In late September last year, two of my friends and I took a drive to seaside Newburyport MA to spend the warm, sunny, late summer day browsing and shopping in the boutiques in that super cute historic town. We didn’t go crazy spending money. In fact, each of us only bought a couple of inexpensive things, but we had a wonderful time. And we ended the day by having dinner with lovely harbor view.
I bought a pair of dripless candles at one of my favorite home stores whose name I don’t even know. I just know how to get there. In fact, I am on my last pair of candles, and I need more. But non-essential stores in MA are still closed, and because I don’t know the name of the shop, so I can’t even try to order online. I’ll wait because I think their candles are simply the best, plus I want to give my business to the small local shops rather than to the big retailers and Amazon.
We wandered across the way to another shop that sells kitchen goods, olive oil and vinegar called Port Plums. I bought some fig balsamic vinegar that was delicious. And I found a display of natural roll-on perfume oils. I find it impossible to pass by fragrances without giving the testers a try. (Gee, there won’t be testers to try scents for a long time, I’m afraid.)
The brand that caught my eye was Farm + Sea, a natural brand created by Mary Swenson inspired by the farms and Atlantic Ocean of her eastern Massachusetts town. I hadn’t realized that Farm + Sea was a local brand, but I was delighted to discover that tonight as I sat down to write about it.
Over the years, I have found that perfume oils often last longer on me than perfume forms like eau de parfum, cologne or eau de toilette. So I decided to try a few of the Farm + Sea scents. One scent in particular jumped out at me: Vanilla + Patchouli.
Both are among my favorite notes, so I reached for the tester (a spray tester). I need to wear a scent for a while before I decide if it will have enough sillage (projection of the scent) and long lastingness. So we continued our walk through town visiting more shops along the way. After about an hour when we were about three-quarters of a mile away from the shop that sold Farm + Sea and as the clock approached 5pm when the store was closing, I decided I needed to add the scent to my collection. Lately, the fragrances that I own have been fading faster than usual on me, so I wanted something strong and dependable. Farm + Sea Vanilla + Patchouli roll-on perfume oil fit the bill. Plus it was affordable, $14.95. I told my friends I was going to run back to the store to buy it before the shop closed.
We ended up meeting back in that part of town where we went to dinner. Such a nice day browsing with friends. That truly seems so long ago, in some ways, a lifetime ago. I’m glad I’ve got this nice fragrance as a remembrance of that day.
Farm + Sea makes their natural perfume oils with coconut oil and extracts. They come in 3 ounce heavy plastic rollerball tubes that are so sturdy that they feel like they’re made from glass.
Vanilla + Patchouli is heavier on the patchouli than on the vanilla. Yet the vanilla blends in to soften the sharp edges of the patchouli. The dry down becomes softer still and more enveloping. I would describe this scent as gender neutral.
If you’re not a fan of Vanilla + Patchouli, there are 7 additional scents: Beach Girl, Grapefruit + Ginger, Saltwater, Citrus + Sugar, Lavender + Coconut, Beach Rose, and Spice Bay. Each comes in a rustic cotton pouch that makes it a perfect small gift.
Farm + Sea also makes natural candles and home fragrances. They are made in small batches with natural ingredients in Amesbury, MA not far from where I live. Farm + Sea is replenishing its entire inventory, and is launching it on their website on May 22. Their products can be purchased on the Farm + Sea website (on and after 5/22), on the White Cottage website, and at shops and boutiques in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, New York, and New Jersey (the list of stockists is on their website). Their products are well made, clean, attractive, and smell great.
What a lovely sounding day! This sounds like a lovely scent!
Lola Seicento recently posted…Baby Foot Exfoliant Foot Peel is the Perfect Pampering Pick While Staying at Home
Thank you! It was and it is xoxo
This sounds divine!
It’s the day that sounds so wonderful to me. And you’ve got a great souvenir of a special time.
MarciaF recently posted…Spoil your hair with Roux’s Precious Oils Collection
Thank you, Marcia! It was a lovely and memorable day. It makes me sad that it will be quite a while before we can do anything like that. You are right, I am glad that I have my souvenir of a fun time with friends.
I enjoy visiting local boutiques and shops and prefer buying local! I would definitely enjoy visiting that store. I love vanilla and patchouli so it sounds divine to me
Since you are a wonderful cook, you would love this store, Kathryne. I agree about buying local when possible.
Not the point of the post but have you tried using Google Maps to look it up. I couldn’t remember the name of a restaurant that I ate at while I was doing my internship last summer but we wanted to see if they were open at the start of the quarantine. I went to Google Maps and went to the neighborhood where the restaurant was but it was to small to register so I switched to street view and was able to find it. Some local businesses here have created small online shops for people to shop and are taking phone orders and shipping. Just a thought for you.
But to the reason for the post, I’m wondering if I should try a perfume oil. Perfume sprays don’t last on me at all, my skin just soaks it in unless I use half the bottle.
Cassie Tucker recently posted…May Boxycharm Base Unboxing
What a great idea Cassie.
Cassie, great idea and thank you for it! I checked google maps, and I found the store. Sadly, it is closed. Oh well, I’ll be ready when they open.
I love vanilla scents but I hate patchouli, so I’d probably skip.