Josephine McCarthy, Author at Pairfum London - Niche Perfume that Complements You, Naturally

Pairfum Large Snow Crystal Candle Pure White Sandalwood

Natural Sandalwood Candle

May 15, 2018May 15, 2018 by Josephine McCarthy

When deciding which fragrance to choose that will help you unwind and relax, a Natural Sandalwood Candle is a perfect choice.

Sandalwood is one of those easily recognisable fragrances, like cinnamon, lavender or Vanilla, that can stir up the senses and release the stresses and strains of a busy day.

The usage of sandalwood has been documented in art, literature and medical journals, dating back 4000 years, it has had numerous uses in the treatment of colds, infections and many other health conditions. In many ancient cultures from Egypt to India sandalwood has been used in or for religious ceremonies, from embalming in Egypt to the building of various religious temples in Asia. In today’s world sandalwood is primarily used in the cosmetic industry and is a favourite note in perfumery, with its rich fragrance and warm exotic notes it is typically being used as a base note.

This beautiful essential oil is harvested from this aromatic tree and is extracted by steam distillation. Sandalwood is used in a variety of applications in the cosmetic industry, candles, aromatherapy, soaps and beauty procedures are only some of the magical applications of this wonderful tree.

Choosing the Perfect Sandalwood Candle:

Perfumed Candles have become an inseparable part of people’s interior design, with the wish to create a warm welcoming and cosy home. The Sandalwood candle with it’s warm slightly powdery and sometimes creamy wood aroma creates the perfect ambience for a romantic night in, to a lazy Sun-kissed afternoon with Friends and Family. The warm aroma of a PAIRFUM Sandalwood candle can help to relieve stress and help you unwind after a busy working day. They are the perfect addition to any home. From the deep thinkers to the social divas among us, a PAIRFUM Sandalwood candle is the perfect ‘Wind-Me-Down’.

This wonderful Perfume note that has stood the test of time, is brought to life perfectly by a PAIRFUM Candle.

Read the full article on Sandlewood Candles here.

Making Scents Pairfum Fragrance Layering

Fragrance Layering In Your Home

May 11, 2018May 11, 2018 by Josephine McCarthy

Layering in Fashion

Layering is a concept that has been around for a while in fashion and many of us are experts at layering and combining clothes to create our own, ‘personal look’, whereas fragrance layering is still relatively new. Regardless of whether you are speaking with catwalk designers or high street boutiques, they all talk about layering.

Playful layering is always on the style agenda, especially when navigating the changeable weather conditions of the Spring and Summer Seasons. We can indulge our creative sides by mixing different textures and fabrics with a variety of lengths and colours and then accessorising them with scarves and jewellery. Now, men’s fashion is also turning to luxury layering and it could be seen at recent catwalks in Paris.

When we are not yet entirely sure of the weather, when one week we are basking in tropical temperatures, to running for cover from a mini-monsoon the next, we have all become dab hands at the tricky art of layering our clothes to be prepared for different conditions.

Fragrance Layering

Layering is not only associated with one’s outfit but can also include our perfume. The latest trend is taking the skill of layering clothes and adapting the principles to our skin, by layering our perfumes and beauty products for a more dynamic and unique scent.

The key to mastering layering is knowing which notes work well together and how they enhance each other. It is all about incorporating the right scents into your beauty routine to make your perfume work harder for you. When thinking about layering perfume it is important to remember that fragrances have top, heart and base notes.

Here are a few perfumer’s tips for fragrance layering:

• For Spring and Summer, the nicest combinations of fragrance layering is created when you combine light with heavy fragrances. For example, you can adapt your typical ‘winter’ or ‘evening wear’ fragrance for summer use by layering a fresh, light scent over the top.

• Take one of your ‘classic’ perfumes and layer something ‘trendy’ over the top.

• Start your journey towards professional fragrance layering, by using fragrances which are as close as possible to single ingredients, such as the very trendy ‘soliflorals’.

• Alternatively, use fragrances from the same fragrance family to start with, such as floral, oriental, herbacious, citrus, wood, etc. Once you are pleased with your results and become more confident, you can combine perfumes from contrasting families, such as layering citrus over oriental, floral over woody, herbacious over musky.

• Begin with the heavier of the fragrances you plan to combine and use them sparingly, as they may overpower the lighter notes you have in mind. You may have to use more of the lighter fragrance to counterbalance the impact of the heavier perfume.

• Layer by combining different applications. Fragrance oils will naturally bind with the oils in your moisturiser or body oil. This insight allows you to layer a light, fresh eau de toilette over a heavier, rich body lotion.

• You can also layer by applying fragrance to different parts of your body. For example, start with fragrance on your pulse points (wrist, elbow, neck) and finish with a different fragrance for your hair. Alternatively, a fragrance on your wrists and elbow easily combines with another fragrance for your neck or under your arms.

Be prepared to share your secret, when you receive a compliment. The compliments may come from the most surprising directions.

Fragrance Layering At Home

The concept of layering can also be adapted to fragrances in our home and the same basic rules apply.

Many real estate agents are known for warming bread in an oven for open houses or preparing fresh coffee to welcome the visitor to a viewing. Smells send out subliminal ‘welcome’ or ‘comfort’ messages when you open the front door.

This is exactly what you do when you welcome people into your home. Take this a step further by combining various fragrances in your home to provide a multitude of sensorial experiences when walking from one room to the next, as fragrance layering can really enhance the ambience of your home.

A perfumer’s approach to layering fragrances at home

One of the reason’s why we struggle to perceive the fragrance we apply to our skin during the course of the day, is that our noses get used to our own fragrances. They literally get ‘saturated’.

The mistake in layering fragrances at home is consequently to use fragrances which are ‘too similar’. Imagine you have just been in your bedroom which has a beautiful floral fragrance, and then walk into the corridor, also with a floral fragrance. It is likely that your nose will have difficulties noticing the difference.

Instead, we suggest that you distinguish between the ‘spine’ of your house and the ‘outlying’ rooms. In the spine of your home, which are corridors, hallways or any other central room in your home, you should have a distinctly different fragrance from the connecting outlying rooms, such as bedrooms, living rooms, and bathrooms. For example you could use heavier fragrances from a similar ‘olfactive range’ in the entrance hall (for example a vanilla fragrance) and then entice your visitors into your living room with a lighter floral perfume, such as a beautiful rose note. Equally, you can do the same and contrast ‘herbal’ fragrances with ‘fruity’ or ‘floral’ perfumes.

The Spine

Here are a few suggestions for the ‘spine’ of your home that combine well with many different perfumes:

Innocent Vanilla: A rich white floral top note of Louisiana magnolia invites you into a soft, enveloping heart of white musk, infused with crushed vanilla pods and resting on a base of sandalwood. This is an ideal, heavier ‘base’ fragrance for your home, as it combines exceptionally well with other fragrances.

SPA: A beautiful aquatic note with a tangy, effervescent top note of bergamot, mandarin, rosemary, lavender and fresh violet leaves. Radiation from heart are sea salt and mineral notes, with aerial and translucent flowers (lily of the valley, jasmine) and accents of green tea. The fond is layered with vibrant woody (cedar, patchouli), ambery and mossy accords (oakmoss). This is a lighter, fresher ‘base’ perfume, around which you can easily layer other perfumes in your home.

Outlyers

The following are some fragrance suggestions for the ‘outlying’ rooms of your house, as they will contrast well with the two afore mentioned perfumes:

Black Orchid: An exotic fragrance with rich top notes of Anjou pear, dark cassis and orange slice. The heart is elegantly floral with notes of black orchid, powdery violet, olive leaf, freesia and ginger flower leading to a sensual base of musk, copahu balm and vanilla pod.

Trail of White Petals: A delicate and yet sparkling white floral note infused with jasmine blossom, interlaced with lily, white rose and ylang-ylang. The top note has a hint of apple and the fond rests on a base of precious sandalwood and musk.

Pink Grapefruit: A vibrantly pink grapefruit fragrance with added complexity from mandarin, lime and bergamot. Floral notes of jasmin and lily lend a feminine touch and deep sophistication comes from a sandalwood accord in the base note.

Neroli & Olive: The distilled fragrance of the Mediterranean: a sophisticated accord built around the vibrant citrus notes of neroli, pomelo and lime and yet softened with jasmine petals. Vertiver, patchouli and leather add depth and complete the sensation of walking through an olive grove on a warm, sunny day.

Accents and Base Notes

Another form of layering fragrances at home is contrasting continuous ‘base fragrances’ with sporadic ‘accents’.

For example, imagine your bathroom with a continuous, beautifully warm vanilla fragrance but then you come home and prepare a bath and would like to add a relaxing lavender scent. Alternatively, you have a wonderfully floral fragrance in your living room but in the evening you may wish to add something ‘light & fresh’ to compliment a soft balmy evening, or ‘warm & comforting’ to keep the winter chills at bay.

Does this sound familiar?

Layering fragrances in these situations is similar to layering perfumes onto your skin: you use a base fragrance and then add an accent over the top.

The ideal product to give your rooms a base fragrance is a reed diffuser. Products that can add an accent are natural perfume candles or room perfume sprays.

Another suggestion is to use a bouquet of beautifully fragrant flowers for the base note, for examples ‘lilies’, and combine these with a luxurious fragrance candle to give your room the desired atmospheric accent when your visitors arrive.

There are many other creative ways how you can think outside of the box for a base fragrance, and an accent in each room.

A Final Note

The PAIRFUM London Collection offers you healthy and luxurious options for base and accent fragrances to suit your rooms. The PAIRFUM Collection is designed to be displayed proudly in your home and will fit perfectly into any interior style, regardless of whether this is ‘minimalist’, ‘country cottage’, ‘funky’ or ‘palatial’.

The sophisticated yet subtle blending of the perfume notes in the fragrances makes them a welcome addition to any home.

The PAIRFUM London collection is available online in our boutique.

What is your Perfume Personality?

May 10, 2018May 10, 2018 by Josephine McCarthy

Do you have a Perfume Personality and do you know what it is?

If you are trying to buy that ‘Perfect Perfume’ for someone special, how do you go about choosing it?

It can be a very difficult task as perfumes are very personal and different scents evoke different memories and emotions for different people. In some cases what smells wonderful on you might not suit someone else, since everyone’s individual skin pH may alter a perfume slightly. If you’re trying to express your feelings with perfume, then nothing expresses it worse than choosing a badly thought-out bottle of fragrance.

Afraid To Choose?

Maybe one of the reasons that people tend to buy the same perfume again and again, for themselves or a loved one, is not that they ‘love’ the fragrance but because they are afraid to make a mistake when choosing something so personal for someone else, or they are just unsure about trying something different, when it is easier to go to the tried and tested, safe option.

Smell works 40 times faster than the thought process in the brain. A scent can immediately take you back to a moment or emotion, and you could be creating a life-long memory for someone. So,… get it right and you have created a wonderful memory, but get it wrong and you may be creating just the opposite.

For Whom Is The Fragrance?

Luckily there are some simple guidelines that you can follow when picking out that ‘Perfect Perfume’.

Remember who you are shopping for! It may sound obvious but we can sometime forget and get carried away with testing perfumes and deciding whether ‘We’ like them or not. For example, ‘Teenagers’ tend to like fragrances that they see their favourite celebrity wearing, or that they have heard about from their friends in school or on social media. They will, like most teenagers, most likely have dropped not so subtle hints to guide you along the way. We find that ‘fruity’ or ‘gourmand’ style fragrances tend to be preferred by teenagers.
If it is for a close Friend or a Sister, then remember all the information you already know about them. You probably know what kind of fragrance the person wears now, or even the kinds of scents they are drawn to, like soft floral or fresh citrus notes. Do you remember some of the fragrances they have loved in the past? Maybe a modern interpretation has been introduced which may be ideal for them.
If its for your Mother or Mother-in-Law, then she may have some classic Perfumes she reverts to time and again, no matter what the occasion is. If this is the case, then this is the perfect opportunity to add to her fragrance wardrobe with a variation of her favourite scent.
How someone dresses can also give you a hint about their taste in perfume, is it Feminine or Fun, Ladylike or Tomboyish or a combination of all, depending on their mood. A combination of all would give you a wider choice as they will be open to trying different scents.

Fragrance & Personality

Most Perfume purists would agree that you should work out which of the three feminine fragrance families the person you are giving the Perfume to belongs to:

Floral – fragrances created around accords dominated by red Florals, white Florals and green Florals
Oriental – warm spicy notes of resin, vanilla and musk
Chypre – this is an accord with elements of moss, wood, oakmoss and other fresher elements
Citrus – lemon, lime, orange, grapefruit, … the list endless.
Fruity – red fruits, yellow fruits, tropical or exotic fruits
Woody – notes of sandalwood and patchouli dominate these feminine perfumes

A more in-depth overview of fragrance groups can be found here.

Below is perfume personality that has been associated with these olfactive classes:

Women wearing florals have been described as carefree, uncomplicated and open.
Oriental wearers are ‘Larger than Life’, extravagant personalities that love big exotic oriental perfumes bursting with life.
Chypre or Woody is usually worn by personalities that are more subtle and understated in style. Perhaps, they are classical and their taste is tailored.
Fruity notes are the domain of youth! It might be because they are still growing or full of energy that fragrances with an edible connotation are their preferred choice.

Also take into account various elements of their interior style, are they Classic, Sumptuous, Minimalist or Shabby-Chic. What are the home fragrances you come across in their house? It may not be something that springs to mind when choosing a perfume for someone, but it can be an excellent indicator of their olfactive taste, and can help you decide which ‘Perfume Personality’ they have.

Take Your Time

If you are still unsure which perfume to choose, then make sure to take your ‘Time’ and don’t buy in a rush while charging through the airport to catch your flight or drifting by the perfume counter in your favourite department store.

Invest a little time in researching and trialling what is the Perfect Perfume for that Perfect Someone.

It will be time well spent, as you are about to invest both money and a part of yourself in this gift and the olfactive memory or moment that you are about to create for your loved one.

Bluebells Woodland Sunlight Fragrance Pairfum London 5

The Perfume of the Woodland Bluebell

June 2, 2018May 5, 2018 by Josephine McCarthy

We were truly enchanted when visiting a customer yesterday on the border of Hampshire and Wiltshire. They showed us their beautiful ‘Bluebell Wood’, just a small part of their magnificent garden.

The Perfume of the Woodland Bluebell filled the air and was only matched in majesty by the Birdsong.

Watch this video and listen carefully for the birdsong:

Bluebells at their Best

The National Trust has said that bluebells were likely to be at their peak this coming weekend. With March being so dry it could also mean that the Bluebells are smaller and less abundant this year.

However, the bluebells which do flower will produce even more perfume than usual. The reason for this is that flowers concentrate more energy on breeding during a dry period rather than on producing succulents. They will produce more nectar and therefore more scent in order to attract pollinating insects.

Bluebells are sometimes called ‘Common Bluebells’ but they are anything but common. This spectacular plant is only found in northern Europe, with Britain containing more than half of the world’s population.

They are a protected species in the UK and a woodland carpeted in masses of bluebells is one of the most magical and one of the greatest woodland spectacles you can see.

A bluebell wood in full bloom is a true delight for all your senses.

As you wander through a wood with dappled sunlight kissing the flowers and their scent wafting through the air, it is nature at its best. This is a quintessential British sight during the spring months. It lets us know that the days are getting longer, warmer and that Summer is on its way.

When Bluebells transform our woodland in springtime, the carpet of intense blue under the tree canopy stretching out into the distance is a scene full of delicate fragile flowers. A beautiful sight that once seen will remain with you for ever. It will come as no surprise that the British bluebell is one of the nation’s best-loved flowers.

Fragrance of Bluebell

How can we describe the fragrance of the Bluebells?

The olfactive profile of the Bluebell is reminiscent of the Hyacinth. It is not a very strong fragrance but it becomes very noticeable when walking through a woodland covered in Bluebells.

We describe it a green-floral, as it is oily-green and quite intoxicating. Bluebells are not part of the ‘white flowers’ category (Jasmin, Orange Blossom, Tuberose, Ylang, Gardenia,…), not because of their colour but because they have a richness, headiness and depth that is more reminiscent ‘red flowers’ category (Rose, Violet, Lilac, Sweet Pea,…). Some perfumers believe there should be a ‘green floral’ category for flowers such as Lily of the Valley, Narcissus and Hyacinth. This is where we believe the most natural home for the Bluebell is.

In fragrance accords, Bluebell is not typically a dominant scent profile in a fragrance accord, even though many famous perfumes have been created in honour of this beautiful note:

Bluebell by Penhaligon’s
English Bluebell by Yardley
Wild Bluebell by Jo Malone

For Home Fragrances, we can highly recommend Pairfum’s White Lavender which contains the beautifully green notes of Bluebell and Hyacinth. It is available in perfumed candles, reed diffusers and perfume room sprays.

Native Bluebell v Spanish Bluebell

How can you tell or spot the difference between a Native Bluebell and a Spanish Bluebell?

One of the ways that you can tell the difference between the Native and Spanish flower, is that in the Native Bluebell the pollen is white, whereas in Spanish Bluebells, the pollen is blue. In the hybrid Bluebell, a variety of characteristics are exhibited which are intermediate in form and a colour between both ‘Native Bluebell’ and ‘Spanish Bluebell’. In other words the hybrid Bluebell exhibits characteristics of both parent plants.

Their wonderful scent is said to have 35 components which attracts pollinating insects deep into the woods.

Some might say, they also attract passing walkers to sit down, take a welcome rest and enjoy nature in all its beauty …

Is Wellness New Age or Age Old?

May 3, 2018May 3, 2018 by Josephine McCarthy

Maintaining an optimal level of wellness is absolutely crucial to living a higher quality of life.

The definition of wellness given by the World Health Organisation is “a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”.

Now we all know that it is very important to take care of ourselves this is not something new, but what is new are the terms that we currently use to describe or explain the fact that we should look after our general health. So is Wellness New Age or Age Old?

Wellness

‘Feeling well or ‘Wellness’ is very important because everything we do, every decision we make and every emotion we feel relates to our well-being. In Life our actions and emotions are directly effected by our well-being, so the decisions we make and how we react to a situation depend on how we are feeling at that time.

So much of what we read about ‘Wellness’ in articles is often described as ‘new age’, when the therapies and practices they refer to are thousands of years old. So should it be ‘ Wellness – New Age Old Age or Age Old?.

Stress

The so called ‘New Age’ ideas of ‘Mindfulness and Wellness’ have been practised for thousands of years. Studies have shown that there is a link between mindfulness and wellness. Being aware of how we are feeling, and knowing how to deal with it can and will improve our health. We all experience stress in our everyday life, and emotional wellness is very important in helping us cope effectively with that stress.

Relax

It is very important to pay attention to ourselves ( as selfish as this may sound), for both our physical and mental wellbeing. We need to insure that we ‘Make and Take’ time to relax, and to become aware of our stress signals, to develop the inner resources we need so that we can learn and grow from experiences. It gives us the space to handle whatever surprises life may bring our way ( because not all of them are bad), in fact so many of them are wonderful, sometimes we just worry too much about doing or getting things right – remember – it is right, it is ‘YOUR’ right.

Ancient Philosophy

Words such as Prana, Garshana and Dosha, form part of one of the World’s oldest holistic, natural healing systems. You will no doubt have read in numerous beauty columns about the ancient Indian philosophy of Ayurveda, which incorporates breathing exercises, yoga, oil massage, it advises on which foods to eat, herbal teas to drink, and lifestyle changes to make that will enhance the quality of your life.

This is just one system that reminds us that we should ‘Live in the Moment of Now’, yesterday is past and tomorrow no matter how long we live and no matter how long we wait for it, will never come. What does exist is right here, right now and there is no better time to take a deep breath, relax and put your worries on the back-burner. They may return but at a different time and when you are in a better frame of mind to handle them, remember to tell yourself often that you are doing a good job.

Make Time For Yourself

In this busy World where we have to juggle, Home life, Work Life, and everything else that pops-up in between. Where it is not always possible to go to the Gym and take that Yoga or Spinning class that would help you unwind. It is still possible and vitally important to ‘Take and Make’ that ‘Me Time’ that we all need in our lives, for our Health and Well-being.

A Candle and a Bath

One very simple way to do this is to have a relaxing bath, fill the tub, and add some of your favourite bath products. Light a scented Candle or two or three, well it is your ‘Time’ and you can light as many as you like. Choose a relaxing, calming fragrance such as Lavender or Citrus these scents work wonders at lowering stress levels and helping you unwind. Lavender can be used to reduce tension, it can also help you drift off to sleep. Lemon and other citrus fragrances also help improve concentration and have calming properties.

So at the end of a long and stressful day, make it easy for yourself to ‘Find & Take’ time just for for you.

We have all heard this slogan at sometime or another and it may seem like a cliché, but ‘You Are Worth It’.

Pairfum Snow Crystal Candle

The EU has voted for a permanent ban on pesticides that are harmful to bees

April 27, 2018April 27, 2018 by Josephine McCarthy

A statement by the United Nations stated that the ‘Decline of honey bees is now a global phenomenon’, today the EU has voted for a permanent ban on pesticides that are harmful to bees. Earlier this year a report released by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) found that most uses of neonicotinoid pesticides represent a risk to wild bees and honeybees. Under the new regulations, the use of imidacloprid, clothianidin and thiamethoxam outdoors will now be banned in EU member states.

These chemicals have been linked to large-scale extinctions in bee population, and are known to impact on their learning and memory. Bees face chronic exposure to these chemicals, as they persist in the environment and are dispersed to other plants besides the ones they were initially applied to. There is currently a ban on neonicotinoid use on flowering crops in the EU, however the new report suggests this is not sufficient, as the use of these chemicals in any outdoor setting poses a high risk to bees. It also identified that high risk does not result from direct exposure to non-flowering crops, but to subsequent indirect exposure from field margins, adjacent crops and succeeding crops. The report confirms the significant threat these neonicotinoid pesticides pose to our bees, however, indoor use of the pesticides in greenhouses, for example was not found to have the same harmful effects,

Insects make up about two-thirds of all life on Earth, but the last 25 years has witnessed the most dramatic decline in the numbers of flying insects having dropped by 75 per cent. Insects play an essential role for life on earth as pollinators of plants and prey for larger animals, their loss would and is already having a profound impact on our World.

This wonderful news today from the EU gives us hope that we can halt the decline in our Bee populations, and with our help we can over time hopefully reverse this unrepresented loss of our insect life, especially our hard working Bees. One of the ways we can help save the bees is to plant flowers, by planting flowers especially ones indigenous to your area we provide food to feed the bees and other valuable pollinators. By planting a pollinator-friendly garden you are not just saving our Bees, we are ultimately saving ourselves and the Planet.

PAIRFUM natural fragrance wardrobe sachet honeycomb beeswax

Bedroom Reed Diffuser Luxury Scented Candle Room Spray

Relieve Stress and get a Better Night’s Sleep

April 20, 2018April 19, 2018 by Josephine McCarthy

Having a good night’s sleep can make a big difference in your quality of life. Just ask any ‘New’ Parents how sleep deprivation has impacted on their lives. In the busy world we live in, it is not only parents of young children that are not getting enough snooze time but we could all do with a better night’s sleep. How do we relieve stress and get a better night’s sleep and why is it so important?

Studies have proven that sleep deprivation can adversely affect the brain and your cognitive function, a study by the Harvard Medical School and the University of California at Berkeley revealed, that sleep deprivation causes the brain to become incapable of putting an emotional event into the proper perspective and incapable of making a controlled, suitable response to the event. Put in a ‘Nut Shell’, even the simplest tasks become harder or impossible to preform. It not only effects our physical but also our mental health.

There are so many things that we can do to help improve our sleep patterns, from insuring that we have a comfortable mattress and pillows, that has not exceeded their life expectancy. To making sure that we regulate our body’s clock, by scheduling a routine of the same bedtime and wake up time, even on the weekends. Try to avoid eating a heavy meal or having that last sneaky peak at a mobile device before bedtime, your body needs time to shift into sleep mode, so spend the last hour before bed doing a calming activity.

An excellent way to help relieve stress and unwind so that we can all have a better nights sleep is to ‘Use our sense of Smell’, our olfactory nerve is connect directly to the brain and sends signals directly to many different parts of the brain, including the limbic system and amygdala, which are in charge of emotions, mood, and memory. So why not use a scent or perfume to help relieve stress, relax the body, and promote better sleep. A number of essentials oils have been shown in studies to lower blood pressure, heart rate, and skin temperature as well as changing brain waves to a more relaxed state.

From Lavender to Bergamot, Ylang Ylang to Clary Sage , these are just some of the wonderful essential oils that have been used in Aromatherapy to tap into the healing power of scents in order to help calm, de-stress and relax both your mind and body. So why not try and find one that is suitable to you.