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?