Category Archives: Fragrance

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True Grace

What with one thing and another, I’m all about indulgence at the moment. Whether it’s good-quality food (and lots of it), sofa nests and good drama on telly, or little details like scented candles and luxurious bath products, it’s making me happy. I know it’s not a very summery vibe, but I just want to spoil myself a bit.

I’ve wanted to write a post about True Grace candles for ages and now feels like just the right time. Because, as a company, they totally embody the luxury and attention to detail that I’m craving. And if you have a secret love of Cranford and Lark Rise to Candleford on a Sunday evening, then I suspect True Grace is right up your street too.

True Grace offer candles, diffusers, scented leaves, room sprays and (just recently) hand washes and lotions organised around three distinct themes – the village, the manor and the walled garden. It’s a genius idea for organising scents, moving away from the slightly tired floral, woody, etc categories. If you’ve ever wandered around a National Trust property, it’s not difficult to imagine the types of scents you might find in each theme. And at the heart of the theme is a lovely story; like a walk around the True Grace ‘stage set’.

The village encompasses fragrances like iris, apple blossom, cedar and English lavender. Or you can go for blended scents like ‘meadow’ (“Summer evenings and the fresh fragrance of grass, warm hay and fruit”), ‘forest’ (“…The air scented with fir, spice and moss.”) and ‘parlour’ (“The welcoming scents of wood fires, flowers on the table, tea with fruitcake.”).

The Manor includes darker, warmer, more masculine scents like tuberose, fig, blackcurrant and amber, with blended scents include the incredible sounding ‘sacristy’ (“…Memories of wood panelling and leather bound prayer books in wardour chapel.”)

The Walled Garden includes candles in tins with fragrances like freesia, wild lime, vine tomato and the blended ‘cucumber’, which includes notes of melon, jasmine and magnolia.

If you’re a fragrance fan, it’s well worth spending a bit of time browsing the site. If you don’t fancy the themes, you can also browse by fragrance or by season. I’m currently enjoying the slightly soapy richness of amber but I’ll be adding to my collection soon.

All their candles are made of natural wax and the hand products are free of petrochemicals and parabens. You can also get trial sizes. Although True Grace don’t list the ingredients, which is always frustrating.

True Grace – also available from Amazon and Amara.

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10-in-10: Agua de Colonia Eau de Cologne

There are organic perfumes out there but they are often very expensive. In my attempt to track down something a little more natural, I was sent a sample of the pretty reasonably-priced Agua de Colonia original Eau de Cologne. I’ve been told that the Agua de Colonia scent is natural but it still lists the ubiquitous ‘fragrance’ on the ingredients list, which can be an excuse for some companies to hide less than lovely ingredients. Now, I suppose the difficulty with perfume is that most companies won’t want to give away their ‘secret’, the exclusive mix that makes up their signature scent. But this does make it difficult to be absolutely certain of what you’re getting.

In case you’re wondering though, the chemicals listed after ‘fragrance’ are all naturally-occuring compounds found in essential oils. Limonene is a monoterpene commonly found in citrussy oils like orange, lemon and grapefruit. The ones ending in ‘ol’ are natural alcohols (very different compounds to what you might find in a bottle of pinot, I should point out). These chemicals can, very occasionally, be sensitising in some individuals, in part because we’re exposed to them in so many of the products we use. Because of this, regulations stipulate that they must be listed if present in a fragrance blend. However, it’s not clear from that whether they are present as isolated compounds or because the essential oil itself is present.

The blurb from Alvarez Gomez indicates that the scent comes from extracts of Lemon, Spanish Lavender, Geranium and Eucalyptus with essential oils of Rosemary, Thyme, English Lavender and Bergamot. Which fits with the chemicals listed. And given that the PR who sent the sample is someone whose opinion I trust, I’d say that with Agua de Colonia, we’re dealing with a fragrance that is probably more natural than many.

And if you’re wondering how it smells, it’s pretty nice. A cologne is designed to be fresher and lighter, but it will fade faster. The idea is that you splash it on more than once throughout the day to refresh the fragrance and your spirits at the same time. The Agua de Colonia scent is really citrussy, fading to a slightly woodier and more herbaceous note after an hour or so on the skin. It’s a good unisex option because it isn’t at all sweet and it is perfect for a summery zing on a grey day. You can also get perfumed towelettes, which I’m saving as a good option to freshen up my hands when I’m next on the beach (in just a short while!).

Agua de Colonia Eau de Cologne, available from Carter and Bond (prices starting from £15.95 for 100ml) and Amazon (prices from £3.90 for a pack of 10 towelettes).

Ingredients: Alcohol denat, aqua, parfum, limonene, linalool, geraniol, citral, eugenol, citronellol

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06-12th June – Aromatherapy Awareness Week

This week is Aromatherapy Awareness Week (AAW). I discovered this after some focused online searching because I knew it was coming up at roughly this time. It’s interesting that there isn’t really any actual information out there about it, though. Not even the IFA (International Federation of Aromatherapists) has published any details of what it might be for or how people can get involved. No sign of any special events happening locally or nationally, which is a shame. So I’ve had free rein to decide for myself what I want it to mean.

Let’s start with a definition and a confession.

By definition, aromatherapy is the use of essential oils extracted from plants to alleviate physical and psychological disorders, usually through massage or inhalation. (Thanks Microsoft Word Dictionary!)

Now the confession. Despite my keen interest in aromatherapy and the fact that I’m enrolled on a course to study it from September, I have never visited an aromatherapist. I don’t mean an aromatherapy massage in a spa. I’ve had those and right lovely they are too. No, I mean a visit to a licensed professional, trained in aromatherapy and accredited by the IFA, the nationally recognised body. While it’s a direct result of a lack of time and funds, it’s still a pretty poor show. So in the spirit of AAW, I’m making a commitment to visit an aromatherapist sometime in the next few months. BEFORE my course starts on Sept 3rd. But the fact that I’ve never been to a licensed professional doesn’t prevent aromatherapy from making a difference in my daily life.

In my opinion, aromatherapy can be of benefit in two distinct ways. There’s the aforementioned professional route, encompassing therapeutic treatments at spas and the specialised, holistic care you’ll receive from a trained aromatherapist. Then there’s the dabblings of the enthusiastic amateur as practised by me at home, no less significant or effective for my lack of formal training.

Here the emphasis is very much on wellbeing. I use essential oils to help with my physical, mental and emotional balance. I use them to aid relaxation, stimulate my energy levels, lift my spirits, smoothe and protect my skin and even to help tackle cellulite. Inhalaing a favourite aroma can help transform a blah morning.

Don’t get me wrong. If I’m really sick, I’m going to a doctor. End of. But paying attention to my wellbeing and how I feel makes me less likely to pick up the sort of niggling, seasonal illnesses that sap your energy.

Armed with a couple of good books (the Essential Oils Handbook by Jennie Harding in collaboration with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and Essentially Oils Ltd in Oxon is a pocket bible) and a small wooden case containing a small selection of core oils, I’ve already picked up a lot. Here are a few of the things I’ve collected along the way and some of my regular habits and tricks.

  • Mix a few drops of lavender essential oil in a water mister and use as a pillow spray to help aid restful sleep.
  • A blend of grapefruit, angelica root and juniper berry can help to improve the appearance of cellulite. Mix 2-3 drops of each in a carrier oil, such as the lighter grapeseed, and massage vigorously into affected areas. Keeping your carrier oil light will mean you can then apply your normal body lotion over the top.
  • Anti-ageing oils such as rosehip or frankincense make great, intensive facial treatments.

Rosehip is rich in antioxidants and essential fatty acids. A few drops applied as a night treatment, under a moisturiser can help to smoothe fine lines, restore glow and deeply nourish the skin. Trilogy do a very highly-rated rosehip oil (currently on offer for £13.23 for 20ml on Amazon –

) that, while I haven’t yet tried, is on my list for the future.

Frankincense is another skin saver with excellent rejuvenating and healing properties. It must be diluted in a carrier oil, such as the richly hydrating borage seed oil, which used alone can help to replenish dry, dehydrated or ageing skin. Add 3-4 drops of frankincense oil to 20ml of borage seed oil and you’ve got a turbo-charged treatment. If you don’t want to mix your own, Neal’s Yard offer the excellent Frankincense Nourishing Cream (£20 for 50g –
http://www.nealsyardremedies.com/Frankincense-Nourishing-Cream
), which I have tried and can personally recommend for the plumping, smoothing, pillowy effect it had on my face.

  • Try blending oils in a burner to enhance your mood. Just add a few drops of each oil to a little water and vaporise for 15-20 mins.

To energise and uplift: 2 drops Cinnamon, 4 drops Sweet Orange (this one’s a bit Christmassy!) OR 3 drops Lime and 3 drops Bergamot.

To soothe and relax: 2 drops of Sandalwood and 4 drops of Lavender

One of my favourites for creating a sanctuary after a rubbish day at work is 2 drops of Jasmine, 2 drops Sandalwood and 2 drops Sweet Orange.

  • To ease sore post-gym/gardening/long-day-hauling-around-the-shops muscles, try wallowing in a bath with a few drops of ginger, lemongrass or cypress oils.
  • Pre-blended roller applicators offer a quick fix on the go. I’ve used and loved The National Trust’s Sweet Orange and Lavender roll-on (reviewed here:
    http://naturalbeautycabinet.com/2011/04/25/a-smell-for-the-holidays/
    ) and Tisserand’s Travel Ease roller ball (£5.25 for 10ml –
    http://www.tisserand.com/shop/index.phptravel-ease-roller-ball-10ml-p-5373.html
    ) which I actually didn’t use for travelling at all but found particularly great when hungover…!
  • Finally, if you really don’t want to spend anything at all, you could just wander out and smell the flowers. And if you haven’t got any of your own to hand, find a park, public garden, friend’s garden or the nearest available green space. Just a few lungfuls of clean, fresh, green air can do wonders!

How about picking just one thing to try this AAW? And do let me know how you get on. I’d love to hear your feedback.

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A smell for the holidays

It’s sunny, it’s bank holiday, I think that’s all I can really ask for. A good part of today has been taken up with sitting in or looking at the garden. First at my soon to be parents-in-law, complete with strawberries and pink drinks, then in my own parents’ garden in the waning late afternoon light.

What makes it all so perfect is that i) our parents’ gardens are always beautiful and ii) they are maintained by our parents. My only job right now is to sit still – in a deckchair; I ask you, is there a more perfect chair in the world?? – and drink cold drinks ideally brought to me by the Man With The Camera. When he can be persuaded to move from his own deckchair. I sense that our next ‘furniture’ purchase may well be decided for us.

Something about the sun and the garden just screams holidays. And I’ve found the most perfect smell to bring it all together. At Grey’s Court last weekend, I picked up a mini massage roller – essentially a small roller ball oil dispenser for your pulse points. I was swayed initially because it was part of the English Lavender range and I am slightly obsessed with lavender. But it’s a combination of oils including sweet almond in the base oils and both Lavender and Sweet orange essential oils. Something about the spicy warmth of the lavender and the mediterranean citrus of the sweet orange seems to cover all holiday bases no matter where you are. It makes me think of English country gardens, the lavender fields we visited in Provence and even a long ago road trip with old Uni friends when we drove out of LA towards Redlands and my Californian friend insisted we all rolled down the windows 5 miles from her hometown to get the full hit of the orange groves as we arrived.

It’s not a perfume so don’t expect the smell to linger more than 10 minutes or so but that’s just the perfect excuse to keep applying it. I’ve been putting it on the inside of my wrists. And then wafting them around in front of my face while deep breathing. The only downside is that smelling your forearms in public is apparently considered odd.

£3.50 – available from the National Trust online shop or selected stores nationwide.