£15.50 each: the first in the world to be certified organic (by
the Soil Association) from this Cornwall-based family company
who also make wonderful beauty products. There's a scent for
Bathrooms and for Work but we love the Home fragrance, a romantic
zoosh of rose, ylang-ylang, sweet orange and vetiver. Perfect
for banishing that morning-after-the-party-before smokiness,
too.
We like to make up 'spa baskets' for girlfriends, with lots
of aromatic indulgences, ayate scrub cloths for bodies (made
from a terrifically exfoliating fibre, and available at places
like Body Shop), and various natural treats which we make ourselves
if we've time (lots of recipes in our new book). This year,
we're a bit pushed - so we'll be including treats from the new
organic skincare range by Neal's
Yard (also certified by the Soil Association), like their
luxurious Rose & Almond Night Cream £15.75, Violet Day Cream
£14.75 and Melissa Hand Cream £9.75.
We're fully paid up members of the Superbalm fan club - the
most effective softener of rough patches ever - and, for the party season, this glitzy product is a must for slicking
over lippie and all around your face really.
We love Simply Soaps'
all-natural soaps - available in sizes from 100g, affordably
priced from just £1.80 so they make great stocking fillers.
Because the glycerine hasn't been removed (unlike in most soap-making),
they're very moisturising - and the scents we love best are
Geranium & Rose Petals, Cedarwood and Sweet Orange Musk.
The first fragrance from one of our favourite aromatherapy brands:
all-natural, it's inspired by a 400-year-old recipe, and is
a woodsy fusion of perfect cinnamon, nutmeg, patchouli, sandalwood
and frankincense with an aromatic hint of sage and rosemary.
The fragrance equivalent of wrapping yourself in a velvet throw...
at £50. Exclusive to Liberty
and Harvey Nichols
in London, Leeds and Edinburgh.
Gorgeous scented candles are always a hit.Trouble is, it's hard to tell just from sniffing the
wax whether they'll smell lush enough.Some that we've given - to rave reviews - include aromatic
Baies, delicious Jasmine and sensual Rose all by Diptyque £27.50,
which you'll find at Space
NK and Liberty,
any of the (refillable) Aveda candles, £19 in glass holder and
£11 for refill, and Casablanca Lily from Ormonde
Jayne, £29, which smells exactly as if you'd filled your
house with flowers and burns evenly for 40 hours.If you're on a budget, Oxfam have scented candles in
pretty tea glasses for just £3.99.We've just invested in Mulled Fruit, a blend
of orange and cloves, which promise to burn for 25 hours.Bargain!
Mitsouko by Guerlain
The most romantic fragrance ever, inspired by the tale of
a wartime love affair; warm, peachy, seductive. This is costly
(but worth every penny) so for very special friends. Perfume
8 ml £65, eau de toilette, 50 ml £39.50, 30 ml £26.
