ALL ORDERS SHIPPING STARTING JULY AS A RESULT OF NYC LOCKDOWN DELAYS.
Where has your scent transported you?
Ingredient Spotlight: Nanu Gardenia Posted on 4 Oct 16:07 , 0 comments
We ALREADY have winter vacation on our minds, and what better place to escape than Hawaii!? My trip to Hawaii in 1995 inspired our creation of the Nomaterra Oahu Gardenia perfume oil. I still remember very vividly being able to smell the pungently sweet and balsamic aroma of the exotic nanu gardenia, found in gardens and random locations on the island of Oahu. I also received a leis upon arriving at the airport in Oahu, which was made of mostly plumeria (also found in our Oahu fragrance).
In Hawaii, the gardenia was often used for corsages or leis, particularly traditionally during weddings. It has a romantic meaning, “You are lovely,” and is also a symbol for secret love. The nanu was prized by ancient Hawaiians for its fruit, which was used to produce fade-resistant dyes for kapa (a traditional cloth made of pounded tree bark).
The natural, organic gardenia found in Nomaterra’s Oahu fragrance is extracted through the ancient process of enfleurage, using only organic palm oil and organic alcohol derived from organic sugar cane. This fragile flower exudes a sweet and succulent smell that encapsulates the energy, spirit, and beauty of Hawaii. The rare species of gardenia, Gardenia Manii, also known as “Nanu” in Hawaii, is native to the island of Oahu and can’t be found anywhere else in the world.
Nomaterra is back at the Hester Street Fair This Weekend Posted on 2 Oct 16:05 , 0 comments
Come see Nomaterra this Saturday, October 5th, from 10 am to 6 pm at the Hester Street Fair. Try out our newest scents--Malibu, Oahu, Boston, and Savannah. We'll finally have our candles available for sale for all of you that have started planning your holiday gifts!
Travel Shot Tuesday Posted on 1 Oct 14:30 , 0 comments
In 2010, my husband and I traveled the Argentinian country-side for over a week. We knew our one trip goal was to reach the glacier, Perito Moreno in El Parque Nacional los Glaciales and left the rest of the journey up to spontaneity and chance. We had planned to visit the national park first, but missed our flight due to what we thought was a lost passport (I'll cough that up to the plights of travel adventures). We had already checked out of our hotel in Buenos Aires, and on a whim, took a taxi to the national bus station, and hopped on a bus going to Bariloche, via Bahia Blanca. This image was shot during a 35 km bike trip in and around the majestic lakes and mountains of Bariloche. The air was crisp, the views were like nothing I'd seen before. It felt like time stopped moving, the magnitude of the sheer beauty of this place took our breaths away. I could only capture a portion of what we could see, and only the slightest fraction of what we felt at that moment. It is a place that I hope we return to one day. I hope to one day be able to capture the scent of Bariloche. It's difficult to capture such immense beauty and the memories that come along with it in a bottle. I'd need to find an ingredient or a blend of ingredients that could translate the crisp, glacier-like air. Perhaps mint, and citrus, and cyprus. A future project for sure! If you're intrigued by Bariloche and interested in this picturesque bike tour, check out the link to Circuito Chico Bike Rental: http://circuitochicobikes.com/ You bike on your own and find your own paths and secret discoveries, which is part of the fun.
What are your first fragrance discoveries? Posted on 26 Sep 15:42 , 0 comments
I was doing some fall cleaning, and came upon my old fragrance collection, which I started in my early teens. Some are classics, and some I'm slightly embarrassed for even buying, buy hey, I was experimenting! I think I may have even had a Gap fragrance at one point, but I threw that one out a while ago. It's amazing how my taste has evolved from fragrances like CK One and Tommy Girl, to indie perfumes, to creating my own fragrances for Nomaterra. One thing that hasn't changed though, is my joy for exploring different perfumes. There's nothing wrong with trying it all, from completely obscure brands that only ever came out with one scent, to best-sellers. Even with my own brand, I still enjoy exploring what's new, what's out there. One scent that sticks out in this collection is CK One. CK One debuted in 1994, and was revolutionary for its time due to its forward thinking ad featuring Kate Moss and LGBT activist model Jenny Shimizu, and most importantly, for the fact that is was a unisex eau de toilette, a first of its kind. It now smells like nail polish to me, mostly due to the fact that its been aging in a box for over 10 years. What's interesting though is that CK One really started a movement in the creation of unisex fragrances, that is still very much alive now. You name it, and almost every designer and niche brand has at lease one unisex fragrance. The last one in these row of oldies is Acqua Di Gio. Another renowned classic that's won its fair share of awards including a Fifi Men's Fragrance of the Year Nouveau Niche in 1998 and had been entered into the Fragrance Hall of Fame last year. This is what my husband used to wear, like many men. He's now moved on to wearing our Brooklyn Violet Leaf Cologne. What fragrances do you remember experimenting with from your childhood/teens/early years? Do you still wear them? What do you wear now?
Brand New Products from Nomaterra Posted on 25 Sep 14:55 , 0 comments
We've been hard at work all summer on new city-inspired scents, traveling to these great American cities, and finding out what makes them unique. We've done our research too. Did you know that Gardenia Manii, is a type of gardenia that can only be found on the island of Oahu? Gardenia is a succulently rich, jasmine and vanilla-like scent, and it is found as the key ingredient in one of our newest fragrances, Oahu Gardenia. Plumeria, an exotic Hawaiian tropical flower used to create leis can also be found in the Oahu fragrance. In addition, we are excited to also debut Boston Tobacco Leaf, Savannah Magnolia, and Malibu Honeysuckle (our favorite to wear right now in this beautiful autumn weather). Each of these new scents come in 10ml perfume oil roll-ons. What do you think these great cities should smell like?
You can try out all our scents in the Nomaterra adventure set. Perhaps they will remind you of your hometown, a place you've been to, or a place you dream of going to.
Happy Adventuring!
Nomaterra joins bespoke fashion designers Pico Vela and Kim Schalk in Pop-Up Boutique in D.C. Posted on 24 Sep 11:32 , 0 comments
Join us this weekend as we debut our fall collections. Nomaterra will be revealing all of their latest fragrances--Oahu Gardenia, Malibu Honeysuckle, Boston Tobacco Leaf, and Savannah Magnolia. Stop by from 10 am - 7pm, Friday - Sunday, at 731 8th Street SE in Capitol Hill, D.C. Can't wait to see you all there!
Fragrance Spotlight Friday: Boston Posted on 13 Sep 11:55 , 0 comments
Found in our Boston fragrance, tobacco leaf can be used in perfumes to add a gritty smell and feel to the scent. It provides the fragrance with a sweet, slightly smoky, rich aroma. There are a number of types of tobacco, but the New England variety is called shade tobacco, and is grown along the banks of the Connecticut River, which runs from the Long Island Sound, through Massachusetts, to New Hampshire. Cultivating the leaves of shade tobacco is much more labor intensive than its cousin types, and as a result is used as an outer wrapper for some of the world’s finest and rarest cigars. Much of tobacco’s popularity historically stems ironically from it’s purported healing powers, from relieving pain to curing cancer. During the 1600’s, tobacco was so popular that it was frequently used as money. It wasn’t until 1836 that New Englander Samuel Green revealed that tobacco is an insecticide, a poison, and can kill. Tobacco is the most grown plant in the world that is not used for food. Try our Boston scent here, and be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook!
Travel Shot Tuesday: Boston Public Gardens Posted on 10 Sep 12:05 , 0 comments
[caption id="attachment_2641" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
Boston public gardens[/caption]
With the weather finally starting to cool down and school starting, the end of summer is truly upon us. With that, of course, comes the exciting newness of fall! We think that our Boston scent is a perfect addition to any fall fragrance collection. It's robust and smoky, with tobacco and leather notes reminiscent of the Harvard Club. So, of course, for this Travel Shot Tuesday we wanted to feature a photograph from Boston. We selected this gorgeous photo of the formal Public Gardens. This garden was actually America's first public park, and is a must-see site for anyone visiting Boston!
Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook!
Fragrance Spotlight Friday: Washington, D.C. Posted on 6 Sep 11:29 , 0 comments
Found in our Washington, D.C. fragrance, Cherry Blossoms are an integral part of the history of Washington, D.C. Donated by the Japanese in 1912 to United States as a gesture of friendship, 150 of the initial 3,020 offering, still remain. The first two cherry blossom trees were planted on March 27, 1912 by first lady Helen Taft and the Japanese ambassador’s wife, Viscountess Chinda on the northern bank of D.C.’s Tidal Basin. You can still view these two trees today near the John Paul Jones statue at the south end of 17th Street. The first cherry blossom festival was held in 1935, and now draws in approximately 1.4 million viewers (attendees?) each year. The peak bloom time is on average April 4th and the blooming period lasts only a few days to two weeks at most.
DC’s cherry blossoms are most of the Yoshino variety. Their smell has been described as a very faint and sheer rose-like and cherry blend, with a hint of sweet and spicy. DC is the perfect fragrance for fall. With a variety of new and changing opportunities, from the return to school to the resurgence in work after summer, DC is assertive and powerful making it your perfect partner for the fall!
Get personal & follow us