Favourites.... repeat performances guaranteed!

Of all my experiments the fragrance, Demeter, that I have blended from bergamot, patchouli, frankincense, clary sage, and benzoin essential oils: and used in a bath and body oil has proved most popular. Its my favourite, as I love all the essential oils included and it has proved the most liked by my friends as well.

I've also been delighted that the Neroli facial exfoliant I make has incurred repeat requests from everyone that has received a pot. it's still going to turn up in Christmas stockings!

I've more experiments to try out - that lip balm has to get a little softer; I'm after a consistency similar to MACs lip softener; I want to get proper rectangular moulds for soap (so much more rewarding than silicon loaf pans); and I'm still trying out blends for a facial serum.

Fresh-faced: a simple skincare reminder for the New Year

This is what the Compleat Beau should have remembered all along:
1. cleanse
2. moisturise
3. protect/sunblock
4. exfoliate
5. vitamin C


I'm busy reminding myself that it is this simple for the New Year in an endeavour not to be seduced by the fanciful and the complicated. Amongst my long-term favourites are Origins Clean Energy cleansing oil, Aveda exfoliator (evening only)and Weleda almond oil and creams for when all is dehydrated and complaining. I like moisturisers, tinted moisturisers and foundations with spfs for protection - the sunblock with the vitamin C will do your anti-aging as well as anything, and the real wonder products are those you return to again and again.

Makeup is a whole lot of fun, having given up contact lenses I'm planning on giving smudgy eye-liners a go again, neither can the power of an occasional beauty spot be underestimated.

Eric Ravillious

I covet all things Ravillious and have done for years and it is pleasurable to have small satisfactions by buying gift cards and visiting the Allen Gallery in Alton to gaze on their Wedgewood Collection - they have a lovely tea shop as well. In the meantime I put pennies in my piggy bank and save for a plate, or a mug.

Teenage kicks redux

Crabtree & Evelyn's Patchouli soap was the first fragranced, and on my allowance expensive, purchase I made for myself. It was a revelation of how classy patchouli can be, rather than honky and mixed up with the pee-like smell of the hippie shop in 1970s Reading. I kept the empty boxes as decoration because of the lush Douanier Rousseau-inspired design work.

Patchouli: my long-time love affair

Patchouli is a plant native to Malaysia and now cultivated in countries with similar climates, such as the West Indies.The essential oil has a hot, pungent and lingering smell - with an animal quality to it. it is used as a fixative in perfumery because of its lasting smell and it has a long history; the paisley shawls of eighteenth and nineteenth-century Britain arrived from India smelling of the patchouli used to deter moths in transit and this added to its popularity in fragrances. It is also a very useful essential oil for skincare. It is both anti-inflammatory and a cell-regenerator which makes it useful in treating various skin conditions. In aromatherapy it is used to treat anxiety and depression, particularly stress-related conditions.

Garden of the Hesperides: a brief history of citrus

Greek mythology created the metaphor of the Garden of the Hesperides. The Hesperides were the goddesses of the evening and the golden light of sunset. They were entrusted with the care of the tree of the golden fruit, oftentimes called apples but thought to be citrus, which was first presented to the goddess Hera by Gaia (the earth goddess) on her wedding day. Herakles was sent to fetch the apples as one of his twelve labours, and upon slaying the serpent, stole the precious fruit. However, Athena later returned them to the Hesperides. The fruits preciousness id also emphasised by it being The Apple of Discord in the story of Paris, Helen and the downfall of Troy.

After the conquests of Alexander the Great citrus trees and fruits were increasingly grown around the Mediterranean as Greek colonists introduced them to new areas. The earliest evidence of citrus has been found in excavations in Mesopotamia dating from 4000BC. Mesopotamia lay between the Euphrates and Tigris rivers and encompassed parts of modern Syria and Iraq. It was conquered by Alexander about 332BC.

On the Iberian Peninsula the citrus fruits arrived with the Roman legions and their cultivation was furthered by the subsequent Arab, or Moorish, rule. The Moorish rule lasted for several centuries and had a huge civilising influence with the transmission of literature, science and maths. Their territory was know as al-Andalus, which though heavily fortified against the Christians in the north, engaged in commerce and cultural exchange with its neighbours. Amongst the Moors were the Berbers from North Africa who bought their irrigation techniques, still in use, and their crops: citrus, olives, grape vines and wheat. Later the Spanish took the citron to the Americas where later large, commercial citrus orchards were cultivated in California from the mid, to late, nineteenth century.

Over time citrus developed religious significance for Jews and Christians because its abundance in Winter signified survival and God's abundance at the Festival of the Tabernacles and Christmas respectively. Religion, however, was not the only force in cultural history, the other was economics because the citrus fruits were coveted delicacies; they feature in cookbooks from the Middle Ages onwards, but they were also coveted for their fragrance.The bergamot orange provides a good example of the trade in citrus fragrances. It is a bitter orange whose aromatic peel is used for both cologne and Earl Grey tea.

Experimenting: successes, obsessions and expensive mistakes

Mistakes: my most pongy and expensive mistake to date - and I'm sure they'll be more in time - has been a whole litre of vetiver liquid soap that just made us all feel sick and ended up being thrown away. I seriously overdid the vetiver and didn't get the smell of clean that I was after. A good lesson in less is more. I've made mediocre eau de parfums and colognes, face toners that went off and face oils that weren't good for me because I diagnosed my skin-type wrong!
Successes: These are two fragrances of bath & body oil and a facial exfoliator. The bath & body oils are spring and winter inspired and I've called them 'Persephone' and 'Demeter' because the spring-like scent is from fruity and floral essential oils that are chosen for their uplifting effect; the fruit and feeling of renewal a reawakening. The counterpart then had to be winter and the time for Demeter's lament over the loss of her daughter. This scent is of grounding essential oils such as patchouli and frankincense - great favourites of mine - befitting an earth goddess. The facial exfoliator is the only survivor of my first attempt at making my own skincare. It has a gentle aqueous base, some walnut grains for visual effect but the work is really done by jojoba beads. Finally I add neroli essential oil because of its suitability for all skin-types, including sensitive, and its efficacy as an oil for skincare. My daughter now won't use anything else and she gave some to a friend as a present, her friend's mum uses it too...
Obsessions: I have obsessive crazes - several months buying old perfume bottles, but only under £10, and now old compacts, again they have to be under £10. The latter I might fill with lip balm for gifts but I've not yet got the formula quite right ... well, perfumery, unguents of all types.
Experiments: I've had a go at making glycerine soap - no report on this yet, and I'm having another go at blending an eau de cologne fragrance with essential oils, only this time I'm sticking with a bath & body oil (they seem to be working for me) and not adding the alcohol etc..

Astrology, neo-Babylonian scientists and signature scents

From the blog Yesterday's Perfume, which I recommend for its reviews of vintage and classic fragrances, I discovered my star sign is Aquarius and not Pisces. Oddly I'm not surprised, my birthday was on the cusp and on my whimsical, astrology-leaning days I would always read both.

http://yesterdaysperfume.typepad.com/yesterdays_perfume/2011/01/whats-your-signs-signature-scent.html

My recommended signature scent is Chanel No19 which I love but avoid because my oldest and dearest friend wears it. She,, however is still a Pisces and maybe should give Fidjii a try. Does this let me off the hook in terms of No19?

Martha Graham Dance Company

Martha Graham has long been one of my heroes and I recommend her book Blood Memory, I have also found a link to a short film on The Another Magazine website with a performance by the Martha Graham Dance Company which carries on her legacy.

http://www.anothermag.com/exclusives/the-martha-graham-dance-company

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.