Made by hand in small batches in Brooklyn, NY.

Taking inspiration from things like native ritual medicine, Americana, outdated lore and geography, D.S. & Durga’s handcrafted perfumes and colognes make us swoon.

I was sent a few samples a year or so ago and just opened their Coriander for the first time to wear and was smitten.

Green Leaf, cracked Coriander seed and Magnolia are married into the most lush scent that’s hardly describable except to say it’s a floral meets almost masculine scent with the balance of both perfect. The minute I arrived at my get together, everyone got up close to smell.

I was thankful I’d showered…

Look for Lustables daily at EcoSalon. 100% gorgeous green finds, and never sponsored. Submit your favorite to tips@ecosalon.com

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I hate Hallmark holidays, I hate Hallmark holidays, I hate Hallmark holidays…

Let’s have a little chat, my Valentine’s Day hater. I can hear the protests now: Don’t you know every day can be Valentine’s Day if you want it to be? Don’t you know you can tell people any day that they are loved and buy them lush bouquets of flowers or heart-shaped jewelry? Don’t you know you can have hot sex day or night, with or without champagne, and with or without sexy organic lingerie?

For Pete’s sake.

I get it, I do. But is a little Valentine’s day bliss really so bad? Heart-shaped corn syrup candies may not warm the cockles of your heart, but I’m willing to bet someone you love sure likes to know they’re appreciated this time of year. (I’m saying this as much for myself as anyone.) For all of us pink-tinged Scrooges and red-hued Grinches, today we make it easy: copy, paste, click, done.

This scarf by Vivien Pollack Design for $36 comes in all the lovely colors of spring and can be used in many ways on both Valentine’s Day as well as after: A pretty neck tie on a plain blouse, a belt on a high-waisted skirt or dress, a trendy turban, a tie for the bed post, a foreplay mask.

For a cute spin on jewelry, suggest this to someone and have them put a lock of hair, a love note or fortune cookie message referring to love eternal. Available at Beklina, these French enameled lockets for $98 come in fun candy colors much more delicious than a box of See’s.

Nothing says sex me up more than a silk teddy – and one from an eco-friendly catalog? Perfectly sinful from VivaTerra – we like their style (and it’s on sale for $39!).

Valentine’s Day is the best time to give or receive a pretty bottle of fragrance from the one you love and D.S. & Durga is at the top of the best scented list. Experiencing a perfume like The Orchid Drinkers or Five Step Waltz is pure sensory bliss. $86

The grand dame of all the gifts on February 14th is the eternal symbol of love (cue the fast-bowing violins), gasp, the ring. Here’s the most unusual one I’ve discovered, and if you give or get it this Valentine’s Day, send us a picture of you wearing it.

I love the description of the snake ring, or “ouroboros,” a snake biting its own tail: “An ouroboros is an ancient symbol of eternity and rebirth. To wit: Inscribed in hieroglyphics on an Egyptian wall was ‘the male serpent is bitten by the female serpent, the female serpent is bitten by the male serpent, Heaven is enchanted, earth is enchanted, the male behind mankind is enchanted.'”

St. Kilda, $1,292

Top Image From Rainbow Photos

The post Copy, Paste, Click and Spare the V-Day Headache appeared first on EcoSalon.

What we consider a stand out piece is one that wows us with either how inventive or just plain beautiful it is. In today’s case, the collaboration of D.S. & Durga and Erica Weiner covers both areas.

This beautiful locket is reminiscent of the days when Victorian “Vinaigrettes” in perforated lockets had aromatic smelling salts or vinegar inside. I like how the Erica Weiner site says: “A lady could sniff these to mask the unpleasant aromas of 18th-19th century cities.” Well, times change but luxurious smells do not and perhaps you’ve been on public transportation recently or car-pooling (to lessen your carbon footprint of course) that one of these could have come in handy?

If you should decide to purchase this, the locket comes with one 1/2 dram bottle of Foxhunt, (a medley of fragrant notes including country herbs, wild flowers and deep leather patchouli), as well as one 1/2 dram bottle of Empress Jingu (think Hinoki wood, cypress forests and violet fields.)

When you receive your package from the designer you gently soak a piece of the linen in one of the two scents, snap it shut and head for the nearest subway line. As you walk briskly to catch the C train, the heat of your body warms the locket and in turn the linen, causing you to smell faintly of exotic lands where myths are born and in your mind you go there to this mythological landscape to escape the strong cigarette smell of the man beside you.

Either that or your slugging deep sniffs just because you like it so darn much.

The post When Scent and Metal Join Forces appeared first on EcoSalon.

If I could bathe myself in a scent it would be D.S. & Durga’s Grapefruit.

The simplicity of citrus may not sound exotic but the marriage of floral fruit with Jamaican Pirate Seeds from the high seas yields an intoxicating blend.

Created by an architect and a musician, the natural perfume line began as an experiment to make after-shaves and toners with tinctures of flowers, herbs and seeds. Blending these gifts of nature in their Brooklyn apartment, the couple produced small batches of perfumes and colognes for men and women. The line is now sold in high-end boutiques and even select Anthropologie shops.

D.S. & Durga in their Brooklyn apartment

The Grapefruit, which D.S. and I both wear and love, is a fairly light scent but not too light for night, or restricted to the summer months. But you might need protection when you dab some on for an evening out. Make sure the bodyguards stand at attention the moment you open the door to the bar and the breeze blows in a waft of your floral essence.

Heads will turn. Noses will inhale. Dreamy smiles will spread from ear to ear. There will be peace across the land.

Other personal favorites to sample: Orris Root, Cowgirl Grass and Cedar.

Thanks to the perfumers allowing us to pick our poison, we can go to the site and peruse to find a scent that might be the best fit. The descriptions of the various scents are as varied and delightful as the fragrances.

To enter to win the giveaway, simply leave a comment below. For more details go here.

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