Road to Hana Perfume Rollerball
As I mentioned in a previous blog, my inspiration for our fragrances often comes from a place. Some of them are places I know well, some are places I imagine, and some are places I’ve traveled to that have touched me in a special way. A special trip to Maui is what led to the creation of the Road to Hana perfume.
If you’ve ever had the pleasure of traveling to Maui then you know that it’s a magical place. I don’t just mean that it’s beautiful to look at, with amazing beaches, mountains, and weather. I mean there is real magic there. Everywhere we went I felt the presence of the Hawaiian Gods and my friends and I made sure to always thank them for the amazing experience we were having.
I am very lucky that I get to travel a lot and this is in huge part to my husband’s job. My husband works in sales and he often “wins” trips as incentive prizes when his office hits their goals. I get the pleasure of being his “plus 1”. (But, of course). One of the bonuses of these trips is that we get to take them with his team and other people from his company. Over the years these people have become our friends. So not only do we get to go on these awesome vacations, we’re usually on them with about 200 of our favorite people!
In March 2022 we got to go on one such trip to Maui. We elected to arrive a few days before everyone else with a small group of people from my husband’s office who we are close with. Always down for a unique adventure the 7 of us rented two jeeps with rooftop tents and drove the Road to Hana, camping along the way for three days.
The Road to Hana is famous for being a narrow, two lane highway that twists and turns and twists and turns and ends up making a lot of people car sick! (None of us had this issue. We were probably stopping enough so it didn't affect us. Also I made sure I had my Pasithea’s Garden Settled Stomach inhaler with me.) Despite the risk of nausea, the Road to Hana is a Maui must-do for all the beauty, food, and authentic island culture you can experience along the way. We ate delicious food, met friendly people, and saw sea turtles, lava rocks, waterfalls, and more amazing vistas than I could ever imagine. Camping with our friends along the way was a super fun way to soak it all in. And like I said, the presence of the Gods was all around us and we were continually giving our thanks for all the blessings of the experience.
Even before I got home I knew I wanted to make a fragrance reminiscent of my trip. So what does Maui smell like? It’s going to be different for everyone. For me it was fruity, warm, spicy, and woodsy, and that’s where I started with constructing my fragrance.
Top notes are often fruity and so that was easy enough. My husband loved stopping at every roadside stand to try the different fruits native to Maui. We had a good time sampling so many fruits we had never tried, or even heard of before.
The middle note of a fragrance is so often the heart of it all. I wanted to make this a warm, sensuous note. I wanted to be reminded of laying on a soft, sun warmed beach. Soaking those rays of the sun into my bones.
Finally, I wanted the base to be very woodsy and green. The Road to Hana winds through thick, lush forests and the sharp smell of the woods was always present behind the fruity and warm spiciness of the air.
Every time I smell this fragrance I am now transported back to that magical vacation. I hope that it gives you a whiff of island vibes too! Now, even if you can’t make it to Maui in person, you can breathe deeply of the Road to Hana perfume and at least imagine that you're there!
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