Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Green Gardens, Perfume Trends, Culinary Treats - PART II

Photo credit: Un Coeur en Provence


As we continue to enjoy a relaxing moment in the garden...

Cologne Royale EDC by Dior - very fresh, very citrusy, it will bring hummingbirds to your life, looking for neroli nectars!
Notes for this fragrance are: Sicilian lemon, Bergamot and neroli of Calabria, mint and gentle notes.

In the past: it does have an Escale aux de Marquises (also Dior) aura. Twin sisters I must add...




L 12.12 Vert EDP by Lacoste - Simple, playful, zen...all these words described by the brand can be relocated to a relaxing day in the garden with people you enjoy. A deliciously fruity sweet opening with a green aura.
This fragrance presents notes of: bergamot, melon, verbena, lavender, fig, birch, bamboo wood, aqueous and woody notes.


Not so long ago: Gucci launched Gucci Sport, a clean, greeny fruity fragrance for sportive men, with notes of mandarin, grapefruit, cypress, cardamom, juniper berries, fig, patchouli, vetiver and ambrette seeds.




Daisy Eau so Fresh EDP by Marc Jacobs - the newest Marc Jacobs launch has the very essence of a spring garden. Pastel hued daisies are beautifully displayed over the pink flacon. Very delicate, very girlie. It is fun, it is playful, and focus on well being. Not to mention the amazing advertising in a very flowery wild landscape.
This flowery fragrance brings notes of grapefruit, raspberry, violet blossom, rose, apple blossom, jasmine, lychee, atlas cedar and white musk.




Flora by Gucci Eau Fraîche EDT - this 2011 Flora franchise is in the green trend, more subtle, more green and more fresh. Watery and kumquat notes were added.
Notes for this fragrance are: bergamot, kumquat, citrus, peony, osmanthus, rose, green notes, watery notes, sandalwood and patchouli.




In the past: Flora by Gucci is the fragrance with the most fantastic flower blooming in the history of perfume adverting!


To incorporate this garden trend to your meals, I suggest the following:




A delicious fruity-green salad with fresh aragulas, figs, olive oil and goat cheese - see recipe HERE
I usually make my own version with an olive oil + balsamic vinegar dressing. If you like your salad with a more incorporated flavor - you can add a few bites of blue cheese.


Or a less sweet option -  a Greek style zucchini, mint and black olive oils salad - click HERE for the recipe.




An asparagus risotto - a green-crunchy risotto, with an earthy touch of mushrooms and delicious cheeses. Click HERE for the recipe. I love to add rosemary to my risotto.




You can make bruschetta  and focaccia with herbs and green...Jamie Oliver has some recipes to share - click HERE


A delicious and aromatic pasta al pesto - click HERE for the recipe. Use in this case a very good cheese such as Parmigiano Reggiano, and always toast your pine nuts before adding to the pesto. 




Be adventurous in the kitchen, take more time to prepare something chic, such as stuffed, fried or au gratin  zucchini flowers! Click HERE and HERE for the recipes.






Bring a bit of the French gardens of the Provence by making your own Herbes de Provence mix. The typical recipe is a combination of the following dried herbs: savory, fennel, thyme, basil, rosemary, bay leafs, chervil, tarragon, marjoram and mint.




Make a delicious gren lemonade with lime, basil and mint leafs - blend all and serve with ice. I always blend it with a large quantity of ice so it becomes a ice lemon crush - children love it when it is very hot!


Use these recipes as an excuse to invite people to have lunch with you - outside in your garden. If you don't have one...it is time to move my friend!

5 comments:

Liam Moore said...

Oh my that lemonade at the end sounds delicious, I'm actually salivating at the thought of it! :)

+ Q Perfume Blog said...

Dear Liam,
the best is to use limes but you can make it with lemons too.
The basilicum gives a total different taste to it. Try to use more basilicum than mint because the second herb has a more pronounced flavor.
We throw everything inside the blender - if you use white sugar, springle over the ice - it will blend faster.

To serve to friends - add lemon slices to the jar and mint and basilicum to garnish. I tried this lemonade at the IFF stand in one beauty fair 2 years ago. It is fantastic. If you wish to make it "hot" add a bit of vodka or brazilian cachaça. Cheers!!!

Liam Moore said...

Haha making a cold drink hot? Add vodka! I might be more inclined to add gin?? Either way, sounds good to me :)

I can imagine it going down really well on a hot summer's day!

Henrique said...

I was very disappointed with Cologne Royale from Dior. Altough it's a pleasant citrus musky fragrance, it lacks something more and seems to disappear quickly.
One fragrance that evokes me a lovely green garden idea is Cristalle Eau Verte from Chanel.

+ Q Perfume Blog said...

Yes, Cristalle Eau Vert is very green...but it was launched before it became a trend...therefore it is not listed here.
The Cologne Royale is not the best fragrance, I agree with you!

Simone

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