David Jourquin Paris: Cuir Mandarine Eau de Parfum

We think that a scent can immediately change your mood, bringing good memories back or creating new and exciting ones. Finding that one and only fragrance that encompasses your style, personality and suits each season - is a case of trial and error. This is why at The Amazing Blog we love exploring new olfactory experiences. Meet David Jourquin with and his inventive range of fragrance, today we are reviewing the delicious Cuir Mandarine.

David Jourquin created his fragrance company in 2011  after a lifetime of being surrounded by all sorts of olfactory inspiration. His mother always went to work wearing her famous leather coat and loved sprinkling tiny drops of perfume on the cushion pillows. His father smoked cigars and took David to the market in Pointe-à-Pitre,Guadeloupe, where he revelled in all the spices’ sweet, robust aromas. For David, these memories have shaped who he is today, and inspired him to recreate them in the form of his unique fragrances. Motivated by intense passion, each of his fragrances expresses a different facet of his intimate universe. Inspired by seasons and places he has created a core collection with Vendômen offering seven different Eau de Parfum where these scents are characterised by their personality and emotional impact. The Opéra collection are the refill flacons ready to be slipped into the leather coverings of the Vendôme Collection, or left bare, according to one’s desires and budget. For Jourquin, fragrances are emotional touchstones: "They speak the truth in a language that is invisible yet essential, intimate yet universal. My greatest joy is to share these fragrances with you, to create secret paths that bring us closer to ourselves so that in turn, we can get closer to others." We were excited to experience this magic.

We couldn’t wait to try one of his first launch fragrances with the much talked about  Cuir Mandarine which was a recent Gold winner with Best New Premium Fragrance at the 2020 Pure Beauty Awards.  it emits a very soft and slightly sweet unique mix of mandarin and leather. The square bottle itself is clad in hand-stitched calfskin with a solid wood grain top to accentuate its masculinity. The vibrant top notes of mandarin, pepper and lavender are very evident and immediately greet you. However, what makes this so unusual is the middle notes of leather and patchouli. The five different varieties of patchouli used originate from the mint family and are cultivated in tropical Asia. Here the patchouli has subtle musk that enhances the other fragrance notes. The base notes are the rich blond Virginian tobacco and amber which add a dimension to the sweet and earthy notes, holding everything in balance. Although Cuir Mandarin luxurious fragrance that is aimed at the male market with its timeless and classic scent and modern twist; we loved the sensual, rich, warm and sweet aroma which conjured up the change of seasons, taking us swiftly from autumn to winter.  It ‘s certainly a scent we’d recommend spritzing to uplift spirits and transport you to warmer climes even on a grey and wet English day! You can purchase Cuir Mandarin in 100 ml for €230 in 5 ml for €8.90 here. 

Waken: Spearmint Mouthwash

Brushing one’s teeth twice daily is a given. However, not many of us think about using mouthwash on a daily basis. Here at The Amazing Blog we believe in proper oral care just as much as our skincare. This is where we’d like to introduce Waken with their range of eight natural mouthwashes. We chose Spearmint to try, which unlike other mouthwash, uses natural mint and is entirely alcohol-free. 

Waken is a mouthcare company that Simon Duffy created in 2019. Duffy was the former founder of Bulldog skincare launched in 2006 which focused on sustainability and ethics. The company won many grooming awards around the world and was present in more than 30 countries. After selling Bulldog in 2016, he was inspired to use the same core principles of sustainability and ethics in dental care sector not only to improve on mouthcare the products in the market, but also to help the environment too. This led to the launch of Waken in 2019, which sells vegan mouthwash and accessories made with natural ingredients and sustainable alternatives. As you may know, regular mouthwash is usually used to kill 99% of germs in the mouth and keeps it fresh. However, many types of mouthwashes heavily rely on artificial ingredient, Waken, does not use any artificial flavours or colours. Their range of eight mouthwashes are entirely alcohol-free which rids the mouth of the burning sensation you would typically get while using regular mouthwash. Waken strives to create mouthcare products that not only care about the planet but also can be showcased as a thing of beauty in the bathroom, rather than a symbol of embarrassment! All mouthwash bottles are sustainable and certified carbon neutral where the bottles are kind to the planet, they suggest rinse, recycle and repeat in good conscience. They also offer a food-grade reusable stainless steel Mouthwash Cup that is dishwasher-friendly and will sit proudly with your chosen Waken Mouthwash.

This award-winning Spearmint Mouthwash recently won a Silver in 2020 Green Parent Natural Beauty Awards . It is a vegan-friendly blend that is kind to the teeth and gums. Some of the key ingredients here are sodium fluoride to protect against cavities. The xylitol is the sweetener, processed from trees like birch or plant fibre called xylan. It works by starving the harmful bacteria in the mouth and is known to boost dental health and prevent tooth decay and inflammatory gum diseases.  The hydrogenated castor oil is an emulsifier, it works to keep the product blended and it is also completely safe and it is an approved food-grade ingredient. What impressed us was the taste…the flavour is most definitely spearmint, and unlike other mouthwashes, this felt mild in the mouth and didn’t exude any eye-watering vapours! Waken recommends rinsing your mouth with 20ml of the Spearmint mouthwash twice a day for 30 seconds and then expel. Remember to never swallow or swig from the bottle, and do not dilute the mouthwash. This Spearmint mouthwash impressed us with its delicious flavour and the freshness it left in our mouth. However, we would like to remind our readers that using mouthwash is not a substitute for regular brushing or flossing. This will undoubtfully make an elegant statement when gracing your bathroom and you can purchase the Waken 500ml Spearmint Mouthwash for £4.50, here. Of course, we mustn’t forget about their Mouthwash Cup accessory to accompany the Spearmint Mouthwash. This will ensure you take the correct serving of your mouthwash every time,  for £3.00, you can purchase the Mouthwash Cup here.