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

 

Fragrance du Bois NHS raffle – win a bottle worth £5,000!

Fragrance du Bois have generously commissioned the creation of a VERY special bottle of Oud Bleu Intense, to be raffled off to raise funds for the NHS Heroes at University Hospital Lewisham.

To be in with a chance of winning, all you need to do need to make a minimum donation of £5 – which is more than worth your while, seeing as the bottle of perfume is worth a staggering £5000!

Watch the film, below, to see just how staggeringly beautiful this spoecial bottle is…

Explaining why they wanted to do something to help, Fragrance du Bois say: ‘We have been thinking long and hard how we can help support our healthcare heroes globally during the Pandemic . There is no single way to do this to support all, so we are choosing Hospitals and organisations that have been highlighted to us, to date we have supported Commune Di Milano and raised €1600 which isn’t enough and we plan to do more .

Having seen the daily insights provided by @dralexgeorge we had to select one Hospital to support and chose University Hospital Lewisham where he works as an A and E Doctor as we have seen with Dr Alex’s help on social media the reality all hospitals are facing daily with Covid 19 alongside all the other hospital emergencies.

If we can get maximum support for this campaign we will choose other Hospitals globally to support using Go Fund Me which doesn’t allow us to support the whole Healthcare system we have to choose one at a time.’

 

Oud Bleu Intense is one of their very best-selling fragrances, and we can certainly understand why. An intoxicating blend of salty marine air, forest-y earthiness and addictively complex truffled notes, many have swooned at first sniff, and we definitely get those special perfume palpitations when it’s on our skin. The standout is the pure, sustainable oudh oil – the signature ingredient of the house – softly wrapped in cool spices of cardamom and nutmeg, freshened with mandarin, enriched with a trio of myrrh and then sensually wafting forth a lightly smoked trail of frankincense… Heavenly!

Fragrance du Bois Oud Bleu Intense Parfum – from £39 for 3ml (in a serum ‘pen’), to £495 for 100ml parfum. (Or, of course, £5,000 for the limited edition bottle!)
Buy it at: jovoyparis.uk

We wish everyone who enters the charity raffle the best of luck, and even if you’re not lucky enough to win it, you’ll be helping a fantastic cause…

By Suzy Nightingale