Kai by Kai c1999

Kai by Kai: launched in 1999. Created by upscale boutique owner, Gaye Straza Rappaport, who sold exclusively it in her Malibu, California boutique. She later sold her shop, but decided to continue selling her perfume oil which had gained status as a cult favorite among celebrities. Recognizing this fact, she expanded the line to include toiletries in a matching scent so that one could layer the products, making it easy to enjoy the scent all day long.

From the kai website:

""breathe in the beauty of kai, and experience the light and
                 soothing scent of today's most sought-after fragrance."

beauty lies in the simplest and purest of things. kai brings this idea to life by using exotic fragrance and natural essences in our light and intoxicating scent of gardenia wrapped in white exotics. kai captures the irresistible fragrance of the tropics in a full line of fragrance, bath, body and home care products. breathe in the beauty of kai, and experience today's most sought-after fragrance.

"as a child my family would spend summers in hawaii... there’s nothing like the scent of exotic flowers; plumeria, pikake, gardenia and jasmine seemed to grow everywhere. every time i smell one of those flowers i’m instantly back on the islands surrounded by loved ones." ~ kai founder, gaye straza (elle, january 2012)

The company claims that it is paraben, sulfate, phthalate & phosphate free. Also cruelty free, which I am glad to hear about. Plus it is made in the USA from recyclable packaging.


So what does it smell like? It is classified as a lush, white floral fragrance for women with a dominant gardenia note.

• Top notes: fresh green notes
• Middle notes: gardenia
• Base notes:

Mix 17 by Platinum J c2011

Mix 17 by Platinum J: launched in 2011.

"Be yourself. Imitation is suicide."

Platinum J fragrances are hand blended using only the finest 100% pure essential oils by natural perfumer Jacqueline Clemens in Lakewood, Ohio. Each perfume is meant to work with the wearer's own skin to become her own signature fragrance.


From Platinum J:

The green goddess, laughingly skipping across the meadow of hope-filled days of endless sunshine, has bewitched us with her sophisticated yet playful mien. Touched with sun and emotion, the fiery presence of geranium and the liveliness of bergamot fills the empty space that once was inside her heart. As this settles, the crisp green goddess gives way to woods that murmur and amber that whispers "...in my sweet embrace all your pains erased."

So what does it smell like? It is classified as an oriental chypre fragrance for men and women.

• Top notes: bergamot
• Middle notes: frankincense and geranium
• Base notes: amber and patchouli

I received a sample directly from Platinum J, and immediately was taken by how earthy this perfume is. It has a beautiful chypre accord and has a rich patchouli note that I find very attractive. This is not your average, everyday hippie head shop patchouli, but more of a spicy, sweeter, more refined version. Not a floral fragrance, just lots of soft woods, incense and spice. This ambery fragrance has a familiar vintage hint to it that makes me think of the 1920s and the wave of orientalism that swept over that decade.

I would imagine this perfume being housed inside of a limited edition heart shaped jet black crystal flacon and a round ball stopper with a long glass dauber, and the front of the bottle would simply say" "Mix 17".

I would wear this perfume on a daily basis, as I love how deftly composed this honeyed fragrance is. It has a seamless blending only rivaled by the very best perfumers in the business.

Speaking of the vintage aspect of this perfume, it reminds me of the time I was at a local country auction where there were a few perfume bottles sitting up on a table. I picked up the Nuit de Noel bottle and found that the stopper was frozen in place. I didn't try to pry it open, but heard some splashing inside so I knew it still contained the treasured formula. Later on, I had bid on the perfume bottles and happily won the lot.

As I was wrapping up the Nuit de Noel bottle, the stopper miraculously came loose and the sticky, brown, syrupy perfume spilled all over my hands. It's scent immediately filled the room and I was only slightly embarrassed when a little boy, there with his grandma spoke up and said, "It smells like bug spray in here gramma." Everyone was looking at me as I was trying so hard to wipe my soiled perfumey hands on some paper towels I grabbed from the ladies room earlier. The auctioneer even stopped his chanting and asked me to take the perfume out to my car...LOL...So, that is what I did.

I came back inside and went to the ladies room to attempt to scrub the old perfume residue from my hands. I scrubbed and I scrubbed for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, I sat back down at my seat to resume bidding on a lot of antique RS Prussia porcelain. For the rest of the auction, all I smelled was the honeyed perfume from Nuit de Noel still clinging furiously to my hands, however, I found the spicy woodsy dry down to be delightful and not at all obtrusive anymore. This is exactly what I smell in Mix 17, the wonderful vintage woods and amber.



Click HERE to purchase Mix 17 by Platinum J

Folle de Joie by Joie c2014

Folle de Joie by Joie: launched in 2014.