Tag: bath

Floris Honey Oud – Celebrating Nature’s Gift

Floris Honey Oud is one of those rare scents that manages to wrap you in opulence without weighing you down – the perfect fusion of an approachable, contemporary decadence and centuries-old expertise. Now that Floris has gloriously extended the line to include indulgent body care rituals, we think now is the perfect time to allow yourself to be enraptured by this honey-haze, no matter if you were already a fan of this cult scent, or are ready to experience it for the first time.

Let’s start at the delicious beginning, shall we…?

 

 

 

 

 

From the very first spritz of the Floris Honey Oud eau de parfum and you’re met by the velvety aromatic nuance of English honey, with a bright lick of bergamot and subtle golden sweetness, before settling into a cashmere-soft bed of rose and oudh. The oudh here is subtle, never brash, with the honey whispering over the top to soothe and soften. Anyone who’s ever flinched from oudh’s famous punchiness will find this heartwarmingly smooth – think of a velvet-smoking jacket rather than a bonfire’s blast of smokiness. Vanilla and amber round off the composition, making it cuddly, grown-up, and thoroughly moreish.

Floris Honey Oud eau de parfum £160 for 100ml 

 

 

 

Extending the experience, the Floris Honey Oud Bath & Shower Gel is rightly described as an invitation to indulgence. It elevates a simple shower to a private ritual – think fluffy clouds of golden lather, enriched with olive oil to keep skin soft as a whisper. The scent is instantly recognisable, lighter but full of promise, as honey’s warmth and smooth oudh fill the steam. It leaves skin clean, refreshed and tenderly scented, ready for more. This is one of the easiest ways into honey and oudh layering for a daily dose of luxury.

Floris Honey Oud Bath & Shower Gel £32 for 250ml

 

 

 

 

Completing the heavenly honeyed harmony, Floris Honey Oud Body Moisturiser is as lush as honey-rippled cream. Quick to absorb and never sticky, this lotion cloaks the body in a gentle sheen – courtesy of sweet almond oil, jojoba, and vitamin E. The fragrance, as with the other matching products, balances the duality of comforting honey and woody oudh. Slathered generously, it secures hydration and radiance, all while turning one’s daily routine into a delightful, multi-sensory escape that makes every limb feel worthy of its perfumed poetry.

Floris Honey Oud Body Moisturiser £35 for 250ml

 

 

 

 

It’s impossible to talk about Floris without touching on their remarkable heritage. Established in 1730 by Juan Famenias Floris and his wife Elizabeth, the house is a living symbol of British perfumery, still operating from its original Jermyn Street boutique nearly 300 years later. Royalty, writers, and anyone with a refined nose have made their fragrant pilgrimage to the door. If you’d like to know more, do drift over to our page dedicated to the house of Floris and its fascinating history.

 

 

 

And for those with a curiosity for honey far beyond toast and tea, our senses were spirited away at a recent workshop at Floris, helmed by the brilliant Sarah Wyndham Lewis [aka the ‘Honey Sommelier’. Follower her @honeysommelierlondon on Instagram]. It was a revelation to discover just how many personalities honey could have, depending on flower, region, and even the temperament of the bees.

 

 

One spoonful might taste and smell like toffee or fresh hay, while another edges towards citrus peel or old leather-bound books. The nuances were astonishing, and they made it clear why honey brings such rich, malleable character to Honey Oud’s composition – it binds, tempers and elevates the oudh with each expertly-blended drop.

 

 

When Floris laces such a historic ingredient with modern craftsmanship and offers it in a suite you can layer – fragrance, shower gel, body lotion – something marvellous happens. It’s a little like being enfolded in the golden afternoon sun of late autumn’s embrace. The world outside may be as unpredictable as ever, but within these honeyed clouds, we’re sure you’ll find nothing but pure contentment.

Written by Suzy Nightingale

Artists of Note: Molton Brown Oudh Accord & Gold Limited Edition

What does the word gold in a fragrance mean to you? Is it an idea of sumptuous radiance, warm light that shimmers on skin, or the promise of decadent luxury, poured into each ritual of daily life? Molton Brown Mesmerising Oudh Accord & Gold is a creation that encapsulates this gilded splendour, with scented additions that turn every simple ritual into an act of outright olfactory luxury.

Since its launch over a decade ago, this decadent composition has garnered a cult following (and quite rightly won awards!), enveloping its wearers in a billow of gloriously glimmering spiced clouds and smoky, honey-tinged woods. And now one lucky fragrance lover can WIN the entire artistically redesigned limited-edition eau de parfum and matching collection, to celebrate its scented success! Read on to discover more, and how you can be in with a chance to own them all…

This gilded story begins as the fragrance opens with a glistening flicker of bergamot, fresh and darting, setting the stage for what is to come. As the steam of a spiced forest unfurls, deep, velvety oudh accord draws you inward, its rich, woody resonance smouldering seductively. There’s nothing shy or retiring here: Senior Perfumer Sylvie Fischer’s artistry is evident in the full-bodied layering that morphs from one opulent note to the next. ‘Olibanum is a beautiful fusion of sweet, woody accords with a resinous intense aspect,’ Fischer explains. ‘It’s made up of two different components: a resin and an oil. The oil adds brighter, enlivening top notes while the resin at the heart and base leave a more intense and sensual trail…’

With every spritz, the scented story unfurls on your skin as it warms – one that echoes with the sonorous bass of that olibanum (frankincense) thrumming throughout, rising in curls above honeyed resins and glimmering saffron threads. Wearing it, we feel as though someone has laced the dusk air with the sumptuous richness of distant lands. Molton Brown’s latest artistic incarnation pays homage to this sense of place and memory, offering not only the limited edition Eau de Parfum but also an expanded collection featuring Bath & Shower Gel, Body Lotion, Hand Care, candles, and the NEW Aroma Reeds home diffuser. (And don’t forget: one of you can win the LOT!)

 

 

 

This year, the brand’s ‘Artists of Note’ project takes the experience even further, commissioning London-based artist Karimah Hassan to conjure ‘The Golden Bridge’ for Mesmerising Oudh Accord & Gold. Hassan, whose heritage is a vivid tapestry of Wales, Yemen and Bangladesh, creates work alive with legacy and radiance. Her diptych and poem are a celebration of transformation – ‘the alchemy of turning scent into ceremony.’ She reflects, ‘It makes me feel like a goddess – like I’m charging forward on a chariot.’ In her words, the fragrance is ‘a bridge to the past that still calls my name’ and a ‘tapestry of love, woven from birth. A woman of gold, a dreamer unseen, a scent that tells of the places I’ve been.’

 

 

 

 

For those who crave a touch of gold to elevate the everyday, the new limited edition bottle shimmers with a metallic ombre glass and gold-speckled cap – a true piece of perfumed art. Each perfumed piece in the collection is meticulously bottled in England, with Molton Brown’s unwavering commitment to ingredient quality, sustainability and a cruelty-free ethos they instigated way ahead of other beauty and fragrance houses, right from when they first opened their doors in 1973.

So, if you’re seeking a truly special scent where artistry, memory and ceremony are interwoven through every note, we think you’ll agree that Molton Brown’s Mesmerising Oudh Accord & Gold delivers a compelling invitation. Where might this scent take its next wearer? That magical journey, as always, is just a spray away…

 

Written by Suzy Nightingale

Help her Feel Good this Mother’s Day!

Mother’s Day is on Sunday, March 31 – and it can be emotional for many reasons. Those of us lucky enough to have a mum who’s still around can take a moment to treat her for a change, and those of us who don’t can feel rather overwhelmed by the occasion. But many of us might have a ‘mother figure’ – a strong woman we look to for advice and comfort in times of stress – so why not take the opportunity to send her some scented, feel-good vibes?

Why not buy mum / your mother-figure the Feel-Good Box (along with a nice bottle bottle of wine/tub of hot chocolate and bunch of flowers for full-on spoiling) – it’s our first collaboration with the Beauty Bible and packed with beautifully fragranced body and face-care treats to soothe away stress, leaving her calmer, glowing and stunningly scented.

Then, suggest she indulges in the following routine for a guaranteed feel-good / smell great treat of a day…

1. Cleanse with the iconic Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish / 30ml – the plant-based cream removes all traces of makeup, including stubborn waterproof mascara) while chamomile, rosemary, hops and eucalyptus soothe the skin (and the senses)…

2. Slather your face with the also award-winning Neal’s Yard Rose Beauty Balm / 15g –a multi-tasking product that can be left on as an ultra-nourishing face mask, dabbed on dry cutilcles/ends of hair, and used as a lip balm.

3. Run yourself a bath and add any of these generously sized options (BOTH are included!) depending if you feel…

Stressed out? Use just half a capful of the relaxing Olverum Bath Oil / 15ml – an aromatic blend of essential oils which combine to ease stress and relax tension in both mind and body. The scented steam will fill the room and the oil’s easily absorbed by the skin (no greasy residue in the bath!)

Need pampering? Try the decadently gorgeous Molton Brown Rosa Absolute Bathing Oil / 45ml – notes of rose absolute, violet leaf, blackcurrant, raspberry, geranium, sandalwood and patchouli, infused with skin-silkifying oils of argan and Italian rose, this bathing elixir will veil your skin in a deep, velvety fragrance that clings to the body for a beautiful trail, as you emerge from the scented waters.

4. After patting yourself dry with a fluffy towel, smooth the Temple Spa Peace Be Still Calming Skin Balm / 50ml all over your body. A Gold Beauty Bible Award-winner in 2019, It’s aromatherapy and skincare in one – with extracts of coriander, lemon, nutmeg, antioxidants and a fusion of relaxing Mediterranean essential oils and vitamin B5, deeply moisturising and leaving skin silky to touch.

5. After removing the Rose Beauty Balm/mask with the muslin cloth (acting as a deeply moisturising double-cleanse); warm a few drops of the Aurelia Cell Repair Night Oil / 4ml in your hands, slowly massage into your face and allowing replenishing, renewing and restoring botanicals to work their magic. Including sinks-in-fast Kalahari oil, vitamin E-powered mongongo oil, firming Kigelia Africana and omega-rich, ‘buzz ingredient’ baobab oil, together with a blend of hibiscus and pomegranate to help fight free radicals.

6. Change into pyjamas, relax on the sofa with a glass of wine / hot choccy and allow the velvety smooth, rich Madagascan vanilla-ness of Green & Black’s White Chocolate / 100g to melt in your mouth. This indulgent treat features lashings of cocoa butter alongside organic whole milk, giving this white chocolate its wonderfully creamy texture.

7. While catching up with Netflix, massage the shea butter and almond oil-infused Heathcote & Ivory Gardener’s Handcream in for a mini-mani: The Original Gardeners Shea Butter Hand Cream is inspired by the vegetable patch, juicy with tomatoes and redcurrants, basil and mint. Hedgerow Hand Cream, meanwhile, delivers a luscious yet subtle berry scent, infused with tart rhubarb, blackberry and elderflower. Whichever you receive, we love them both!

8. Breathe deeply and apply This Works Stress Check Roll-On / 5ml to pulse points (we also love using it on the temple to relieve a headache). This concentrated 100% natural superblend of pure essential oils is the perfect antidote to stress overload. An invigorating, mind-cleansing, calming blend, it features refreshing eucalyptus, to combat mental fatigue, frankincense (to help you relax mentally and physically), alongside lavender oil, the most effective oil in helping hypertension, nervous tension and insomnia…

 

9. In the morning, have a fabulously scented shower with Percy & Reed Heavenly Hydrating Body Wash / 100ml – breathing in refreshing top notes of citrus and apple, heart notes of lily of the valley and rose, and comforting base notes of cedar wood, amber and musk. This nourishing formula is blended with botanical extracts to help calm and soothe the skin.

10. Take a shot of energy with Hello Day Vitality Boost / 4g – a new name in supplements, created with the help of Swiss and French health experts and doctors in micro-nutrition and phytotherapy, Vitality Boost sets out to help you feel more energetic, with stimulating and tonic properties to boost mental and physical wellbeing. Ingredients include cinnamon bark extract, to help your body feel stronger, and vitamin C to reduce tiredness and help your metabolism energy yield return to normal.

11. Before heading off to work/daily chores, glide some Scentered Focus Therapy Balm / 1.5g onto pulse points, it’s powered by memory-boosting rosemary, crisp peppermint (known to help with mental alertness), and clary sage – with its wonderfully clarifying scent – which combine to help relieve mental fatigue and promote concentration. Just what you need to carry with you through the day, for top-ups of a scented tonic!

We think you’ll agree, there’s a whole lot to explore and fall in love with in this box, and it’s the perfect gift for anyone you love who’s been feeling a bit overwhelmed or could just do with a bit of a pick-me-up… and perhaps that person is YOU? Go ahead, indulge yourself while you’re at it…

Feel Good Discovery Box £19 / £15 for VIP Club members

Written by Suzy Nightingale

Oil’s well that ends well… 5 fragranced oils your body needs now

‘Our crimes would depair, if they were not cherished by our virtues’ says Shakespeare in All’s Well That Ends Well; and so too will our bodies despair, if not cherished by fragranced oils in cold weather.

You will have to forgive the laboured punning, because I simply couldn’t resist, and it also happens to be true.

Winter takes its toll on our skin, so if you’re not slathering yourelf in something luxuriously moisturising, your fragrance simply wont last as long. Scent evaporates according to how dry your skin is, so if you’re closseted away in layers of wool and central-heating, your normal fragrance may need topping up throughout the day, even if it usually lasts well. And if it’s alcohol based – as most spray perfumes are – that’s going to dry your skin out even further.

Another temptation during grey, cold days is to soak for as long as possible in a steaming hot bath, but Jessica Weiser, from the New York Dermatology Group, explains, ‘Hot water depletes natural oils from the skin’s surface, leaving it dry and more susceptible to conditions like eczema,’ Best practice is to only use lukewarm water but really, where’s the fun in that? Personally I like to semi-boil myself like a lobster – all the more appealing in a scented bath – so keep the water piping hot if you like, but try and limit your soaking time to ten minutes, Weiser advises.

Yes, that seems sensible. But I can tell you now, that ain’t gonna happen, Jessica. If I’m putting in all the admin of running a bath, I’m going to be in there until I emerge like a perfumed prune. So we need a back-up plan to rehydrate. This is the time to reach for fabulously fragranced oils to layer-up your scent game, making it last longer and with the added benefit of de-pruning you, too.

Don’t worry about ‘matching’ your fragrance to these – use them instead to add facets to a favourite scent – or simply enjoy them on their own…

This is a perennial favourite, and sort of smells like paradise. Monoï is a Tahitian word simply meaning ‘scented oil’, and is made using a kind of enfleurage technique by soaking gardenia petals in coconut oil. Infused with further coconut and tropical wafts of frangipani flowers, Elemis have basically bottled the smell of a holiday in this multi-use product. Use in the bath, all over the body and even as a weekly hair treatment. The oil solidifies in cooler temperatures, so pop the bottle in a bowl of warm water to return it to a silky liquid – I just put my bottle right in the bath with me until it melts, and then baste myself as though I were a perfumed poussin.

Elemis Frangipani Monoi Body Oil £38.50 for 100ml

For a truly indulgent scented experience, I cannot recommend Mandy Aftel’s body and hair elixir enough. Originally created as a bespoke fragrance for none other than Leonard Cohen, Ancient Resins resonates with frankincense, Balm of Gilead – not the republic in The Handmaid’s Tale, thank goodness, but the name of a balsam made from poplar buds, which smell like honeyed musk – along with benzoin, elemi, and labdanum: oils cherished for centuries for their healing properties. Boswellia Frankincense resins have been scientifically tested to prove their pain-relieving anti-inflammatory qualities, so couldn’t be more ideal for this time of year. A few drops used to scent a bath (will actually scent your entire house), slathered on to soothe and nourish skin, or stroked through ends of hair and rubbed in to burnish a beard – it would seem especially pertinent listening to Cohen’s album New Skin For The Old Ceremony while you annoint yourself with this divine oil.

Mandy Aftel Ancient Resins Body & Hair Elixir $45 for 50ml or $6 for 2ml sample (great for travelling)

A heftier price, yes, but the extravagent dose of Turkish rose will truly stay with you all day, infused as it is with a deeply fabulous patchouli heart and resting on a bed of sandalwood and frankincense. Clove, blackcurrant and raspberry ‘binds the perfume together for a final movement of symphonic femininity’ say Malle, but we know many men who delight in wearing the fragrance too, and this isn’t merely a pretty rose that blushes and swoons. All those resins add a purring depth that radiates naughtiness, albeit in a very refined way. I think the lady in question would be Lady Chatterley – admiring her roses and indulging in a bit of rumpy pumpy among the petals whenever possible. Sprinkle into a bath, massage into hair and cover with a warm towel for 15 minutes before rinsing, and be sure to lavish your limbs all over.

Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle Portrait of a Lady Hair & Body Oil £138 for 200ml

I really haven’t stopped wanging on about how wonderful SJP Stash is since the genderless ‘fragrance for humans’ was first launched in 2016, but now I can frolic in accompanying body and hair products like this oil – and a beautifully scented hair mist for lighter application – as well. There’s something about the composition of incense and vetiver infused with unexpected notes like sage, pistachio, grapefruit and warming black pepper, that makes it smell at least three times more expensive than it is, and about a million miles away from what you’d expect a ‘celebrity scent’ to smell like. It’s hard to find fault with either the original perfume or this nourishing treat, to wear together or used to add an ambery glow to fragrances you find a little bit “meh” on cold, grey days like these.

SJP Stash Hair & Body Oil £35 for 30ml

To mark Baccarat’s 250th anniversary, the niche house of MFK united with the iconic crystal house to create the fragrance – and it’s proved a smash-hit success all over the world. Now fans can cover themselves in the decadently rich oil as well – warm ambergris and cedarwood buoyed by the sunshine jasmine affords to balance and brighten this otherwise woody fragrance, with distinct undertones of caramelised brown sugar to my nose. Argan, sweet almond and apricot kernel oils have been used as the base, making this a gorgeously moisturising but never greasy oil. Perfect to spray on in a hurry just before dressing and dashing outdoors, it’s proving equally successful (with some department strores reporting waiting lists), so if you see a bottle and know you love the perfume already, my advice would be not to procrastinate…

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540 Scented Body Oil £75 for 70ml

By Suzy Nightingale

 

 

Scented gifts to give this Easter

Yes, of course we’ll be stuffing our faces with chocolate (you know us, right?) but obviously we want to have our [Simnel] cake and eat it, too. For those loved ones who prefer fragrant gifts – or perhaps as an extra treat for yourself – here’s some suggestions of adorable scented last-minute presents to give, that are just as sweet…

Mary had a little lamb – but we bet it didn’t smell as lovely as this. You can also choose a darling duckling, bunny or Easter chick, and each tin is decorated by Northamptonshire based wildlife artist Christie Lloyd. Enriched with moisturisers and shea butter, wild orchid blends top notes of iris, rose and jasmine with a fresh fruity bergamot twist on a warm base of amber, sandalwood and soft musks.

Bronnley Lamb Easter Egg Soap £3.99 for 50g
Buy it at bronnley.co.uk

Envelop your body with the delicious scent of almond, while leaving it soft and toned. This egg contains an indulgent selection to stimulate the senses, all packed into a collectible egg-shaped tin, complete with ribbon. Almond Shower Oil [75ml], Almond Delicious Soap [50g] and Almond Delicious Hands [10ml] are perfectly sized for travelling, too.

L’Occitane Almond Beauty Easter Egg £15
Buy it at uk.loccitane.com

Classic Lush treats nestle inside this golden egg – once cracked open you’ll discover Which Came First?, Free Rangers bath bomb and Golden Egg bath melt, plus a delicious Cream Egg ‘bubbleroon’ (which smells exactly like mint chocolate). Fragrantly delicious, it’s simply too nice to give to children!

Lush Golden Egg £20
Buy it at uk.lush.com

Perfume-lovers tend to like everything to be beautifully scented – even their lips! The cult lip balm EOS comes in the cutest Easter-themed duo this year, featuring striped egg-esque pots of balm formulated with naturally conditioning oils, vitamin E and Shea Butter in kissably delicious Melon Cucumber and Coconut Milk.

EOS Easter Lip Balm Duo £12.99
Buy it at very.co.uk

Okay now we’re sorry, but this does contain a chocolate egg (oh dearie me) but it also has booze, and a beautifully scented one at that. We’ve noticed small-batch gins who focus on fragranced botanicals are incredibly popular with perfumistas (certainly here at The Perfume Society!) and many links are being forged between the gin and fragrance worlds, with rhubarb being an on-trend note for both right now. Plus, you’ll likely need a swig of this if you are planning an Easter egg hunt this weekend…

Edinburgh Gin Easter Egg & Rhubarb & Ginger Liqueur £12.50
Buy it at johnlewis.com

Whatever you’re up to this Easter, we hope you have a fragrantly beautiful one!

Written by Suzy Nightingale

5 Festively fragrant advent calendars to grab before they go!

We’ve seen at least three people wearing Christmas jumpers already, so there’s no avoiding it, folks! And have you seen how many of the gorgeous beauty and fragrance-related limited edition Advent calendars have sold out already? Clearly we like a bit of luxe and a way to spoil ourselves as things get frantic.
Things have moved on apace from the days we used to get a gaudily printed, flimsy cardboard advent calendar in which each of the windows housed cheap chocolate or perhaps just a picture of Santa or the Three Wise Kings.
We’ve rounded up some of our favourites that haven’t (yet!) completely sold-out. But it’s mittens-off: you’d better grab your favourites before they’re gone…
Molton Brown Cabinet of Scented Luxuries £165
You had us at ‘Molton Brown’ and won our hearts at ‘Scented’, but finding out the contents are worth a whopping £265 really seals the deal. With 2 x 50ml eau de toilettes, hand treatments, body care, candles, shampoo and a festive bauble for your tree to name a few, the classically attired box of goodies is irresistible.
Buy it at moltonbrown.co.uk
L’Occitane Luxury Advent Calendar £89
Packed with £129 worth of products, L’Occitane lavishly showcase their iconic and ultra-nourishing shea butter range, along with 4 mini bottles of perfume, the award-winning Divine Cream for the face and countless other beautifully scented treats to indulge yourself with.
Buy it at loccitane.com

4160 Tuesdays Mini Advent Calendar £75
A bottle of perfume to open and try every day? Yes please! 25 mini bottles are brightly wrapped in their trademark tissue paper and snuggled in a box to delight you or a loved one over the entire Christmas season. We’d be tempted to thread them all with gold wire and hang them on the tree, they’re so pretty…
Buy it at 4160tuesdays.com

Rituals Exclusive Advent Calendar £59.50
Spa-scented goodies to slather yourself in from top to toe are housed within the charming Rituals tree – The Ritual of Dao Bed & Body Mist has our name written all over it (we love wearing a scent to bed, don’t you?) and what with Hammam Hot Scrubs, body gloves and fragranced candles to complete the joy, we’ll be smooth, glowing and goregously scented.
Buy it at rituals.com
Diptyque Advent Calendar £300
We know it’s only for people on the ‘VERY good’ list of people for Father Christmas to check the beaviour of, but really, with 25 treasures including dinky little Diptyque mini (35g) candles and a selection of other cute miniatures – including 10ml Vinaigre de Toilette, deluxe 15ml skin and body care, and a 70g candle, it’s just too darling not to include on your wish list at least!
Buy it in-store at Diptyque or online at selfridges.com
Written by Suzy Nightingale