Beauty Bible Weekend Steal: Roger & Gallet Jean Marie-Farina Cologne treats

What a lovely line-up to find in your bathroom, as Jo did the other day at a sensational ‘Scented Sleepover’ event.

And quite aside from being the wake-up call that our senses need at the mo, to haul us out of the doldrums, Jean-Marie Farina Cologne is also blessed with the most fascinating backstory – because this is the original Eau de Cologne.

So, its roots… Born in 1685 in northern Italy, Jean-Marie Farina (originally Giovanni) later settled in Cologne. There, in the early 18th century, he composed a radically different fragrance water built around bright citrus, herbs and flowers rather than the heady musks, animalics and resins favoured at court. Zesty, zingy, blow-away-the-cobwebs ingredients included bergamot, lemon and orange, and he named it Eau de Cologne, in honour of his adopted city.

It was a massive hit, rapidly becaming a pan‑European obsession, worn by royalty, generals and writers. Today, little changed, it’s timeless, fresh, wearable anywhere and everywhere – really, the crisp white shirt of Colognes. We’ve always loved to splash liberally, but now there are layerable options, to the Cologne lingers a little longer on skin: a fabulous Soap, Shower Gel(which leaves skin feeling clean, not squeaky) – and most recently, a fab swivel-up Deodorant Stick, which has, er, been freshening up our pits nicely.

And we say: eau, yes!

Roger & Gallet Jean-Marie Farina Deodorant Stick/£12 – buy here

Roger & Gallet Jean-Marie Farina Shower Gel/£9.75 for 200ml – buy here

Roger & Gallet Jean-Marie Farina Perfumed Soap/£7.75 – buy here

Also… slightly less of a beauty steal, but so, so fresh, the Cologne itself: Roger & Gallet Jean-Marie Farina Eau de Cologne Spray/£39.95 – buy here