in bloom
yesterday was the spring equinox and i could have sworn i smelled orange blossoms in the air. this is my favorite time of year in southern california. the first pink buds of jasmine usually herald the beginning of spring with their intoxicating fragrance. then an onslaught of freesia, victorian box, and, my favorite, orange blossoms. all winter long i burn orange blossom candles and make simple moroccan cookies with orange flower water keeping vigil until the flowers make their spring debut. i rarely wear perfume but fell in love with an orange blossom fragrance that i found while staying at a small parfumerie in tulum called
. michael, elodie and i went a couple of years ago and had
(and i developed quite the girl crush on the sweet owner
and her baby boy leon.) their signature scent is this orange blossom (or flor de naranja) and they spray the rooms and common areas with it. i took two bottles back and was just running out when my friend came through los angeles with a big bottle for me. i also love jo malone's
, tom ford's
, santa maria novella's
and
(which i got on our trip to italy last autumn), and le labo's
but they have hefty price tags in comparison with my beloved eau de toilette from coqui coqui. anyway, still waiting for the real thing but spring is just around the corner and it will be no time until the orange blossoms are blooming!
for a treat, add a splash of orange blossom water to
to make it extra amazing.
