JUL ET MAD Paris - The Stairway to Heaven

Have you like us at The Amazing Blog, a burning desire to rush off to the mountains for snow, fresh clean air and spiritual tranquility?  Then let us introduce to The Stairway to Heaven the latest fragrance launch from one of the favourite perfume houses JUL ET MAD Paris. Taking their inspiration from the vast beauty of the snowy mountain tops of the Himalayas – it’s no surprise that when you close your eyes, this heady scent will help to transport you on a sensory journey there. Regular readers may remember that we’ve previously reviewed their other delicious fragrances Aqua Sextius and Nea.

JUL ET MAD Paris was formed after a fortunate and unexpected encounter with the founders Julien (JUL) and Madalina (MAD) on the streets of Paris. This led onto the creation of a brand that has launched many cult fragrance collections such as Les Classiques and Les WHITE. Stairway to Heaven is their second collaboration with perfumer Cecile Zarokian, who has already gone on to create over a hundred fragrances for various brands in the European and Middle-East perfume sector.

We think that Stairway to Heaven is very special indeed. This Himalayas inspired perfume is built around a complex range of 8 different white musks. They describe it as: “Luminous ‘second-skin’ perfume, a veritable mantle of softness and lightness. The original composition is characterised by a dual whiteness: pure and immaculate, but warming and enveloping. A slightly gourmand and fruity accord contributes to its addictive effect, while accents of precious woods, amber and incense complete in a most lavish manner this astonishingly rich fragrance.” We couldn’t agree more and think it’s just magical…. And yet another wonderful creation from this inspired couple.

Whether you are looking for a new fragrance or a Christmas gift, we think that this 50ml pale blue fragrance, housed in a beautiful silver-plated multi-faceted bottle, will not disappoint. Retailing at 145 €/ £135, see here, to purchase.

Tiiya Alanoud Alattiya - Rose Oud Epiphany Eau de Parfum

Every so often you smell a perfume that transports you to another time or place. At The Amazing Blog we instantly felt transported to exotic Arabian nights after closing our eyes and a little spritz of Tiiya Alanoud Alattiya’s RoseOud Epiphany Eau De Parfum and we relished every fragrant moment.

The founder Alanoud Alattiya is a graduate from the UCL Museum and Gallery Practice Masters program. By day she is a museum practitioner and by evenings a couturier. She grew up in a household fully immersed in couture, with her mother being one of the first women to wear Christian Dior in the Arabian Gulf. it was just a decade ago, that her career in couture designing amongst members of elite society was frowned upon. However, her first cousin, His Highness The Father Amir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani built a platform of newer social meaning and understanding, allowing her creativity to be celebrated.

Regular reader will remember that we recently wrote about her Concentrated Eye Cream here, but today we wanted to tell you about her Epiphany Rose Oud Eau de Parfum. After applying a spritz of this perfume, we immediately felt the warmth and essence of the luxurious Persian Gulf. The Arabic oud’s woody deep scent mixes with the sweet floral notes of rose oil to create an elegant fragrance. Oud oil is estimated as being worth 1.5 times the amount of gold. This ‘liquid gold’ gives the Rose Oud Epiphany perfume a complex aroma and mythical essence of the East. Trust us when we say that with the Epiphany perfume, a little goes a long way. It lingered on the skin all day and then some. If you too want to smell like luxury, the Tiiya Alanoud Alattiya Rose Oud Epiphany Eau de Parfum 100ml can be your too, if you purchased here for £120.

Jonathan Ward – Roscuro Candle

We don’t know about you, but when we eventually flop down on our sofa after work, we think that there’s nothing better than relaxing, watching a flickering candle flame and surrounding ourselves with a gorgeous fragrance. And as regular readers will know, at The Amazing Blog we’re big fans of candles! As the nights draw in with this unpleasant dank autumnal weather, it’s speeded up our search to find exotic scented candles to uplift our flagging spirits. Today we wanted to share with you one of our latest #amazingfinds and candle discoveries with ‘Roscuro’ from Jonathan Ward.

Jonathan Ward is a British home fragrance producer, who makes hand-poured candles using organic coconut oil, bees and vegetable waxes. They are all about clean-burning. These candles are certified organic by the Soil Association and the brand has fast become something of a pioneer in the world of home fragrances. Jonathan Ward made his foray into fragrance back in 1979 developing his first-ever perfume. Fast forward into 2018, where together with his European partners in Greece and London he developed his first candle collection ‘Scent of Time’.

This collection is a combination of thirteen candles all inspired by historical figures and their legacies, but in a rather unique way represented through fragrance. We were very kindly sent ‘Roscuro’ to try. This is candle is inspired by the artist Caravaggio, where ‘chiaroscuro’ defines his painting technique of creating ‘light and shade’. For those not familiar with Caravaggio, let us explain, he is probably best known for his painting ‘The Calling of Saint Matthew’ where he uses a painting technique bringing people and objects from the shadows into the light. Talking of light, we lit this candle last night and can happily confirm that it gave a glorious aroma with a heart-warming fragrance blending base notes of Bailloni wood and amber; hints of iris, honey, and hay giving it a delicacy, and shots of prune and patchouli as top notes. Particularly now with the sun so low in the sky creating dramatic shadows as the days shorten, this candle’s fragrance takes us seamlessly through a journey from autumn to winter. Best of all, its hypnotic aroma fills the room without being overpowering.

This elegant candle is contained in a glamorous double old fashioned style whisky glass which is perfect for repurposing for a second life. We also love their use of the traditional GF Smith British papers used for the stylish boxes and labels. Not forgetting to mention their double cotton wick which allows the candle to burn cleanly for up to 45 hours. Jonathan describes this candle as ‘warm nostalgia’, and we couldn’t agree more. He has an excellent nose for an enticing fragrance and now we’ve experienced the mesmerising Roscuro - we’ll certainly be returning to try more. These candles are available exclusively online here for £40 (240 mg); or at one of their eight partner shops here in London, Los Angeles, Hove, Stockport or Fife.

FiiLit – Parfum du Voyage

As we were discussing here at The Amazing Blog, perfumes are an expression of ourselves, they tell a story and reveal a few of our personality traits. We all love to smell enticing, wafting into a room with some delicious fragrance or other. In fact, some of us can’t leave home without a spritz of our favourite fragrance! We find particularly when flying, security can present a bit of a problem as we’re not able to take 100ml+ bottles in hand luggage. FiiLit has the answer, with their travel-friendly ‘Perfume Sample Set’. These are ideal for slipping into a pocket or small bag and can literally be taken everywhere. FiiLit perfumes are not only perfect for travelling but they will also take you on an olfactory journey around the world. Each fragrance is inspired by the country from where the natural ingredients are sourced.

FiiLiT, from the Anglicism ‘Feel It’ was founded by Regis and Eloi, who are two scent enthusiasts who have created a range of perfumes that remind them of their nomadic worldwide travels. Apart from creating fragrant memories from different cultures and communities, they also wanted these elixirs to be good for the skin and the planet. FiiLit perfumes are vegan and made with a range between 87% to 100% of only natural ingredients. They have partnered with Stéphane Piquart's company BeHave to source their base ingredients and essential oils. BeHave works with multiple NGOs to get the ideal balance between quality ingredients and giving back to the communities.

The FiiLiT’s ‘Perfume Sample Set’ has 9 different eco-friendly Eau de Parfum fragrances, each represents a country or region. So why not indulge your senses and take off on your travels with some of our favourites: TUMBAO - CUBA a zesty touch with lime, blue ginger, cardamom, tobacco and rum perfume; or dip your feet in Polynesian waters with TEHANI - POLYNESIE the aroma of santal tanzani, tiare, citrus cocoa, ylang-ylang and patchouli. Perhaps immerse yourself in the Amazonian jungle with SAUDADE - AMAZONIA while smelling passionflower and fruit, guaiac wood, cabreuva tonka and balsam of Peru. Or take the opportunity to relax with the aphrodisiac scent of ylang-ylang, marigold, ravintsara, geranium, vanilla, and cinnamon from the land of Madagascar with WAKA - MADAGASCAR.

Have we piqued your interest? Then do try the others in the Sample Set which are inspired by Bali, Japan, Cyclades, Provence or Babylonia. To get your FiiLiT ‘Perfume Sample Set’ see here for £8.10. Once you’ve found your fragrance, why not upgrade to the 50 or 100ml bottle starting from £53.10 here. Then once you have run out, simply buy your refills here. Perfect!

Lark & Berry Fragrances

Finding only one fragrance that encompasses your style, personality and suits each season can be very tricky. At The Amazing Blog we believe a spritz of perfume adds that essential final touch to not only to how you feel but how you project your look. Today, we want to introduce you to one of our #amazingfinds from Lark & Berry, who have expanded their empire from being an exciting and disruptive force in the world of fine jewellery, to now turning their attention to making a change in the world of fragrances.

Launched in 2018 by Laura Chavez, Lark & Berry was born out of a desire to make a difference, and changing the jewellery industry. Laura noticed that she either found high-quality jewellery with skyrocketing prices or affordable jewellery that was very poor quality. She saw the opportunity to create her unique jewellery using only cultured diamonds and stones (all laboratory grown) which provide transparency, honesty, affordability and a much lower environmental impact. With Lark, meaning ‘playful’ and which was Laura’s favourite bird and Berry, being a pendant her grandmother gave her, she founded Lark & Berry.

Today we want to talk about Lark & Berry and their three fragrances in this new range of Eau de Parfum: Midnight Garden, White Dawn and Alchemy Number 3. This trio is all-natural, made with organic flower compositions and not tested on animals. We tried the Alchemy Number 3, all beautifully packaged in a subtle marbled box with a sweet hidden message (see pic above).  This deluxe bottle has a delightful touch with its gold chain and diamond charm around the neck of the bottle (perhaps it could double up as a ring?) Alchemy Number 3 boosted our senses with its heady key notes combining sandalwood and tuberose. It is deliciously long-lasting and retains top notes of the jasmine and ylang-ylang with the base notes of patchouli, leather and amber musk. As a warm and sensual fragrance, we think it complements this autumn season as the daylight draws in and the nights get longer. Each of the three Eau de Parfums retail at £75.00 for a 100ml here or at their new shop in London here. We also love is the fact that with every item sold at Larry &Berry (whether online or from their London store) five trees will be planted in areas worldwide where they’re environmentally needed the most, by their partnership with One Tree Planted (a US-based tree-planting non-profit).