Eat Pray Love: Fragrances of Inspiration

Unless you live under a rock, most of you are familiar with the wildly successful transformational book by Elizabeth Gilbert Eat Pray Love. This is an inspirational memoir about one women’s journey to change her life by traveling to three countries that represent different aspects and obstacles in her life. If you haven’t read it, I highly rec that you do!

First, of course, she visited Italy, a country all about the pursuit of pleasure, especially transcendental Italian food. Next, was India which focused on her inward spiritual journey; and last was Bali, a beautiful country that helped her focus on her discovery of finding true love. I LOVED this book because it really moved me and made me think about being true to yourself and your passions, no matter what life puts in your way. It was one of those memorable, wake-up call kind of books and I will never forget it!

About a week ago, the movie version of Eat Prat Love came out, starring the beautiful Julia Roberts, and Fresh was kind enough to invite me as a guest to an advanced screening of this much anticipated movie. I was super excited to see this movie, since I loved the book so much and I must admit I was a bit disappointed 🙁 While Julia was great as usual and they did an excellent job capturing the imagery and distinct flavor of each country (I especially loved Richard Jenkins portrayal of Richard from Texas-perfection!), it just suffered by comparison to the book. For me, the book was so inspirational, transformational and profound, but the movie just did not deliver that impact. It didn’t move me in an emotional way, but it did entertain me.

In tandem with the release of this movie, one of my favorite brands Fresh launched an inspired limited edition collection of fragrances called Eat Pray Love to echo the imagery and sensory experiences of each of these countries. These yummy smelling creations have definitely ‘wowed’ me!

EAT Eau de Parfum is a sweet effervescent scent inspired by Gilbert’s travels through Italy. It is reminiscent of those addictive Italian desserts and sensual wines. The top notes are bright Italian lemon, basil and bergamont; these are enhanced by fruity and floral middle notes of plum, red currant, and rose;  which are balanced by the yummy and creamy base notes of caramel, meringue, and vanilla. The sensory journey of EAT reminds you of the rich and creamy textures of an Italian cannoli or a tiramisu dessert topped off with sparkling glass of Prosecco and Limoncello. This is by far my favorite  fragrance in the collection because it is both citrusy fresh and luscious at the same time, and I think Fresh did an excellent job of capturing Italy and eating in bottle. 

PRAY Eau de Parfum is a woodsy fragrance with undertones of exotic spices inspired by Elizabeth’s travels through India. This fragrance was inspired by India’s serene sunsets, fresh soil, and traces of incense and spices. This is a calming scent that was designed to put you at peace with a comforting blend of jasmine, pink pepper, patchouli, amber, juniper berry, cardamom, and incense. This is definitely an earthy scent that reminds me of being in a yoga studio and smelling the incense while meditating.

LOVE Eau de Parfum is a sunny floral with tropical fruity undertones inspired by Gilbert’s travels through Bali.This fragrance was designed to capture the bright, colorful, anything-is-possible feelings of falling in love. Scents of passion, sun-caressed skin, and salty kisses, are combined with the lush aromas of Bali’s exotic landscape. The bright tropical top notes are bergamot, red currant, and mango blossom; the floral middle notes are lisylang, tiare, and jasmine; and the warm earthy base notes are sandalwood, vetyver, and velvet amber. I would describe LOVE as a flirtatious sweet floral, perfect for a summertime date night.