I adore the smell of both Neroli and Orange Blossom – they transport me to a calm, happy place. Ages ago I wrote about Charlotte Stockdale’s collection for Jo Malone, in which she brought to life some of the scents from her travels, scents that were special to her, and I mused over which particular fragrances would be my own special choices. Well: things with Neroli, things with Orange Blossom. I love Rose, and Oud & Bergamot is, I think, my number one “finished fragrance”, but when it comes to picking just one note, the heady and exotic Neroli wins every time.
Closely followed by Orange Blossom. Though often I find it difficult to tell the two apart. Which is kind of forgivable because they are, after all, extracted from exactly the same blossom. Just extracted in slightly different ways. Neroli, apparently, has a slightly sweeter (more honeyed) scent whereas Orange Blossom is perhaps lighter and more classically floral. I dunno. I find it difficult to separate the two, sometimes, as I’ve already mentioned. Anyway: let’s take a look at some gorgeous orangey-neroli-y beauty stuff…
The Firm & Revitalise Dry Body Oil from Aurelia, £48 from Cult Beauty here. Yes it’s pricey, but I do think that this is one of the very best body oils I’ve ever used. It’s just incredibly uplifting – the neroli blended with rose and with mandarin – and the oil formula leaves your skin silky smooth. I did a full review here, should you wish to have a read.
Diptyque’s Fresh Lotion for the Body, £34 from Space NK here. Lighter and fresher in scent than Aurelia’s dry oil, this is the perfect post-beach body moisturiser. Soothing and cooling on the skin, this absorbs quickly and doesn’t leave any stickiness or greasiness, just a beautiful summery scent. There’s almost no need for a separate perfume.
The Mothers Massage Oil from Neal’s Yard Remedies, £19.50 here. A nourishing oil to keep pregnant and post-baby skin nice and supple, this has the best heady fragrance. Lots of people steer clear of overly-scented things during pregnancy (there were many products I had to avoid!) but I just found this massage oil to be so calming and relaxing. If I had a “special place” it would have taken me there. (Sidenote on this “special place” thing that all of the meditation apps go on about: does anyone else have trouble visualising a special place? For some reason, mine always seems to be this weird derelict house opposite my old school bus stop!)
Queen of Hungary Mist from Omorovicza, £46 from Cult Beauty here. This is my ultimate, ultimate facial spritz and I must have reviewed it and mentioned it here on A Model Recommends and in interviews and magazine features about two dozen times. It’s more than just a spritz, for me – I take a small spray (shown in photo) on planes and trains and so on, and I use it to fragrance hotel rooms and pillows and unfamiliar bed linen. (Sounds dodgy: I’m merely referring to all of the linens I’ve encountered throughout my holiday-let-hopping period.) Think of it like a portable spa experience. In terms of actual beauty uses, I often spritz it after cleansing and before serum and repeatedly throughout the day if it’s hot or I’m stuck in front of the computer all day. It has the most deletable, delicate orange blossom scent and feels more hydrating on the skin than many other high-end facial sprays.
More orange blossom scented things…
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