Rumors are in the wind that the young Indian actress Freida Pinto is soon to be the latest face for Estee Lauder perfumes. The 24 year old is the star of Academy Award winner Slumdog Millionaire. Ms Pinto recently signed on for a Woody Allen film project.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Estee Lauder Cos Inc (EL.N) and Elizabeth Arden Inc (RDEN.O) posted profits that topped forecasts and said they would cut jobs as the recession’s squeeze on cosmetics purchases was not…

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Estee and Arden plan job cuts

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These roses are named candles but they smell just as sweet!  Send ”That Rosy Glow“ candle gift basket and Mom will enjoy 120 hours of luxurious rose fragrance.  Send a dozen roses and they will wilt in a week.  This gift features soy blend scented candles by Flora Home, one of our favorites!  $49.95 plus Free Shipping.

Surprise mom with a gift that shows your elegant sense of style, such as a French Lavender 4-Bar Gift Soap Set.  Beautifully packaged in a gift box featuring a scene from the lavender fields in Provence, France.  Long-lasting, triple milled, and oh so French.  $14.95.

Lulu the Lavender Poodle needs a loving home.  She’s the perfect companion for mom now that you’ve left the nest.  Soft and hugable, she’s filled with a lavender and flaxseed blend that’s heatable in the microwave.  Just a 30 second spin and Lulu is luxuriously warm and soothingly fragrant.  $25.00.

According to a recent study by the University of Liverpool and the Unilever research lab, a splash of cologne boosts a man’s confidence enough to make him more attractive to women.  It is the confidence alone and how that influences a man’s bearing that can be attractive, not necessarily the scent itself.  Interesting article.  Read it here:

The Scent of A Man, The Economist: December 2008 

Here’s a collection of gift recommendations from The Aroma Advisor that won’t break the bank and will make Mom proud of you on Mother’s Day:

Heatable Lavender Aromatherapy Wraps are bestsellers for a reason – they are soo comfy and effective.  A quick spin in the microwave adds just the right warmth to melt all her cares away.  $34.95 plus shipping.

Working moms will appreciate a Lavender-Filled Keyboard Pillow.  The natural lavender fragrance helps keep work stress in check, and the gentle elevation of her wrists will help fight fatigue and maybe that carpal thing.  She’ll love that they’re really pretty too.  $17.95 plus shipping.

Letter-writing moms will be sure to send you a thank you note after a Candle and Gift Card Set featuring classy notes from Snow & Graham and delicious scented soy candles from Crash.  A unique combination!  $34.95 plus shipping. 

The success of Manhattan Diffusion isn’t formulaic.

“We don’t follow a beaten path,” Han says.  “We stray a little bit.  It makes us different.”

Their process is simple.  “We just get as creative as we can,” Han says.  “There’s no specific pattern.  We come up with fragrances that aren’t out there.  We research geographical territories.  Winter Sweet was produced in the Pacific Northwest.  We look at regions and see what’s produced.”  The fragrances are tested at the Manhattan Diffusion offices by the employees, who serve as a focus group for new products.  They hold sampling sessions.  What they don’t like, they eliminate.  “Everyone should have a say in what they’re selling and producing,” Han says.  Often, the fragrances they offer adhere to the 80/20 rule: 80% catch on and 20% don’t.

“We loved Winter Sweet, but it didn’t catch on,” Han says of the floral fragrance.  “We tend to produce florals, but not run of the mill ones.”

“Run of the mill” is exactly what founder Robert Venz wanted to avoid.  It was the year 2000 when Venz started something special in a very small space.  Inspired by what he encountered while traveling the world, he launched Manhattan Diffusion. For a few years, he attended trade shows and ran the entire operation out of his small Manhattan apartment.  But, when it was time to build the business and take it to the next level, Mr. Venz rented office and warehouse space and brought Dan Han on board.  That was 2004.

“I do sales, finance and operations,” Han explains.  “Rob was creative and did the initial marketing.  He didn’t want generic fragrances that you might find in every candle store.  He took a different route.  His first attempt was in floral arenas.  He wasn’t a vanilla kind of person in the fragrance world.”

Sadly, in 2007, Venz passed away, leaving the small, flourishing company in the capable hands of his twenty employees, including Han.

“We have a pretty talented team here,” Han says.  “We’ve continued going to trade shows and bringing out fragrances that aren’t so cookie cutter.”

Besides unique fragrance, Manhattan Diffusion products are also known for their distinct colors.  “The guys in production get the color to the exactly right shade,” Han explains.  “We offer many colors – we didn’t want just a clear liquid.  It’s a different type of look for them that we enjoy producing.  Customers enjoy them.”

“The color provides form and function beyond the fragrance,” Han says.  For instance, the blue in Splash is neutral and more masculine than some of the other options available.

Besides the Classic and Studio Reed Diffusers, Manhattan Diffusion offers a perfumer’s candle, mini-misters and reed diffuser wall sconces for use in small spaces.  The company, which started in founder’s apartment, has a history of thriving in small spaces.  And they are in Manhattan, a city full of small spaces.  Efficient room design is important, and incorporating fragrance into such areas is an art form itself.

“The idea is fragrance is absorbed through sticks, but needs movement,” Han says.  He recommends placing diffusers in a place where they’ll encounter a fair amount of traffic, such as a mantel or a living room table.  People walk by and the fragrance spreads throughout the room.

Shop Manhattan Diffusion

Do you have a favorite Manhattan Diffusion scent?  Post your likes or dislikes here.

Be sure to check out this article by Anne Underwood for Newsweek:

http://www.newsweek.com/id/145867

Avery Gilbert talks about his book, “What the Nose Knows.”  Learn about the science of smell and how our sense of smell is undervalued.