I am dreaming of a GREEN Christmas; high on my personal gift list are all natural, organic and botanical Holiday goodies.  As a beauty and fragrance editor for over ten years, I was an early adopter; I wrote about natural products and perfumers when most fashion and fragrance folk associated natural products with tree huggers and hippies. There was alot of scoffing back then.  Nowadays, everyone wants to jump on the Green Wagon, including large companies. Caveat Emptor.. what is touted as natural often is not due to lax regulations.  I will not mention the hypocrisy of IFRA here, oops I just did.   Ok let me get down from my botanical soap box so we can have some Holiday fun…naturally.

 Providence Perfume Co. Fern Hand Cream:   I am always losing my gloves, so handcream is a must.  One of the beauty secrets I learned from a beautiful Romanian woman when I was younger was to look for calendula oil in my skincare. Calendula is derived from marigolds and has many medicinal uses including repairing dry irritated skin. Charna Ethier of Providence Perfume Co has formulated a 90 percent organic and 100 percent botanical hand cream chock full of calendula, so when you forget your mittens, your chapped skin will still look soft and smooth.  The Fern scent is a woody fougere and great for the dessicated hands of both men and women  3 oz $24

Mandy Aftel, reigns as the Queen of Green.  She pioneered natural perfumes and paved the way for a new generation of perfumers.  Aftelier’s  Cepes & Tuberose was the very first natural perfume I ever smelled in 2004 and  it opened my nose to how magnificently beautiful and complex natural perfumes can be. Fragrant, The Secret Life of Scent is an essential to any library and may inspire the dreamer on your gift list to become a natural perfumer. That dreamer may be you.  Hardcover $28.

The Holiday season is a time to indulge, or overindulge as overeating at parties and family gatherings is just a fact. Libby Patterson’s DETOX Tea is a delicious tasting and purifying herbal remedy to bloating and sooth your sour stomach.  Hand crafted by Libby from certified organic ingredients including Echinacea, St Johnswort, Spearmint, Alfalfa, Dandelion, Chamomile, and Lavendar. Have a cuppa through the New Year… $18

Got oud? Chances are the answer is no and the “oud” you are smelling in commercial fragrances is a “re-creation” or of poor quality. Real oud is unlike anything you have ever smelled before and as r Sr ContributorElise Pearlsine wrote in her recent Oud post, aloeswood, agarwood, oudh it is truly “The Wood of The gods”. For the oud obsessed perfumista on your list and eh hum who doesn't have at least one… JK DeLapp of the Rising Phoenix offers some of the best oud oils.  The Agarwood tree that Thai Pa Pa Kea was sourced from was 190 years old harvested for the King of Thailand and is a hydro distilled essential oil.  If you are oud-phobic like me the sensual top is redolent of bright tropical fruits and flowers which dry down to a warm honeyed wood.  Even I love it.  .39 grams for $59

Perfumer Ken Grand of Sarabecca natural perfumes are a delight and so are his Botanical Body Washes in Day, a fresh white floral that sparkles as it cleans and Night, a more sultry scented soap composed of vetivert, amber and ginger. Enjoy in the bath, shower,  at the sink or as shampoo  9.5 oz $24 each

Julie Elliott of In Fiore is responsible for my near perfect complexion…Mom don’t read this, it is not only about fabulous genetics. I have been a devotee to the 100 percent botanical In Fiore Fleure Vibrante Balm for over six years.  Julie must have heard my prayers as she has recently added a concentrated version to the line, Fleur Vibrante Haute Concentré in beautiful gunmetal compact.  Calendula rich (of course) with the added benefits of Lutien (an anti aging compound sourced from those lovely marigolds) to heal, nourish, nix red blotches, fight those pesky free radicals, hydrate and increase elasticity.  Added bonus… the balm smells like a garden of night blooming jasmine.   Disclaimer: I cannot be responsible if you become addicted to In Fiore, I am;  you can see my collection on instagram @calfeurebon. (13ml; $95)

Nature's Super Food is… Cocoa

Tell me you don’t like chocolate and I will tell you that you are fibbing or eating stale trick or treat candy. There is chocolate that is full of fat and sugar and there is a healthy and scrumptious alternative, Antidote Chocolates owned by Australian Red Thalhammer who sources organic raw ingredients from Ecuador. The difference is the super high percentage of Cacao, which is naturally rich in anti-oxidants. These super tasty bars are super foods. You won’t miss additives and cane sugar as you indulge your sweet tooth. My favorites are the 73 and 77 percent raw cacao Sexy and Delicous trio: Banana & Cayenne, Rose Salt & Lemon and I have a special fondness for Coffee & Cardamom. Legend has that the Aztec King Montezuma drank tons of raw cocoa  each day to keep up his strength so he coul make love to his many consorts.  Who needs mistletoe as an excuse to get lusty when there's chocolate?

Sandi Lundberg of Meditatio Aromatics quietly and lovingly creates all natural soaps that she sells to top spas and private clients like me.  .Made from organic oils, scented with patchouli, lemongrass, spearmint and peppermint, each soap is hand wrapped in fabric according to the Japanese method of Furoshiki. Three bars are $30. You can contact Sandi via email, Facebook, or just let me know. A very uplifting and aesthetic bathing experience from a generous perfumista.

When I was shopping Sephora during VIB ROUGE week last month,  an all natural face oil that got my attention- Marula Facial Oil. I had never heard od Marula.  Studies show that Marula oil is way better than Argan oil and is proven to be an effective anti aging elixir. Marula absorbs into the skin quickly and deeply. It provided me immediate hydration and is not greasy the way argan oil can be. Marula Face oil is cold pressed, Fair Trade and I have already gone through a full bottle; it is a multi tasker as I am using it on my face, decolletage and neck. It is also perfect before you apply foundation or in place of a BB cream. Love it. 1 ounce $58

 Strange Invisible Perfumes may be known for their iconic hydro distilled botanical fragrances, but Perfumer Alexandra Balahoutis introduced Botanical Bath and Body products a few years back and I have been hooked on them ever since.  Frankincense and Coriander Body Lotion is perfect for the season and is created using frankincense from Oman.  The super luxe and is certified organic skin conditioning formulation makes my body feel as silky smooth. 8 oz $75

 

Natural perfume is even trickier to buy as a gift than synthentics as they do develop differently on the skin.. So of course I am discouraging you once again..BUT

DSH Perfumes Three Kings Parfum

In 2011, Dawn Spencer Hurwitz of DSH Perfumes created an  all natural holiday fragrance aptly named Three Kings. The scent was inpsired by the tale of The Three  Royal Wise Men who bore gifts of frankincense and myrrh to baby Jesus the night he was born. Dawn is as wise as magi as this is very special fragrance. It smells ancient and magical, redolent of resins, spices and precious balms from the Orient.  1 dram oil flask $27

April Aromatics gem infused perfumes are lovely to give or to get

My nick name for Tanja Bochnig of April Aromatics is Morgen Stern…Morning Star, as the light and love she exudes is also very much infused in her botanical perfumes. April Aromatics 10 piece gift set is perfect for newbies to naturals and those who are savvier. Elegantly packaged 10 x EdP Samples á 2,5ml includes Unter den Linden, Rosenlust,Nectar of Love,  Liquid Dreams, Rose L’Orange,  Jasmina, Calling All Angels, Precious Woods, Bohemian Spice,and Ray of Light. That is 280 spritzes to enjoy in the New Year. €111.00

–Michelyn Camen, Editor in Chief

For this GO GREEN draw, there are eleven natural prizes

 April Aromatics 10 piece gift set WORLDWIDE

DSH PerfumesThree Kings WORLDWIDE  1 dram

JK deLapp Rising Phoenix Thai Pa Pa Kea oud   WORLDWIDE .39 grams

In Fiore Fleur Vibrante Haute Concentré  USA ONLY

Providence Perfume Co. Fern Hand Cream: USA ONLY

Strange Invisible Perfumes Frankincense and Coriander Body Lotion USA ONLY

Marula Facial Oil USA ONLY

Sarabecca’s Day and Night  Botanical Body Washes USA ONLY

Anecdote Chocolate Sexy and Delicous trio USA ONLY

3 hand crafted soaps by  Meditatio Aromatics BY Sandi Lundberg USA ONLY

Libby Patterson’s DETOX Tea USA ONLY

To be eligible, please leave a comment with why you GO GREEN, your choices of prizes and where you live.  Draw closes December 13, 2014

We announce the winners on our site and on our Facebook page, so Like Cafleurebon and use our RSS option…or your dream prize wil be just spilled perfume