Tag Archives: perfume

NEW Matiere Premiere London Store

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new shop

I have an emotional relationship with perfume, it is usually something I invest in when I travel and want to remember a special trip. Recently I’ve loved Xinu from Mexico City, Strange Invisible from LA’s Venice Beach and Fueguia 1833’s collaboration with Fife Arms in Scotland. It’s rare I fall in love with a scent on home turf… but when I heard Matiere Premiere’s story, and founder Aurélien Guichard’s dedication to the brand, I was completely engrossed. So when I discovered they were opening their first London store, I was one of the first through the doors.

In their own words… “Matiere Premiere creates its perfumes from an overdose of a central natural material, cultivated or chosen for its unique strength. Its raw beauty and texture are brought to the forefront, without compromise or artifice.” Aurélien has created a radical perfumery where he cultivates and picks many of his own ingredients (think roses in the flower fields of Grasse) ensuring a scent that is both powerful and alluring, it truly lingers on your skin all day.

In the sleek Scandinavian-style store the minimalist design allows the product to command all the attention. Smell the raw pure ingredients (I fell hard for Coffee Extract from Venezuela), try the perfumes and get invested in the beautiful range of skin and hair products, and the irresistible candles ~ I highly recommend ‘Rose de Mai’ for a flavour of Provence at home.

I recommend you visit to find yourself a new perfume for Spring ~ ‘Vanilla Powder’ is the most iconic in the collection – a sweet and creamy scent that you can’t help but fall in love with, while ‘Encens Suave’ is a more mellow fragrance that reminded me of incense in church. Or pop in and find a gift for someone special with the genius ‘Discovery Set’ ~ you can hand-pick a selection of MP miniatures, and then the recipient can try them out and choose their favourite to invest in.

The Matiere Premiere perfumes are available to buy online, or in store at the new Covent Garden store. More information here.

Sensory Storytelling, Queen’s Hotel Cheltenham

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British travel is on the rise, and the staycation trend seems set to stick around. The MGallery by Sofitel hotels around Britain are offering something even more special to tempt you into booking a mini-break in Bath, Windsor or Cheltenham, three of the UK’s most charming destinations. I visited the grand Queen’s Hotel in Cheltenham to find out more.

Queens Hotel Cheltenham

This imposing regal property opened its doors in 1838, named in honour of Queen Victoria. It was one of the first purpose-built hotels in Europe, and was built on the site of the old Sherborne Spa. There are many period features which remain untouched in the hotel, like the magnificent Georgian staircase and original Pugin wallpaper.

Queens Hotel CheltenhamQueens Hotel CheltenhamQueens Hotel Cheltenham breakfast

In 2015 the hotel was renovated and became part of the MGallery by Sofitel group. This refreshed new look has updated the hotel, with new luxurious amenities and thoughtful touches.

Queens Hotel CheltenhamQueens Hotel Cheltenham

To complement the long and intriguing history, Lizzie Ostrom (a perfume obsessive and self taught scent historian), has worked with the Queen’s Hotel to create three perfumes to flavour the guest bedrooms at the hotel.

We sat with Lizzie and discussed the stories behind the scents, whilst indulging in a delicious afternoon tea. Lizzie explained the background of the Regency era, the importance of certain ingredients and why fragrance has always played such an important role in Cheltenham life.

When a guest checks in they are invited to choose one of the three contrasting perfumes to add personality to their bedroom. The ‘Signature’ fragrance is a cool and refreshing scent with green apple and hyacinth, the ‘Olympian Dew’ has a fruity flavour with Rose, Lychee and Cassis, while ‘Eau D’Ange’ is a warming mix of cardamom, cinnamon and cedar.

Find out more and book a scented stay at Queen’s Hotel, Cheltenham here.

Beauty Travel Essentials

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Travelling continuously, through extreme weather conditions and numerous flights, left my skin craving attention. Suddenly my standard London skin routine wasn’t enough to keep my face moisturised and healthy. So while I visited new countries I discovered new international brands and wondrous products that helped me look and feel fresh and glowing even after a 12 hour overnight coach journey!

Glossier is a cult American beauty brand from skincare guru Emily Weiss. English girls celebrated across the country when netaporter.co.uk started stocking the trio pack of ‘balm dotcom’. The balm can be used for anything and anywhere… I love the natural glow it gives my lips but also use it on my cuticles when my hands get dry in cold weather. Now I’m just praying they will start stocking the rest of the range over here, I want to try it all! Buy here.

Aesop makes one of my favourite skincare ranges so I was excited to visit the brand’s hometown, Melbourne in Australia. Here the products are half the price they are in England and the variety is even greater. I found the Boston kit to be the perfect travel companion. A compact case filled with unisex goodies including the classic skincare and hair formulations, mouthwash and body balm. The travel sizes are perfect for a long weekend away and the stylish black case can be used even after the products are finished. My favourites were the Fabulous Face Cleanser, which smells divine, and the B & Tea Balancing Toner that refreshed and smoothed my face. Buy here.

I have always loved the Parisian perfumer, Maison Francis Kurkdjian. The APOM scent – which stands for ‘A Part Of Me’ – is inspired by the perfumer’s travels to Lebanon. It is a romantic fragrance infused with the sweetness of Orange Blossom, the warmth of Ylang Ylang and the strength and intensity of Cedarwood. This travel set contains three handy portable bottles which are perfectly sized for carrying in your handbag or for taking away on holiday. Buy here.