Beauty product of the week: Melissa Allen Mood Essentials
Image: Instagram user ma mood essentials
These perfumes are designed to calm you rather than overwhelm your senses.
Why we love this product
I have a perfume allergy.
It wasn't always like this. In my late teens I had an enviable collection of Bulgari, Givenchy and Elizabeth Arden fragrances that I loved to mix and match. But as I got older, there were fewer perfumes I could tolerate. Now, spraying perfumes send a dull throb through my sinuses, mess with my vision and turn my stomach. It's like being seasick.
But I'm happy to report that I have found the needle in the haystack. There is one perfume I've managed to find that doesn't give me a reaction – Melissa Allen's Mood Essentials. These are fragrances infused with essential oils and low on ingredients like alcohol and other hidden nasties. And if you're sensitive to any sort of additive in fragrances, these scents have a completely transparent list of ingredients that come with each bottle.
I tried all three of the scents. Unfortunately, I had a mild sinus reaction to two of them but one, the I Have Confidence fragrance, gave me absolutely zero reaction. This is something I haven't truly experienced in about seven or eight years.
Each of the Melissa Allen scents has been specifically designed to elicit certain mood responses. Each blend of essential oils is designed to calm, focus or give confidence. The particular blend of smells in the I Have Confidence scent is delicate and pleasant. Whether or not it gave me a confidence boost, I'm not sure, but it certainly was nice to actually be able to wear perfume for once.
The staying power of these isn't amazing. I couldn't really detect the scent by the end of the day, so this is certainly designed to be one of those fragrances that you reapply whenever you want a boost. And since these are natural, no-nasties formulas, they're delicate enough to be sprayed on a pillow before you sleep.
These scents are a terrific alternative for anyone out there who is a bit sensitive to fragrances or anyone who wants a break from the overwhelming world of traditional perfumes.
Affordability
The travel size 7mL bottles come in at $23.95 and the 50mL bottles are $47.95, so it's definitely more economical to buy the larger size.
Where you can get it
Melissa Allen Mood Essentials are available on the Melissa Allen website.
