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Le Parfumeur Rebellee

Blunda

By Tonie Silver

At the behest of my esteemed, whip cracking Editor in Chief, I
schlepped my happy butt an hour’s drive away to Blunda Aromatics.
Justine said “you have to go- you’ll really dig it.” Does Justine
know Tonie, or does Justine know Tonie? I got there just as they
were opening, and was greeted warmly by owner Persephenie’s
assistant Maribel. I had to catch my breath and focus, because I
immediately went into truffle rooting pig mode: I was supposed to be
there to profile the place for LPR, not to shop for myself. Yeah right!

This place is straight up Hogwarts, I’ll tell ya. I felt like I was in
Snape’s Potions class. Jars containing botanicals such as oakmoss,
labdanum, frankincense, and ambergris line the walls. There are
glass cases filled with incense and perfumes, and I was shown a
really cool silver necklace that Persephenie made.

Maribel kindly showed me the back room atelier, whereby she
announced to me “You smell amazing! What are you wearing?”
(FYI: seven plus years old patchouli topped with petigrain) I was like
a kid in a dime store having to keep my hands in my pockets; rows
upon rows of shelves crammed chockablock with oils and absolutes
A to Z. I wanted to smell each and every one, but of course out of
respect, and due to the big ol’ PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH THE OILS
sign, I refrained. They even had tobacco flower~ dang! A worktable
evidenced works in progress, and there was even a lit tank full of
little fishies back there. The real piece de resistance was five or six
big glass potion bottles under a glass case, each hand painted by
Persephenie and containing her own perfumes. Dang! Couldn’t I
get just a teensy, tiny sniff? Nope!

A perfumer very near and dear to LPR occupies featured space at
Blunda- Laurie Stern’s Velvet & Sweetpea’s. There are several
other natural botanical ranges as well, but you know me, always on
to the next smelly thing! Lemme at those essential oils!

There were bottles of five or six different eucalypti to sniff- oh joy!

I snagged me some rockin’ essentials: Blunda’s own Kore range,
and the exceedingly lovely Floracopeia. I came home with a rose
eucalyptus, a vetiver, a white ginger lily (!) blend, and some of the
hard to find Japanese charcoal that I adore. Oh yay!

Another plus is that this shop is located just a stone’s throw from
Farmer’s Market, so a good nosh is just a couple of blocks’ walk away.

I’m reviewing Persephenie’s own range, so look for that- she even
does an incense! I know, I know~ someone’s gotta do it!:)

Blunda Aromatics

304 South Edinburgh Ave.

Los Angeles, Calif.

90048

(323)658-7507

www.blundaaromatics.com