As you know, I have a huge soft spot for fragrances. I love the ingenuity, work process and dedication that perfumers put into their work. Woven like music, each piece is a work of art for me.
So it is with great pleasure that I am reviewing an AUSTRALIAN brand today: Melissa Allen Mood Essentials. This article also includes an interview with Ms Melissa Allen, Founder and Creator of the brand. I am extremely grateful to Melissa Allen for giving me the honour of interviewing her. It is quite a privilege.
This article is structured as follows:
About Melissa Allen Mood Essentials
Interview with Melissa Mood Essentials
What are "Natural Fragrances"?
Review of Melissa Allen Mood Essentials's fragrances
Not only are there fragrances; there are also body care products and pillow mists! You can purchase the full range of Melissa Mood Essentials and find stockiest at https://www.melissaallenmoodessentials.com/collections/shop-all
Disclaimer: All of the photos here with my watermark were taken by me. You cannot use them without obtaining my written permission first. These are my personal views and I do not any way guarantee or warrant the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any message and will not be held responsible for the content of any message. The products shown were gifted for my review.
About Melissa Allen Mood Essentials
As the name would suggest, these fragrances are designed to create a mood. I would describe them more as "aromatherapy scents" than your conventional perfumes/colognes. They sit in that particular space called "natural fragrances" and are "mood enhancers". They are described as "Feel Good Fragrances". The brand was launched in 2017
There are four fragrances in the collection:
I have Calm
I have Confidence
I have Joy
I have Focus
Each one as their name suggests are to evoke: calmness; confidence; joyfulness and focus.
Centered around aromatherapy (which I strongly believe works), each one is infused with a blend of 100% natural essential oils.
I think the "story" behind them is best described by Melissa Allen herself:
"Hi my name is Melissa and I am the founder behind Melissa Allen Mood Essentials™ and I believe “Happiness never goes out of style!"
That’s why my Melissa Allen Mood Essentials™ have been created to combined natural fragrances and aromatherapy to offer amazing fragrances to enjoy, but also carefully designed to target those everyday feelings that so many of us experience.
Whether it be needing more confidence for public speaking, job interviews, dating that some one special or some calmness after a busy day where you want to relax or unwind. There’s also I Have Focus a great fragrance to spritz on the beginning of the day to help get task sone without being distracted. Lastly I Have Joy because everyone should be able to enjoy their lives no matter what....
I have always loved fragrances and to receive perfume has always been special to me. I love the way the sense of smell makes me feel. I have always had my favourite designer fragrances but I have also learnt how fantastic essentials oils are. This is why I have created Melissa Allen Mood Essentials™, I want to take make a positive difference to you with my fragrances.
Gone are the days of stirring pots and plain bottles, these days essential oils are super chic, effective, natural and a joy to use. Not only do they smell great but they also have the additional benefits of helping you feel better in order for you to become the best version of yourself.
My vision is to provide you with a lifestyle tool that is accessible, and that has a genuine intention to help you smell great, feel better, dream bigger, overcome hurdles and feel positive about your life.
Infused with 100% Natural Essential oils, Melissa Allen Mood Essentials™ are uplifting unisex fragrances to add to your collection of perfumes/colognes or beauty regimes to use throughout the day to help keep you smelling great and feeling great!
I believe anyone can make their dreams happen and I also believe that everyone has the right to feel good about themselves and life which has always been my motivator for developing my Mood Essentials™ "
Interview with Melissa Allen, Founder of Melissa Allen Mood Essentials
1. What prompted you to start Melissa Allen Mood Essentials?
My story starts in my teenage years when my parents divorced….and life had become….well let's say not that much fun…..to block out the bad times I became a bit of a dreamer of all different things but one was to develop my own fragrances.
Fragrances were always something I loved and brought me joy….And joy and fun were definitely things I wanted to back into my life.
In my early twenties I seen Richard Branson on TV and was instantly inspired by his positivity, energy and him showing that anything is possible….which definitely started me thinking that I could start my own business.
The next few years seen me overcoming my own self esteem issues and watching both men and woman experience everyday hurdles such as public speaking nerves, anxiety when flying, bullying low self esteem.
All these experiences made me determined that one day, I would develop my own fragrances that would have purpose
2. Did you learn the art of fragrance marking yourself?
Developing my own fragrances was a concept in my head for about 15 years before I launched Melissa Allen Mood Essentials in January 2017
At different times over the 15 years I self-taught myself about essential oils / fragrances and experimented by mixing my own blends
With my Mood Essentials, I work with a chemist who has worked all around the world with decades of experience. I was lucky enough that he loved my concept and agreed to work with me on my Melissa Allen Mood Essentials.
3. Was it hard to start off being a female entrepreneur? What kept you strong during the start up-phase?
I think it’s hard for anyone who starts their own business and it was definitely hard at the start of my business in terms of budgets and then having the confidence that people would like my products enough to want to buy and use them. And of course needing to be a jack of all trades.
What kept me strong was backing myself, listening to my own instincts and not giving up
4. The names of your fragrances are about mood like I Have Joy, I Have Confidence, how did you come up with the fragrance formula to convey each mood?
Working with my perfumer who has decades of experience in fragrances across the globe we carefully designed the fragrances with natural essential oils known to help each mood we wanted to target. This is shown by:
I Have Confidence is designed to help combat nervousness self doubt and anxiety to allow calmness, inner strength and confidence to shine. Essential oils such as bergamot, ylang ylang, neroli and geranium have been chosen to help re-energise the body. Oils including rosemary, basil and chamomile have traditionally been used to help encourage strength and confidence. The chamomile, lavender, frankincence and sandalwood in the blend are intended to help calm and encourage perspective.
I Have Calm was created to help manage anxiety, insomnia and stress and to bring forth calmness and balance, encouraging relaxation and a clear, calm mind. Essential oils such as lavender, rosewood, patchouli, bergamot sandalwood, neroli petals bigarade and orange can help with relaxation, anxiety and stress. Eucalyptus and petitgrain oil Paraguay are included and may help refresh the mind.
I Have Joy is designed to help combat flatness, sadness, mental fatigue and nervous tension and to help uplift, stimulate and revive, allowing happiness and joy and putting a bounce back in a person’s step. Essential oils such as grapefruit, orange, pine oil, bergamot, spearmint and peppermint are included to help uplift, stimulate and energise the mind.
I Have Focus was created to help combat distraction, general dullness and confusion/exhaustion and to help clear and invigorate the mind. It aims to help relieve anxiety, stress and tension – and to encourage clarity, mental strength, calmness and focus, helping with goal achieving. Essential oils such as rosemary, rosewood mandarin, lemon, sage and bergamot can help with anxiety with nervous tension, energise, help improve clarity of thought and have an overall balancing and grounding effect.
5. Could you share with us your favourite motivation and inspiration quotes words? Could you also share with us your favourite motivation and inspiration quotes. Could you also share your own personal reflections on them
Dream, Believe, Achieve
Don’t tell me the sky is the limit when there are footprints on the moon.
[side note from teacupofmakeup - I LOVE these two quotes]
I love both these quotes because to me say to me do not set limitations and that anything is possible.
What are "Natural Fragrances"?
If you are interested in learning more about what are "Natural Fragrances", I've written an article about it (click here to read more on "What are Natural Fragrances").
In brief, if a fragrance claims to be a natural fragrance, I think there are two alternatives:
Be certified by a well-established organisation like the NPA; or
FULL disclosure of all ingredients used including disclosure of the process used to obtain the components of the "natural fragrance".
Review of Melissa Allen Mood Essentials
There are currently four scents in the Melissa Allen Mood Essentials Collection ("MAME").
I Have Calm;
I Have Confidence;
I Have Joy; and
I Have Focus
Each fragrance shares the same base formula notes: bergamot oil; lemon oil, citric acid and linalool (a colorless, unsaturated terpene liquid alcohol that smells like bergamot). Each fragrance always has quite a few citrus notes. Bergamot is known for as a calming and uplifting scent. Lemon oil is known for its refreshing, energising and uplifting qualities. To this "base formula", other essential oils are added to create the different scents. They do smell marginally like each other. To me, they all seem to fall within the citrus fragrance family.
I LIKE ALL OF THEM. I've tested them for a few weeks in different situations and I can say that the "I Have Calm" does help calm the nerves (I suffer from treatment resistant depression and anxiety) and "I have Joy" does seem to be quite uplifting.
All MAME scents are cruelty-free and 100% natural. They are They are unisex fragrances.
MAME offers them in fragrances; face and hand care; body wash; and pillow mists.
They are all made in Australia - a huge plus point for me.
Retail Price:
The full sized fragrances come in 50ml (AU$47.95) and they offer travel sizes in 7ml (AU$23.95). The 50ml is priced reasonably (naturally processed essential oils are not cheap), but I was a bit shocked by the price of the 7ml travel size. There is a gift set that has all four scents in the 7ml size. Priced at AU$67 (AU$16.75); I would recommend that if you want a travel size, get this set.
The packaging is very minimal so that they are unisex. Just plastic tubes with black printing. I can't tell if they are made from PET plastic.
As an overall observation, all of them feel "more wet" than conventional fragrances. They feel like a spritz of a face mist. They also do not evaporate as quickly as conventional fragrances. Something to keep in mind if you are applying this on areas near your clothes. This is because the "carrier" for these scents is mostly water rather than water + alcohol. I can tell if a carrier has a lot of alcohol in it as it is usually the first thing I smell besides the Top notes. The ingredients do note that they do contain some form of alcohol (a necessary addition as the essential oils dissolve into them), but probably not in as high a quantity as conventional fragrances. I suggest giving them a shake before using them. This seems to bring out all of the notes better and the scents are more "rounded" (though I note the difference is minimal).
To be honest, the Top Notes; Heart Notes and Base Notes blended very well with each other, so much so that I could not distinctly classify the note in those categories. They are like a lovely song that has perfect segues to the next melody.
The longevity of these fragrances on me were about 1-2 hours. I was surprised and impressed that testing on my blotters (strips of paper that perfume reviewers use to test fragrances); showed a longer dry down period. On the blotters which I have hung up, the scent still lingers after 3 days. Some people prefer to apply their fragrances to their clothes like perhaps a slip they are wearing under their clothes (check for staining first); and I would expect that applied this way, the scent will last for much longer. I have these beaded bracelets that are made specifically for you to apply aromatherapy oils to and I used these fragrances on them to great effect.
It is recommended that you do a patch test.
I did a quick comparison of the non-essential oil ingredients against the list of prohibited ingredients listed by the Natural Product Association's list of "Prohibited Ingredients" - for the purpose of a personal care product to be certified as "100% natural", and this scent does not include any prohibited ingredients. Good Stuff! [For the list see: https://www.npanational.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/The-Natural-Standard-042717.pdf]
The fragrance nozzle is very good. It comes out as a consistently fine mist. Oddly, if I spray it too close to my skin (which I did when I was first testing them out), they came out foamy. See photos below. This possibly due to the presence of sodium surfactant/surfactin in them (common ingredient for soap). These are not "nasty" ingredients but are generally used for stabilising/emulsifying the essential oils and also have antibacterial properties.
Recommendation: Don't spray them so close to the skin! In the above photos, I sprayed them onto my skin at a distance of about 2-5cm (which I normally do when testing conventional fragrances).
I'm not too sure I would call them fragrances like colognes; eau de toilettes; eau de parfums or parfums. I would put them in the same category as aromatherapy sprays/roller balls that I get from health food stores or "feel good" crystal stores.
I like to use them as a room spray as well (though that's a bit luxe).
I think "I Have Calm" might be the most popular of the four. This fragrance come "highly recommended" by the Natural Beauty Awards.
The main notes I smell are Bergamot and Lavender; and possibly something like jasmine. It does smell "calming" and I "see" a field of lavender. I can definitely detect sandalwood and patchouli. The other notes Rosewood, Patchouli, Sandalwood, Neroli Petals Bigarade, Orange; Eucalyptus and Petitgrain Oils. This fragrance is described to be a combination of 14 essential oils. The ingredients list shows that it also contains Gurjan Balsam Oil; Lemon Oil; Ylang Ylang Oil; Lemon Myrtle Oil and Jasmin Oil.
I do feel that this does help soothe the nerves. It is quite a pleasant scent. The ingredients list is fairly short - most reassuring for a "natural product".
On the blotter (left for 3 days), this dries down to a lavender scent.
Ingredients List:
Water (Aqua), Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Polyglyceryl-6 Oleate, Ethanol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Surfactin, Citric Acid, Lavender Oil, Rosewood Oil, Patchouli Oil, Gurjan Balsam Oil, Bergamot Oil (Bergapetene Free) Sandalwood Australian Oil, Neroli Petals Bigarade Oil, Orange Sweet Oil, Lemon Oil, Ylang Ylang Oil, Eucalyptus Oil 80/85, Lemon Myrtle Oil, Petitgrain Oil Paraguay, Jasmine Absolute, Benzyl Benzoate, Linalool
I like that "hand drawn" smile on the box. It's cute! I also like the inclusion of the quote from the Dalai Lama. I'm a "read write" in terms of learning so words do impart more of a meaning for me and does influence the way I perceive a fragrance.
[NB. studies do show that the name of a fragrance does add to the perception of the fragrance in general.]
"I Have Confidence" smells like a combination of freshly squeezed oranges, lemons and limes with basil and chamomile - like a nice warm herbal tea. With that, my mind is filled with the colour of sunshine. It also has Ylang Ylang, Neroli and Geranium Rosemary, Basil, Chamomile, Lavender, Frankincense and Sandalwood. It is quite pleasant and light. I'm not sure if it boosted my confidence but I did feel like it made me happy. I particularly liked the use of camomile.
On the blotter (left for 3 days), this dries down to a grapefruit scent.
Per MAME's description:
I Have Confidence is not only a perfume or cologne to wear, but also has been designed to help combat nervousness, self-doubt and anxiety, instead to allow calmness, inner strength / confidence.
Ingredients:
Water (Aqua), Caprylyl / Capryl Glucoside, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Polyglyceryl-6 Oleate, Ethanol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Surfactin, Citric Acid, Grapefruit Oil, Rosewood Oil, Bergamot Oil (Bergapetene Free), Mandarin Oil, Lemon Oil Cold Pressed, Orange Sweet Oil, Geranium Oil, Lemongrass Oil, Rosemary Oil, Lavender Oil, Petitgrain Oil paraguay, Basil Oil ex Linalool, Sandalwood Australian Oil, Chamomile Roman Oil, Ylang Ylang 3rd Oil, Neroli Petals Bigarade Oil, Birch Tar Oil - Rectified, Frankincense Oil, Sage Oil, Coriander Oil, Peppermint Oil, Benzyl Benzoate, Citral, Linalool
"I have Joy" has, at first, a strong peppermint and citrus smell. I can sense some florals like jasmine and Ylang Ylang. It then "tastes" juicy. Like a peach. No particular imagery came to mind with this scent. This is a yummy fragrance. There is naturally derived peach aldehyde (a kind of alcohol) in it. It makes this a delicious scent as I am fond of peaches.
On the blotter (left for 3 days), this dries down to a lemon scent.
Per MAME's description:
I Have Joy was designed to help combat flatness, sadness, mental fatigue and nervous tension, instead to uplift, stimulate and revive the mind, relieving anxiety, stress allowing happiness and joy.
Ingredients:
Water (Aqua), Capryl/Capryl Glucoside, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Polyglyceryl-6 Oleate, Ethanol, Dehydroadetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Surfactant, Citric Acid, Grapefruit Oil, Orange Brazilian Oil, Howood Oil, Bergamot Oil (Bergaptene Free), Pine Oil, Spearmint Oil, Peppermint Oil, Natural Benzyl Benzoate, Jasmine Absolute, Lemon Oil Cold Pressed, Marjoram Oil, Lemongrass Oil, Patchouli Oil, Geranium Oil, Natural Peach Aldehyde c 14, Guiacwood Oil, Lemon Myrtle Oil, Lime Oil, Peru Balsam, Mandarin Oil, Vanilla Absolute, Ylang Ylang Oil, Benzyl Benzoate, Linalool
"I Have Focus" has a strong rosemary and frankincense smell to it at first. I then get citrus notes of lemon, bergamot and juicy mandarin. I often find aromatherapy blends for "focus" to include some kind of minty smell, but this doesn't have it. This scent "feels" round and bouncy like marshmallow to me for some reason.
On the blotter (left for 3 days), this dries down to a frankincense scent.
Per MAME's description:
I Have Focus was created to help combat feelings of distraction, general dullness, anxiety, confusion / exhaustion to allow to clear, uplift, stimulate and invigorate the mind. Helping to relieve anxiety, stress and tension - allowing clarity, mental strength, calmness and focus, allowing people to complete tasks and achieve their goals.
Ingredients:
Water (Aqua), Caprylyl / Capryl Glucoside, Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate, Glyceryl Caprylate, Polyglyceryl-6 Oleate, Ethanol, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Surfactant, Citric Acid, Rosemary Oil, Rosewood Oil, Mandarin Oil, Lemon Oil Cold Pressed, Sage Oil, Bergamot Oil (Bergaptene Free), Lavandin Oil, Frankincense Oil, Benzyl Benzoate, Linalool
So I hope you enjoyed this article on Melissa Mood Essentials and found it useful. I'm pretty much on my social media platforms in some way or fashion 7 days a week. I hope you enjoyed this review.
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