Friday Favourites - Fragrances

Here at The Amazing Blog, we love summer in London. However, offices without air conditioning and stuffy tubes can often lead to assaults on the senses when the weather heats up. For this reason, we always like to make sure we’re smelling our best, and I’m sure you do too. Of course, this isn’t limited to the warmer months, but we wanted to share with you our favourite summer scents.

The first of our fragrance favourites is the new Les “White” collection from French brand, Jul Et Mad.  Positively oozing Parisian sophistication, the brand was born out of the love story of Julien and Madalina, whose relationship inspires all the perfumes they create.  Of the three aromas in the collection, Nea, Nin-Shar and Garuda, Nea is our favourite. A rich, fruity fragrance, it contains Date and Dry Plum, as well as Damascan Rose and Caramel. It feels so opulent, and is such a treat to wear. The perfect heady scent for those hot summer evenings, it’s inspired by the Ancient civilization of Byzantium. Modern day Turkey, it certainly evokes feelings of the East and the Orient. A little on the pricey side, the Nea scent is available to buy here for €165.  It’s also available to buy at Harrods, Fenwick Bond Street and Harvey Nichols, and it certainly is the ultimate luxury.

A little more affordable, but no less special, are the Industria fragrances. You may recognise the brand from our candle feature, and the fragrances are no less chic. With three beautifully crisp looking fragrances to choose from, each looks so clean and fresh. Although we love the sharp citrus notes of Bergamotto and the more musky scent of Ambergris, Cardinalis is the shining star for us.  As with the candle, the notes of coconut and mandarin oil perfectly evoke holiday feelings in us, making it a wonderful summer aroma. You can pick up the Cardinalis perfume here for £59 along with others from the collection.

Another little spritz of luxury can be found in Eutopie perfumes. With each numbered bottle documenting part of a journey, the brand story is just as interesting as the scents themselves. Our favourite was No. 7. Influenced by the Palace of Versailles, the opulent scent takes inspiration from the Kitchen Garden of the King, filled with the delicious scents of blackcurrants, peaches and strawberries. Combined with Marigold and Pink Pepper, this subtle scent is perfect for a soft scent this season. Pick it up here for €155. (They are featuring free international shipping on their website until 31/08 with purchases of €155!)

Last, but certainly not least is the innovative creation from Perphone. We love to carry a scent with us on long days, so that we can freshen up when needs be. We always rely on sample sizes however, as carting around a bottle of your signature scent is a little cumbersome. Perphone have come up with the genius idea of merging your scent with your phone. Their chic iPhone cases house cartridges of a range of fragrances, which swivel up, turning your phone into a makeshift spritzer. Available for both men and women, we’ll never have to worry about forgetting our perfume again. Grab one of these fun cases here on their website or on Amazon for £28. 

Friday Favourites - Candles

Candles are often associated with winter months, adding a sense of warmth and comfort to any room. Here at The Amazing Blog, however, we don’t adhere to seasonal stereotypes, and believe that fresh, scented candles are the perfect accessory, whatever the weather. With this in mind, we’ve compiled a list of our favourite candles for the summer months.

We love the scent of fresh flowers in our home, but sadly the effort and cost of keeping the office stocked with bright bouquets mean that it’s more hassle than it’s worth. For this reason, we love the Flower Market range of candles from US company, Paddywax. With a range of wonderfully scented, hand-poured candles to choose from, they’ll have your house smelling as divine as a country garden in the time it takes you to strike a match. Our favourite is Peony & Clover; its deliciously sweet floral scent is perfect for summer mornings. Coming in a range of sizes and styles, there’s something to suit everyone. Pick up this Paddywax products here from only £15.

If you’re looking for a scent a little more unorthodox and true to life, Corpo Sancto have an interesting range of scented candles for any taste. The Biker Jacket fragrance caught our eye. Its leather scent would be perfectly at home in a library or study, with its sleek black packaging making a subtle addition to your home. Made with rapeseed wax, the candles promise a burn time of around 48 hours. Most exciting of all, the brand offer a bespoke service, so if Log Fire or Coffee & Bread aren’t to your taste, you can ask them to make a fragrance that is! Treat yourself to the Biker Jacket candle here for £28.

For the ultimate in clean, chic candles, look to Industria. Combining inspiration from Italian science and alchemy, Industria have come up with a blend of unique, clean scents that are ideal for summer. Our favourite is Cardinalis. Inspired by the Florentine Renaissance, the soft sweet smell reminded us of summer getaways. The simple packaging adorned with alchemic symbols will add a touch of class to any room, and they certainly brightened up our office. Treat yourself to an Industria candle here for £40. Be sure to explore the corresponding perfumes too!

For a quirky addition to your décor, Vineyard Candles have thought up an inventive way to recycle old wine bottles. The artisan brand have craftily filed the bottom of the bottles, filling them with beautifully scented natural wax, inspired by our favourite summer tipple. There’s nothing like lighting a Gin & Tonic scented candle at the end of a long work day. Go teetotal and grab yourself a Vineyard candle here for £19.50.