Fragrances For… being kind to yourself

We wanted to bring you some ideas of fragrances to wear when you should be kind to yourself, most especially on this day when ‘love is in the air’, but we often put ourselves at the bottom of a long list of people we need to show how much we care. Valentines Day can be difficult for many, so we say grab a cuppa (and a box of chocolates), and treat yourself to trying one of these recently launched, and all so-beautiful fragrances…

 

 

 

AEMIUM
Rouge Confidence
Swathing ourselves in amber-rich, beautifully-balanced scents is exactly what we want to be doing right now. This suffuses a buoyant, gilded warmth with, notes of supple leather (think freshly polished new boots, joyously kicking through leaves), phosphorescent citrus beaming through cheering freesia and violet. Here’s a new-to-us French house which equates luxury with eco-kind credentials, too – everything sourced, manufactured, and packaged in France to reduce their carbon footprint, and zero petrochemicals.
£125 for 100ml eau de parfum
selfridges.com

 

 

 

DIOR LA COLLECTION PRIVÉE
La Collection Privée Vanilla Diorama
Here is Dior perfumer-creator François Demachy’s ‘ode to vanilla’, which from the initial sparkle of orange to the swoon of that sticky, dark pod’s scent, does not disappoint. Like wearing an amber cloak of silk velvet, texturally cosy with a glamorous, golden sheen, with undulating seams of rum, cocoa and patchouli throughout. Apparently inspired by an off-menu dessert created for Demachy by Parisian restaurant Maxim’s, we’re going to need a bigger spoon…
From £99 for 40ml eau de parfum
dior.com

 

 

 

 

 

VERONIQUE GABAI
Le Point G

This swooningly sensual fragrance ‘draws inspiration from the G spot’ (chaps: if you can’t find it in Liberty’s, just ask!), which ‘grows on skin until it reaches a full completion in an exhale of pleasure.’ Gosh. Softly sexy, not brashly obvious, spicy pepper, silky vanilla and soft white musk drape the skin for hours. Don’t think of this as a pulling perfume – more an invitation to wear fragrance for self-pleasure.
£245 for 85ml eau de parfum
libertylondon.com

 

 

 

BURBERRY SIGNATURES
Windsor Tonic
This collection, ‘inspired by British heritage, artistry, and eccentricities’, really showcases the Burberry DNA. Evoking the royal town it’s named for, expect a certain insouciant grandeur to overcome you as the Cologne-like freshness of piercing petitgrain, bergamot and mandarin sweep to the cool green cardamom and orange blossom heart. Buoyed with wafts of green cypress to the refined woody dry-down, it feels like nothing bad can happen when you wear this.
£190 for 90ml eau de parfum
harrods.com

 

 

 

MONT BLANC
LEGEND
At once familiar and yet excitingly different to the original, Mont Blanc invite you to push the boundaries of your life but in the most reassuringly comforting way. Here, the addition of green violet leaves harmonises with the addictively creamy (almost waxy) floral note of magnolia and a warm, woody, burnished leather as it deliciously dries down. A new signature scent, perhaps, if you need a gentle push out of your comfort zone.
£48.50 for 50ml eau de toilette
johnlewis.com

 

 

The scent of hope – kindness with a cause

The scent of hope is in the air… While we’ve all been fragrancing our homes – and ourselves – to revive flagging spirits or give us a perfumed pep of much-needed energy; we’ve been so heartened to see some of the fragrance houses responding to the Covid-19 crisis by giving back to charity.

At a time when many smaller businesses and retail shops are struggling to survive, through various lockdowns and economic uncertaintly; their philanthropy is all the kinder, so therefore all the more meaningful to support.

 

Many fragrance houses halted production of perfumes during the very first lockdown, last year – LVMH using their factories and perfumer’s alcohol to make bottles of hand sanitiser instead of their usual scents – and  Miller Harris incredibly donated their entire stock of handwash, hand lotion and soaps to Age U.K.

Back in April, Acqua di Parma launched a #stayhome charity, donating 100% of their online revenue for the month to help fight Covid-19. Then Symrise stepped up and asked nineteen of their perfumers to collab on a Hero Cologne they gifted to frontline workers; and a little while ago, Fragrance Du Bois gave a super-glitzy rainbow-jewelled bottle of of their Oud Bleu Intrense fragrance (worth £5,000!) as an NHS raffle prize.

 

 

Floris found a cause close to their hearts (and heritage) by setting up the Florence Nightingale White Rose Appeal – donating 15% of profits from their iconic White Rose fragrance, a favourite of the famed nurse, who reportedly had bottles shipped to her during the Crimea War. We’re sure she found much solace in the classic scent of velvety roses swathed in cool, powdery iris and musk. In addition, an actual white rose for a nurse can be purchased at £5, as part of a display at Westminster Abbey the appeal are creating.

 

 

Currently, we’re also loving the limited edition Speranza (Italian for ‘hope’) fragrance that Sarah Ireland‘s created in aid of NHS Charities Together. Taking inspiration from the Amalfi Coast, we follow a perfumed coastal path to a fizz of sun-warmed pink grapefruit and juniper berries, gently enlivened with black pepper, as hyacinth and jasmine blossom amidst a warm hug of amber and blissful lavender.

 

 

Whichever of the fragrance houses supporting charities and key workers you want to explore, there really hasn’t been a better time to try some uplifting scents at home – a kindness to yourself and the causes you’ll be supporting…

By Suzy Nightingale

 

#StayHome with Acqua di Parma: donating 100% of online revenue to charity

Acqua di Parma are launching a #StayHome charity campaign to support the fight against COVID-19. Throughout the month of April, 100% of e-commerce revenues generated by sales of the Home Collection, Barbiere and Personal Care products will be donated to support initiatives against the corona crisis.

In these stressful and uncertain times, how heartening it has been to see brands, both big and small, stepping up to provide support, making hand-santisisers, donating products and now, with Acqua di Parma’s #StayHome campaign donating an incredible 100% of their online profits to help their home country, which has been hit so hard by this pandemic.

 

 

Laura Burdese, CEO of Acqua di Parma comments that, ‘In these difficult times of suffering and strife that grip Italy so severely, it is natural and right for Acqua di Parma to make a strong gesture of solidarity. With the #StayHome campaign, we can do our part and demonstrate the love that the Maison has for our mother country.’

Explaining further why this campaign was so important to them, Laura continues: ‘Our solidarity campaign is a way to provide tangible support, be it emotional or economic, to Italy in this time of need so that in dealing with this emergency, we can preserve what we love most about our country: Italian art, nature and culture will continue to be given and shared across the globe’

 

 

Acqua di Parma invite you to help support this campaign by sharing social media posts – perhaps of cosy, scented spaces you have created? – and tagging @acquadiparma_official and #StayHome. What’s more, during this time, all Acqua di Parma online orders have FREE delivery, so even more excuse to indulge, delight and comfort yourself with scent at home…

By Suzy Nightingale