I’ve been working hard on the launch of new fragrance “Danny Seo Reserve” launching this Fall on HSN and on Sephora.com.    One of the hero ingredients we use in the scent is natural oil from the vetiver grass plant.   It’s earthy, beautiful and adds a luxurious note to the scent.    I’m proud to say the grass is grown in Haiti and employs local citizens as a very viable business.  Instead of a hand-out to help the people of earthquake ravaged Haiti, we are creating jobs that produce a truly luxurious and sustainable product.

The other day, I ordered some raw vetiver roots to have on hand at home and the box arrived!

The oil and scent comes from the roots of the vetiver plant, not the actual blades of grass.    As you can see, the roots are long and strong.    When I opened this box, the fragrance was so deliciously overwhelming!

Right now, the whole raw vetiver root bundle is nicely packaged in a glass apothecary jar in my office.   Perhaps I’ll bring it down with me to HSN when we debut so I can show and tell how it works when we launch our scent.

I’ll share more on the perfume, its notes and how it smells and looks very soon here at Daily Danny!

This Fall, I am planning a trip to Western Australia to capture floral notes and ingredients for my new  beauty line.  The line is called Danny Seo Reserve and I am working to bring new science, technology and sustainability to a whole line of fragrances and skin care products that are good for you, the planet and help innovate change in the industry in a very progressive way.

This image of a wildflower field in Western Australia was sent to me recently as one of the locations we’ll be visiting.   I’ll have a film crew and photographer with me as well capturing my adventures which I hope to share with all of you here at Daily Danny.

But in a word: breathtaking.

I can not believe this is part of my job to visit locations like this and feel so blessed to have this chance….  don’t you just wan to go there and breathe it all in?

On my way back from a trip to Bedford Springs, PA (see tomorrow’s post!), I stopped by Adamstown, PA at one of my favorite junking/antique stores and found this metal storage box.   It was labeled “pastry box”, was in great shape and was only $35.   Why not?    I thought because of the deep storage inside, I could use it in my bathroom to store all my lotions, potions and other beauty products.

Nice clean white interior.   Gave it a good cleaning with some non toxic all purpose cleaner and a microfiber towel…

All loaded up with plenty more room for other soaps and other products.   And when I want to close it all up, it seals shut and looks nice and neat on the bathroom vanity.

This morning, I was thinking about the healthy and beauty products I use on a daily basis and thought it would be nice to share some of my favorites with you.    As you may know, I am developing a new signature line of bath and beauty products, but until that line is completed, I thought I’d share what I use.

In my bathroom, everything is neatly accessible on a vintage metal tin tray I found at a local flea market.  It can be wiped down easily for easy cleaning.

Smaller items are located in a metal tin cup where they can be neatly stored.  Here I keep my natural floss from Tom’s of Maine, Oscillococcinum homeopathic medicine for whenever I feel a cold coming on and my new recent favorite find from Ole Henriksen for the eyes.

This tortoise shell plastic cup is something I bought when I was a teenager from The Body Shop.   It is made from 100% recycled plastic and I just loved the way it looked.   I wish they still made them!   Because after all these years, I still have it and use it today.

And speaking of my own products…I also keep what is called a lab sample of my new signature fragrance launching in August this year.    It’s the finished fragrance, but packaged in a generic container.  I’ve been wearing it (even though it is technically a women’s fragrance) just to see how it fades and evolves over time on the skin.

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to find time to slow down, reflect and be more aware of what is happening around me.    Living in the woods of Bucks County, PA, I am very lucky that I have the option of working from home surrounded by hillsides of trees and wildlife just right outside my studio window.

This morning, I heard a peck-peck-peck sound for what felt like 45 solid minutes.    When I finally looked up from my computer, there it was: right outside my window this bird was sticking his head into the cavity of a decaying tree.

How peculiar, I thought…

And there he was: one of the most gorgeous woodpeckers I’ve seen just feet away from my office perch.    Something to marvel that he spent a good hour trying to get to a delicious meal inside the tree.

Have a wonderful Tuesday!