The Natural Perfumers Guild: Outlaw Perfume Project - A Natural Perfumers Guild Artistic Statement

The Natural Perfumers Guild: Outlaw Perfume Project - A Natural Perfumers Guild Artistic Statement

All that needs to be said is on the blog entry that this link takes you to - indulge in and enjoy perfumery.

My Chanel: the three Cristalles

I've written before that my mother's signature fragrance is Chanel No5, my best friend's is Chanel No19, and my sister sometimes wears Coco. I have flirted with Coco, buying a bottle of it when it first launched from Harvey Nichols - out on a shopping mission in my lunch break. It was the first bottle of perfume I ever bought myself and at 21 it felt a very grown-up thing to do. I eschewed Cristalle as a younger woman as too watery, too much like the aquatics that flooded the perfume market. Now, my tastes have changed and just as I got to the point when I thought I'd not find a Chanel fragrance for me, I've tried Cristalle again because of the launch of Eau Verte and have become obsessed by it in all its three forms: the classic eau de toilette, eau de parfum and Eau Verte - I'll even have the body lotion!

Vetivert Essential Oil

Vetivert is a scented grass indigenous to India and Sri Lanka. The essential oil is distilled from the roots and its fragrance is deep and smoky, but blended with a base of oil, or alcohol, it develops lemony overtones. In modern perfumery Vetivert is used as a base note and fixative, and the essential oil is excellent for skincare.

Vetivert roots have been used for fragrance in India for thousands of years and in Indian means 'Oil of Tranquility'. It has a deeply relaxing effect when used in baths and for massage.

Eau de Cologne

Traditionally eau de cologne is made from essential oils such as Bergamot, Neroli, Lavender and Rosemary, or Thyme, and often with citrus oils. These refreshing aromatic preparations date from the eighteenth century and this genre of perfumery takes its name from the city of Cologne, where it was manufactured by Johann-Maria Farina and called 'Kolnisches Wasser'. Over time many variations of colognes have continued to be developed. Chanel's Eau de Cologne is a classic and Guerlain's Eau de Guerlain is a citrus masterpiece. Perfumerie Generale's Cologne de Grand Siecle is made using only ingredients that were available to eighteenth-century perfumers and will appeal to history purists and lovers of natural perfumery.

Luca Turin and Tania Sanchez in Perfumes: the A-Z Guide recommend those by Institut Tres Bien, which myth has it were made from family recipes, unfortunately this company has gone out of business. The role of a cologne is, to quote Luca Turin: 'one of life's absolute necessities, perfume for when you don't feel like perfume, before going to bed, to splash on your kids after the bath and introduce them to life's finer pleasures, etc.. In short, cologne is a cleanser for the soul.'

Neroli essential oil

Neroli essential oil is obtained from the flowers of the bitter, or Seville, orange. It has a hauntingly beautiful fragrance, even in small quantities, and is a key ingredient in classic eau de colognes.

Neroli is used in aromatherapy for treating states of anxiety and insomnia. It is particularly valuable in skincare because it stimulates skin cell growth and it can be use for all skin types, especially sensitive. Neroli is an expensive essential oil but prized because it is elegant and efficacious; it can generally be used safely in pregnancy, and in treatments to help prevent stretchmarks.

Essentials: Jojoba oil

Jojoba oil (Simmondsia chinensis) is the liquid wax produced from the seed of the Jojoba plant, a shrub found in southern Arizona, southern California and northwestern Mexico. I first discovered its superlative use in skincare with the Bodyshop's Jojoba moisturiser in the early 1980s; not a product they make any more - I just checked! It has an excellent affinity with human skin because its composition is very like that of sebum, this doesn't sound sexy but trust me it is important in the long run making Jojoba oil beneficial in skincare.

Jojoba oil makes a fine natural moisturiser for all skin types, and especially for sensitive skins, because of its chemical similarity to sebum it penetrates skin easily and is able to nourish, soften and protect skin without clogging pores. Mystric acid, a common saturated fatty acid, is a component of the oil that ensures good aborption through the skin and its plant wax component mimics skin's collagen helping to keep skin firm, smooth and youthful looking. Its benefits make it suitable for use with dry, itchy skin conditions, oily and acne-prone skins, damaged hair, scalp conditions, shaving rash, heat rash, and infant skincare. It has a natural spf 5 and contains vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, and is very rich in vitamin E, an excellent skincare factor, as well as providing it with longevity and a relatively long shelf life without added preservatives. Its shelf life is 2-3 years, rather than the months of other carrier oils and rancidity is rarely a concern.

Uses: as a face and body moisturiser, removes eye makeup and mascara while strengthening eyelashes and conditioning the skin, as a summer hair oil which at the same time provides the scalp with a natural spf 5.

Postscript: the techy bits above are important (so don't switch-off at 'sebum', 'mystric acid' or 'plant wax') and this is where I believe modern science is at its best - telling us how things work and why they work. I have A-levels in Physics, Chemistry and Zoology, as well as English Literature, which I specialised in later, so this comes from the heart. For me the problem is the commercial applications of applied science in the cosmetic industry and the resulting exploitative prices for jars of cream that do no more than further myths of eternal youth. What's wrong with a wrinkle and a life well lived?

Teenage Kicks: The Body Shop

The second ever branch of The Body Shop opened in Reading just six months after Anita Roddick opened her first shop in Brighton in 1976. It was a mecca for the teenage girls of Reading. Beautifully fragrant,it was oddly juxtaposed with the infamous fresh fish vendors of Union Street, or 'Smelly Alley' as it is fondly known, but alternative emporiums abounded - in another we bought Liberty dungarees in advance of The Dexy's Midnight Runner look. The 50ml small bottles were pocket-money affordable and I yearned for the seemingly extravagent litre bottles: unperfumed foaming bath oil and body lotion to which you had added the fragrance of your choice from a cornucopia of bottles; coconut oil shampoo, coconut soap, cucumber cleansing lotion and jojoba moisturiser. They were all basically packaged, environmentally aware, with the signature round, handwritten labels.

Anita Roddick's own story is on http://www.anitaroddick.com/aboutanita.php

Teenage Kicks: Mary Quant

As a teenager I worked in Boots on a Saturday as a general assistant for the cosmetic and perfumery counters. The Mary Quant counter was the greatest lure for me and I can catalogue the play-pretties, with their iconic daisy motifs, that I persistently bought until they were no more.In the round, clear glass bottles of nail varnish the vibrant colours shone out. My favourites were 'Bloody Mary' and 'Black Cherry'. I also got through many a tube of 'Nutshine', a neutral lipgloss, and tubes of the sheer red 'Cranberry' lipstick. A makeup style I have really not changed, although I gave up the thick pencils of black kohl and mascara when I got contact lenses - it was easier to get my eyelashes dyed.

I wear glasses again now and I've added tinted moisturiser and mineral face powder to my repertoire. Those Saturdays on the Mary Quant counter echo on with cosmetics from Dr. Hauschka, Lush and Lily Lolo I buy now. My preferred palette changes very little from the dark nails and easy on the lip, with sheer purple-black lipstick and dark green, purple and blue nail varnishes turning up in my makeup bag.

Retro Kicks: The American Cosmetic Industry 1945

The Marie Laurencin, 1934, portrait of Helena Rubenstein (Helena Rubenstein Foundation) signposts the massive US industrialisation of the cosmetic industry, which this You Tube clip documents:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62m17iJUBeA&feature=player_embedded#!

For some reason the above should be a hyperlink but it doesn't work like that, so cut and paste into your browser -

The 'scientific' approach to beauty used the contemporary technological advances but ultimately nothing changed the 'family' recipes of Rubenstein, Czasky, Lazlo, Lubatti and the ultimate rising star of Estee Lauder - European emigres who needed to make a living. What they knew was not new but they were extremely clever in the way they recast what they knew.

See the book Lipstick Wars, by Lindy Woodhead.

Teenage Kicks: Goya Aqua Manda

For the just teenage me this was the apotheosis of fragrance: the decline of Biba and Quant, the cusp of punk to come - rich and difficult compared to the crisp lemony scents also around, and more intriguing than Charlie and Smitty. It has left me with longing for I never had the money to possess it.

Now in The Green Beauty Bible Jo Wood's Amka is described as reminiscent of Aqua Manda, a long lost Goya fragrance, but I think I need to get me some.

My Essentials: Body Cream

After a scrub in the bath there is the pleasure of massaging in an ungent and my favourite to date is Goodworks' Good As Gold body cream. It smells wonderful, I think it's the orange oil and over time you will see a bit of a theme here. There's ylang ylang as well and that's another fragrance I'm partial to with its pungent, dark floral smell - the indoles I guess, I love jasmine too and that's the dominant note in the blend of essential oils I'm using in my facial oil. It also left my skin softer than I have felt it in a long time.

There are other body creams I'd use again: Aveda's Replenishing Body Moisturiser, Retro Lush's Potion, although I'm trying Lush's Creme Anglaise at the moment - this has orange in it too - and I have a pot of ELH Soaps (http://www.elhsoaps.co.uk/) body cream lined up in my bathroom cabinet.

A bit of fun from Channel 4 - courtesy of The Bloomsbury Bluestocking

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-lady-and-the-revamp/4od#304865

My Essentials: Skincare (continued)

As I said two blogs ago we all need sunblock and vitamin C, as well as cleasing and moisturiser:

I've liked Weleda sun lotion, Paul & Joe sun filter/primer (now discontinued) - that worked really well with a lick of bronzing powder (again Paul & Joe's has been my favourite to date)and Aveda tinted moisturiser. I'm currently using Bobbie Brown's tinted balm but it's not a patch on the Aveda. I'd like to make a special mention for Philosophy's Supernatural as sun protection and foundation.

For cheap and cheerful vitamin C, Sainsbury's Defend! isn't too harsh or sickly - I get the effervescent tablets and get one of my eight glasses of water a day - but Solgar supplements, or Neal's Yard, are among my favourites for a really good quality, buffered product and with these I indulge in my weakness for bottled, sparkling water even though I have a filter on my kitchen tap!

But just now I'm off to watch the final episode of Skins...

My Essentials: A Damn Good Scrub in the Bath

A Damn Good Scrub in the Bath - for me it consists of an excellent bath or/and shower gel, with the scrubbing implement of choice: Japanese wash cloth, ayate mitt, loofah, etc., and a big tub of hot water. I have a very large and old enamel bath tub (it came with the house)and a man of six feet plus will be comfortable in it.

As I've said before I like a soak in oils, but sometimes you just want to slough, and I keep coming back to Lush's 'Tramp' showergel - it's all that patchouli. Patchouli is a big thing for me; the first fragranced product I spent serious money on at 18 was a 3 bar box of Crabtree and Evelyn Patchouli soap in a shop in Little Clarendon Street, Oxford. The smell, not hippy - too balanced, and the packaging, Art Nouveau and Rousseau-esque with it's nearly navy background and wild, lurid foliage, was to me in 1979 sublime.

And, back to scrubbing, soaking in oils is opulent and exquisite in its own way but sometimes the non-conformist relish of excoriation is hard to beat. It has to be followed by a good body cream and my favourite to date is the Goodworks big tub from Boots - it really does leave your skin feeling like velvet.

My Essentials: Skincare

I've been obssessed with skincare from my early teens: from Boots No.17 orange flower range, Clinique, Clarins and Shiseido to Aveda. I've tried many others and my search has always been for a minimal, effective routine - I even hum and ha about eye treatments. Many times I've listed the essentials and repeatedly produced the same list: cleanser, exfoliator, moisturiser, sun protection and vitamin C. I have a few additions that creep in and out such as toner and eye treatments. I don't do masks, too much pfaffing, and they end up sitting in my bathroom cabinet - I want to get washed, dressed and on with the day.

I came around to making my own natural skincare from an interest in aromatherapy and natural perfumery. Encouraged by a friend who had already started making her own natural toiletries, I've voyaged through books and websites, and experimented on my kitchen table. Curiously enough my research has culminated with the lynch-pin to my regime being a toner/exfoliator based on orange flower water in an unintentional homage to my first flirtations with cleansing, toning and moisturising.

The Boots No.17 orange flower range of the 1970s had opaque plastic bottles with orange caps, and swirling orange floral designs printed around the bottles. Orange was the colour of N0.17 in the 1970s: mascaras in orange and white tubes with Art Nouveau inspired detailing, just like the black and yellow packaging of Mary Quant's Special Receipe skincare.

I've also put together a blend of essential oils that not only address my skincare concerns, but should suit all skin types, and I've enlisted my friends and family to try my toner and a face oil. The face oil is made with this blend of essential oils, along with jojoba and wheatgerm oil. I've focused on balancing patches of dryness and oiliness, cell renewal and the dreaded signs of aging - but that's where the vitamin C and sunblock come in.

Essence extrait

'Extrait' is the working title of the first fragrance I have made for myself. I wanted to make the scent of incense, or resins, burnt in an Ancient Greek temple. It is austere - a surprise, as I thought the element of sacrifice in the use of incense would be redolent of devastation. It is far from that and intellectual rather than emotional.

I can't quite remember when the ancient world began to intrigue me but I do remember browsing the old wooden shelves of Caversham Library's children's library for stories of Greece and Rome. Later at university I took classics in my first year, but not a classical language which I have since regretted. I should have studied Greek and I could lost myself more thoroughly in the world that fascinates me so much.

I have a longterm fascination with lotions and potions as well and dreamed of my own personal scents, but the ancient world began to creep back into my ideas after a dream my husband had in which he said my name was Sibylline. Now this is name to give me a lot to think about ...

My Essentials: Shampoo and Conditioner

I have tried many shampoos and conditioners and my all-time favourites remain Aveda's Shampure shampoo and conditioner, in litre bottles with pumps they are at their most cost effective. They leave hair tangle-free, shiny and gloriously scented and I've found nothing else as lovely to use. The fragrance comes as a scented candle as well, and can be added to Aveda's custom blends.

I defect regularly: to try other products recommended in magazines, or to try something cheaper. So I've spent more and I've spent less but I'm always disappointed and tell myself never to stray again. Most recently I've tried Natural Locks and I won't be buying these products again because they did not properly cleanse my hair and the conditioner has not been very effective at detangling. Recently,snowed-in in Hampshire I've bought Boots Botanics locally and have yet to form a conclusion.

My Essentials: Bath Oil

Bath oil is perfect for mornings when I lie in the bath coming round - the ultimate transistion from bed to waking. I'm not a morning person and I've not time for soap and body cream on a working morning, so bath oil gives me time to wallow and keep my skin moisturised. I used to use baby oil but now my preference is for aromatherapeutic dispersable oils and I'm planning to start making my own when I run out of purchased ones. I do like big imposing bottles lined up by the bath and I dream of a colossal glass flacons containing my own personal, perfect ones.