The Karen Gilbert Perfumery Masterclass

 

It probably comes as no surprise that we absolutely love perfume here at The Amazing Blog. Everyone has their ‘signature scents’ and favourite fragrance notes. I love to have a variety of perfumes so that I can switch from day to night and summer to winter. But have you ever wondered how perfumes are created and what goes into them? We have found the most wonderful events that can answer all of our fragrance related questions. Karen Gilbert is an author and natural beauty expert who offers perfumery classes and workshops so that you can get an inside look at the world of perfumes.

Karen is offering a 5 day intensive perfumery masterclass from the 9th-13th of September, perfect for perfume enthusiasts. Each day is devoted to a different fragrance family: Citrus, Floral, Chypre, Fougere, Oriental, and Modern Abstracts. You will look at an iconic selection of fragrances from each family, and learn exactly what ingredients create these scents. You will also learn about how to play up the base notes and end up creating your very own fragrance each day! This course is perfect for anyone deeply interested in the world of fragrance, as it is a bit of an investment at £800, but you will have the skill and the knowledge for life. Karen also offers one day and weekend workshops that are less in depth, but more of an overview of the world of perfumes. They cover topics like ‘training your nose’ and ‘practical blending techniques’. These day and weekend courses range between £150 and £350.

If you are interested in booking one of these perfumery classes with Karen Gilbert, visit her website for all related information and booking. These classes will make a perfect gift for a loved one, or if you are perfume fanatic, this is a lovely treat for yourself.

If you are inspired by Karen to learn more about perfumes, Harrods are currently running masterclasses, talks and consultations with famous perfumers. Christine Nagel will be revealing her new perfume for Jo Malone on Tuesday 3^rd September 3pm-5pm, entry will cost £50. Linda Pilkington will be running a perfume making competition where she will pick the best fragrance( winning you a bottle of champagne) on Wednesday 4^th September 3pm-5pm, costing £40. On Thursday 5^th September at 8pm, Thierry Wasser will be conducting a Q&A session for Guerlain, entry is £40. Finally on Friday 6^th September 12pm-4.30pm, Michel Almairac will be giving a talk about the creation of the signature scent for Chloé, entry is £20. If you would like more information about these events and to book, please call 020 7730 1234.

Grab a New Scent for Summer from Rouge Bunny Rouge

 

Rouge Bunny Rouge is a Moscow-London based company that believes everything in life should have a touch of whimsy. We here at The Amazing Blog completely agree, which is why their products spoke to us so much. In addition to luxury cosmetics that all have an air of opulence and romance, Rouge Bunny Rouge has extended their impressive range to include a number of delicately crafted perfumes.

The scent I chose was ‘Chatoyant’, which I must say is absolutely wonderful. It is warm and inviting, with a bit of citrus at the start, followed by very obvious orchid and sandalwood notes.  There is a hint of vanilla throughout, but it is just enough and not terrifyingly sweet. It is as described by Rouge Bunny Rouge, ‘strange and yet familiar’. I know I have smelled the notes before, but not in such a wonderful composition. Many will love this scent. It is unique and yet very wearable; incredibly feminine, but mysterious at the same time. Also, it does not come off too strong, making it very appropriate for the day at work as well as special occasions.

‘Chatoyant’ eau de parfum retails at £83.30 for 50ml or 1.69 fl oz. It can be purchased on the Rouge Bunny Rouge website. In addition to Chatoyant, the company offers three other fragrances: ‘Incantation’, ‘Lilt’, and ‘Vespers’. Each scent has it’s own unique notes and personality, so to speak. If you can't decide on one, Rouge Bunny Rouge offers a gift set with trial sizes of each. Rouge Bunny Rouge has some of the most luxurious and unique scents available; perfect for a gift or just a new scent for yourself, so go on and get a little fragrance magic into your routine!

Take A Vacation to Istanbul with Lokum Colognes

If there is one thing we really can’t get enough of here at The Amazing Blog, its perfumes and colognes. It could possibly be that there are just so many great scents out there in the world of fragrance, and it could also be that we just love trying new ones and searching for that signature scent. A new company we became aware of is Lokum Istanbul, and we were lucky enough to get to try out two of their colognes.

Zeynep Keyman, the brand’s creator wanted to unveil a collection of Eau de Colognes that were all ‘reminiscent of the Ottoman Empire’.  We received the travel size colognes Gardens of Babylon, which is a rich jasmine scent just like walking past a jasmine bush, and Mediterranean Sun, which has a sweet orange fragrance. They are crafted from the highest quality plants, and the bottle is sleek in design. Whether you choose spice or zest, these are sure to be a wonderful addition to any fragrance collection. Also, they are perfect to carry in a bag as they are travel sized at 50 ml. The smells are potent, but lovely. Quite pure in origin, they smell exactly as described and last quite a while on the skin. Lokum Istanbul also offers a range of non travel sized colognes that have more blended scents, but I think these travel sizes are perfect for summer with their pure nature.

If you are interested in an exotic fragrance destination to Turkey, you can purchase the Lokum Istanbul Cologne on their website and also at the Bluebird shop on Kings Road. The travel sizes retail at £11.00 for 50 ml and the full 200 ml sizes at £28.00 each.

Eve of St. Agnes - Organic Bath Oil & Exfoliating Polish

One of my all time favourite poems is "Eve of St. Agnes" by British poet, John Keats. The very romance of it has always appealed to me. So naturally, when a box from a brand called “Eve of St. Agnes” came through the doors of The Amazing Blog, I instantly claimed it. We received both an Organic Bath Oil as well as a Refining Bamboo Exfoliating Polish - I couldn’t wait to try them.

I started with the Organic Bath Oil. This oil contains a luxurious mix of organic avocado, hemp and coconut oils as well as orange, green mandarin, cardamom and frankincense essential oils. Once I poured two capfuls into my running bath, I was instantly hit with the strong smell of each oil's fragrance. I must admit, it was slightly over powering at first, but once I settled in I was taken away into a warming, uplifting and decadent bath time experience. Although next time, I think I’ll stick to the recommended single capful.

After my relaxing bath, I continued my evening pamper with the Refining Bamboo Exfoliating Polish. I am always hesitant using an exfoliator because of my sensitive skin, so I approached this polish with caution.  Initially, I found the polish to be a bit rough, but after gently massaging it in I became quite fond of the texture. And after rinsing it off I was left with smooth and silky soft skin.  Not to mention the smell of orange, green mandarin and sandalwood helped me relax for the evening.

With a magnificent blend of essential oils and some inspiration from one of England’s finest poets, I think we can call this a winner.  Available on the Eve of St. Agnes Website, you can purchase the Organic Bath Oil for £16 and  Refining Bamboo Exfoliating Polish for £18 as well as a wide variety of other skincare and body products.

Lavera Body Oil - Lime Sensation

As we wind down from a busy workday, we love to treat ourselves to the very best. My favourite thing is to use a nice smelling body oil to perk me up and Lavera has delivered just that. When we received Lavera Body Oil at The Amazing Blog we couldn't be more excited to try it out.  What we like about a brand like Lavera is the fact they're dedicated to providing organic cosmetics and skincare products specifically for sensitive skin and allergies. And as you regular readers of our blog will know - I just 'love' my organic products...

If you have ever tried different body oils than you will understand exactly what I mean. Isn't it a pain when you buy a body oil that smells delicious when its in the bottle but then when applied to the skin, it simply metamorphosises into something deeply unrecognisable. Well happily this was completely different, the scent of the lime is strong but sweet and once you apply it  the  smell slightly lingers for an hour or two afterwards. This body oil had the perfect hint of lime citrus – almost as if you squeezed a fresh lime juice right onto your skin. I put a couple of drops on my damp skin before going to bed and first thing after a shower in the morning. Using only a couple of drops will go a long way for this particular body oil. Truly it left my skin feeling fresh, soft and smelling divine.

I would recommend Lavera Body Oils if you like to  pamper your skin after a hard day or week. Lavera Lime Sensation Body Oil  leaves your skin feeling soft and smelling exotic. If lime isn't your thing worry not, Lavera offers a variety of other scents, so you can find which fragrance suits you best.  You can purchase Lavera Body Oil for only £8.95 per bottle and get ready to pamper yourself with the sweet smell of fresh limes.

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