Barb Stegemann © The 7 Virtues
I find it gratifying when those who put their best foot forward and strive to enable struggling communities around the world are acknowledged publicly. As befits the character of such souls, accolades aren’t the reason they began in the first place – which makes success that much sweeter. Social and business entrepreneur Barb Stegemann of The 7 Virtues was recently awarded Cosmopolitan Magazine’s 2022 Holy Grail Beauty Award for their latest fragrant release 7 Virtues Lotus Pear, the proceeds of which benefit women in Nepal (Days For Girls), helping to promote education and eradicate ignorance and poverty.
Roses harvested from Afghanistan©
For The 7 Virtues, this is not a one-off: they’ve supported suppliers in hopes of promoting the cultivation of jasmines, orange blossoms and roses in lieu of opium poppies; assisting Haiti, whose vetiver plants help control soil erosion during tropical storms, feed animals and provide essential oil for perfumery. Through the diligent practice of upcycling perfectly beautiful by-products of rose and jasmine production, they help eliminate waste. Since 2010, The 7 Virtues has managed to enable us to smell good while doing good – all for an affordable price. I’m hard-pressed to think of comparable lines (especially as regards accessibility for the general public). When considering which three 7 Virtues fragrances to choose, I ended up with three very different scents: The 7 Virtues Vetiver Elemi, Rose Amber and Lotus Pear – in short, hopefully something for everyone.
The 7 Virtues Vetiver Elemi (2018, Angela Stavreska and Barb Stegemann): why one doesn’t hear much about The 7 Virtues Vetiver Elemi is a bit of a mystery to me, frankly. It’s such a graceful earthy scent – piquant and tangy in the opening due to the employment of bergamot, grapefruit and lemon-peppery elemi. Spices are both warm and cool: cumin and nutmeg are joined by cardamom as the rosy/jasmine heart is seasoned with herbal rose geranium. Lightly smoky Haitian vetiver surrounds itself with dulcetly dosed, well-balanced quantities of cedar, patchouli, moss and a delicate amber, creating a classical base which seems to float. Refreshing, elegant and tonic, The 7 Virtues Vetiver Elemi is a perfect go-to. The 7 Virtues Vetiver Elemi Notes: bergamot, grapefruit, elemi, cardamom, cumin, nutmeg, jasmine, geranium, rose, vetiver, cedarwood, patchouli, amber, moss
The 7 Virtues Vetiver Elemi is composed with ethically sourced organic and fair-trade Vetiver essential oil from Haiti.
The 7 Virtues Rose Amber (2018, Angela Stavreska and Barb Stegemann): romantic rose which whispers ‘souk’ – The 7 Virtues Rose Amber is a skillful study in East meets West without resorting to syrupy sweetness. When you introduce rose by way of a sparkling pink pepper accented with bergamot and neroli, toss in a pinch of dusky cinnamon and the sweet/tart quality of cassis, you’re already ahead of the game. Let’s layer nuance upon nuance sans heft: liquorish, intoxicating davana, powdery silver orris, non-indolic jasmine consorting with a more-floral-than-herbal lavender. Rose Amber’s base may appear loaded with heavy-hitters such as amber, sandalwood, vetiver and patchouli (not to ignore vanilla), but don’t be fooled: there exists a spacious, airy quality which is very appealing.
Rose Amber Notes: pink pepper, cassis, neroli, bergamot, davana, rose, cinnamon, orris, jasmine, lavender, amber, sandalwood, vanilla, vetiver and patchouli.
Ethically sourced rose natural essential oil from Afghanistan
The 7 Virtues Lotus Pear(2022 CPL Aromas and Barb Stegemann): juicy, joyous, sophisticated and playful – Lotus Pear is a fruity floral which gives this genre a good reputation; it also doubles as a non-cloying gourmand. Pulpy peach and limpid pear notes complement rose, orange flower and jasmine, with a sweet sprinkle of softly indolic gardenia in tow; geranium imparts a tender leafy herbal touch. A woody vanillic base grounds and comforts, as well it ought. Don it when you seek lightness of heart. Lotus Pear Notes: Williams pear, peach, upcycled rose and orange flower, jasmine, lotus flower, Egyptian geranium, gardenia, vanilla.
MAKE PERFUME, NOT WAR® photo by The 7 Virtues
Samples of The 7 Virtues Vetiver Elemi and Rose Amber provided by Barb Stegemann in 2019; bottle of Lotus Pear provided this past March – many thanks! My nose is my own…
~ Ida Meister, Deputy and Natural Perfumery Editor
Barb Stegemann appeared on ‘Dragon’s Den’ (The Canadian Shark Tank) in 2010 and realized her dream to pitch her business: a perfume company which sourced its ingredients from Afghanistan. Kevin O’Leary, aka Mr. Wonderful on Shark Tank didn’t even give Barb any chance
We were introduced to The 7 Virtues by Deputy Editor Tama Blough in 2013 (RIP), she wrote, “The words “sustainability” and “fair trade” are bandied about quite often lately, mostly in the area of food and farming. But what do they mean for perfumery? A new Canadian-based company called The 7 Virtues is working to bring those practices to the manufacture of scent”. In 2022 sustainability has become a buzz word for so many companies, but few have made it their mission for over a decade. –Michelyn Camen, Editor-in-Chief
Thanks to the generosity of Barb Stegemann and The 7 Virtues we have one 50 ml bottle of either Lotus Pear, Rose Amber, or Vetiver Elemi available to one registered reader in the USA or Canada. Be sure to register or your comment will not count. To be eligible for the draw, tell us where you live and what appeals to you about Ida’s reviews of The 7 Virtues Vetiver Elemi, Rose Amber and Lotus Pear and where you live. Draw closes 5/26/22
Available at The 7 Virtues – Natural Perfumes
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