how does your garden grow?

because i am "blessed" with a brown thumb and kill everything i try to grow, my garden blooms best when bottled by other people and applied to my wrists and neck. perfumes are a passion, and one that is so very hard to get right. when you find a scent that works for you, chances are they don't offer it in a small enough container to take it with with you on your carry on travels, which can be really frustrating.

we've discovered a company that's making portable, high quality, lovely scents available in small bottles - just the right sizes for travel - and they have rollerball applicators which means no spillage! the company? tsi-la (pronounced chee-la).

tsi-la has created a collection of four eau de parfums in 16 ml bottles, each with a distinctive fragrance to match your changing moods. The perfumes are 100% natural with no alcohols, preservatives, artificial fragrances or colors. The scents are added to a highly moisturizing combination base of coconut oil and pink orchid extracts.

included in tsi-la's $75 collection (which, by the way, is a STEAL for real perfumes!) are the following scents:

fleur sauvage - extracts of tuberose, neroli, italian bergamot and rich blond woods. this scent is lightly floral with just a hint of woodsy undernote.

kesu - warm amber and wood notes with a smoky incense background, combined with jasmine, davana, exotic spices and lime. this scent would be great on men or women, and the lime notes add a summery lightness.

ilang ilang - the creamy floral aroma of the ilang ilang is blended with sugary citrus notes and vanilla orchids to produce a romantic feminine fragrance.

kizes - sicilian bergamot and citron combined with elderflower, tuberose, jasmine and orange flowers. suitable for men or women, i like this one best for a summery light fragrance that is neither too flowery nor too citrusy. the balance is absolutely perfect.

buy the collection and experiment with layering the scents (careful, though ... they are potent! one little drop goes a long way). my favorite combination so far is to rub a drop of fleur sauvage into the ends of my hair and on my wrists, then towards the end of the day when the fragrance has mellowed, i'll layer just a touch of kizes on my wrists. this creates a depth to both scents that is absolutely lacking in diluted, alcohol-based colognes or spritzers.

[photo via tsi-la]