ALCHEMY OF REBIRTH
ALCHEMY OF REBIRTH
Orange Blossoms
Our Eau Fraiche is perfect for this gorgeous period, as it is based on an accord of Tomato leaves and Orange blossoms.
It’s easy to see the orange tree in the gardens or also in the city balconies, not only for its delicious aroma, but also because it is a decorative plant that doesn't need particular care, and that can be cultivated anywhere because it doesn't fear the cold, though it is a typical Mediterranean plant. Many don't know that the tree of orange flowers was born from an intersection, probably between the grapefruit and the mandarin, but later it affirmed as an autonomous kind, the citrus sinensis of the Rutaceae family.
The flowers of the orange tree, as other inflorescences, are formed by differentiation of the apex of a spring whose leaves lost the “photosintetic” ability.
During this exact period the tree shows the marvelous flowers constituted by the white little petals. Often known as "the brides' flowers" because they symbolize purity and innocence, the flowers of orange tree release an intense and pleasant perfume. It seems that back to the times of the crusades the flowers were employed for decorating the suits of the brides and it is narrated that they were gifted to the brides as wish of prosperity. The flowers of the orange tree are used in perfumes and have also therapeutic properties, since from the flowers it is drawn a water known for being soothing and calming, a perfect remedy for stress and insomnia.
The flowers of the bitter orange tree are also used in phitotherapy for their digestive properties. Finally, only bitter orange flowers are commonly used in confectionery preparations to perfume and to make even more tasty cakes and sweets. Have yourself a Happy Spring!
ALCHEMY OF REBIRTH
“I paint flowers so they don’t die”
“I paint flowers so they don’t die”
An olfactory journey around Frida’s imaginarium
Frida loved plants and nature and considered the garden of Casa Azul a place of well-being and inspiration. Flowers were everywhere, in her hair, framing her proud sight, typical of the strong pop icon she then became. Flowers and nature are everywhere in his works. The painter’s love for plants, fruit and flowers is expressed above all in still lifes. She loved using local fruits and flowers as a means of enhancing Mexican heritage and nationality.
The garden recalled the nineteenth-century European taste for ferns and palms to which were added native plants such as agaves, cacti and prickly pears, which grew together with quince trees and apricots, pomegranates and oranges. Flowers and fruits of the garden were then used to create compositions on the large dining table, where the protagonists were blue and white iris, dahlias, calla lilies, violets and marigolds. Often the artist kept flowers among the pages of books and left them to dry. These natural elements have been so important that the Botanical Garden of New York has dedicated her an Exhibition in 2015.
The symbolism of flowers, plants and animals in her work is very rich and we limit ourselves here only to some suggestions: the magnolia, a widespread flower in Mexico, valued by the Aztecs, inebriating and short-lived (like Frida), as well as the Hibiscus. The cactus, her mexicanidad. Bougainvillea and peacock tail as an expression of the vanity of transvestism and the openness, typical of Frida. Colibrì, in which Frida loved to identify herself, was worshipped by Maya and Aztecs, while dahlias, symbol of femininity, gratitude, freedom, are very present in Mexico. Brambles and thorns symbolize the pain to which the artist was subjected. And then daisies, callas, lilies, azaleas, sterlizias, chrysanthemums and finally, for us extremely significant, the acanthus leaves, symbol of rebirth.
Have yourself a wonderful, colorful, fragrant, magical journey discovering this unique artist! Let yourself be inspired!
ALCHEMY OF REBIRTH
Coriander
The coriander, one of the notes of "spices bouquet" olfactory pyramid, was well known in ancient times and also suggested in the texts by Pliny the Elder as an antidote to the discomforts of influence. This spice is rich in properties but also in curiosities!!! The word coriander derives in fact from the Latin term “Coriandrum”, which comes from the Greek word “corys” (bug), followed by the suffix - ander (alike). The name of this plant refers to the particular scent emanating until the maturation of the fruits and in fact it is also known as “erba cimicina”. Another trivia concerns the name of this spice and why today we call “corianders” the bits of colored paper that kids throw at Carnival: in the XV century, during the celebrations, confetti were usually thrown, often consisting in iced coriander seeds. Through time, these little sugars evolved and they become the small paper pieces that we know today, maintaining the name of the spice.
The plant from which the Coriander comes belongs to the Ombrelliferaes and is native of the Mediterranean area. Coriander leaves are spicier and are appreciated especially in Eastern Ccountries (that’s why it is also known as Chinese parsley); also the fruits are used: they are yellow grains similar to the pepper ones, and their sweetish taste resembles that of lemons.
Coriander is a good natural remedy against the digestive diseases. It has a stimulating effect and antibacterial action and it is a good ingredient for spice mixes for its delicate taste. We can find it among the ingredients of the curry and the garam masala, the Indian spice mix, but it is used in different international cuisines, from the Far East to Mexico, as well as in the preparation of liqueurs and digestives as Gin and Chartreuse. Enjoy its qualities!
ALCHEMY OF REBIRTH
A story of Cassis and Juniper
These two notes compose the Velvet Woods essence, our unisex, fresh and winding wooden fragrance, an encounter with the uncontaminated and magic woodland nature. Let’s discover the rich properties of these two special ingredients.
Sometimes called Cassis, the ribes nigrum is a fruit plant, among those typical of the underbrush, which ripens at the end of July. Very used in phytotherapy for its leaves, gems and fruits, which are intensely perfumed thanks to the essential oils, that help body to react to inflammation and stress. In addition to these properties, the very intense and stimulating aroma of cassis turns into gourmand and reassuring perfumes and it is therefore perfect to accompany us in the comfortable autumn season.
The Juniper, an evergreen shrub typical of the Mediterranean area, where its pleasant aroma spreads, grows in a lush way in fallow fields both at sea and in the mountains. Junipers are prickly plants which usually grow slowly: only where the weather is mild, it can grow into a small tree, but often it forms more or less high shrubs with needle-shaped, linear, silvery-green leaves. The small light yellow flowers of this shrub appear in late Spring or early Summer and only the female flowers produce berries - the fruits – which remain two or three years on the plant, reaching maturity and changing its colour from green to dark purple with silvery reflections. Even in this case the round and resinous berries, the so-called galbuli, are very aromatic and bring us immediately to the forest atmosphere that embraces and purifies us.
Close your eyes and start the journey!
ALCHEMY OF REBIRTH
VENICE EDITION: FIG POUDRÉ
The exclusive scent chosen by YouFirst Pura Rinascita to honour the "Downsizing" film première is FIG POUDRÉ, a hearty embrace focused on fig as a dominant note, declined in an Eau Fraîche, perfect for Summer evenings.
Known from ancient times as the emblem of life itself, the union between Earth and Sky, fig tree is a tree with a short trunk that can reach 6-10 meter of height: the bark is finely wrinkled, the lymph is white and milky, the branches are rich in marrow.The leaves are large, dark green on top. What is commonly believed to be the fruit of fig is actually a big infructescence; the real fruits are many small branches, whose pulp is sweet and constitutes the edible part.
The cultivation of the fig tree has developed in different parts of the planet, but significantly in the Mediterranean, whose weather is warm and arid. The cultivated figs are innumerable, and so are the Italian varieties.
Sacred plant and fruit, the fig tree in ancient Greece was devoted to Athena, goddess of wisdom, and Dionysus, god of wine. Plato believed this tree was friend of philosophers. In ancient tradition the fig tree means immortality and abundance, so much that it was used for sicomanzia, a divination practice with the leaves of this tree.
As a symbol of abundance it is linked to fertility and presides at birth: according to a Hindu legend, the god Vishnu would be born under a fig, like the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remo. A sensual and rounded caress, perfect expression of a rebirth experience and capable of storing with his notes the memory of this magical evening.
Discover more on Fig Poudré
ALCHEMY OF REBIRTH
Mediterranean wind, breathtaking full moonlight
We are in the middle of the Summer, happy moment and maximum expression of many elements of our environment.
The sun that accompanies us in our day-to-day activities strengthens our defenses and prepares us for winter hardships, reminding us that men do not only live of work but also (especially?) of every moment of natural enjoyment, making them feelso harmoniously part of the universe.
The Summer wind, especially the sea one,that brings us together the smells of salt and brushes, emphasizes our status as "canes in the wind”, as fragile beings, yet so rooted and intertwined with the life of the cosmos. It is already time for reflections, amazement and dreams, just like that of the midnight Summer by the divine Shakespeare, where everything is confused and blended and then transformed and, in the light ofday, melt into a great laughing liberation.
Our magazine greets you and leaves you to the August rebirth, full of vital momentum. See you again in September.
ALCHEMY OF REBIRTH
Neroli, Tagetes and Sandalwood perfume your Summer
How many times do we read the ingredients of a cream or perfume without paying attention, without asking ourselves the meaning of what we are wearing? Let's take some time to get to know briefly some of the magical alchemies which give off nature’s gift that can be found in many of our favorite fragrances.
For example Neroli, or orange flower, has ancient Chinese origins and has been used for thousands of years in cosmetics and medicine. Steam distilled by flowers, it is highly appreciated in perfumery but unfortunately it is often replaced by synthetic molecules, because it is a very expensive ingredient. Suitable for all-type skin care, especially the most sensitive and dry ones, it also has a remarkable antidepressant effect and it is very useful in times of discomfort and sadness.
Tagetes is a bright orange clove coming from Mexico and it is still profusely used today in religious rituals, especially funerals, to give the sweetest welcome to the spirits of the afterlife who return to greet the living ones. Its intense fresh and citrus scent makes it the protagonist of cosmetic products, enriching them also with its antiseptic and insect-repelling properties.
Sandalwood, originating in India, is a largely used wood, both in perfumery and as a natural remedy, obtained from the Santalum album. In India it is mainly used to produce incense sticks, but it is widely used as essential oil for its anti-inflammatory, stress-relief, aphrodisiac properties. It gives to all fragrances that woody and warm base notes that persist on our skin for a long time.
Have a very nice and perfumed Rebirth!
ALCHEMY OF REBIRTH
Give me a tomato, I’ll make you fall in love
Tomato was imported in Europe from South America during the 16th , probably by Cortès. Its dissemination was very fast, especially thanks to the magical and aphrodisiac powers attributed to it. Because of these powers, tomato was given the name of “Love apple” in many European languages (pomo d’amore, love bomb, Libesapfel ...).
For a long time its food value was snubbed: after all, at that time the eating habits did not offer much space to a kind of food that in itself couldn’t satiate people and could not even be assimilated to spices such as cocoa and cinnamon, who were considered prestigious on high-end tables. Tomato was instead used as an ornamental plant, for terraces and gardens, besides it was usually given as love token.
Today it is not even the case to dwell on the fortune that this ingredient has had in international cuisine, becoming an icon of goodness and Mediterranean diet. We’d like to stress the most romantic look of this plant, whose leaves smell of fresh summer and secret vegetables gardens, giving us a unique and special olfactory emotion. What a triumph of the senses, happiness for both body and spirit in just one plant!
Taste, smell, fall in love.
ALCHEMY OF REBIRTH
Summer is green and perfumes of citrus fruits
Holiday air, wish for sunshine:
Summer is still far away, but thoughts fly and the body struggles to remain firmly grounded.
The air perfumes of mandarin, mulberry and fresh green nights when the wind blows leaves.
Eyes close so that imagination can flow better.
Few elements are needed to get this alchemy, few as good friends are:
How much joy thinking to find them all together, waiting for us.
Summer rebirth of colors and fragrances, green and light
Like our wonderful hopes.
Let's go on the orange flowers path.
ALCHEMY OF REBIRTH
#15 Springtime: get back in touch with nature
The awakening of nature does not always coincide with a burst of energy for us, men and women fatigued from Winter.
Often in Spring we feel exhausted, frustrated even with little setbacks and the typical unstable weather of this season. What should we do to find again some harmony with the soft green of the newborn leaves on the branches?
The answer is as obvious as wise: take your time. Take time to retrieve the lost vitality and to recover, pampering yourself with exclusive moments dedicated only to you. Colours, flavours, fragrances: any positive stimulus contributes to get back in touch with the environment that surrounds us. Nature, with its renewal, reminds us that, although we feel tired and humble, we are all part of the Wonderful.
A day dedicated to you and only you, far away from the worries and routine, to contemplate the sheer beauty of life that is born again. Enjoy Spring!