Absolute 7        Lavindin - Lotus

Lavindin Absolute is extracted from the flowering stems several hybrid cultivars of the perennial herb Lavindin which is a cross between Lavandula augustifolia and Lavandula latifolia. It is widely grown in France, Italy, Yugoslavia, Hungary, etc., but main extraction of the absolute takes place in France.

The absolute is a very dark green or brown viscous, sometimes grainy liquid with a fine, deep, sweet-herbaceous odor. The richness of the odor continues deep into the dryout. It has little if any of the camphoraceous or camphine-like top notes found in the essential oil. Lavindin absolute is used in fougeres, herbaceous-floral fragrances, forest compositions, new-mown hay and colognes. It is valued in perfumery for its ability to soften and round off rough edges in a composition.  More...

The investigation into the roots of any family of perfumes is a fascinating one. When I started the research into the roots of eau de cologne, I came to appreciate how the present and future builds upon the past.

Previous to the commercialization of Eau de Cologne which took place in 1709 in the city of Köln, Germany the most popular alcohol based perfume was Hungary Water. It is considered, by many the first modern perfume that had a multinational clientele. Indeed many local variations of the formula arose in the European countries that circulated it. Hungary water (sometimes called "the Queen of Hungary's Water") historically was the first alcohol perfume formulated in Europe at the command of Elizabeth, Queen of Hungary.  More...

June Updates

Dear Friends-
Kind greetings from Suzanne and I. We hope all of you are well and enjoying the later part of Spring as it advances towards the summer months.

Many thanks to all of you who preordered the Moroccan essential oils and the New Caledonia Sandalwood. The preorder specials have proved really helpful to all of us, as we can plan our purchases better and our customers can procure the oils at a nicely reduced price.

In September, Ramakant Harlalka and family will be hosting a fragrance tour of the states of Maharastra and Chittisgarh. This is an excellent opportunity to get first hand experience of the growing of aromatic crops, their distillation and quality control analysis along with a exposure to ancient and modern India, as part of will take place in Mumbai(Bombay) and part in the rural countryside. More...