BLOG POST: ANU ESSENTIALS: The Art Of Making You Look and Feel Good by

I received a bundle of joy in the mail. It was packaged in neat and coordinating colors of lavender and turquoise that revealed the look of vitality andfreshness. No, I am not talking about a baby, but I am talking about natural products that are as pure as a baby’s skin.

ANU ESSENTIALS created by Anu Prestonia located in Brooklyn, New York is one of the most energetic and positive young ladies that I have encountered in a long time, and her products represent her spirit and confidence in herself.

I was so excited to receive my package because it is the first time that I would write a review on an organic skincare line. My expectation of ANU ESSENTIALS was great but great is not the word…these products are AWESOME!

Anu was so generous with her sample sizes and full size products that I didn’t know which ones to try first, but I started with the Hair Oils. I received four scents in this category which are Green Tea, Honeysuckle, Medicinal and Herbal. These hair oils are simply wonderful because it gives the hair a gloss that was unbelievable! My hair is naturally shiny but after applying ANU ESSENTIAL HAIR OILS, my hair was beaming. It can be used on all hair types. I usually pour four to five drops and rubbed my hands together and rubbed it throughout my hair. The fragrances are luscious and not overbearing.

I also used the hair oils on my children’s hair and it kept their hair conditioned while they played in such hot weather this summer.

Next, are the tantalizing BODY BUTTERS. Oh wow, did I love these because they consist of shea butter! I had so much fun wearing these because it simply melts in the skin. I smeared a finger full on my arm and let it sit for a few seconds and you can actually see it melting and leaving a warm glow on the skin as I rubbed it in. I literally carry this in my pocket around the house for when I wash my hands frequently and the body butters relieve dryness instantly.

ANU ESSENTIALS – BODY BUTTERS come in four beautiful scents, Juicy, Sultry, Fresh and Balmy. These body butters are to be used all over the body and the texture is very smooth and it doesn’t leave a greasy feeling.

ANU ESSENTIALS HAIR – OIL/SKINCARE/NAILCARE/BATH OIL product that I received was a 4 ounce bottle in Golden Blossom. This was my absolute favorite. I used it for everything from adding a few drops to my bath to using it as a moisturizer on my eyebrows and the cuticles for my nails.

Golden Blossom is my favorite scent because of the sweet orange oil in it. It is a light citrus scent with sweet almond oil and vitamin E added for protection.

My five year old son especially likes Golden Blossom because he always tells me he wants to put on the oil that smells like orange juice!

Now that I put on hair oils and body butters, I need soap to wash it off and start the regimen all over again. I had the absolute pleasure of experiencing an exhilarating range of soaps that are clear, colorful and most importantly handmade.

ANU ESSENTIAL SOAPS are glycerin rich and made with coconut, olive and other plant-based oils. You can see these ingredients layered in the soaps and it will give your shower a glow of light with its vibrant colors that leaves your skin silky smooth.

Just have fun! I tried several at the same time because with ANU ESSENTIALS you can mix and match or use the same scent family for soaps and body butters. There are no chemicals in ANU ESSENTIALS so that is why layering is easy and safe to do.

These soaps come in Sultry, Fresh, Juicy, Green Tea and Balmy and the size of the soap fits comfortably in your hands.

The soaps are my daughter’s favorite and she loves the scent of Juicy the best!

Anu has spent much time and research into providing a lively and healthy product line that can be used for men and women and are safe for children’s delicate skin.

Anu is currently creating more of the best products in Brooklyn and will be establishing a perfume line soon.

Anu makes the art of nurturing your mind, body and spirit look so easy, feel so good and smell so awesome!

DESCRIPTION OF SCENTS

• Golden Blossom – made with a blend of citrus essential oils and it produces a bright and refreshing aroma.

• Herbal - made with a blend of essential oils that are produced from the flowers of green herbs. It has a clean, light and airy scent.

• Honeysuckle- made with a blend of essential oils, resins and balsams that produce a deep and exotic aroma.

• Medicinal- is a special solution for scalp problems and made the rosemary herb that is known for its healing properties. This product will relieve itchy, flaky and dry scalp problems.

• Sultry- made with essential oils, balsams and resins that produce a deep relaxed and sensuous mood.

• Balmy- made with a blend of essential, resins and balsams that conjure up images of a balmy summer evening.

• Fresh- made with a blend of essential oils produced from the flowers of green herbs. It is an uplifting and naturally refreshing scent.

• Juicy- made with a blend of essential oils that are bright and zesty.

• Green Tea- this is the scent of an Asian Tea Field that is calming and soothing.

PURCHASE: www.anuessentials.com

I’m not a professional photographer by any stretch of the imagination, but I was rather proud of this pic that I took last summer of my potted lantana flower.  I find this flower so intriguing.  Take a gander at how in this photo (above) there are three stages of development; starting with the smallest of buds.  Of course there are the obvious two pink and yellow blossoms.  Then between them, there are two very tiny, green buds that are sitting vertically.  And to either side of the vertical buds  there sits another set of more developed buds with a hint of pink that are sitting horizontally. Always intriguing to me are the flower clusters or florets, that make up each flower.  Nature is so  amazing!

latana comes in a variety of color combinations

Then there’s the smell of the lantana.   It quite different, even for me, a person who loves odd smells.  I would say that most people may be off-put, by the smell of the lantana.  There’s only a hint of sweetness that you’d kind of have to search for.  The smell is  rather, well ‘interesting’, a little weird, kind of puts you in the mind of marigolds.  It has a sharp, funky, mossy kind of thing going on.  And I love it when I happen to brush up against it (as I often do when checking the mailbox for my mail) and its unique fragrance just wafts up to my nose making me go, ummhumm, wow that’s different…  I love that!

purple verbena

I only discovered the lantana a couple of years ago at the Green Market in Union Square, NYC.  They often have unique finds.  Not that the lantana is all that unique, but it was new to me.  I was looking for a purple verbenas and I found that the lantana is actually from the verbena family.  They do have a similar look.  I was also quite taken to find that there is  an lantana essential oil.  It’s not really a scent you’d find in natural perfumery, still, I rather like it.  Some of the uses for the lantana essential oil – antiviral, anti-tumor is great for treating cuts, ulcers and may help with bronchitis and asthma as well as with viral infections, stimulates the liver and gall bladder.  Again, nature is pretty amazing!  So the, next time you run into a lantana, brush us against it, put your nose to it or just pinch a little of it for a unique smelling experience.

The tuberose is a long, slender, fragrant, white flower with ancient and  tubular roots, native of Central America and Mexico.   The essence procured from this delicate beauty is not the kind of elixir that you get to know easily.  As it hits my nose, it has a sweet lightness and funky depth at the same time, requiring that I smell it again and again as both my mind and heart grasp to define it.  In the ancient Khamitic (Egyptian) religion, tuberose oil was, and is still used when making holy water to anoint yourself when working to invoke the energy of the deity Ausar a.k.a. Osiris,  The Incorruptible One.  It’s no easy task to possess the evolved energy of Ausar.  One needs to do rituals and make sacrifices of the personality that keep the heart still and the thoughts pure.  Always draped in pure white clothing, Ausar is also known as the Unifier, the One that sees all, as One.

There is a beauty, an elegance and a enigmatic quality in the scent of tuberose.  It’s a middle note but depending on the source, it can linger close to the deeper end of the heart notes with its intensity.  The heavier versions can certainly make any blend smell deeper more complex.  Perhaps that is why it considered a narcotic and an aphrodisiac.   I have an exquisite tuberose from Enfluerage that has a much lighter and refined quality.  The complexity of it seems to be in at the bottom of the scent, instead of smelling the depth of this oil from the start, it seems to hide out and then slowly, the deeper element of this tuberose rises up to the surface.  Light or heavy tuberose seems to evolve several times as its bouquet unfolds; leaving you with the impression that you have just experienced something that defies deduction.

I find that tuberose is beautiful beyond compare, nothing else smells quite like it.   Though some say it’s similar to jasmine.  Not surprising, since that’s the scent of Auset, Ausar’s wife.  Tuberose demands respect because of it’s complexity, beauty and ah, price.  Price aside, this is definitely a treasured essence in any collection of botanicals or as an element included in a well crafted perfume.

June is rose month in New York’s Brooklyn Botanic Garden.  It’s the time of year when their roses really show off their exquisite beauty.   After centuries of use, the oil procured from roses continues to be one of the most sought after essences in perfumery.  Even if you can’t readily identify it (real rose, not synthetic) in a perfume, it’s in there, rounding off the sharp notes and lending some of its beauty to every other component of the blend.  Roses are grown in many countries but some of the most beloved rose essences come from roses grown in Arabia, India, Bulgaria, Egypt and Turkey, with each region’s rose and even each rose garden or farm has it’s own distinct essence.  Even from year to year, a crop from the same region can smell different because of such variables as the change in climate.

Each rose variety offers a unique experience and while roses are legendary for their seductive smell, what many aren’t aware of, is that like with most plants, the oil from roses have tremendous healing abilities.  The smell of roses and the essence (oil) distilled from roses are legendary for having aphrodisiac qualities.   Rose oil used therapeutically heals the heart, soothes the immune and nervous systems, has anti-aging qualities, repairs the skin and creates a relaxing vibration. The list of benefits are endless.

While I’m not affiliated with the Young Living Company, they have the most comprehensive and easy-to-read web page on many of the astounding benefits of rose oil. And for those who can, tonight Wednesday June 1^st is Rose Night at Brooklyn Botanic Garden – Cranford Rose Garden.  BBG has one of the most extensive rose gardens in the country. The Cranford Rose Garden has been one of BBG’s most popular attractions since it first opened in 1928, boasting an exceptional array of rose specimens from heirlooms to contemporary and everything in between.  So during this rose season, make certain to take the time to smell the roses, your heart, soul and nose will be glad you did.

Okay, I’ll admit it: the grapefruit is not what you might consider a ‘sexy’ fruit.  It doesn’t conjure up the lusciousness of some of the more exotic fruits like mango, guava or papaya, but the grapefruit for me is a special fruit that does hold its own for healing,  losing weight and adding sparkle to a perfume blend.

When I was very young my grandmother, who was sickly, ate a grapefruit every day at breakfast.  So I thought grapefruits were for sick people.  Though it wasn’t my fruit of choice back then, I loved the way my mom would slice it in half and then cut around all the sections for easy scooping.  But in those days, the only way I knew to eat a grapefruit was have plenty of sugar sprinkled on it… Today I eat a grapefruit pretty much like I eat an orange.  Most of the time, I just peel the skin and eat the sections one by one.  Or I may cut it up in quarters.  And my preference is pink grapefruit, and I’ll take that organic, thank you!

As a teen, one of my aunts who was often watching her weight, used to eat grapefruits, so I had the impression that is was meant for those who wanted to be slim.

Today I find both thoughts were equally correct. Grapefruits are a great fruit with essential nutrients that can aid in healing and they’re also helpful in burning calories and breaking down fats in the body.  I imagine that the acid helps to dissolve some of the gunk in us.  I experience a refreshing feeling after consuming a grapefruit and needless to say, I dropped the sugar-coating decades ago.

I also enjoy smelling and working with grapefruit essential oil.  Yes, like with food, grapefruit is not considered a ‘sexy’ scent.  It’s not Tuscan blood orange, yuzu or bergamont, but it has its own unique character that it lends to a blend.

Like with eating it, the pink grapefruit essence has a refreshing quality that is light, effervescent, and I imagine that some of what I smell is the natural pink of it.

According to trade magazine Perfumer & Flavorist, citrus scents are just continuing to build in their popularity, especially as more exotic citruses are made available for perfumery such as yuzu, mandarin, eau de brouts, calamansi and blood orange which is currently in vogue.  Who knew that botanicals, like fashion, can be ‘in vogue’, that hot commodity that is in demand?

So while grapefruit may not be sexy, it certainly continues to hold my attention and inspires me in the art of perfumery when searching for that sparkly top note.

My friend for the last 15 years, Al Schackman was Nina Simone’s Music Director, guitarist, and one of her closest allies and friends for 46 years. It was a complex relationship with many ups and downs mostly due to Nina’s  emotional condition but through the years when people would take him aside  and question “why do you put up with her, why do you stay with her.”  Al would simply say, “She’s my sister, I love her with all my heart , she needs me and I don’t expect you to put up with her behavior.”

Al Schackman and Nina Simone, 1997

My relationship with Nina Simone was non-verbal. She had a rule that the girl friends and wives of band members were not allowed on tour because she wanted nothing to interfere with her getting the undivided attention of ‘her boys’.

Perfumes for Nina

When I did go to a concert she and I would look at each other and her telepathic message to me would be something like…”I know who you are and I’m Ok with that you are here. Thanks for the perfume”. Nina was struggling with her depression most of the time, I understood that and respected her distance. I felt her affection though the little waves she would give me… a barely perceptable lifting of her fingers from the arm of her chair and a “look” through lowered lashes.

She was very seductive, although I’m not sure she knew that. The perfume I made for her was just that….seductive. It was an oriental  sambac/ moroccan rose with narcissus, vanilla, chamomile and real musk. Very heavy and sexy, so Nina. The full blown rose, huge and red.  She was a Goddess to me.

Later on when Nina had breast cancer she asked Al for “something for the soreness” from “your wife”. I supplied Nina with my Aromatic Healing Balm that she used on her scars for healing and to help with the pain. She really liked that. Nina’s perfume I made for her in liquid and solid form. The solid perfume she used as a deodorant and the liquid she would apply as a light spray on her clothes and on her pillow.

@Sherrie Rieger 2006

When Al went on tour she would always call and instruct him to “bring my perfume”. She really wanted and appreciated it. I loved making it for her and called it “Rose of Love” although I think the Jasmine was the key aroma that helped with her depression.

Nina's Amber Necklace

When Nina  died her daughter Lisa gave me an amber necklace that had belonged to her. When I put it on a huge shockwave of energy went into my heart. I felt a  warmth wash over me as if I had enveloped myself in the fur coat  of a mama panther, black and silky and fiercer than anything. I realized then the courage it took Nina to get through every day, and why her music imparts such emotional courage to so many. It’s like, I’m in pain, I know you are too, we are in it together.

– Monica “Skye” Miller, Contributor

Monica (Skye) Miller Natural Perfumer and founder of Skye Botanicals  Her fragrance  Fuzzy Blue Blanket, is also a floral chypre, similar to the one she created for Ms. Simone.www.skyebotanicals.com.

Skye ,your memoir honors Nina Simone  in a deeply evocative way that few could ever capture in words. You honor Cafleurebon

From Nina Simone’s song Last Rose of Summer:

The Jasmine flower is a wonder: a small, delicate bloom that gifts us with a complex and alluring essential oil.

Over the years I’ve studied the history and practiced the spiritual principles of ancient Egypt. The powerfully affecting Jasmine flower is said to belong to Auset, The Great Mother deity of Khamit. (This is the name the people of ancient Egypt gave to their homeland).

The Great Mother has dominion over the ocean; her love of nurturing is as deep as the sea. Her fluid movement allows a way around or through virtually any obstacle. She embodies devotion, compassion, receptivity and bounty and is the healer of healers. Some other names associated with the Great Mother principle are Isis, Ama, Yemaya, Mami Wata, Mary, Mother of Jesus and Mother Nature.

When working with Jasmine oil, I know I’m handling something very precious: the essence of ever-present divine love.

This intriguing scent is associated not with the frivolity of romantic courtship, but with the deep and abundant love required to sustain a successful marriage and to cherish and care for children.The essence of the Great Mother can also be used to heighten receptivity and intuition.

Cowrie shells and crystals are symbolic of the Great Mother. The folds and openings of cowries evoke the gateway to the womb and nature’s sparkling waters are celebrated in the brilliance of crystals. Our bride is wearing a cowrie-shell headpiece adorned with crystals to crown her Senegalese Twists. This ideal bridal hairstyle will last through the wedding night and look fresh throughout your honeymoon, even if you’re frolicking in Great Mother’s sea.

Turn to Jasmine early on during your wedding plans, to help diffuse any angst about the big day. Your honey will know he’s chosen wisely when you summon the calm of the Great Mother to deal with crazed (but well-meaning) family members and overzealous wedding planners. Anoint yourself with perfumes infused with the calming essences of Jasmine, such as Therapeutate’s Chakra 2.

The use of a jasmine infused perfume can double as aromatherapy to help you to embody the tranquil power of Great Mother Auset. Remember the goal is to be married, not harried. Navigate your days with the knowledge of flower power and let natural essences work their magic on your body, mind and spirit.  All is in divine order.

Chakra 2 a transporting scent, is a modern take on the Oriental accord. Comprised of sustainable Sandalwood, Patchouli, Sweet Jasmine and Blood Orange, this Buddhistic harmony of notes is smoky, musical and grounding to the sacral. When applied directly to the area of the second chakra it supports clearer intuition and integration.

Associated with the second chakra are the reproductive organs, the hips, sacrum, lower back and kidneys, as well as the body’s many liquids, including blood, urine, menses and tears. Chakra 2 can help to elevate your health and vitality while enveloping you in the sweet and captivating scents of Mother Nature.

Head piece is by www.Beaulonistyle.com.

Beauloni Wedding GownGown by www.Cassandrabromfield.com

Perfume – Therapeutate

Photographer for hair – http://www.Going-Natural.com

Anu Essentials 327 Gold Street Brooklyn, NY 11201

Egyptian Goddess Auset created by Metu the Artist
www.artofmetu.com

Disclosure: Anu was given a free sample of Chakra 2 Parfum for the purposes of this review. This perfume review is a PEER REVIEW, meaning that Perfumers and owners of related business may choose to celebrate a perfume constructed by a PEER, a fellow perfumer know personally to the reviewer or not known personally to the reviewer.

Some loyal readers of this newsletter/ blog  may remember me introducing you to Michael Boadi last summer in my post Some Like It Green.  Michael is a black man hailing from England who has an exquisite perfume line.  Well, You may be interested to know that Catherine ‘Kate’ Middleton, the ‘Duchess of Cambridge,’ made history on her wedding day by wearing a perfume designed by Michael Broadi! One can’t help but think that this is a bride Princess Diana would have adored. Catherine obviously has a mind of her own, very much like her deceased mother-in-law.

While First Lady Michelle Obama was in England she also met with Michael and purchased three of his perfumes.  I guess Michael just has that ‘royal touch,’ perfuming the two most prominent women on the world stage.  Go Michael!!!

This is such a tremendous accomplishment and I am so very proud of Michael!  It’s amazing to me how few black people are found in the perfume industry, so this is, indeed, a great accomplishment to be recognized!  Rumor has it that there’s been a bit of jealously around Michael getting the royal nod.  Guess which side of the pond that jealousy is stemming from?  You guessed it, good ole’ USA.

That aside, I see nothing but more greatness coming from Brother Boadi.  It is my hope, also, that he will be headed in the direction of more naturals essences as time goes on. Congratulations Michael from your sisters and brothers from this side of the pond!!!

To read more on the lush details about this wedding scent of choice, see Felicia M. Hazzards blog Fragrance Belles-Lettres Magazine article  – White Gardenia Petals – by Michael Boadi

The Anu Essentials brand of products makes every effort to only include top-quality natural ingredients. While we have had both naturally and synthetically scented products in our line, I am steadily moving towards naturally scented products only for Anu Essentials.  I understand that some of our clients are not on board with the demise of synthetic scented products in our product line.  Please accept my apology for using synthetic fragrances in any of our products to begin with.  Understand that my decision is made with your overall and long-term health in mind.  Think about it, how ‘heavenly’ can it be, if it’s killing you?  That being said, if you feel you simply must have Heavenly, you might consider checking out the original.  It’s called Angel perfume.  But I highly recommend you first read ‘Angel Perfume is Dangerous‘ before purchasing it.

Here’s my thinking: When we get up in the morning, most of us don’t just roll out of bed and onto the street.   For many of us there are any number of grooming rituals we partake in every day and these include many products. The list begins with toothpaste, then soap, body moisturizer – some type of lotion, cream, or butter.  Then we have deodorant, hair products, shampoo, conditioner, hair oils, gels etc.  Then, to top it all off, we may put on some type of perfume or cologne.  Whewww!  Not to mention make up…

If you add up all the above products and then multiply them by a minimum of 10 synthetic ingredients, you have hundreds of synthetic carcinogens that you’re introducing to your skin and internal system every day.  But in today’s world, we can easily find all of the above products made from all-natural ingredients.  Yes, they do cost more, but either you pay now or you pay later with the demise of your health.  And I’m not even going to get started with household cleaning products…

All those synthetically produced products are bought inexpensively from your local ‘drug’ store.  The reason they are inexpensive is because it costs little to nothing to produce them.  Many synthetic products are by-products of other chemicals, like Petrol a.k.a. ‘petroleum’ or  ‘gasoline.’ Remember petroleum jelly and how most black families had a huge jar of this cheap item to slather all over both the adults and the children?  Well, when you know better, you do better!

As we all have been taught in biology, the skin is our largest organ and as such, is the gateway to our internal system and our organs.  What we put on our skin (and scalp) seeps into our bloodstream. If these items are synthetic they wreak havoc with the organs that filter out poisons /toxins, such as our lymph system, kidneys and liver.  Every time we expose your bodies to synthetic chemicals (products) we are putting stress and strain on these precious organs, none of which we can afford to tax.  They are taxed enough just from our breathing toxic air and eating chemically tainted food.  Both cheap and expensive synthetic products introduce carcinogens in our body-systems daily.  And we wonder why there’s no ‘known’ cure for cancer!

On the flipside, natural products, particularly those that include botanical ingredients such as herbs in all their various forms (oils, infusions, barks, resins, flowers, and leaves) are the best products for all of us.  These are gifts provided in nature by the Creator and as such, they share our DNA.  They don’t tax our systems, but work in harmony with us and provide healing, cell-recognition, repair and rejuvenation.

The same is true of natural perfumery.  There is a large movement, not only in America, but globally, turning towards all things natural, including perfumery.  Most commercial perfumes all full of synthetic materials that make up the smell of the perfume, allowing the perfume to last all day and night and to be smelled from several feet away. These scents can even last for several days if you don’t wash them off.

Many people are now finding that they are allergic to synthetic perfumes, even when they, themselves, aren’t wearing them. Just being enclosed in a space (work, church, or an elevator) with someone wearing commercial perfumes has a hazardous effect on some, triggering coughing, breathing difficulty and asthma attacks.

Many institutions of consciousness and health, and even some businesses, don’t allow people to wear perfume.  When I was training to become a yoga instructor we could not wear perfume to class because of the increasing numbers of people who have allergic reactions. Synthetic perfume is toxic and those who have respiratory deficiencies can’t breath when they are around it.

Most of us are going natural or are natural, with our hair, our diet and lifestyles.  Today people are living much longer than ever, but quality of life is important too.  Who wants to be sick, especially if they can avoid intoxicating themselves with synthetic materials?!   Consider the number of products you’re using every day and try to get rid of the ones that do not belong in your life.  In this way you can play an active and preventive role in your health and the health of your family.

At Anu Essentials we want you to live long and be healthy.

Anu Essentials

Smell Good * Feel Good * Look Good

Have you heard of the new perfume called Black Mysterious?  Well after reading about it, I’m sure you’ll be yearning to get a whiff of this exotic treasure.   Check out this enchanting review by Marian Williams – Black Mysterious