This time of year, I tend to pull out more floral, tea and “tropical” scents, as well as incensey fragrances. Actually, I go for the incense notes all year, but they’re especially great as they waft in a hot, dry breeze. Here are some of my recent compassionate perfume choices for the warmer weather:

Kai – Kai perfume oil (green gardenia)

Chanel – Coco (spicy, incensey floral)

Envoyage – Vents Ardents (tropical floral)

Florascent – The Vert (dry, citrusy green tea)

L’Artisan Parfumeur – Nuit de Tubereuse (dry, spicy tuberose)

The Different Company – Sublime Balkiss (black currant over smooth patchouli)

Estee Lauder – Private Collection Jasmine White Moss (dry, green jasmine)

Kuumba Made – Black Coconut (rich coconut in an oil)

L’Artisan Parfumeur – The Pour un Ete (jasmine tea with citrus and mint)

Ajne – Fleur Blanche (woody gardenia)

Frederic Malle – Portrait of a Lady (incensey rose)

Spring is in the air! And it lingers in a lovely way with these scents.

Recently wafting:

LUSH – Breath of God

Honore des Pres – Vamp a NY

Pacifica  – Avalon Juniper (pictured)

Kuumba Made – Arabian Sandalwood

L’Occitane – Pivoine Flora

Ecco Bella – Lemon Verbena

The 7 Virtues – Noble Afghanistan Rose

Pacifica – Indian Coconut Nectar

Tallulah Jane – 333

Huitieme Art – Vohina

Florascent – Pipapo

LUSH – The Smell of Freedom

Envoyage – Nectars des Iles

A Perfume Organic – Urban Organic

Huitieme Art – Manguier Metisse

L’Occitane – Labdanum

It’s great to have so many options from companies that don’t use animal-derived ingredients in their fragrances and don’t test their products or ingredients on animals (or commission animal testing).

Dolce & Gabbana
Escada
Lancome
Rochas
Shiseido
Coty
Oscar de la Renta
Ralph Lauren
Viktor and Rolf
Gucci
Georgio Armani
Cacharel
Kiehl’s
Valentino

Recent scents of the day:

Jo Malone – Blue Agava and Cacao

Pacifica – Mexican Cocoa

Estee Lauder – Private Collection Tuberose Gardenia

Strange Invisible Perfumes – Magazine Street

L’Occitane – Notre Flore Myrte

LUSH – Vanillary

Annick Goutal – Les Nuits d’Hadrien

The 7 Virtues – Noble Afghanistan Rose

Strange Invisible Perfumes – Dimanche

Bond No. 9 – Chinatown

The 7 Virtues – Afghanistan Orange Blossom

Ajne – Vanille

Bond No. 9 – Silver Factory

Etat Libre d’Orange – Rossy de Palma

Frederic Malle – Carnal Flower

Ajne – deLavande

Ajne – Fleur Blanche

Chanel – Coromandel

L’Occitane – Notre Fleur Cedre

Frederic Malle – L’eau d’Hiver

Pacifica – Mediterranean Fig

L’Artisan – Fleur de Narcisse

Rance – Laetitia

Some of these contain all-natural ingredients; some also contain synthetics. I consider them to be suitable for vegans, based on my research and personal guidelines. I also think they smell great.

My husband and I have taken on a “healthier eating” challenge this month, thanks to the brainchild of Happy Herbivore. It’s called the 30 Whole Days Challenge, and the goal is to eat just whole foods for 30 days, avoiding the use of processed foods as much as possible. You can read about it here. I’ve never tried this particular strategy before, although I have followed the McDougall way of eating off and on over the years, which is pretty close. The focus there is on a diet of low fat vegan meals, based on starches and complex carbs.

I can tell you that I am not a stereotypically skinny vegan gal! I like to eat, and I like to eat delicious food. We eat most of our meals at home (or prepare them at home for meals at the office), and we both like to cook, bake and experiment with new recipes. It’s a treat for us to discover great foods at vegan restaurants, and we love having that option.  It’s also hard to resist the latest and greatest vegan indulgence foods — cheeses, baked goods, faux meats, etc. They are awfully convenient and taste really good — and our waistlines are both showing it! And, I think there’s nothing wrong with that kind of indulgence when you think of it like that — as an indulgence, rather than as a primary way of eating. Knowing how much we enjoy food, it will be a challenge to rely just on the whole ingredients to come up with equally tempting meals. But, we hope the payoff in health benefits, environmental benefits and weight loss will be worth it.

My personal challenge is to retrain my taste buds and appetite away from craving high fat, high salt foods. We don’t use much sugar at home and try to buy products without much added sugar, so that’s not as much of a hurdle. We also try to use seasonal, organic, local produce, so that’s not too hard. Oh! And, we’ve finally — FINALLY — ordered that Vita-mix that we’ve been wanting for years. I think that will be a real asset in this challenge (and beyond). I’m actually looking forward to enjoying and appreciating more subtle flavors and textures; think of the comparison of a gentle herbal peach tea to a Mountain Dew. Sometimes less is more.

Can we do it? I don’t know, but we’re going to give it a committed try. I’m wondering if it will take a lot more time and planning. I suspect it will save us money at the grocery store. It’s kind of a tradeoff in resources, isn’t it? I’m excited to try new recipes and combinations of flavors. And it would be fabulous to shape up (with exercise, too, of course) and feel more energetic. I’m hoping to feel better on several levels.

This is a culinary adventure. It will raise our awareness of what we buy and how we nourish our bodies. And, I know we’ll find many healthy “kind indulgences” along the way!

So, here’s to good health and creativity and focus and fun! Wish us luck, and I’ll let you know how it went!

Vegan Food Pyramid illustration courtesy of veganfoodpyramid.com.

It helped me drink more water, and I began to appreciate teas and their subtle flavors. I noticed a difference in how I felt and even in my appetite. But, sometimes i missed the crisp carbonation and wanted a beverage that had more vibrant flavor — and with fewer calories than fruit juice or cane sugar sodas.

Boy, was I thrilled to see these zero-calorie (no artificial sweeteners, either!) sparkling teas! They even came in recyclable glass bottles. Skeptical, I bought some. Would they be “too good to be true” in the taste department? Score! It totally fit the bill, and I can’t say enough good things about these teas.

Each bottle cap is also imprinted with a positive affirmation inside, like “I am kind” or “I am healthy” or “I am energetic,” so I get a little smile with each bottle, too.

Definitely a vegan “kind indulgence.” What’s not to love?

Product info is on the Steaz website.

Washington Hills vegan-friendly wines

Starlite Cuisine Rolled Tacos