Earth Day 2022: The Scents of the Appalachian Trail + Almost Heaven giveaway

Earth day 2022

Appalachian Trail Photo © Helida Dodd © Earth Day

Almost Heaven, West Virginia… These words never meant more than the summer of 2020.

After 22 years, I finally understood what the song means when it says “blue ridge mountains”.

And I understood why my throat chokes every time I hear this song.

Getting to Cranberry Mountain was an experience in itself. Memories of the inclines and untamed gravel roads that led to my grandparents’ house in Nicaragua came flooding back. Or maybe it felt like driving out to Mombacho Volcano where my breath falters wondering if the 4×4 truck is going to make it.

Cranberry Lodge © Helida Dodd © Earth Day

After miles and miles of nothing, we reached a beautiful, wood cabin perfectly nestled in the Appalachian Mountains in front of 7 majestic, mountain ridges.

A thick forest that goes on forever sits right below. Above, the green peaked mountains start mixing with deep blue shadows followed by another shade of blue, and make it seem like the mountains morph into the ocean. And depending on where the sun is hitting, sometimes it’s like being back in Caribbean blue waters. And finally, past the puffy clouds lays a powder blue sky.

It dawns on me. This is what John Denver meant by “Blue Ridge Mountains”…

Blue Ridge Mountains

Blue Ridge Mountains © Helida Dodd © Earth Day

Falling in love with these country roads was easy on my first trip. I thought it was because the mountains reminded me of my volcanoes. But then, it was the fall leaves, the scent of Thanksgiving, and my new, future family…

Shortly after came the summer trips that made me long to go back to its trails and pick blueberries to my heart’s content.

Helida Dodd of Marbella Perfumes

Helida Dodd  of MarBella Perfumes

But the scent of those trails in the summer of 2020 revealed 2 decades of love. And my love letter went something like this:

“This trip is different. This trip feels like the mountains are mine, and not just because they remind me of Nicaragua, but because I adore being here.

I love the trees on the trail, the wild flowers that delight the senses, the solitude of the mountains, and the rugged terrain. I love the blue mountain ridge, the puffy clouds, and the abundant stars on a clear sky. I love the orange moon and the purple sunsets. And I love being here without sharing the trails, the steepness, and the ruggedness. I love it all.

sunset Earth day 2022

Purple Sunset © Helida Dodd © Earth Day

The scent of the mountains and coziness of family gathering around the fire fill a longing in my quarantined heart… “country road, take me home”. The scent that refuses to go, even in the stillness of the night and unobtrusively seeps into my scent memory in the hopes that I won’t stay away too long… That I might yearn for the honeysuckle that quietly commands my attention and the sweet rhododendron that adorns the trail.

This summer, I don’t miss the new places I haven’t seen or the trip that was canceled.

Today I just want to sit in front of these 7 mountain ridges, listen to the wind, and enjoy the scent of nature restoring my soul.

After 22 years, I realize I must be a mountaineer at heart.”

The first Earth Day was observed on April 22, 1970 when 20 million Americans celebrated and stood for a healthy, sustainable environment. It wasn’t until 1990 when Earth Day went global, and today, more than 190 countries participate in this celebration.

Being raised on a Nicaraguan farm, surrounded by the beauty of nature, every day was Earth Day. It’s no coincidence that the smell of wet earth after it rains tugs at my heart and transports me to wild flowers, rivers, and jocote trees. And why the country roads of the Appalachian Mountains have carved a place in soul.

Rhododendron on the Trail  © Helida Dodd © Earth Day

Ever Present is my ode to earth, formulated with natural materials. The packaging reflects the beauty it holds yet preserves that of its source. Each element, except for the plastic atomizer is recyclable, biodegradable, or compostable. At the heart of this light, airy, and fun perfume is raw beauty–the kind that makes people take notice of your quiet, but ever-present confidence and strength. Subtle. Nuanced. Harmonious. Just like our earth.

Marbella Perfumes is committed to celebrating the beautiful union of luxury and nature. Happy Earth Day! May you find your little piece of “Almost Heaven” wherever you are.

Notes: litsea cubeba, yuzu, jasmine, mimosa, neroli. vanilla, tonka and soft woods

Guest Contributor Helida Dodd of www.marbellaperfumes.com

Marbella Perfumes Ever Present

Ever Present Perfume © Helida Dodd © Earth Day

 

Thanks to the generosity of MarBella Perfumes, we have a draw for a 50  ml bottle of Ever Present for one registered reader of the USA. To be eligible please leave a comment about what specifically interests you about Helida’s story and what scents smell like home to you or what does Earth Day mean to you ? Draw closes 4/15/2022

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Please read Helida’s Profile in American Perfumery here

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22 comments

  • FC says:

    It is clear Helida is a lover of nature and particularly mountains. In this modern era, nature has a strange way of inspiring us because it is our link to the past before modernity significantly changed the landscape of a significant portion of earth. To me, earth day means taking a pledge to take good care of this planet, our only home! I am in US.

  • Jeremy Upshaw says:

    The blue ridge mountains, and the eastern trails make you feel beholden to nothing, the boundless freedom is opposed only by its ridgid inclines, that break you down… but soon forgotten at its vistas that renew you when you behold them. For visitors, he mountains and ridges of Appalachia is definitely a place that you stop, close your eyes as you draw in a breath, and say to yourself: I wish I could bottle this place up and take it home with me – as an outdoorsman, I’m glad to see that Helida has encompassed the presence of this place in a conscious and sustainable way. Oklahoma, USA.

  • punchflower says:

    I love that “country road, take me home” is such a relatable song. I was in lombock, Indonesia, taking a motorcycle ride up a volcano for a sunrise, and all three of the guides were shouting this song as we wound through the woods. For me, home is a drier mountain and forest area, growing up we took trips to places with sage and pine and cedar, crisp air and clean deep starry nights. But I love the idea of a fragrance that evokes orange moons and purple sunsets and lushness. From US.

  • rachelng says:

    Helida!!! ❤️❤️❤️ What a beautiful review!!! Your words are very touching to me, as I grew up in the Ozark mountains (the scent memories of deep woods are a power beyond language). The wet earth, honeysuckle, all you describe are glorious! ❤️ I would love to be a lucky winner of Ever Present (what a perfect name). ❤️ USA

  • INYA says:

    As a gardener and lover of all things Nature, Earth Day is special to me. It’s a day to reflect and enjoy the beauty of our planet. I enjoyed the picture of the purple sunset most of all. Mich USA

  • Jake Dauod says:

    What I like most about Helida’s story is that she associates this fragrance with the Appalachian Mountains. I love travelling through scent. Even though I may not get exactly her vision of the mountains, I think this perfume will do a great job at transporting the nose to some light and airy mountain range. For me, my scent of home is quite different. It is the Kitchen Spice candle from Bath and Body Works. It was my mother’s favorite candle, and every time I smell it, it brings me back. The notes sound great, I love the sustainability approach to the perfume, and I like that it mimics our earth throughout the wearing experience. Kind regards from Indiana, USA.

  • xoe says:

    “Quiet, ever-present confidence and strength” is just what I need! “Country Roads” will always hold a special place in my heart. As does Cranberry Mountain, because my last name is Cranberry. The mountain range is actually named the “Blue Ridge Mountains”, John Denver didn’t make that up, but it is apt. Also. I was only 2 years old, but my Mom took me to the first Earth Day celebration in Philadelphia. What smells like home to me is a specific pine scent, salt water, tar, beer, and cardamom. I am in the US.

  • alleycat says:

    As a migraine sufferer who seems extra sensitive to heavy aromachemical use, I tend to seek out naturals. I really appreciate the devotion to using them and towards the creation of something both earthy and peaceful. I live in seaside New England, so the smell of home typically involves pine and a little something briny. Specific to my house, we are located very close to a coffee roasting plant, so there is a trademark slightly burnt smell I am quite accustomed to.

  • amanna says:

    The feeling of the call of the mountains is what speaks to me about Helida’s story. I grew up outside the foothills of the Appalachians and spent many a spring and summer break camping in the mountains with my family. Living in suburbia on the coastal side of the mountains now, I keep the windows open at night in the summer hoping for that rare waft of air that smells like it came from those mountains. That wet mossy scent that’s a call to adventure reminds me of home more than anything.

  • megoc says:

    I love everything about the smells associated with sunsets, mountains, trees, the earth after rain, and wildflowers. Although I live in the city, I take every opportunity I can to immerse myself into these smells. This perfume sounds like the perfect way to bring the tranquillity of mountains and trees to my day-to-day. Illinois, US.

  • Patty Wood says:

    I live in Appalachia, in “almost heaven” West Virginia. I moved here from a big eastern city. My people were from here. I share Helida’s reverence for the mountains. The local plant and animal life sustains me. I can really breath here. I often speak of “my mountain”. I feel connected to all of nature when I trod the earth. I would like to try Ever Present. I sense that Heliga just gets it and I think this fragrance will suit me.

  • drjedi says:

    Enjoyed Helida’s experience describing the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Appalachian Trail and her sense of belonging there, of feeling at home, just as in her native Nicaragua. Of course the pictures are lovely and also John Denver’s classic song celebrating these country roads and mountains. Like that her perfumes are environmentally friendly (though I didn’t see many on her website – only one). “Subtle. Nuanced. Harmonious. Just like our earth” – is a great description of Ever Present. From USA.

  • joetelegram says:

    Happy Earth Day!

    You know, I love John Denver, and I especially love that song. It makes me think of my mom who used to love to listen to and sing around the house growing up. I’ve never been to West Virginia, but it is on my bucket list of states to visit. Your description of the Appalachian Mtns is so inviting. What a vision!

    I really love the care that has been taken with “Ever Present” to use natural materials whenever possible. This is certainly a consciousness raiser as a consumer.

    The notes, “litsea cubeba, yuzu, jasmine, mimosa, neroli. vanilla, tonka and soft woods” are also interesting and really seem to speak of an earthly and harmoniously soft blend.

    Thank you MarBella Perfumes and Cafleurebon for the collaboration. Also, thank you Helida Dodd for this entry and introduction.

    With thanks, Joseph O’Brien–Roseburg, Oregon (USA)

    Username: joetelegram
    Instagram: @joetelegram

  • hshinkoda says:

    What an amazing review!!! Helida’s words were beautiful… I was born in Brasil surrounded by forest and rivers, lots of rain… wood, pine, tea remind me a lot of home!!!! I’m from Massachusetts, USA.

  • Torax says:

    I love the concept of this fragrance and how important nature is to the creator. I loved Helida’s story because it reminds me of my trips somehow; I love nature and the smell of nature and this fragrance surely delivers something special.
    Earth Day reminds me that apart from the city of giant towers I live in, there is somewhere I feel I belong and I adore.
    I live in the USA.

  • msnitechemist says:

    It is really great to hear about a perfume brand who is thinking about the environmental impact of them doing business. I grew up with flowers all around b/c both of my parents were keen gardeners, having grown up in a tropical climate. Imagine my surprise when the roses they lovingly grew turned out not to be the focal point of my personal fragrance journey. Yuzu has become such a hip ingredient in the culinary world and I was excited to see it in this perfume, too. Thanks for the draw, I live in the US.

  • Caliwas says:

    Outstanding review. What specifically draw interests about Helida story is experiencing in Real Life John Denver’s song Blue Ridge Mountains.
    Earth day means to me and hopefully everyone an appreciation and celebration of are home.
    Any Woody scent make me think of home. Thanks for the generosity. I live in the USA.

  • Brian says:

    I appreciate Helida’s interest in nature. I’m very fond of learning about nature, and I’m fond of being environmentally conscientious too, e.g. I permanently quit burning fossil fuels in order to get from place to place in 2007. For me, every day is like “Earth Day”. I would love to try this fragrance from Helida. I live in the U.S.A.

  • Michael Prince says:

    I love Helida’s story about growing up in Nicaragua and experiencing her family time growing up at her cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains and taking in all that nature has to offer with all the beautiful sights, smells, and fun family activities, adventures, and traditions. I have always been an advocate for the environment and for celebrating Earth Day by planting, throwing away trash where it belongs, and always reducing, reusing, and recycling. I love to see Marbella Perfumes doing their part with all natural materials and using recyclable, biodegradeable, and compostable materials. I am from the USA.

  • Diana D says:

    What a beautiful article. The fragrance not only sounds gorgeous but I love that the packaging is recyclable, biodegradable, or compostable.
    Earth Day should be EVERY day. Earth Day to me represents a day to be still and mindful; to be aware of everything in nature and to tune out technology.
    I’d love to be able to win this fragrance!
    I live in the US.

  • sephrenia300 says:

    Very interesting review Helida! What interests me about Helida’s story specifically is how a place and a getaway of profound beauty and importance for her a beloved childhood memory too on new and even more impactful meaning after the pandemic leading to the inspiration behind this lovely fragrance. I can definitely understand the feeling of an already important part of your life becoming even more important after you were deprived of it for the two years of the pandemic. To me travel is definitely one of those things. I love that this fragrance allows me to experience what that is for Helida!

    To me home smells like my mother – of classic White Shoulders and the countless flowers in her immaculate and varied garden floral and green and vibrant. Earth Day means to me respecting the earth and our place in it and dedicating ourselves to its continued survival and harmony. I live in the US.