Natty Nightwear, Licking The Bowl, Pressed Perfection & The Sherpa Of Scent Gets High On Incense!

 

Natty Nightwear, Licking The Bowl, Pressed Perfection & The Sherpa Of Scent Gets High On Incense!

Buongiorno! And how are we this fine morning? Well, it is October and now, officially, Autumn/Fall - how did that happen?!  Firstly, I have news ! The Good Doctor finally received an 'exchange' date for the old apartment  (Yay!!!!!!) and so it's all system's go to get ready to vacate and put everything into storage for a few weeks before we can move into the cottage (hopefully towards the end of the month). The machinations of moving home are achingly slow and utter torture for those of us that like to be in control (i.e. moi!), but at last things seem to be on the move (so to speak).  I had a lovely time at our SALE last Saturday. As ever, everyone was absolutely charming and so excited to get their hands on some fantastic fragrances at a bargain price! The weather was gorgeous - how strange that September turned out to be the loveliest month of the year - and I cleared up the garden and finally planted my poor camellias into the ground - they have been struggling in their pots for years and I decided it was time to stop torturing them and give them a chance to grow up!

Shop Now - Women's Cotton Pyjamas - £45.00

Chez RW, we have just taken delivery of a new collection of Pyjamas for men and women and Nightshirts for women. The weather is cooling and so scanty forms of sleepwear must finally be abandoned in favour of something cosy (and a little more modest!). We discovered some gorgeous cotton prints; a stunning chintz, with pink flowerheads, grey stems and green foliage has been trimmed with a contrasting soft green and delightful pom-pom trim along jacket cuffs and trouser hems. The jacket is fastened with fabric-covered buttons and the trousers have an elasticated drawstring waist for complete comfort! A very flattering, pale, peachy pink 'blossom' fabric features a similar trim and we also have this print in blue, again with pale green trimmings. It's a lovely collection that is replete with matching eye masks, to shut out light pollution (or to allow partners to read in bed!) so that one can remain perfectly accessorised, even in repose!

Shop Now - Women's Cotton Nightshirt - £32.99

For the first time this season we are also featuring women's nightshirts in the same three prints. The nightshirts have curved hems with side splits, fabric covered buttons, and contrasting pom-pom trims around the cuffs. They are perfect for those who find pyjamas a little restrictive and can even double-up as a pretty beach or pool cover up, so perfect packing for holidays!

Shop Now - Men's Cotton Pyjamas - Blue Striped - £49.95

For gentlemen, its classic blue stripes with contrasting trim, covered buttons and an elasticated waist, simple but dapper!

Shop Now - Giant Stoneware Mixing Bowl - £19.90

I spotted these huge (30cm/5.5 litre capacity!) mixing bowls at a recent London design show and couldn't get them out of my head. They reminded me of being a child and being allowed to eat the scrapings of cake mixture directly from the bowl as a special treat when my mother was baking (she no-longer lets me do this!) The company has been making quality baking accoutrement since 1899 and these stoneware bowls are available in the most beautiful colours - pale pink, pale blue, primrose yellow and indigo. I think that they are far too pretty to use solely for mixing, so intend to use mine for serving too - be great for spaghetti, noodle salad etc. I have the pale blue bowl on my dresser and it looks picture perfect!

Shop Now - Garlic Press With Cherry Stoner - £5.00

We recently came across a fantastic garlic press with a clever twist as it incorporates a cherry/olive pitter in the handle! Very useful and it saves on space in the drawer - why did nobody think of this before?!

Shop Now - Enamelled Citrus Press - £6.00

I am constantly on the look-out for effective juicers and our designer, Dusty ("as in Springfield"), brought this enamelled citrus press to my attention as she assures me that it is perfect for making Margaritas! I don't know about that, but it certainly does squeeze every last bit of juice from lemons/limes while keeping the pulp in place. Featuring long handles for easy squeezing, this design has a perforated base for pulp and pip free juice. Enamel doesn't really appreciate the dishwasher so please avoid, but they are so streamlined all that is required is a quick rinse under the tap!

The Sherpa Of Scent - Incense This week I thought that we might take a spiritual spin into the world of incense. These are my favourite notes and, if I had my way,  would be in pretty much everything, so choosing scents for this category has been particularly difficult. When incense is mentioned in relation to perfume, it generally refers to Frankincense, although it can encompass balsams and resins like Tolu and Styrax. The use of Frankincense (also known as Olibanum) in scent dates back thousands of years. It comes from the Boswellia trees (native to Somalia) which are carefully 'bled' for their resin 'tears'. It is believed that the Ancient Egyptians first used Frankincense (in fragrance form) to burn in their temples and also to cleanse bodies during the mummification process. The Romans imported thousands of tons from Arabia and it has been found in the 4th century caskets of wealthy Romans in Britain. Frankincense has been associated with spirituality and many religions since the 5th century and it was one of the gifts presented to the baby Jesus by the Magi. The origin of this connection is unclear - it may be symbolic and the smoke from burning incense represents prayers floating up to heaven, however there is also scientific evidence that the 'incensole acetate' contained in Frankincense may elevate mood - ie it causes mild euphoria! I am not intimating that officiants through the ages have been high (the effect is only one tenth as strong as Valium) but the ancients would, most probably, have been in a very good mood!

Shop Now - St Giles - The Writer (EdP) 100ml - £130.00

When creating 'The Writer' for my St Giles collection I had such a wonderful time finding the perfect Frankincense to team with the bitter green rosemary. For me, the scent is calming and beatific as well as imparting a general feeling of wellbeing (which we now know is actually a chemical reaction in the brain!). The rosemary improves memory recall by an average of 19% instantly and the Frankincense makes one feel calm and happy, so what's not to love? A great Frankincense resin smells like spiced earth, quite dark and waxy with a hint of pine and camphor (which hits one's nose high up across the bridge). Contemplative, uplifting and, to my mind, filled with joy, here are some of my favourites:

Shop Now - D.S & Durga - Mississipi Medicine (EdP) 50ml - £148.00

'Mississippi Medicine' from D.S. & Durga has a wonderfully gothic charisma, with smoky, birch tar and white spruce that float eerily over a luminous base of incense and cypress root. it is innately glamorous and one can imagine wearing it (and something suitably chic) in the French Quarter of New Orleans!

Shop Now - Sana Jardin - Incense Water (EdP) 50ml - £95.00

Sana Jardin's latest scent 'Incense Water' was an instant hit at RW. The timeless beauty of incense is softened to a whisper, using angular, bright notes of bergamot and raspberry leaf at the top, the fantastic Moroccan May rose (this is slightly sweeter than its sisters) and rosewater at the heart over a divine base of sandalwood, patchouli and musk. This is an anointed, breath of fresh air - lovely, light and, oddly, not really very floral. It has a honeyed, sunshine quality and I was enamoured from the first spritz.

Shop Now - Paul Schütze - Tears of Eros (EdP) 50ml - £95.00

Paul Schutze's 'Tears Of Eros' is one of my favourites and references a night when the artist was working in his Paris studio. Embers of incense from Sanju Sangendo in Kyoto lay amongst discarded clementine skins, a potted hyacinth just in bloom stood on the artist’s desk a draft from the open window wrapped the smells in a chilly embrace. Perfumer Paul Schütze eschews the traditional perfume making pyramid in favour of a layered artwork, a gently building story. Intellectual and esoteric - J’adore!

Shop Now - Abel - Grey Labdanum (EdP) 50ml - £118.00

'Grey Labdanum' is a natural perfume from Abel. Labdanum is a sticky brown resin derived for the Mediterranean Rock Rose. Alone, it smells slightly animalic with a subtle sweetness that is almost fruity and with quite an intense leathery note. Here, a hint of grapefruit and violet open this cool labdanum-rich fragrance where dark incense and ambergris collide!

Shop Now - Jorum Studio - Arborist (EdP) 30ml - £84.00

Finally (and I could go on for hours!) we have 'Arborist' from Jorum Studio in Scotland. This is a wild, pagan number with an ingredient list that reads like something from a book of spells; Papyrus, Mugwort, Rose Absolute, Tuberose, Myrrh Absolute, Spruce Resin, Douglas Fir, Labdanum, Jatamansi, Malt, Lichen - the only thing missing is the 'tongue of newt'! This speaks of ancient forests and really transports the wearer. There is something primeval here - naturalistic but full of energy and excitement.

Shop Now - Histoires de Parfums - Olympia, Music Hall (EdP) 60ml - £95.00

Oh... just one more, indulge me! The famous Olympia Music Hall, located in the heart of Paris, was built by Bruno Coquatrix and went on to become instrumental in shaping the careers of the illustrious artists that walked its stage. Edith Piaf, The Beatles, David Bowie; the hall has played host to countless musicians and artists, and Histoires de Parfums have sought to capture the inimitable atmosphere of the historic venue with this scintillating scent; Histoires de Parfum's - 'Olympia, Music Hall'. Bold and vibrant on the opening thanks to a trifecta of premium citruses, the fragrance takes on a spicy character from saffron and black pepper in the heart before coming to rest against a backdrop of evocative incense and patchouli.  As you can imagine, having just re-acquainted myself with all of these fragrances I am now grinning like a Cheshire cat! If anyone wants a favour - now is the time to ask! My birthday falls this week (I am a lovely Libran), but it will be a low-key affair as the GD is on-call and there is so much going on at the moment that I am not particularly inspired. It is not a big one (just 39 again!), and a moving date is all that I would really like to wish for!   We have dinner with some dear friends this evening (all planned and practised) and have booked to see the Bond movie tomorrow - I haven't been to the cinema since the start of the pandemic but thought that Daniel Craig's last outing may be just the thing for a rainy afternoon! Then home for a cocktail (shaken not stirred), strictly as an 'homage' you understand!! Wishing you all a wonderful week ahead. I am taking to Instagram for the first time, so wish me luck and I may see you @roullierwhite! My very best wishes, Michael x

Copyright © *2017* *Roullier White LTD*, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: 125 Lordship Lane East Dulwich London SE22 8HU Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list