Fun In Ferring, Arachnophobia, l'Herboristeries, Au Revoir E. Coudray, Designer Dotty, Lombok's Finest, MI6 Style & The Sherpa Of Scent - Woods!

 

Fun In Ferring, Arachnophobia, l'Herboristeries, Au Revoir E. Coudray, Designer Dotty, Lombok's Finest, MI6 Style & The Sherpa Of Scent - Woods! Good Morning, I hope that you are all feeling tip-top?  I certainly am as it has been quite a week of contrasts ! Ferring was amazing - gorgeous views from the terrace across the croquet lawn to the sea. There's nothing like an uninterrupted horizon to really make one feel relaxed. The swimming pool was warm and reviving and our hosts were incredibly gracious, so a good time (and several cocktails) was had by all!  I could have stayed for weeks, but duty called for both of us and I hared back to London for a trade show at Olympia. I decided to drive, for two reasons; the first was that, to be honest, Friday's experience on the Tube during rush hour was rather frightening, and secondly, if one attends a great design exhibition, one walks away with a great many catalogues and they are heavy!  So, I arose at 6am and set off, full of excitement and optimism, only to discover that the NCP carpark attached to Olympia (that I have been using for 30 years!), is currently being converted into a Hotel! I had to drive to Westfield Shopping Centre to park and then walk. Obviously, this was my mistake as I should have double checked, however it did colour the journey and then the show was very disappointing. Nothing new and exciting really and, all-in-all, rather underwhelming. And so, I dusted myself off and have spent the rest of the week searching out some really outstanding newness for the season. I have gorgeous candlesticks, ceramics, velvet bathrobes (glorious!), exquisite throws and so much more, all winging their way to East Dulwich! One must simply rise to the occasion! I have also found the most delightful scarf designer in Devon and look forward to introducing her in a few weeks......once the weather turns! Shop Now - Mrs White's Leg It - Natural Spider Repellent - 250ml - £15.00 Speaking of which, my first action of the new week was to spray my home from top-to-bottom with Leg-It! As you will not doubt have noticed, there are spiders everywhere at the moment and they are enormous! Now I am not normally particularly bothered by spiders, although I think that spinning webs overnight at face-height all along my garden path is fairly rude. I always forget and get a face-full of web each morning!   I was watching television on Monday evening (an excellent documentary about the caves beneath Malta with Bettany Hughes) when the largest spider that I have ever seen emerged from behind the sofa! It was a villainous looking creature that I could have placed a saddle on and was quite aggressive. I tried to reason with it to no avail, and there was a stand-off with a saucepan (it would not have fitted into a jam-jar!). Horrid, and experience tells me that this is the week that arachnids start moving indoors. This is fine, but they need to find a nice potting shed and not hole up in my den for the winter - especially if they are the size of a tarantula! I have sprayed every windowsill and every skirting board and am feeling much better (although I do still glance warily behind the sofa now and again!). Shop Now - Mrs White's Scented Candles - £32.00 We have our scented candles back in stock. Lawrence created them so I am somewhat biased, but I do think that the scents are stunning. Besides the legendary 'September In Sicily', returning to our shelves are the classic 'Rose Arbour' and the fresh, Arcadian 'Les Aromes de l'Herboristeries' (which uses our secret 'Forest' blend, along with lavender, bergamot, cardamon and rose geranium). I have been burning the latter all this week and am now hopelessly addicted!   Shop Now - E. Coudray Collection - Items From £20.00 We did receive some sad news this week - E. Coudray, one of my favourite perfume houses, will be withdrawing from the market, temporarily, to reformulate the collection. For those unfamiliar with the brand, it is one of the original 5 Perfume Houses that were recognised as such by King Louis XVIII in 1822 (Roger & Gallet was another). Edmund Coudray was a physician and chemist and began making ointments and soaps, but news of his perfume prowess quickly spread and he became a supplier to most of the European Courts, including that of Queen Victoria. I love this collection - the bel epoque jars and deco bottles speak of great style and many of the fragrances are classics, from Rose Tubéreuse to the gourmand 'Vanille et Coco'. The foaming bath moussant is exquisite - a cleanser, moisturiser and fragrance all in one - and I adore the concept of being perfumed all over! We have purchased all of the remaining stock but once it is gone, that will be that, and who know what the future holds? Shop Now - Milanese Glass - Dot Glasses - Set of 6 - £39.00 Also back on the shelves (after a little lull!) are our modernist Dot Glasses from Italy, a collection of six tumblers each bearing a different coloured glass spot. Very chic indeed, and we use them for pretty much everything from water to wine! Shop Now - Black Casserole Dish - From £35.00 I know that it may seem a little early to talk casseroles, but ours (made on the Island of Lombok) are so much more. Not only are they statuesque beauties(!) but they can be used on the hob to make anything from risotto to curry or go into the oven to make stews/casseroles or what you will. Finally, take them straight to the table as they look lovely and will keep contents piping-hot, ready for seconds!  It did take me a few tries to understand the way that the clay disperses the heat (amazing physics btw - it disperses evenly so that there are no hot spots) but now I use it all of the time for a myriad of different dishes. There is a large one - we have this as it is handy for entertaining - as well as a smaller size which makes a very generous dinner for two. Shop Now - Barbecue Set - 18 Piece Stainless Steel - £62.00 Also making a very welcome return is our 007 BBQ case with all the accoutrement (18 pieces in stainless steel) that you will ever need. It comes in a secret agent attaché case(!), this time in a very sleek black.  I know that it is towards the end of the BBQ season, however it is still warm, plus we get a lot of feedback from our customers on this piece and are told that it makes a great gift for the gentleman who has everything! Team it with the BBQ Bible and I completely agree! For this week's Sherpa Of Scent, I have decided to review 'Woods'. Obviously, this is more of an umbrella term than an ingredient, although it does tends to refer to Cedarwood and Sandalwood - two of the most popular notes in fragrance. They are quite similar in terms of scent and blend well together so are often used in unison, however if one smells them separately, Cedar has a slightly camphorous aroma with a hint of earthy balsamic. Sandalwood is warm, smooth and slightly sweet. Cedar is an evergreen tree and the essential oil is extracted from the leaves while with Sandalwood (which are deciduous trees) the oil is gathered from chips and billets of the heartwood. Together they form a dynamic duo that bring depth, heat and power to some of my favourite fragrances and these notes are particularly lovely to wear in autumn through to winter as they have both staying power and the ability to wrap the wearer in olfactory thermals! Shop Now - Ramon Monegal - Dry Wood (EdP) 50ml - £130.00 First up we have 'Dry Wood' by Ramon Monegal - this is in my fragrance wardrobe and one of those scents that I get complimented on! The slightly dusty dryness speaks of sunshine - you can almost smell the rays! - and this fragrance contains cedar and sandalwood with amber so it is terrifically cosy. The moss and bay leaf add a hint of green and there is a touch of genius with the inclusion of satureja, an aromatic plant from North Africa (related to rosemary and thyme) that you may have come across as it is an ingredient in the spice mix Za'atar.  Shop Now - Jorum Studio - Medullary-Ray (EdP) 30ml - £84.00 Jorum Studios' 'Medullary Ray' contains a plethara of woods, from the aforementioned cedar and sandalwoods, to guaiac and birch. The title refers to the cellular structure of some woods and the young, Scottish nose describes his work as "rays of Tuscan springtime glint between the strokes of the woodworker's plane" which I think is the perfect description!  All this with fig leaf, cardamom, olive and juniper conjuring summer sun. Shop Now - D.S. & Durga - Bowmakers (EdP) 50ml - £148.00 Another fragrance that has earned its place in my bathroom is 'Bowmakers' from D.S. & Durga. This is the smell of the violin-makers workshop ( yes, it's that specific!) and smells of wood shavings and spiced tree resin. The woods here are spectacular (well we are speaking of one of the most talented perfumers on the planet!), with mahogany, maplewood, cypress and cedar, glossed with violin varnish.  A virtuoso performance! Shop Now - Eight & Bob - Egypt (EdP) 100ml - £140.00 Sandalwood is not the 'star' in Eight & Bob's 'Egypt' but is certainly the 'best supporting' ingredient and, in my opinion, gives the scent its distinctive personality. Full of Middle-Eastern promise, this fragrant distillation contains lemon and nutmeg, basil and cardamom( are you salivating yet?) plus an absolutely gorgeous sandalwood/patchouli/amber/leather base. Richly spiced and aromatic, 'Egypt' conjures the cradle of civilisation. Shop Now - Kerosene - Wood Haven (EdP) 100ml - £165.00 And finally.........'Wood Haven' from Kerosene. I bought this for my best friend as it is sublime and I shall let the nose describe it himself! "What would happen if you dropped your spice rack onto a dry wood pile in the middle of a grapefruit orchard? The citruses would dance with the spices, and the spices would court the trees until the wood dried out and became alone and forgotten. This fragrance takes the marriage of notes above the norm as citrus, spices and wood are infused into a tangy, peppery way of life.". There, isn't that a lovely image?! Today is the GD's birthday and I can't mention the gift for obviously reasons - you will have to wait until next week! With all of the moving shenanigans, a pared-down approach was requested, so we have dinner booked locally and are going to take it easy - well the Good Doctor is going to take it easy and I am going to be catering to every whim! To be honest, we are at that stage when we just want it all to be over, however our solicitors are on the case and we are assured that 'it won't be too long now'. If I mention moving ever again you must write and remind me ! Have a smashing w/e! My best as always, Michaelx

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