Those celeb fragrances that were once so popular are seeing a major decline in sales as natural perfume moves in. Personal fragrance has evolved and you are going to want in on this beautifully-scented action.

According to NPD Group Inc., sales for celebrity fragrances in the U.K. market saw a decline from 2015 to 2016 of 22%. Those star-backed scents are beginning to stink here in the U.S. too as sales plummeted from 12% of the market in 2012 to a mere 4% in 2016. Not sweet.

Artisanal and niche fragrances, however, are the fastest growing segments of the fragrance market, and some big names are getting in on the sweet-smelling action. Take Jason Wu, for example. The designer is creating his first fragrance with ingredients he chose personally. Estee Lauder recently acquired Le Labo fragrance brand that has a following amongst those looking for an artisanal feel. And cosmetic giant L’Oreal is also dabbling in niche perfumery.

The market hype surrounding many of these new fragrances comes with the word “niche”. While natural beauty is still often referred to using this term, it doesn’t necessarily signify that the product is made completely with natural ingredients and no synthetic ingredients, including fragrance ingredients. “Niche” can simply imply a more hand-crafted, apothecary style vibe.

As with all natural beauty shopping, it’s important to know what is in a product in order to tell if it is truly natural. And this can get particularly tricky with fragrance. You may know which ingredients to avoid and how to read product labels, but if the ingredients aren’t listed that can be a problem.

It’s not uncommon for a brand, conventional or natural, to use the term “fragrance” on ingredient listings. Laws protect manufacturers’ trade secrets and they are not required to list out each individual fragrance ingredient they use. This is particularly important for perfume creators, but may soon change with the new Procter & Gamble initiative to disclose fragrance ingredients.

The first place to look on a brand website, if full ingredient listings are not available, is the ingredient commitment page. Does the brand share how they choose ingredients? Do they give a list of ingredients they never use? If not, it’s time to do more digging.

Some larger retailers, like Nordstrom and Amazon, will give full ingredient listings for many products. If you come up against that slick blanket term “fragrance” and there is no notation like “made from natural ingredients” or “naturally sourced” it’s safe to assume some synthetic fragrance ingredients are involved.

As Josh Rosebrook, Founder of Josh Rosebrook Skin and Hair Care, puts it, “Conventional synthetic perfumers are not going to offer completely pure formulations in their perfumes. They might add a few essential oils and market their whole product as natural, but they will probably always use synthetic aromas and fixatives for staying power and boosting fragrances.”

Not surprisingly, price is also a factor in choosing the healthiest ingredients for perfumes. “Pure, unadulterated essential oils and absolutes are also very expensive,” said Rosebrook,  “and do not lend to the margins major conventional perfume brands need to rake in huge profits per unit.”

Any awareness of natural beauty is productive. The natural beauty market as a whole is seeing huge growth. But it’s super important to follow and support brands who are authentic and using high-quality, naturals, and who are willing to share the whole story with you on what they use in products.

Nadine Artemis, Cofounder of Living Libations, literally wrote the book on natural perfumery. In “Renegade Beauty”, Artemis’ forthcoming book on natural fragrance, she says that “pure plant perfumes” are not only safer than synthetic fragrance ingredients but “are immune enhancing and are the remedy to many synthetic-stimulated issues.”

Now, you may be wondering if completely natural fragrance lives up to traditional perfume status in terms of performance. It’s true that in the past natural fragrance had a few important components missing. First, because essential oils played a starring role in most fragrance combinations, they were earthy and less refined. Secondly, the scent seemed to disappear within minutes. Good for instant aromatherapy? Sure. To keep you smelling lovely all day? Not so much.

Like all natural cosmetics, natural perfumes have come a long way, too. Today’s natural scents rival conventional perfumes in scent quality and staying power. They are meticulously crafted blends designed to offer intricate scent combinations that last a longer time. As Rosebrook said, “The most aromatic and long-lasting ingredients for perfuming are of the highest quality, organic, or wild-harvested from trusted farms.”

4 Natural Perfumes to Try

1. Josh Rosebrook Ethereal

If you are new to naturals, this is the one to get you started. An all natural and organic combination, this perfume is spicy and warm, but soft enough to please even the most sensitive sniffers.

2. Living Libations Night Flight to Venus

Like frolicking through a fairy tale forest, these exquisitely blended perfumes are essential oil combos with a base of biodynamic grape alcohol to make the scent last. Night Flight to Venus, a mix of vanilla and jasmine, is the perfect scent for those who love a warm floral.

3. Vered Organic Botanical Blue Violet Perfume

It doesn’t have to be summer to indulge your senses in a fresh floral. This beauty melds jasmine and violet with citrus for a crisp aroma.

4. Strange Invisible L’Invisible

A delicately-scented citrus vanilla aroma with undertones of florals. This soft, fresh scent is both luxe and feminine.

*Disclaimer: Help support EcoSalon! Our site is dedicated to helping people live a conscious lifestyle. We’ve provided some affiliate links above in case you wish to purchase any of these products.

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We all love our Instagram eye candy. Why not do yourself some good while getting your daily insta-fix? These pretty green beauty Instagram accounts are must-follows.

Instagram is a great source for the latest in, well, anything. And green beauty is no exception. Latest products, news, reviews, tips…it’s all there.

If you like your natural beauty inspo with eye catching appeal, and who doesn’t?, check out these Instagramers who know how to mix the good green stuff with some mad aesthetics.

9 Green Beauty Instagram Accounts to Follow Now

1 Abel Organics // There’s natural perfume, and then there’s natural perfume. This one made my list of top clean scent picks. And with good reason. It’s free from nasties and smells delightful. Perfume creation is not their only talent. These pics have that earthy feel down pat.

2 A Night for Green Beauty // Heard of ANFGB yet? It’s a hot, and getting hotter, annual green beauty event that brings top brands together for a night of meet ups, sampling, and fun. Event creators are the lovely ladies behind top organic beauty brand, La Bella Figura. Follow along for the latest on the event and some supreme connections.

3 Fig and Yarrow // Girly apothecary is what I’m calling this vibe. Fig + Yarrow makes fine natural beauty items, but their images alone will make you feel all kinds of pure.

4 Gressa Skin // This luxe natural beauty brand is not just expert in creating high quality skincare. Their account boasts the perfect mix of beauty tips, celeb spottings, and fem-power.

5 Lotus Wei // Flower power is behind the lovely products of this brand. So it makes sense that floral images abound on this account. A true beauty and another on my list of fave natural perfumes.

6 Lurk Beauty // It seems natural perfume makers also have a knack for creating beautiful images. Clean and bright, this account offers natural beauty info with equal parts happy living inspiration.

7 Mun Skincare // If you have yet to try Mun Skincare, do yourself a favor and get some now. Their facial oil is the bomb and celeb makeup artist, Kristen Arnett, agrees. Stop by this Instagram for product picks with sparkle and splendor.

8 Thoughtfully Magazine // We introduced you to Thoughtfully founder, Brandie Gilliam, earlier. Now I’d like to present her naturally perfect Instagram account. Stay abreast of anything Thoughtfully, plus some cool behind the scenes adventures. Let’s just say gorgeous pics are one reason Brandie now runs a mag.

9 Yuli Skincare // The labels on these fab natural skincare products were the first thing to catch my eye. But their Insta pics certainly don’t disappoint. Clean, modern, and totally unique, not unlike their product line up.

Don’t forget EcoSalon’s Instagram while you’re at it! Now go get your follow on.

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The post 9 Prettiest Green Beauty Instagram Accounts to Follow Now appeared first on EcoSalon.

 You know that toxic-smelling, headache-inducing perfume cloud you sometimes unwittingly walk into? The one that leaves you momentarily (or longer) queasy and taken aback? That is synthetic fragrance and it is in everything from shampoos and skincare to baby care products. It is also, of course, the mainstay in conventional perfumes. Thankfully, natural perfumes that you’d actually want to wear are now an option.

Synthetic Fragrance 411

Let’s back up to that nausea-provoking synthetic fragrance for a moment. A mainstream perfume is concocted of  a combination of synthetic ingredients. A chemical recipe created, and protected, by individual manufacturers. No two recipes may be alike, but the ingredients used are very similar. And very toxic.

These chemical cocktails can do more than make you feel bad. Phthalates, some of the most toxic (and ubiquitous) ingredients used in cosmetics and personal care products, are linked to hormonal disruptions, asthma, allergies, skin irritation, and the proliferation of cancerous tumors. While phthalates and other harmful chemical ingredients are still vastly under regulated here in the US, the European Union has banned their use in personal care products.

Diethyl phthalate (DEP)may be the toxic culprit’s name, but you will be hard pressed to find it on a perfume ingredient listing. Most perfume manufacturers slide their synthetic fragrance ingredients under the blanket term fragrance. And it’s perfectly legal. Terms like fragrance and parfum are permitted due to a FDA loophole which allows cosmetics manufacturers to guard their secret recipes. Yes, those celeb scents you see at your local drugstore are packing toxic ingredients under the guise of trade secret.

Obviously this ambiguous labelling practice makes identifying what’s really in your fragrance pretty tricky. Now here’s the real clincher. Many nontoxic perfume makers also utilize the trade secret loophole, using fragrance on their product labels. Their ingredients may be absolutely natural but you may still see this vague term on the listing. Brands committed to safety in cosmetics most often include a notation under the listing, connoting their use of natural fragrance ingredients. Something like: *from natural essential oils. If you are unsure whether a product contains chemical or natural fragrance ingredients, check the brand website for an ingredient commitment or ask me and I will find out for you. Remember, no full ingredient disclosure should raise concern about a brand’s ingredients.

A New Day for Natural Perfumes

Nontoxic perfumes are made with a combination of floral waters, floral and plant essences, and natural essential oils. If you are a scent wearer, natural perfume is the answer to this healthy lifestyle quandary. Skeptical? You’ve most likely sampled a natural fragrance and had an underwhelming experience. While organic skincare, makeup, body care, even hair care have come a million miles and perform as well as their toxin-laden counterparts, perfume hadn’t quite made the jump. I too have been repeatedly disappointed by the latest natural scent time and again. Until recently, that is.

Finally.

There are now natural perfumes that smell delicious and less like an old vial of neroli from the ’70s. (No offense if neroli is your gig.) The best part, you can enjoy these little beauties without absorbing the toxic nastiness of chemical fragrance.

5 Natural Perfumes That Smell Fantastic

Tata Harper Love Potion – The pinnacle of my newfound love for natural perfume. The perfect mixture of rose, citrus, and something earthy. I love myself more when I wear it.

Lotus Wei Infinite Love Perfume – So softly floral and fresh, yet really lasts. This one smells like you worked in a floral essence lab all day long. In only the very best way.

Strange Invisible Perfumes Eau de Parfum Prima Ballerina – A cross between Love Potion and something a bit spicier. This one is perfect for evening because it offers just a hint of duskiness.

Honoré Des Prés Love Coconut – Who isn’t a sucker for coconut? It induces that warm summertime feel and this perfume smells almost drinkable. Use year ‘round to boost mood.

Abel Organics Vintage ‘13 – This unique fragrance works on either guys or gals, bestowing a woody spiciness. Like a walk through a forest on a late summer evening. That was kinda cheesy, but once you experience it you’ll totally understand.

Safe, beautifully scented, sans the toxic chemical cloud. You may just find that new (healthy) signature scent after all.

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Image via Alexander Shustov at Unsplash, cc

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My addiction to perfume runs long and deep, but I gave up conventional brands years ago. My body often reacted to the toxins in department store brands, and I just couldn’t take it anymore. (As I say in Eco-Sex, there is literally poison in your Poison™.) I was sick of getting sick from something that was supposed to provide a pure experience of joy. But that’s when my relationship with natural perfumes began, and it’s been a heady (yet healthy) long-term love affair.

The famous perfumes we know and love contain volatile organic compounds (the toxic stuff found in house paint), parabens, phthalates and a suite of unidentified chemicals that we may never know much about. That’s because the label “fragrance” is used by the industry to hide so-called “trade secrets,”—those secrets are potentially very bad for your health. What constitutes “natural” is, of course, still very complicated, as the FDA barely regulates the ingredients in personal care products. But the scents curated for this piece are indeed safe, non-toxic, and (let’s not underestimate the importance of this) hella sexy.

Welcome to the world of natural perfumes – it’s not just for hippies anymore. You will not smell like you’ve just returned from a Grateful Dead concert when you dab or spritz these high-end scents on your wrists. The biggest complaint about natural perfume is that it doesn’t last, yet I don’t think that matters. When you fall in love with a scent, is it that problematic to reapply it throughout the day or evening? Scent tells a story – but you want it to tell YOUR story, not some contrived, synthetic, corporate story that a million other women are telling everyday. (Sometimes by leaving noxious trails in elevators and giving you a headache from the next cubicle.)

To really wrap your mind around perfume, you need an encyclopedic body of knowledge. But there’s no need for all of us to go that deep – we just need a scent (or several) that work for the contexts we create in our daily (and nightly) lives. I wear perfume to seduce myself. For the journey of this piece, I wanted to source the most seductive, erotic, natural perfumes; the ones that made me feel equal parts boldly sexy and wildly mysterious. But that’s just my story – you must find your own.

The conventional perfume industry is steeped in marketing that makes it impossible peel back the hype from the celebrity-stamped scent. How are you going to create your own story, your own memories, when J. Lo or even Elizabeth Taylor have already marked it with theirs? Finding the perfect natural scent allows you to become your own icon.

These six artisanal natural perfumes have much to offer. They are sustainable, conscious, luxurious, and safe. Some are organic, some are vegan, and some have a very low concentration of safe synthetics, which I’ve learned aren’t always an anathema for the noses at natural perfumeries. They are all free of petrochemicals, parabens and phthalates. But the main reason I chose these brands is that they made me feel like a Greek goddess on a stroll through a garden of otherworldly vapor, each in their own exquisite way.

1. Strange Invisible Perfumes

Inspired by a line from Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra, Strange Invisible Perfumes will make you feel like a queen indulging in an ancient, ethereal ritual. The art of botanical perfumery is Alexandra Balahoutis’ passion. She founded Strange Invisible Perfumes in 2000, and has never used a single synthetic in her pure perfumes and eaux de parfums. Only plant, flower, seed, wood and resin essences create the narratives of SIP’s scents. Says Balahoutis: “Through the gorgeous vapors of botanical perfumery, Strange Invisible Perfumes serves the reality, not the dream, of luxury craftsmanship.”

Having fallen head over heels for Vacances, one of SIP’s limited edition pure perfumes, I can tell you that she is a wise and talented woman. This blend of temple mandarin, hemp, jasmine, black copal, cedar, black currant and honey evokes a sense that I’ve spent the day on a tropical beach, napped on a hammock with my lover, gotten dressed for dinner, and am walking a torch-lit path to a table by the sea. Next time I’m in LA, I plan to stop by their adorable boutique in Venice again, this time, to get a bespoke blend by Balahoutis.

2. Honores Des Pres

The French know their perfume, and lucky for us they know it just as well when it’s natural and organic. Honores Des Pres may seem like a whimsical line if you take a gander at their website and bottle design, but they are extremely serious when it comes to making exquisite perfume. This is another completely synthetic-free brand that says no to animal testing and is certified by Ecocert. Their expert nose, Olivia Giacobetti, says, “Magic is just like a shower of truth.” I don’t quite know what that means, but it doesn’t much matter, because it evokes the same kind of mystery that Sexy Angelic does. This scent blends a touch of hemlock flowers, angelica seeds, and Calissons (a sugar, almond, and melon candy from Aix-In-Provence). If you need to seduce someone other than yourself, apply this with wanton abandon. It wears close to the skin so you don’t have to worry about offending anyone in an elevator. Honores Des Pres calls this perfume their “secret love elixir” and I concur.

3. Persephenie

Persephenie Lea wants to take you on an olfactory adventure, and this is a trip you don’t want to miss. Persephenie is the master aromatherapist, artist and perfumer behind her namesake line of botanical perfumes and blends. I first learned of her work with essential oils while researching scent seduction recipes for my last book. She creates personal botanical custom scents for clients in LA, where her studio is based. Persephenie’s botanicals contain fine, rare ingredients strictly sourced from the natural world. Her new, passionately curated line of perfumes has only four scents, each one profoundly sexy.

Bedouin, the botanical of the bunch, blends top notes of cardamom and orange, heart notes of rose bouquet, and base notes of sandalwood, Madagascar vanilla, and ambrette. Wear this when you’re looking for adventure. According to Persephenie, it’s a “tale of Persian nomadic woman, distinctly feminine, illuminated by color, movement, and the scent of rose.” But feel free to take liberties with your own story – and go wherever it takes you. (Note that the other three perfumes contain less than one percent of synthetic ingredients, but are totally free of parabens and pertrochemicals.)

4. Crow Perfume

Crow’s water-based perfume revolution will have you hooked. If you wish to feel extremely girly, go to Crow. This unique line of water-based perfumes is airy, light and delicious – perfect for a summer day. Alcohol, paraben and phthalate-free, Crow Perfume is inspired by poetry, love letters and romance novels, according to its founder. Each of the six scents is blended by hand in Los Angeles. My favorite is Enchanted, a blend of neroli, jasmine, lily and ozone. It makes me feel like skipping through a meadow in a vintage halter dress and evokes images of Brigitte Bardot on her farm in the seventies.

5. Red Flower

Deep, mysterious, and truly natural, Red Flower is equally dedicated to preserving the Earth and making you extremely sexy. This artisanal brand takes sustainability as seriously as it takes scent, and that’s really saying something. The company was launched in Barneys in 1999 with six flower candles and two flower teas. Based in New York City’s Nolita, the Red Flower boutique feels part harem, part stylish urban oasis – it’s not easy to leave once you’ve entered. Their organic perfumes are pure flower and herb distillations hand and wild-crafted in USDA-certified organic oil. Ambrette is the seed of the hibiscus flower, and Red Flower’s Ambrette perfume combines scarlett hibiscus with rose, bitter orange, orange blossom, frankincense, black pepper and geranium. It’s musky and deeply sensual, and unlike other natural perfumes, it lasts for many hours. What I love most about this perfume is how right it feels on both city streets and in bucolic landscapes, and how it reveals new layers of exotic scent long after you’ve applied it.

6. Le Labo

Le Labo’s formulations contain a small amount of synthetics, but that’s mainly because the founders of this line love the sexy, animalistic notes of musk – but prefer not to kill any animals to make you smell good. Visit their flagship shop in on Elizabeth Street in New York City (or their shops in London, San Francisco, LA or Tokyo) and experience each of their eleven scents. I say “experience” because you won’t simply smell them; you’ll create a story with each one. A proper story has a beginning, a middle, and an end, and Le Labo’s vegan fragrances are very proper, very beautiful stories.

Of all the lines I sampled, I couldn’t choose just one of Le Labo’s perfumes. They all seem to have a specific function in my life depending on the day, the event, or the company I’m keeping. What makes Le Labo truly unique, however, is that they will mix up a batch of your favorite perfume when you stop in – nothing sits on the shelf, losing power and going stale. (Yes, perfume can go stale.) Visit one of Le Labo’s fragrance labs for unforgettable made-to-order scents that will utterly transform you.

Main Image Photo Credit: Brandon Christopher Warren

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Welcome to the sixth installment of our seven-part Eco Salon Eco-Beauty Approved Guide: Fragrance Products. Coming up next is:

SUN

We’ve worked really hard to gather this list from professionals in the field, including Kristen Arnett, Paige Padgett, Jessa Blades, Greta Eagan, Sophie Uliano, Todra Payne, Renee Loux, Starre Vartan and others, along with our very own editors and writers. We’ve looked at ingredients, brand missions and philosophies, considered skin and hair types, all types of concerns and tested several products in each line. We’ve broken it down by category, with multiple options in each, so get ready for lots of options.

We’ve also considered price and tried very hard to include a broad range from luxury to affordable for just about any budget. Even though we’ve listed just one or two product recommendations per brand, it’s hard to go wrong with these companies, so experiment until you find your new must have products! Without further ado, please read on for the 2013 EcoSalon Approved Eco-Beauty Guide!

THE FRAGRANCE LIST

1. A Perfume Organic 

A Perfume Organic is passionately committed to offering the finest certified organic perfumes possible. Amanda Walker’s ever- expanding range offers finely crafted fragrance items for life, travel & home and brings distinctive design, ecological consideration and attention to the smallest details.

Product Pick:

Urban Organic (for everyone, light & fresh, cirrus)

2. Aveda 

Aveda’s mission is to care for the world we live in, from the products they make to the ways in which they give back to society. Aveda strives to set an example by connecting beauty, environment and well being.

Product Pick: Personal Blends (have your own scent made)

 3. Honore Des Pres

Honore Des Pres delivers messages of happiness and is created for urban people who long for simplicity and nature. Dynamic and cheeky, their products contain no petrochemicals or synthetic perfumes.

Product Pick:

Vamp A NY (for everyone, tuberose & autumn in a bottle)

4. La Bella Figura 

Using natural, organic and wild crafted whole plant ingredients, sustainably sourced and known for their botanic therapeutic power to create performance driven products that work to protect, repair, and prevent skin conditions for the most efficacious yet gentle anti aging effects and radiant skin.

Product Picks:

Paris (lightly floral with hints of wood and vanilla

Buenos Aires (exotic, citrusy & floral)

5. Perspehenie

A Los Angeles based aromatherapist and perfumer, specializing in natural, botanical perfumery.

Product Pick:

Neroli Infusion Organic Body Oil (decadent all over scent plus rich moisture)

6. Simplers Botanicals 

A small herbalist-operated company in Northern California with a passion for providing the highest therapeutic grade organic essential oils and extracts available.

Product Pick:

Perfume Oils (for everyone, single note essential oil perfumes)

Read Eco Salon’s 2013 Eco Beauty Approved Guide Part 1: 19 Bath & Body Products here.

Part 2: 41 Facial Care Products.

Part 3: 11 Hair Care Products.

Part 4: 17 Makeup & Color Products.

Part 5: Personal Care & Hygiene Products.

Looking to try healthy beauty products before you buy?  Goodebox delivers 6-7 personalized samples per month to take the guess work out of cleaning up your beauty routine. Try Goodebox today.

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