The Perfect Mother's Day Gift With Makana
This post was done in partnership with Makana Studios but all opinions and words are my own.
“‘UKULI’I KA PUA, ONAONA I KA MAU’U
Tiny is the flower, yet it scents the grasses around it ”
Hi!
Happy May!!!!
So excited to kick off the month here on Go French Yourself with a great idea for you all for Mother's Day.
What woman in your life wouldn't want something fragrant for her home or office?!
I absolutely love home fragrance. One of my absolute fave things to do is burn a candle all day since I work from home and fragrant candles just help my thought process. Candles help me to relax and focus on what I love most which is writing. There’s just something peaceful about a nicely scented candle, don’t you think? I’ll often have two different candles going in different areas of the house for a layered effect. It’s always interesting to see how different scents complement one another. I find it quite glamorous to have a signature fragrance for oneself in terms of a perfume, as well as a signature fragrance at home because scent, like lighting, can help to set the tone or mood in one’s space. I like a mix of fragrances that range from bright and floral with scents of rose, orange blossom, and jasmine to more masculine scents like vetiver, sandalwood, oak and cedar. It just depends on my mood!
Well, today I wanted to talk about my fave fragrance company nestled in the artist community of Laguna Canyon in the southern California coastal town of Laguna Beach. Not only do they look so beautiful in a modern home, they also smell a-ma-zing. Plus the time is ticking for Mother's Day and you do not want to be the person showing up empty handed. And gifting Makana will win you some serious brownie points!!
If you aren’t familiar with Makana, well-now you are ! Makana means "gift" in Hawaiian. Traditional Hawaiian beliefs contend that people, animals, and the land do not exist independently of one another. Rather, all of our destinies are intertwined.
““At Makana, we believe in the beauty of living well, clean design and creating fresh, botanical-based products. Our products are not manufactured by the thousands in a factory, but are hand-poured and hand-blended in small batches in-house in our California studio using artisanal techniques. We believe in a clean, minimal, uncomplicated ingredient list and process. Our methods and philosophy are rooted in both the traditional and modern. We strive to live each day filled with balance within ourselves, harmony with each other and respect for the land and sea. This way of life is based on aloha.
We believe in slowing down, unplugging and recognizing the beauty in the moment. Fragrance creates new memories with each new experience. But more importantly, fragrance evokes stored memories, transporting us thousands of miles in an instant - to a person, to a place, to a moment frozen in time, reliving an experience that may have seemed to have been gone forever. ””
These luxurious, eco, scented candles have stolen my heart. This couple had the desire to create candles that aren’t only beautiful, but free of unnecessary and harmful additives. All candles are meticulously hand-blended in tiny batches - 8 candles at a time! Each are labeled by hand and shipped to local boutiques and specialty stores from their studio. They are 100% soy wax, phthalate-free fragrance and essential oils, and lead-free cotton wicking – with packaging that is also green and beautiful. All candles are poured in recycled glass vessels that have simple and clean lines.
“By stripping away all the extras on our packaging and design, we allow room for our customers to focus on what we feel is our strength - unique fragrances, minimal ingredient list, and a commitment to quality.”
They come in two sizes: 10 ounces which will burn from 60 hours and 3 ounces which will burn for 15 hours. (I love traveling with the petites.)
I have my tried and true favorites from Makana but they are seriously all soooo divine!
I mean just keep reading on and imagine these aromas filling your home! (these are some of my fave)
ACACIA SANDALWOOD--
A composition of sultry sandalwood, oud and acacia, ever so softened by warmed vanilla and tonka.
Notes
Top Note: cardamom
Middle Notes: sandalwood, acacia, agarwood
Base Notes: cedarwood, tonka bean, vanilla orchid
ROSEWATER--
A true garden rose with a soft citrus undertone. Notes of geranium, water lily and violet make an appearance, while vetiver and rosewood lightly ground this beautiful scent.
Notes
Top: lemon
Middle: garden rose, geranium, water lily, violet,
Base: vetiver, rosewood
GINGER CITRON--
Botanical and grounding, this scent layer begins with lemongrass and citron, enveloping a spicy, herbal ginger note and rounded out by patchouli and sandalwood.
Scent Profile
Top: lemongrass, pomelo, citron
Middle: ginger, lime leaf
Base: patchouli, sandalwood
LEHUA HONEY
Our ode to this prized, island-grown honey which is gathered by bees from the lehua blossoms of 'ohi'a trees. This beautiful, rich fragrance is accented by wild, mountain flowers, lush foliage, and sits on a bed of honeyed tobacco and ylang ylang.
Notes
Top: raw honey
Middle: wild flowers, mountain greens
Base: ylang ylang, honeyed tobacco
NEROLI BLOSSOM
Our ode to old world Orange County, where orange groves were once prevalent and meant that warm summer nights unfolded the most intoxicating floral fragrance. Ours opens up with the sweet aroma of clementine and orange blossom, later revealing neroli and gardenia, followed by a soft sandalwood.
Notes
Top: clementine, orange blossom, petitgrain
Middle: neroli, gardenia, lily
Base: sandalwood
Tea Leaf
Gestures of lemon verbena, ginger, white tea, and sage provide a clean and luxurious aroma, creating tranquility and sophistication.
Notes
Top: lemon verbena, petitgrain,
Middle: ginger, white tea, sage, thyme
Base: basil
Not only does Makana have beautiful candles but they also have the loveliest Reed Diffusers. Hand-blended in small batches, their diffuser oils are free of alcohol, dipropylene glycol (DPG), phthaltes and colorants. Lasts approximately 6 to 8 months. They are the most fragrant diffuser I have ever found!!! Usually I have to end up putting a diffuser in a super tiny area to enjoy the aroma. One Makana's diffuser fills my entire 2 bedroom condo!
Includes:
4.8 oz. diffuser oil, modern square glass bottle, natural reeds.
What a lovely gift for mom!!
Everyone loves a good candle or diffuser, but they hold an extra special place in mom’s heart.
There’s nothing more calming to her than lighting one and taking a hot bubble bath. So whether she prefers sweet or clean or woodsy—or, something somewhere in between—Makana has a scent that caters to her every mood.
Spoil her rotten this Mother's Day with long-lasting fragrance and a gift she will just adore.
Makana will have your lovelies shipped in the knick of time!!! Tell Romely hi! She is the sweetest!!!
"Through our products, we strive to combine our passion for the environment and love of simple design with west coast, tropical sensibilities and Hawaiian ties. Following the Hawaiian tradition of malama i ka ‘aina (caring for the land), we ensure that each of our products are made and packaged with carefully-selected ingredients that are both kind to the environment and our health. In this spirit, we believe that by taking care of the land and its inhabitants, it will in turn take care of us and provide the gifts of sustenance, balance, health, and well-being." --- Romely & Josh Levezow