Luminous Jewels, Knobbly Tumblers, Parisian-Chic, Coastline Bowls & The Sherpa Of Scent On......Patchouli!

 

Luminous Jewels, Knobbly Tumblers, Parisian-Chic, Coastline Bowls & The Sherpa Of Scent On......Patchouli! Good Morning! I hope that we are all well and content? I am in a very good mood as I adore September! There is something about the changing of the seasons, that chance for renewal, that strikes an optimistic note with me. This year the Autumn appears to have arrived a trifle early and I placed our winter quilt back on the bed last Sunday after a rather chilly night.  It is still officially summer of course, however the evenings are beginning to draw in and there is definitely a nip in the air. I am already ordering alpaca scarves and mohair throws and, hopefully, some rather special hot chocolate for when we are nestled in front of the wood burner in Amberley! Last w/e I was a whirlwind, managing to finally bring the back garden under control after four years of neglect. There is nothing like grief to make one ambivalent about so many things and unfortunately Mother Nature does not pause for us to get back on our feet! Consequently, I was hacking into boughs of ivy that were thicker than my arm and had to hire a company to come and remove the detritus as there was so much! I can now see the sky again and shall endeavour to do 'a little and often' in the garden from now on....actually it's a good mantra for life in general! It has been an interesting week. On Wednesday a car arrived to whisk me to a film studio in north London as I had been asked to make a promotional video for the St Giles fragrance collection. It has been so long since I worked on the scents that I had to do some homework on the way - how soon one forgets! I do not enjoy being filmed, however the crew were very kind and complimentary so early nerves disappeared and after an hour they couldn't shut me up. All was going well until I suggested that I sing 'I Put A Smell On You'...(it's fantastic, honestly!).....then the Director yelled "cut!". I remain undiscovered. I do not envy the editor - watching the footage back I realised that I barely pause for breath (note to self...speak more slowly!). The rest of the week was dizzying, as September heralds Autumn/Winter in terms of buying - so it's all change and we get about four short weeks to change the entire store. Out go BBQ accoutrement and in comes cosiness! I love it, naturally, as get to purchase lots of newness and the Lovely Lene doesn't frown at my excesses (this only happens twice a year!). Shop Now - 3 Prong Rings - From £85.00 Shop Now - New Earrings - From £50.00 Jewellery was out first stop, as one of our favourite British Designers had just taken delivery of a new collection. It was all so gorgeous that we approached with abandon and the results can be seen above. This is all hand-crafted and extremely elegant. Again, we have plenty of coloured stones that catch the light and offer depth and contrast, from aquamarine and rubies to lapis - plus some luminous pearls! We try to make our collections an 'affordable treat' - something that will lift the spirits but not break the bank! They are also a good price for gifting someone special. Shop Now - Hobnail Glass - Jug - Tall 1L - £85.00 Shop Now - Hobnail Glass - Tumbler - £19.00 I am obsessed with our hobnail collection of Bohemian glass jugs and bowls.... and I am not alone. So many customers have asked me if I would source some matching tumblers, so I had a good excuse to commission matching sets of jugs and glasses in Royal Blue, Lilac, Smoke Grey, Aquamarine, Pink and Citrine Yellow. They look so glamorous when grouped together and one can serve anything from Sangria & Pimms, to iced tea or even, dare I say it....water (it's a mixer, we have it with Whiskey!). Shop Now - Printed Cotton Velvet - Wash Bag - £26.50 Shop Now - Printed Cotton Robes - £45.00 Hot off the train from Paris, we have some new cotton robes and velvet wash-bags. I marvel at the talent of the designer, who creates all of the prints and never repeats them! This has caused a few problems in the past as the collection is only available for a couple of months so can disappear very quickly - but the man is an artist and I look forward so much to seeing what his imagination has conjured each season. This time we have robes in purple peacock (very glam!), a lovely blue/green floral and some saffron, burnt oranges. The velvet wash-bags include a vivid-green ivy leaf and a lovely, muted, purple cyclamen. These are washable and lined. Shop Now - Tricolour Ceramics - Platter - £51.00 Our new, hand-painted bowls - the large ones - have almost sold out so I invested in a new colour combination which is biscuit and blue - it looks like a painting of the ocean meeting land and is stunning. For salads, pastas or what you will For this week's 'Sherpa Of Scent' musings I have decided on Patchouli. Now this may sound controversial as some harbour memories of dank, floor cushions in the 1970's that reeked of the essential oil (often, I believe, used to mask the smell of marijuana!). Patchouli in perfumery is far from this, however I can attest that with patchouli, like so many things in life, you get what you pay for! Patchouli of superior quality is not cloying, it is warm, and earthy with a hint of amber smoke, a little musky animalic and some sweet green in the mix. It is one of my favourite notes when used well. The history of patchouli( which is related to mint) begins in Asia where is has been used in Ayevedic medicine for centuries due to anti-septic and anti-inflammatory properties. It made its way to Europe via the silk trade, as leaves were used to pack expensive silks to deter insects. Thus, in the 18th century, the smell of patchouli was synonymous with authentic silks and consequently became the scent of luxury! There... have I tweaked your curiosity yet?. A great patchouli fragrance wraps one up in an arboreal cocoon with a hint of the forest floor thrown in for good measure. It is deep and warm and velvety,  thus perfect for autumn, and it is rich and rather sensual - the perfect nuzzle!  Used at the base of zillions of fragrances as it is long-lasting, Patchouli is one of the 4 essential ingredients of a classic 'Chypre' fragrance (the others are labdanum, oakmoss and citrus). Cheap patchouli is sweet and not particularly nuanced, but the good stuff (basically the top four leaves which house the best oils) is woody and sexy and utterly divine. Shop Now - St Giles - The Tycoon (EdP) 100ml - £130.00 I shall start, if I may, with my own 'The Tycoon'. I imagined this scent with Master Perfumer Bertrand Duchaufour and wanted to create a classic 'Chypre' (it is my favourite fragrance family) and also because this smells of 'luxury', so the perfect fit for my concept. The wonderful thing about working with noses, is that they have access to the most amazing array of notes and so I was sent dozens of different patchouli's from which to choose. It is amazing that one plant can produce so many different aromas and also quite mesmerising. So we have labdanum, a sensational patchouli and sexy oakmoss at the base, the glorious nutgrass (Cypriol) (which is a slightly sweet woody/green scent) at the centre, and a very clever citrus layered throughout the dry-down. I say 'clever', as Bertrand has combined real pomelo and grapefruit with a synthetic grapefruit, and positioned at the opening and at the heart of the fragrance  - hence it lasts for about 18 hrs! I only know of one other scent that does this, Frederic Malle's Bigarade Concentree, created by the great Jean-Claude Ellena, so I am pretty proud of this one! Shop Now - Ramon Monegal - Mon Patchouly (EdP) 50ml - £130.00 Roman Monegal's 'Mon Patchouly' purrs its way out of the bottle - nutmeg and vanilla combine with one of the best realisations of the eponymous central note. Warm and wonderful, I particularly love the slightly cognac note at the top - it feels snuggly and comforting. Shop Now - Ineke - Field Notes From Paris (EdP) 75ml - £120.00 'Field Notes From Paris' from Ineke is utterly enchanting, with a mesmerising top of coriander, orange flower and bergamot which slides into a an epic heart of tobacco, cedar and patchouli. The base is soft and buttery with tonka, leather and vanilla. An absolute classic and one of our most popular perfumes. This woody /oriental was released with the motto 'life measured out in coffee spoons' and certainly possesses something of the velvety warmth of a great cappuccino! Shop Now - Sana Jardin - Celestial Patchouli (EdP) 50ml - £95.00 Sana Jardin's 'Celestial Patchouli' is  a slice of heaven and incredibly clever, with coriander seeds at the top, dancing across Turkish roses and creamy orris which, in turn, recline on a dense pillow of cinnamon bark, cypriol (my favourite!), leather and a magnificent patchouli. Shop Now - Jeroboam - Ligno (EdE) 30ml - £90.00 Ligno (which means Woody in Esperanto) from Jeraboem, is a decidedly woody extract with grey amber at its heart. When the devilish patchouli note meets the pheromonal aspects of the natural ambergris and the brand's trademark blend of enigmatic musks, the result is beyond a perfume; it becomes an alchemist's potion full of aphrodisiacal promise...  On skin, Ligno's sharp patchouli accent morphs into something truly bewitching! Shop Now - Perris Monte Carlo - Patchouli Nosy Be (EdP) 50ml - £85.00 I am mentioning Patchouli Nosey B from Perris Monte Carlo even though we have sold out (it should be with us at the end on next week) as it deserves its place here amongst the very finest patchoulis! Grown on the island of Nosy Be, off the north west coast of Madagascar, this patchouli is of exceptional quality and distinction. An opening of the titular ingredient and pink pepper provides a striking aroma, before a mellow heart of cacao and spiced labdanum comes through. In the base, the premium patchouli appears again, this time combined with cedar, sandalwood, and inviting vanilla for a truly spectacular finish. This new extrait strength range from Perris Monte Carlo represents the very finest in opulent luxury. Housed in truly exquisite glass flacons that bear all the hallmarks of Perris Monte Carlo quality, the scents are reformulated for maximum strength and long life on the skin. Mmmmmmmmmmm!

I wanted to share my latest purchase with you ! My swan came from Petworth last week and brings me joy. It is from Sweden and has an aperture in the centre that I presume must be for a plant, although it would have access to very much light. I have never seen one before and need to do a little research, but she looks magnificent next to Sir Francis Bacon (my boar)! Today I travel to Eastbourne to celebrate my Mother-in-Laws birthday, which will be so lovely - it's a surprise so I am hoping that she is not reading this! Then it is back to the GD's in Sevenoaks as we have to photograph the furniture that we need to sell before the big move! It's quite a sad moment as they hold fond memories but there simply isn't room for large pieces in the cottage so it will be someone else's turn to enjoy them. I have been promised a final walk around Knole Park to say farewell to the deer - I have made my peace with this, especially as a friend has alerted me to the existence of a gorgeous Elizabethan House with Deer Park called 'Parham' which is just around the corner from our new home!  I wish you all a lovely, sunny w/e - and see you next time! Michael x

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