Greetings My Dear Purrfumery Friends!

Summer is here and we are enjoying every minute of it – every corner of the Perfumer's Garden is bursting with color and fragrance! The bees are thick on the borage, and the lemon balm, chocolate mint and yarrow are going wild. At night, we soak in the hot tub and take in the intoxicating fragrance of daturas, jasmine and honeysuckle. Our scented geraniums are full and aromatic, and the antique roses, lavender and love in a mist are in full bloom.

My Purrfumery friends experienced the magic of the garden at my Kitty Tea Party and benefit in June. What an amazing day it was! More than 50 cat lovers, cat owners, and cat women came together to lounge, enjoy wonderful homemade treats AND support Friends of Roman Cats. Thank you, thank you, thank you! We raised over $1,000 for this incredible organization and also collected donations for Charlie, a sweet black kitty in desperate need of dental surgery. The Tea Party was a success and I loved visiting with all my Purrfumery friends. We'll do it again soon!

Unlock the Mystery of Scent

Years ago, when my love of natural scents from flowers and plants led me to the world of perfume, I was surprised to learn how different scents affected my moods. I spent the next six years experimenting with amazing ingredients from all over the world and studying ancient books that revealed the mysteries of scent. My research delivered me back in time to what I call "the golden age of perfume," the era before synthetic compounds were used in perfumery. I'll be sharing some of what I've discovered about this magical, bygone era and the power of scent at Olfactive, a series of interactive scent-based experiences at the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden. Please join me from 1 to 2 p.m. on August 8, 2010 for this dynamic mixture of stories and scents! During my talk, titled Honoring Antiquity: The Art of Natural Perfumery , I will also give the audience a rare opportunity to experience some of my aromatic treasures from all over the globe. Thank you Gina Zupsich for organizing this educational and tantalizing series of talks! Follow this link to learn more about this fun event.

Admission to the talk is free with a general admission ticket to the garden. To learn more about the Olfactive series, visit http://olfactive.wordpress.com/

Hope to see you there!

Organic Indulgence

Speaking of sumptuous scents, I am featuring certified organic blood orange hydrosols in 1- and 2-ounce bottles for the summer! These juicy and uplifting hydrosols instantly change your mood with a quick, skin-hydrating burst of aromatherapeutic scent! From now through the end of August, I will include a 1-ounce bottle with all orders over $50. Don't wait! I have a limited amount of this beautiful, rare hydrosol! Check it out on our Hyrdrosols page!

Looking for Love?

If so, look no further. I am searching for homes for three of the sweetest kitties ever! I would keep them all, but I believe in sharing the wealth and the fun! Please put the word out, my dear Purrfumery friends!

Please call me at 510-528-8040 or email me at laurie@purrfumery.com if you would like to meet the kitties and if you have any questions!

Thank you for helping me to find permanent homes for my kitty friends! They all need loving homes as quickly as possible – their foster parents adore them but their arrangements are only temporary.

Have a lovely summer!

Until then, peace, love, purrfume, and kitty cats,

~XOXO, Laurie

Velvet and Sweet Pea’s Purrfumery
Receives Leaping Bunny Certification

Leaping Bunny certified!

After many months of hard work, the Purrfumery has officially received its Leaping Bunny certification, which certifies not only that we do no animal testing (of course!) but also that none of the ingredients we use have been tested on animals by the companies we buy them from. This was a long process because it involved contacting and receiving documentation from each and every supplier we deal with or may deal with in the future – no small job as we source ingredients from all over the world!

This certification is important to me because I believe strongly in putting my personal values into my business, and I want my company to completely reflect my cruelty-free ethics and values. What I learned while undergoing this process was fascinating, revealing, and upsetting – animal testing in the perfume and cosmetics industry is far more widespread than most anyone realizes. I hope to write more about the certification experience at a later point, and to share some of the illuminating things I learned about the certification process and the status of animal testing in the industry.

Learn more about the use of animal musks in perfumes, a cruel practice that affects even the natural perfume industry: Animal Musks: The Dark Side of Perfume