Used for centuries the world over to cool, soothe and refresh, mint comes into its own in the sweltering heat of a city, to use while wandering the white beaches of an exotic island, or to splash on at any time to instantly revive the senses and soothe troubled spirits.
More correctly known by the name Mentha (from Greek míntha) there are many differing varieties – the species ranging from 13-18 depending on who you ask, and proving rather indistinct to categorise exactly as hybridisation between the species occurs naturally. In historical terms, mint was often used within various preparations to be taken as a herbal remedy for digestive complaints, to calm inflamed skin and also (of course) to splash on as a tonic for the senses.
In Greek mythology, meanwhile, mint is seen as “the herb of hospitality”- early records show mint was strewn over floors to deodorise and freshen rooms, as stepping on the leaves helped to spread its scent through the room, masking noxious odours. Perhaps we might bring this idea for the more noisome areas of cities in the heat (and obligatory in all tube stations?!)
So, if you’re flagging and need an olfactory boost – no matter the weather – let’s meander to these easy, breezy, simply delightful mint-infused scents we’re reaching for right now…
Molton Brown Wild Mint & Lavandin
This is an utterly unisex, breezily fragrant invitation to get back to nature. Molton Brown’s finger firmly on the fragrant pulse here, reviving flagging spirits via wild mint, vivid verdancy of torn basil leaves grounded by a caress of orris, silky sandalwood and rounded by tonka.
Capturing an English country ‘potager’ garden of herbaceous greenness, Atkinsons Mint & Tonic is the zestiest exploration of sparkling mint. Close your eyes and dream of endless summer days sharing a Mojito (or three), enjoyed in a greenhouse, ‘in excellent and flirtatious company’.
Herbaceously creamy swirls are stirred into the dappled shade of a traditional fougère, infused with a contemporary edge of thorny rose oxide. Cool as a long cold drink on a hot day, crisp as iced leaves, the verdant notes swoon to skin-warmed whispers of soft muskiness.
Looking for the longest-lasting gasp of freshness that feels like hope, bottled? Ruth describes it perfectly: ‘…the feeling of optimism that breaks at dawn, the exhilarating hope of a fresh start. As the sun rises, a breeze of lime and mint shimmers over notes of orange blossom and rum.’ Divine!
[Try a sample in the Ruth Mastenbroek Classic Collection Discovery Set, £32.50in our shop]
Roos & Roos Globulus
The camphoraceous mintiness of Eucalyptus Globulus is a whoosh of freshness emanating from skin as though you’re imbued with coolness from within. Gloriously uplifting, the breeze carries wafts of cardamom, freshly crumpled mint leaves torn and the airiness of ‘crystal moss’.
This month we’re all about reaching for fragrances that make us feel better – an do more than simply smell good, but connect with us on a deeper, more spiritually-uplifting way that really connects with our souls. Given the LONGING for spring, and newness and oh goodness, simply some whole days without rain and cold and grey… it’s about time, don’t you think?
Here’s our edit of three fragrance houses your nose needs to know…
Is your fragrant future in the cards…?
Joy Isaacs is the founder and CEO of ARgENTUM, a luxury skincare brand which recently launched a range of stunning fragrances based on soul-searching, tarot-inspired ‘Archetypes’. Although she’s been fascinated by tarot and its symbolism since 2010, Joy insists: ‘I don’t think it’s some magical oracle in the sky.’ Instead, she believes ‘…we all hold our truth buried in our subconscious and are willing to project it onto many things – for example, people, life circumstances, poetry, music and of course, imagery (art). It allows us to tap into what is just below the surface and access what is really going on – with our own personal truth.’ Thus, explains Joy, ‘Our Archetype cards invite you to uncover symbolic imagery that reflect inherent energies – patterns that are common to us all.’
Using beautiful black-and-white illustrations by artist Sam Gray, ARgENTUM’s twelve cards are shuffled and used as part of a ‘fragrance reading’, whereby – rather than randomly picking a perfume – the fragrance finds you. This initial scent-matching isn’t set in stone; it’s used merely as a starting point, a way of editing down your possible fragrance choices to a more manageable number, while also making you think more deeply about them. (For those who can’t make it in person to ARgENTUM’s Notting Hill boutique – which is honestly worthy of a pilgrimage – the experience has been skilfully recreated on their website.
‘As an element, air encapsulates a masculine energy of thought and communication. Born at sunrise in the crisp breath of Spring ~ air is imaginative and intelligent, but without flow can become stifled and cruel. Moist and warm, air symbolises a nurturing energy that celebrates your knowledge and ideas, the beginning of something intangible and without permanent form. This brisk and exhilarating element stimulates the mind and cuts to the heart of your quest for connection.
Become: All encompassing, balancing, beginnings
Creator: Creative energy, trust, manifestation
Sage: Wisdom, knowledge, awareness
Ruler: Balance, adaptability, vulnerability
Wearable feel-good vibes…
For Vyrao, it’s all about wearable good vibes, and anyone who’s had a sluggish day or simply felt dull, blah and down in the dumps can attest – spritzing a scent can be an instantaneous remedy and our sense of smell is a potent way to make us feel brighter, more confident, and ready to face the world. With such potential power at our pulse points, Founder Yasmin Sewell sought a way to harness this energy so it could be at our fingertips whenever we need it. Having been ‘a lifelong advocate for personal self-care, wellbeing and energetic connection,’ Yasmin’s also trained in Integrative Quantum Medicine™ and Reiki, and so was well placed to reach out to Louise Mita, President and CEO of The Art Of Energy, Inc., and creator of Integrative Quantum Medicine™, who’s studied metaphysical alchemy, healing, and martial arts since 1968.
Together, they took a deep dive into researching specific ingredients they could use in the fragrances to help the wearer feel better. Explains Yasmin: ‘Science has shown that positive emotions and feelings can contribute to better health. I believe that in the future more of us will come to understand and accept the influence of energy as part of our overall well-being. We’ll know how to channel it, clear it, raise and work with it, and Vyrao is at the heart of that purpose. Vyrao helps us connect to ourselves.’
If you’re new to this more soulful way of wearing scent, the High Five collection really is the best way to dip in and gain a better understanding – both of what you like, but also (more importantly) what your soul is crying out for. It may surprise you… Included in the first five fragrances from the brand, you will get to experience:
Free 00: To feel alive and uninhibited is Free 00.
I am Verdant: A fragrance sprouting fresh green growth.
Witchy Woo: Wake up the powerful alliance of your courage and creativity.
Magnetic 70: For attraction and protection.
Georgette: For self-love.
Finding fragrant harmony…
When her PR and communications job took her to Hong Kong, little did Elementals founder Deana Wyland-Fries know, it would change the direction of her life forever. There she discovered feng shui – and soon learned that it is not merely a belief or superstition in China, but a science and a way of life. As she explains: ‘For centuries, the Chinese have believed that, everything in our universe can be allocated to one of five elements – water, wood, fire, earth and metal. Not only are these elements found in our environment, but also within ourselves. What’s more, we are born with an element that dominates our lives, dictating character, relationships, career and health. If our element is out of balance, we experience a sense of discomfort within…’
Ultimately, Elementals combine the simplicity and harmony of feng shui with the classical beauty of fine French perfumery. The result is a collection of surprising, innovative creations that seek to nurture mind, body and soul – while smelling, of course, utterly divine. Deana explains: ‘Because I am working with energy, I do not apply the classical olfactory pyramid in my creations… there are three main energies in the Universe: Heaven’s Chi, Human Chi and Earth Chi. In Chinese culture, these represent the three energies that, when working in harmony with one another, create perfect balance.’
What we’re wearing: Elementals Wood£148.50 for 100ml eau de parfum
Here we find ‘Heaven notes’ of bergamot, cedar and grapefruit to enhance concentration, with ‘Human notes’ of orris, tagetes and geranium, and a base, or ‘Earth notes’ of patchouli, Palo Santo (a sacred wood often used in meditation) and guaiacum (also known as guaiac wood). Wood represents the rising of energy, and the season of Spring, when blossoms are beginning to bloom again and signs new life are in abundance…
How often have you heard the phrase when this is all over during the past year? Well, the “when” is soon – at least in the U.K. with the government’s ‘roadmap’ for easing restrictions seeing the return of shops and outdoor hospitality services reopening on Monday, April 12th.
However, while our hearts may be full to bursting at the prospect of seeing loved ones we’ve missed for so long – there’s some real anxiety in the mix, too.
Because we know the ‘new normal’ (ugh, another saying that needs to get in the sea) is still far from resembling what our lives looked like in those hazy ‘before’ days, when many of us (perhaps lazily) took our freedom foregranted. To travel, to meet a friend for coffee, to hug them when we arrived – blimey, just to walk into a shop! And things will remain strange for some time. So we’re going to need some extra help, still, to get through this together.
If you’re feeling anxious about mixing in public again, you’re certainly not alone. The medical website patient.info has a great article with tips to combat stress in a post-Covid world, quoting psychologist and well-being consultant Lee Chambers, who says of course we’re all still worried, because ‘Over the course of the past 12 months, there has been significant change to adapt and acclimatise to.’ and explains: ‘Without a clear future anchor and the ability to create a longer-term plan, we lack the ability to prepare, and the constantly changing rules lower our tolerance to uncertainty.’
We know that so many more of you have been finding comfort and great mental-health support from scent during lockdown. It stands to reason we’ll need a fragrant anchor to help us get through the next few months as well. So, here are some soothing scents to help calm your nerves and help you feel grounded, but also some party perfumes for when the celebratory spirit strikes and you need an instant spritz of glamour.
Whatever your mood, there’s a fragrance to match or counteract, if needs be. Think of them as bravery: bottled. For when this is all over? For right now, or whenever you need them…
Nancy Meiland Gaia£45 for 30ml perfume attar
A beautifully nurturing scent delievered via a handy rollerball. A nuzzle of jasmine wrapped in warming nutmeg, brightening bergamot and a soft breeze of blue lotus on a caressing base of cedar and sandalwood.
Vines House Parfum Signature Story£75 for 30ml eau de parfum
Founder Rebecca Harrison shares her signature scent ‘for a mood of composure and contentment’ – a veriutable hug in a bottle. Cool lychee snuggles with ginger lily in a whisper of warm amber-rippled vanilla.
Angela Flanders Bleu de Chine£79 for 50ml eau de parfum
Swathe yourself in the hush of dry lavender, grounding patchouli aged for extra depth and the woody heart of bois de rose. Inspired by vintage Chinese textiles, it’s immediately comforting yet effortlessly elegant.
Histoires de Parfums 1899£35 for 15ml eau de parfum
With a pop of Champagne corks flying, the bohemians emerge from the clubs of Paris into the dazzling lights of the city. The fizz of bergamot and juniper floats on orange blossom ablaze with amber in the vibrant base.
Hermes L’Ombre de Merveilles £75 for 50ml eau de toilette
Perfumer Christine Nagel encourages us to ‘see the world from new and marvellous angles’ via contrasting light and shade. Shimmering tops notes swirl to black tea and simmering tonka.
Kierin NYC Nitro Noir£65 for 50ml eau de parfum
Mathieu Nardin’s powerhouse gourmand/floral positively swings its hips, with ripe berries swirled through rich patchouli and dusted with orris for a hypnotic, individualistic ‘hurrah!’
Whether you need soothing or a chance to celebrate, there’s a whole world of fragrances out there to support and reflect how you’re feeling (or would like to feel). If you’re still wondering what would be the best scent to suit your mood, take a look at our genius Fragrance Finder. Simply type in the name of a fragrance you love and it will suggest six others, thanks to the so-clever personality-matching algorithm…
Do you need to wind down, are desperate to be ‘scent to sleep’…? Silly question right now, I guess, but we have ways to help!
It turns out we could all do with slowing down, taking time for ourselves, learning to properly relax and get more sleep – a shame a global pandemic was the tipping point to realising this; but with sleep-disorders and reports of nightmares off the chart, we need to take action.
Luckily, before the whole Covid-19 thing kicked off, The Beauty Bible Awards 2020 were able to go ahead, and so we have a great list of products to go from. For those of you who don’t know, our Co-Founder, Jo Fairley, has been running The Beauty Bible Awards (and the many, many editions of the books) with Sarah Stacey for an incredible 24 years! These are products tested each year by over 1,000 women, who fill in extensive reports about each heavily-tested item. So when some products rise to the top and obtain Gold status, you know they’re the ones to reach for first.
Interestingly, a number of relaxingly scented or sleep-promoting products were trialled for this year’s awards. You can read their full descriptions and reviews on The Beauty Bible website, which I’ve linked below, but I’ve chosen some of my personal favourites (and items on my Wishlist) to share with you, here. I’ve picked them not only because they smell incredible but because they ‘do what they say on the tin’ (or bottle, or box…)
L’Occitane Lavande Foaming Bath£26 for 500ml Tester comment: ‘The aromatherapy effect makes feeling relaxed very easy. I definitely became calmer when using it.’
Spacemasks Interstellar Relaxation Masks £15 for 5 Tester comment: ‘I was tired and stressed before using this self-heating eye mask but it gives me 20 minutes of heaven, very relaxing especially with the jasmine fragrance. Spacemasks help hugely with sending me off to sleep…’
This Works Deep Sleep Superblend £70 for 10ml oil & diffuser Tester comment: ‘I have trouble sleeping all the time and yes, this helped a lot both with sending me off to sleep and being able to get back to sleep after I wake during the night.’
Beatitude Peace Pillow Spray £16 for 50ml Tester comment: ‘Lovely evening scent that’s perfect for bed. I felt relaxed once I sprayed it on and looked forward to sniffing it before I fell asleep. It did assist me sleeping. Makes the bedroom smell lovely too.’
Temple Spa Quietude Pillow Mist £25 for 100ml Tester comment: ‘I am a Play Therapist and I work with some very hyper children so I spray this in my room to help them feel calm and give a lovely soothing scent to the room. I would definitely by this again. Just perfect and exactly what I was looking for’
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