Ex Animo Hair and Personal Perfume Review: O’Me, O’Delish and O’Hana + Gee Your Hair Smells Terrific Draw

W Korea magazine cover

Jang Hyun Hong Editorial for W Korea

 

For the busy woman multitasking is essential, especially in summer when we want to be low maintenance. One of the best ideas I’ve come across this season is the triple threat Ex Animo, a line of hair perfumes that also conditions and adds shine. Factor in that the brand has partnered with non-profit Daughters of Cambodia to aid victims of sex trafficking and you have a scented beauty product you can really feel good about.

Nanette De La Pena and Suzanne DeWitt ex animo founders

 Nanette De La Pena and Suzanne DeWitt  Founders of Ex Animo (Photo: Self.com)

Ex Animo was created by sisters Nanette De La Pena and Suzanne DeWitt in collaboration with Darryl Do of Delbia Do, who  was inspired by  the scents from the flowers he encountered on family visits to Hawaii. (To read the CaFleureBon Profile in American Perfumery featuring Darryl Do, click here.)  The three scents in the line have been formulated with nourishing essential oils, especially developed to treat hair with vitamin E and aloe, and these scents can also be used as body fragrances. Best when applied to dry, styled hair, they spray in a fine mist and freshen hair between washes, as well as neutralize unwanted odors like cigarette smoke. They are a great scent solution in situations where standard fragrances are problematic, such as at the beach, picnics, or when you want to smell lovely and give your EDPs a rest.

DaphneGroenveldforVogueJapanExAnimoO'Me

 Daphne Groenveld in Vogue Japan 2012 via ftape.com/Ex Animo O’Me

O’Me, is a modern fruity floral and opens with notes of lily, orchid and honeysuckle. Heart notes of bourbon vanilla, bergamot, and blood orange add a youthful vibe, and base marine notes mixed with musk keep it feeling fresh and breezy. O’Me is sweet yet sophisticated, and reminds me of a young woman in the first bloom of her beauty dressed up for a glamorous event. Although my days as a sweet young thing are long past, O’me is the most “me”,  and it has become my go-to fragrance on busy summer days.

ExAnimoO'DelishNataliaCiobanuMarieAntoinette

 Ex Animo O’Delish/Marie Antoinette by Natalia Ciobanu

O’Delish is  a sheer gourmand, with notes of vanilla, orchid and sugared pomegranate bringing to mind a tray of colorful petit fours brought to appease Marie Antoinette. A hint of creamy coconut adds a sexy tropical  aura to the mix, that loosen up the stays on this fragrance and add a touch of sensuality. If you love gourmand perfumes but find them heavy in the Summer, you will enjoy O’Delish; and  my husband and kids really did comment "gee your hair smells terrific".

MarisaBerensonExAnimoO'Hana

 Ex Animo O’Hana/Marisa Berenson by Henry Clarke via Pleasurephoto

O’Hana has a retro hippie girl feel, with top notes of jasmine and ylang ylang intertwining with honeysuckle like a daisy chain. While honeysuckle is one of my "no-no" notes, fans of the flower should definitely check O'Hana out, as it smells pure and natural.

At $65 for 1.7 oz bottles, the Ex Animo fragrances are outright bargains– longevity is excellent, sillage is notable, and compliments are plentiful when I wear any one of them. They are not complicated but smell blended and yes like perfume.  As for their effect on hair, the fact that they gave my coarse, unruly mop noticeable shine means they’ve earned a spot in my suitcase for my upcoming vacation.

Disclosure: Review based upon products provided by Ex Animo Fragrance

—Nancy Knows, Deputy Editor and Beauty Editor

ExAnimo fragrances

Ex Animo Hair/Personal fragrance

Thanks to Ex Animo Fragrances, we have a reader’s choice of 1.7 oz of Ex Animo O’Me, O’Delish or O’Hana for one USA reader. Please leave a comment with your choice and why you chose it by August 5, 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

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23 comments

  • Donna Spiegel says:

    What a wonderful option and to be able to get shine and condition too. I sometimes spray my brush with perfume but this is a much better option. I like it! I would love to try them all but O’Me would be my first choice. Thanks for the draw. I am in the US.

  • Janet in California. says:

    O’Delish sound perfect for me. I love gourmands and perfuming my hair. What a wonderful company and draw!

    I am in the US. Thanks.

  • silvrolive says:

    I would love to try O’Delish because I’m a fan of gourmand scents, but can’t handle most of them once the temp hits 80 degrees. I usually end up spritzing some scent in my hair anyway, but it would be great if it was actually good for my hair! I also enjoyed the profile on Darryl Do and recommend it to any reader who wants more background on these perfumes. I am in the US. Thanks for the draw!

  • Sandi L says:

    After the Profile on Darryl Cafleurebon posted in Profiles in American Perfumery, I simply could not resist in ordering one of these.. I choose O Hana. I don’t get the retro-hippy vibe at all.. even though it could be considered one. It takes me to a very complex yet comforting place with the florals wafting ever so delicately in the air. A place that is familiar but yet not, intriguing but with caution! I was delighted to become familiar with my (summer favorite find) as well. Nancy just because the numbers of our age go up doesn’t mean we aren’t still (in our minds) “Sweet Young Things” we can hold onto that forever I hope 😉 I would love a back up bottle of O’Hana. Thanks for the review and the orginial Profile on Darryl. I am in the US

  • einsof says:

    this is the kind of business model, the kind of giving, the kind of sourcing (what Horst Rechelbacher would have called ‘the business of being’) which excites me so much!!!

    thank you thank you to these women for their vision and philanthropy!

    i would love to try Darryl’s O’Hana.

    (usa)

  • Liz K says:

    O’me sounds great. I am a huge fan of scented hair products (I sucker every time I’m in the Japanese grocery or shopping online) and have no problem with my hair smelling youthful. Although I love the cheap fruity stuff I usually use, it would be really nice to try something really well formulated. I am in the US. Thanks.

  • Steve A says:

    I’m quite sure I had no idea hair perfumes existed.
    Love to win the O’Me. I’m choosing it because I’m a sucker for marine notes. USA

  • taffyj says:

    O’Hana rings all the bells for me, so that would be my choice.

    Terrific draw! Thank you.

  • ringthing says:

    What a great concept and cause. Freshening my hair sounds so nice and the daisy wreath imagery of O’Hana appeals to my inner hippie. Thanks for the opportunity and review!

  • Ramona says:

    O’Delish for me, please! I am in the US and these sound fantastic- especially for someone who’s hair it wiry and coarse and has to deal with high humidity on a daily basis- thanks for he draw 🙂

  • Maya says:

    These sound lovely. I sometimes spritz perfume in my hair but worry about drying it out, so perfume that’s good for hair is a wonderful idea. All 3 sound great and make it almost impossible to choose, but I’ll go for O’Hana for the honeysuckle. US.

  • Claudia says:

    O’Delish for me also…I think gourmand scents tend to be crowd pleasers and tend to be easy on the nose. Would love to find something gourmand to spritz not is not to heavy during the summer. I also definitely love hair fragrances as sometimes I just want a little scent in my hair and not on my body 🙂 Thank you so much.

  • Sue K. says:

    Would really like to try O’Hana because it has several notes I like and a hair fragrance sounds lovely, and even lovelier with the ideas behind the product. Thanks for the draw!

  • Laurels says:

    I like to perfume my hair, and all three of these sound lovely. I’d choose O’Hana, because I love ylang-ylang, and natural-smelling honeysuckle is irresistible.

  • ladyisla says:

    I would love to try O’Delish, because I love gourmands and DO find them a little heavy in summer.

  • Kat says:

    I’d like to try O’Hana because I like the notes it has, especially honeysuckle. As a busy mom of 3-under-4 hair perfume is something I really need especially for those days I don’t have the time or energy to wash my hair… Thanks for the great draw.

  • Cynthia Richardson says:

    I would choose O’Hana because I would love my hair to smell like the summer bouquet of ylang ylang, honeysuckle and jasmine.

  • Amy K says:

    I would choose O’Hana for the honeysuckle note, but they all sound nice. Thanks! I’m in the US.

  • Holly F. says:

    I choose O’Hana, as I’m feeling that hippie girl vibe this summer, and I’m always on the look out for a true honeysuckle scent. I’m in the US, thanks!

  • Fazal Cheema says:

    this is a good market Nanette and Suzanne have targeted…i sometimes read how people want to apply perfume to their hair and some express concern over damage from chemicals..thus, this safe product is a good option for such perfumistas..my choice will be O’Delish since it is a bit gourmand and seems like the most unisex of three. i am in the US