After a memorable season of life spent in Italy, yogi Elena Brower concocted her own fragrance blend to remind her of her time spent beneath the Tuscan sun. It wasn’t long before she was getting requests for the scent from friends and fellow Virayoga and YogaGlo yogis. What resulted was GIVE, a beautiful bottled fragrance whose proceeds benefit the organization Women for Women International. Here, Elena and partner Alexandra Lyon Perelman explain how and why the GIVE fragrance came to be.
The Chalkboard Magazine: What scents provided the inspiration behind the fragrance?
Elena Brower & Alexandra Lyon Perelman: “We wanted to create oil blends that everyone would love – sensual, grounding scents. Our first was inspired by my time spent teaching during the first sultry summer days on the island of Sicily.”
TCM: Scent is so evocative of memory. Are there any specific moments you especially recall when you smell ‘Give’?
ALP: “Some of my favorite memories are from summers spent on the Italian coast. I specifically recall the fragrant scent of Sardinia: a mix of warm, rich earth, the salty Mediterranean and sweet, sun-ripened fruit.”
EB: “When I teach in Sicily, I stay at the Becchina estate in Castelvetrano, where Olio Verde is produced, amongst other treats. For me, GIVE Is reminiscent of the smell of the orchards, where you can find lemon trees, green grass, fig trees and of course, olive trees. A magical part of the world. I’m going back in July 2013…”
TCM: When did your love for these local smells and experiences begin to translate into the idea for a perfume?
EB: “I have been mixing my own oil blends for years. Alexandra smelled my latest creation, which became the GIVE Signature scent, and loved the citrus sexiness of it. This was about 3 or 4 years ago now. She committed to making this happen and it was a privilege to watch her build this project.”
TCM: When did you realize you were on to something with this blend of scents, that it wasn’t only a personal obsession?
ALP: “Always. It took a long time to arrive at this particular blend, and then we had the Fragrance Shop make it en masse. They are great – they did such a terrific job and are always super supportive of us.”
TCM: Best way to wear fragrance?
EB: “By GIVING to oneself sweetly and purely.”
TCM: How did the fragrance become a charitable project?
ALP: “When Elena and I decided to share the beauty of our scent with others, it was important to us that others benefit from the project, as well. We are mothers, teachers and activists, thus, giving to Women For Women International seemed like a perfect mission. We were excited to contribute to such a meaningful cause and help women survivors of war rebuild their lives. As GIVE SCENT evolves, we look forward to sharing the proceeds with other charities that support women worldwide. A portion of the proceeds from our next scent: GIVE Orange, will benefit Every Mother Counts, a wonderful charity that promotes global maternal health.”
TCM: Why Women-For-Women International?
“We wanted to give to the women who give so much to their own families and communities as they rebuild their lives from the horrors of
conflict.”
We love this fragrance and know you will too. While our readers know we’re always game for a great giveaway, The GIVE Scent is such a wonderful and worthy cause that we’d like to challenge you to reach out and make the purchase for yourself. More information on Women For Women International can be found here. Stay tuned for more on WFM in the near future, as we had to know more about this amazing charity and the women behind it!
