What a difference a small fruit made! Tangerine!
Yesterday, on a rainy Autumn Saturday, I went briefly to the nearest open market, desperately in need of Vitamin C. The past week was hectic, and while I tremendously enjoy workout and dancing, the last training I had with long series of side abs obliques workout left me feeling my each and every rib, my whole rib cage sore with muscle pain.
As I walked into the market and lifted my umbrella, a sudden rush of orange color was all around me. It is the season of mandarins, fresh, bright orange, citrus’n’honey smelling, little balls of sunshine and sweetness! The benches in the open-air market were filled with them, big heaps of mandarines, some still with leaves and branches, just picked, brightening up the day.
On my way home I peeled one tangerine and left the peels in the open bag: that sweet smell in the car already made me feel better. It took me away, bringing back an old olfactory memory.
Morroco. Tangerines. Sahara.
Smells of the kasbah, souks, and lack of any scent at all, deep in the landscape of fine orange sands in Sahara. Some years ago I was on a trip to Morocco, from Casablanca to Marrakesh, from Fes to Chefchaouen: the ever-shifting landscape of Morocco provided plenty of distractions as we watched the scenery change from lush, palm-lined oases to surreal, barren stretches of otherworldly rock formations.
There were ocher-colored vast hills; verdant valleys with crystalline lakes, just planted young olive trees, and snow-blanketed peaks of the impressive Atlas Mountains.
I also made stops at artisan workshops, buying rose and argan oils for which Morocco is famous.
I picked a fresh and ripe Tangerine from a tree on the outskirts of Medina, on my way to El-Attarine (perfume and spice) Souk in Marrakesh, its taste and smell forever to remind me of that exact location.
Mandarines, tangerines: pretty much alike, not the same. Moroccan Tangerines are somewhat larger, sweeter, the scent stronger, and very present in the perfumes’ production. What I needed was a balm, and there was the Azena’s Green Tangerine sample waiting for me.
Why Azena? It is 100% natural. It is a family-owned small business, run by the third generation heirs. They have a great story going back to Grandpa who was famous for his Comfrey creams, herbs, and healing teas. Now they feature Eco-friendly packaging, continuing their tradition of 100% natural, handmade cosmetics.
Azena Green Tangerine’s ingredients are tangerine oil and Marigold flowers essence. It also contains Comfrey root extract, renowned for healing muscle pain and used for its medicinal benefits for over 2.000 years. It seemed that timing was right for me to try it out!
The (100ml) body balm is greenish-yellow, mousse-like but quite oily, best to use after showering on damp skin. It has a tingling fresh effect, leaving your skin silky. Happy skin.
The fragrance is green Tangerine skins at first very sparkly, uplifting, and fresh. Then, as you rub it in, the warmth of skin turns it into an earthy, rich, hay-like, and musty Marigold hue.
My olfactory impression: short-lasting but a very uplifting Tangerine scent, the vision of a tangerine cut in slices for cocktails. Fades fast, fresh, and greenish citrus vitamin C kick transforming into warmer hay and honey scent, which I find great since I am not a fan of Fanta-like orange-sticky sweet mandarine scent.
Where to buy: Azena, Origin – Croatian Cosmetics
Samples provided by Origin – Croatian Cosmetics
Disclaimer
Tangerine Perfume Recommendations:
You may also like Tangerine – Demeter Fragrance, Agrumi da Sicilia – Monotheme Fine Fragrances Venice and Fraiche Badiane, Les Aromatiques (the nose behind this fragrance is Jean-Paul Millet Lage).
Mass Market suggestions: 6902 Hollywood Boulevard Los Angeles by Zara, Trendy by Avon 2015.
The Plum Girl
Elena Cvjetkovic
Photos: The Plum Girl, Azena web page.
“Tangerine Trees and Marmalade Skies” is a verse from “Lucy In The Sky a With Diamonds”.
