers bespoke perfumes and "Perfumery Adventure" opportunities in her boutique. In addition to tending bees, she's also active in her Perfumer's Garden and hand-tinctures many of the ingredients used in her fragrances. Still, she's not one to rest on her laurels, and she has more plans and products in the works for Velvet & Sweet Pea's Purrfumery.

"I’ll be turning 60 next year, so I’m thinking about this next chapter in my life a lot! I’ve just released a new solid perfume, The Moon & the Stars, based on tuberose and jasmine, and I will be launching another new perfume soon."

She's also looking for new ways to combine her many loves.

"I love making perfume, helping animals, and finding ways to blend the two. I’m working on some new scent locket designs that will help my favorite bird rescue, Pigeon Palomacy, and some solid perfume kitty lockets that will help cat rescue. I’ll donate a portion of profits to groups and help them raise money. I also want to get Twitter to help fund local bird rescue—these organizations need support and getting Twitter involved makes a lot of sense to me. And I won’t give up on freeing the civet. Animals need our help and I want to combine my art with helping animals at this point in my life."

Thank you to Velvet & Sweet Pea's Purrfumery for the opportunity to try your amazing fragrances. Please visit the official website to learn more and shop the entire Velvet & Sweet Pea's Purrfumery collection of fragrances and bath and body goods.

All Images:  Velvet & Sweet Pea's Purrfumery