Pairfum London

What is Art? Is Perfume Art?

23/02/202420/12/2018 by Josephine McCarthy

Is Perfume Art ?

Are Home Fragrance and Skin Care also Art?

The English Oxford dictionary defines art as “the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, typically in a visual form such as painting or sculpture, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power.”. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines art as “the conscious use of skill and creative imagination, especially in the production of aesthetic objects.” What is Art?, what do you think it is and how would you go about describing it.

Leo Tolstoy said that “Art is not, as the metaphysicians say, the manifestation of some mysterious idea of beauty or God; it is not, as the aesthetical physiologists say, a game in which man lets off his excess of stored-up energy; it is not the expression of man’s emotions by external signs; it is not the production of pleasing objects; and, above all, it is not pleasure; but it is a means of union among men, joining them together in the same feelings, and indispensable for the life and progress toward well-being of individuals and of humanity”.

So when we create something whether it is in the kitchen, workshop, class room, craft room or garden. We are as Oscar Wilde said taking part in the most intense mode of individualism that the world has known. If this is the case, then what we create is not only important for our own well-being but for the health and well being of the people and World around us.

Can A Product Be Art?

When does a mere product become a piece of art or an item of beauty?

“When science meets ingenuity. When creative invention and relentless research ignite a trend. When quality is pride of product. When a woman feels beauty in herself and a desire for life’s little luxuries is fulfilled.” – Huib Maat, in house Perfumer at PAIRFUM London.

Excerpt from Leo Tolstoy’s ‘What Is Art?’
(1896 – translated by Aylmer Maude (1900):

“… In order correctly to define art, it is necessary, first of all, to cease to consider it as a means to pleasure and to consider it as one of the conditions of human life.”

For most of us, our gardens, homes, rooms or work spaces are a canvas that we create and re-create over time.

It is an expression of how we see ourselves and how we wish to live. We use colour, texture, light and space to design and define the space around us.

By adding a ‘Perfumed Candle’ or a ‘Reed Diffuser’ you are also able to add a truly multi-sensorial experience to your life’s ‘Work of Art’ or ‘Art Work’.

PAIRFUM London’s Works of Art are available for sale in our online boutique.

Enjoy the Art in your home!

Perfume Art In Home Fragrance 23 — Perfume Art In Home Fragrance

pairfum lifestyle flower sow wax fragranced candle

A Candle for Christmas

17/11/2018 by Josephine McCarthy

Nothing quite sets the scene more perfectly than a Perfumed Candle for Christmas.

Candles being used at Christmas dates from the middle ages, where a large candle was used to represent the star of Bethlehem.

Jesus is sometimes called ‘the Light of the World’ by Christians, and the start of the custom of the Advent Crown and Advent Candles is associated with this.

Candles were also used during ancient winter solstice celebrations, as a way of remembering that spring would return and the trees would bloom again.

What ever your reason for lighting a Luxury Scented Candle this Christmas, PAIRFUM London has they perfect one for You x

Pairfum Bath Body Giftbag Pre Biotic Body Lotion Wash Oil Bathing Gel

What is the Future of Anti-Aging?

23/02/202417/10/2018 by Josephine McCarthy

Millions and Millions of Pounds, Dollars, Euros, Yen, Swiss Franc and any other currencies you care to think of, are spend each year on anti-aging (or anti-ageing) products.

From Anti-ageing creams, Anti-aging Essential Oils, Anti-aging Face Creams, we use them daily at home or when we travel, for the lucky few who can afford it there are Anti-Ageing Clinics.

Today we saw an article that posed the questions:

What is the future of anti-aging?
How do men and women really feel about natural and organic beauty ?
Who are the ‘Well-Aging generation’?????

‘Well-Aging’ a new term that you may see cropping up, along with terms such as post-aging. It makes you wonder what do they really mean by these terms?

In 2017, a paper was published by researchers called “The skin Aging Exposome”. The term “exposome” describes the totality of exposures to which an individual is subjected to from cradle to grave, or, to put it in a much nicer way: ‘Our Life’s Journey’.

The review was carried out by a collaboration of European scientists, that specialise in either environmental medicine or skin biology.

It set out to discover which factors impact the visible, if not chronological perception of age. It included external and internal factors, and the human body’s response to these factors. These factors include air pollution, lifestyle factors such as smoking, alcohol consumption and nutrition. Exposure to UV and IR, stress and sleep deprivation, the use of cosmetics and other variables.

By including such an all encompassing and wide variety of factors, the findings point to more subtle shades of meaning or expressions on what contributes to age perception. As the scientific focus around ageing has broadened, consumer perceptions of what it means to ‘Age’ has also shifted significantly.

We here at PAIRFUM London have noticed that the expectations related to chronological ageing are slowly giving way to a more holistic, lifestyle-focused consumer mindset. We are what we eat, drink, exercise, sleep, relax, think and most importantly of all ‘Feel’.

It is the reason that we created the PAIRFUM Organic Skin Care range, that includes our Anti-Aging Prebiotic & Organic Creams.

always original 16 9 1080 e1540401982129

Video Post – London’s Artisan Perfumers

30/05/202615/10/2018 by Josephine McCarthy

Why do most fragrances smell so similar?

It is easier to copy than to be original.

We are London's Artisan Perfumers.

Always Original.

How to Evaluate, Sample, Smell or Test Fragrance?

23/02/202409/10/2018 by Josephine McCarthy

We are often asked how to evaluate, smell perfume or test fragrance.

How To Evaluate Sample Test Fragrance Try Perfume 16

It may seem like a strange question “How do you Test Fragrance” ?

However it really is not as strange as it seems, some people would say “Just open a bottle spray and take a sniff”

Incredible Facts About Your Sense of smell, people can detect one trillion distinct scents. Test Fragrance

Finding the right fragrance is not quite as straight forward as it may seem, at times it would appear that there can be no logic behind your choice of perfumes because your emotions are so intrinsically linked to your sense of smell.

Perfumer Nose Smelling Strip Evaluate Scent Test Fragrance

We are conditioned to have smell preferences, and our response to a particular odour or note could be based partially on our individual genetic make-up, and partially on our life experiences.

Dark Chocolate Cake Fragrance Test Home Natural

So what do we mean by this?

Question Mark Info Graphic Sample Fragrance

In simple terms it means that we all have an ‘olfactory blueprint’, which like us is totally unique. Think of it as your life’s experiences or life’s road map all happily recorded in our smell memory.

No two individuals are alike and just as we respond differently to different situations, colours, music, art, clothes, food or wine, we also react differently to something that we smell.

Self Talk Day Positive Fragrance Test Aromatherapy

We here at PAIRFUM London are delighted that this is the case, could you just imagine for a moment how boring the World would be if we all liked the same thing… colour, food, wine, clothes..

How To Evaluate Sample Test Try Perfume Fragrance

Taking this idea a step further it would also mean that we would all, be attracted to the same type of partner, scientists have already proven that mice can and do, detect compatibility genes by smell, and that certain fish choose their mates by their colour. How this works in humans, is still not fully understood.

Sculpture Thinker Museum Famous Rodin The Thinker Sample fragrance

However it is such a fascinating topic, it deserves a post all to itself – so that is one for another time.

So! how should we Evaluate, Sample, Test or Smell Perfume..

Well, the Perfume World is divided into families, and then divided yet again into sub-family’s. Technically, ‘fragrance families’ are a classification system that the perfume industry has used for years. In the language of scent a ‘Family’ is used to place individual perfumes into olfactory groups, based on their more dominant characteristics.

When choosing which scent or perfume to wear we often without even realising it, gravitate to the same ‘fragrance family’ time and again. Instinctively, we prefer scents from some fragrance families and dislike others.

How To Evaluate Sample Test Try Perfume 8

However this may vary or alter slightly with a change in temperature or weather, for colder months we may prefer a warmer note and a lighter, fresher note for Spring or Summer.

The in-house perfumer here at PAIRFUM London, Huib Maat has just written a more in depth article on how to evaluate, sample, test Fragrance. If you would like to find out more, and learn how to do it like a professional then please click here.

how to make a reed diffuser dried magnolia flower

How to make a Reed Diffuser that is Personalised?

23/02/202404/10/2018 by Josephine McCarthy

We are often being asked the question, “How to make a Reed Diffuser that is Personalised?

We all enjoy fresh, fragrant flowers or at the very least a natural uplifting or calming fragrance in our homes. This explains why over the past number of years, reed diffusers have become a very popular and a ‘must-have’ addition to our rooms.

They have a timeless simplicity and versatility, that enables their inclusion into every room or interior design scheme make them universally loved.

Today, they are available in every shape and size in a wide variety of fragrances, from a variety of brands – even companies that would not normally be associated with or have a background in perfumery……….???

There are times however when:

a) The diffuser you have chosen may not quite fit the overall theme of your home, or the scheme you have chosen for a particular room.
b) You would like to add a more personalised touch to your interior scheme, or
c) It may be for a special occasion such as a Wedding or a party.

For these or other special occasions, we have a simple suggestion:

1. Turn your favourite vase into a unique reed diffuser.

The rising popularity of reed diffusers has seen us all getting used to refilling our bottles with a reed diffuser refill and inserting fresh reeds. We all know how to do this.

Did you know though, that you can do the same with your favourite vase or bottle?

Using your favourite vase or a unique bottle, to create an aesthetically pleasing decorative item will take just a few moments of your time, and yet you will create a touch of elegance to perfectly compliment your home décor.

To clarify, you will need the following items to create your unique reed diffuser:

• Your chosen vase or decanter

• PAIRFUM reed diffuser refill – well you would not expect us to recommend anything but the best to you – would you?

• PAIRFUM’s extra-long natural rattan reeds – yet again, nothing but the best is good enough for you.Choosing extra-long reeds is vital for the success of your reed diffuser because if the reeds are too short, then not enough of the rattan sticks out of the top of the bottle. You will find in this case that the reed diffuser will not be strong enough to fragrance your room. As a rule of thumb, you need at least 10 reeds that stick about 6 – 8 inch or 15 -20 cm out of the bottle.

Please note, the next critical step in this process is that you only select a vase, bottle, decanter or any other vessel that is resistant to perfume oils. If you are in any doubt about this, then please do not attempt this.

We recommend only using the following types of vases or vessels:

– Made from glass or crystal without any lacquer, paint, varnish, coating, fabric, paper etc on the inside or outside. Please insure that any type of container you choose is free from cracks, chips or defects that may cause it to leak or spill.

– Made from ceramic, porcelain or earthenware that are glazed on the inside and outside.

This may sound very restrictive (and probably is) but it is better to be ‘safe’, than ‘sorry’. After all is said and done, you are using one of your preferred vases.
On the other hand, you will be surprised how many beautiful, graceful and interesting vases or bottles you have in your cupboards that would be ideal to be used as a reed diffuser.

Just have a look around.

When selecting a reed diffuser refill oil, here at PAIRFUM, we recommend choosing a ‘healthy’ refill fluid:

– Natural,
– Without alcohol (as these don’t last very long), and
– Non-VOC (meaning free from solvents that damage your lungs and in particular free from glycols)

All of PAIRFUM’s reed diffuser refills and Diffusers meet these criteria.Now that you have all the ingredients assembled, it’s time to put it all together.
Begin by filling your favourite or chosen container with the reed diffuser refill oil to approximately 50% of the volume of the container, this is done to insure that you leave room for the reeds (if in doubt, then just fill it to the halfway mark).
Next, place the reeds inside the vessel, you will notice that the level of fragrance oil inside the container rises(think of it as the Eureka effect), which is why we advised earlier to fill to only 50%. This avoids spillage when you insert the reeds, and will insure that the liquid does not flow over the edge.

As with all reed diffusers, the reeds will now begin to soak up the fragrance infusion and the perfume will begin to travel up the reeds. Once the perfume has soaked or ‘wicked’ up the reeds past the neck of the bottle, your personalised reed diffuser will begin to fragrance you home.

Please take the usual precautions with reed diffusers and be careful if you are placing your reed diffuser on a wooden, lacquered or porous surface you may wish to use a coaster as fragrance oils can leave marks on certain surfaces.
Pro Tip: the optimum position for your reed diffuser is where it catches a little air flow that enables the fragrance to disperse, enhancing the atmosphere and setting the ambience you wish to create.

And there you have it – your very own, personal but luxurious reed diffuser in both scent and design.
The PAIRFUM collection is available online at www.pairfum.com

Wine Tasting & Your Sense of Smell

23/02/202429/09/2018 by Josephine McCarthy

We have been approached by a wonderful Wine company, who would like to do a Wine Tasting & Your Sense of Smell event…

It may not be something we automatically think about in this way, but although each sense has it’s own receptor organs, smell and taste belong to our chemical sensing system – known as chemosensation.

Our sense of smell is our oldest sense detecting chemicals that relate to smell or taste, it provides us with the information we need to survive in the environment that surrounds us.

The sensation of taste includes five established basic tastes: sweetness, sourness, saltiness, bitterness, and savoury or Umami.

The majority of flavors are recognised through the sense of smell. Many of us have at sometime experienced how food looses it’s flavour when we have a head cold or a blocked nose.

Even though you can distinguish a foods sweetness or bitterness, if you hold your nose while eating chocolate, you will have trouble identifying which particular flavour of chocolate it is.

Why is this you may ask?

Well the reason for this is that the flavor of chocolate is sensed largely by our sense of smell, this is also the case with Coffee. So if you wish to fully experience or savour a wonderful flavor, then it really is a case of the ‘Nose knows You Know’.

This leads us perfectly into why having a Wine Tasting & Your Sense of Smell event, makes perfect sense.

Anyone who has ever had the opportunity to visit a winery, a vineyard or even watched a televised program about wine. Will have seen that before ever attempting to take a sip of wine.. the experts will evaluate the wine by employing four basic steps – looking, swirling, smelling, and last but not least tasting.

You do not have to be a true wine expert, also known as a Sommelier or Wine steward, to enjoy or savour the moment. These tried and tested rituals of wine tasting have been developed over millennia.

The iconic Marilyn Monroe once said – “There are no Women who do not like perfume, there are women who have not found their scent” –

Now that started us wondering – if this could also be applied to Wine?, although it would not only apply to Women………..

As in:

“There is no one who does not like wine, there are just people who have not found their vintage yet” – Huib Maat

Our nostrils are ‘Ipsilateral’(which means ‘on or affecting the same side of the body’) – this allows us to smell two odours simultaneously, it also means that you could in theory smell a Red wine with your right nostril and a White with your left, with the information being send to the corresponding side of the brain !!!

We can just imagine what a Sommelier would make of this suggestion …..

So what do you think?

Would you like to join PAIRFUM London at a – Wine Tasting & Your Sense of Smell Event?

Then please get in touch using the contact form on our site – https://www.pairfum.com/contact/

homo faber craftsmanship exhibition venice flower

“Homo Faber” Showcases The Very Best Of European Craftsmanship

19/09/201819/09/2018 by Huib Maat

The Finest of European Craftsmanship, from jewelery to bespoke bicycles, will be shown at “Homo Faber” with the aim of ‘crafting’ a more humane future by celebrating the excellence of artisans. The exhibition inspires interest in the skill of artisans that machines cannot match.

“Homo Faber is an expression that was first coined during the renaissance and it captures and celebrates the infinite creativity of human beings,” says Johann Rupert, co-founder of the Michelangelo Foundation.

According to Wikipedia, “Homo Faber (Latin for “Man the Maker”) is the concept that human beings are able to control their fate and their environment as a result of the use of tools.”

Here at Pairfum we are proud of the Artisan nature of our products, the skills used to handmake each and the spirit of the perfumer-creator in each fragrance.

candle sclpture urs fischer dasha zhukova memento mori

Wax Candle Sculpture by Urs Fischer

17/09/2018 by Huib Maat

The artist Urs Fischer has created a real wax candle sculpture of Dasha Zhukova and burns the candle down to the ground.

Dash Zhukova is a russian art collector and the founder of the garage museum of contemporary art in moscow.

A wick is strategically placed on top of her head and when lit, it will slowly burn down the candle. Addititional wicks have been placed all over her body to ensure a complete burn down of the sculpture (just like Pairfum’s Fragranced Candles) and to reduce it to a pile of wax drippings, over the course of almost two months.

The candle sclupture is a contemporary memento mori, to remind us all of the impermanence in life, beauty and art.

The giant candle is exhibited at the Gagosian Gallery in Davies Street in London.

If you are looking for something more practial, which will probably burn much cleaner and fragrance your room, then look no further than Pairfum’s Perfumed Candles.

Sleep and Insomnia – How to Fall Asleep with Fragrance

23/02/202429/08/2018 by Josephine McCarthy

Our reason for writing an article on Sleep and Insomnia – How to Fall Asleep with Fragrance, came about when we were contacted recently by a number of customers and specialist groups regarding sleep deprivation, and it’s effect on our general well-being and mental health.

If you were asked to suggest a product to include in a list of the ‘Best or Most Life Changing products’, that has to suit all budgets… Would one of the first things that spring to mind be, something that helps you get a ‘Good Nights Sleep’?

One of the most important things we need to do after ‘Breathing’, ‘Hydrating’ and ‘Eating’ is ‘SLEEPING’…
Sleeping is not just some down time from our busy routine, the body and mind needs sleep to repair and heal.

So as odd as it may seem, one of the best or one of the most life changing things / gifts you could give to someone is a good night’s sleep – just ask any new parent if they agree?

Lack of sleep can make us feel physically unwell, impair concentration, and leave us feeling stressed, anxious and irritable.
Findings of recent studies also point to the fact that sleep deprivation can also contribute to heart disease, premature ageing, and is a known factor in road accidents

With our increasingly busy lives it’s estimated that we now sleep around 90 minutes less each night than we did in the 1920s.
When we see it written like this it may not seem so bad, but if we were all asked to get up an hour and a half earlier than normal every day, but still go to bed at the same time each night .. really how would we feel?

Now if you add to this the large number of people who already suffer with problems sleeping, it’s obvious that many people are now functioning in a permanently sleep-deprived state.
Some people suffer from serious sleep problems, ranging from the inability to get to sleep (insomnia) to the inability to stay awake (narcolepsy).

However thankfully many sleep problems are temporary, and there are some very basic self-help measures which will help get you back to a more normal sleeping pattern.

One of the ‘Top Tips’ that every sleep expert gives is – prepare and unwind before going to bed, we have all read that switching off all our electronic devices, is very important, but why?

Electronics such as tablets, laptops and smart phones emit artificial light that can deter and disrupt sleep. Insure that you sleep in a darkened, well ventilated and quite room, and avoid stimulating activities, such as using electronics and exercise just prior to sleep. The advise on stimulating activities just before sleep, did raise a number of eyebrows… but we are sure that we can leave that up to you to judge.

Adopting a bedtime routine can promote consistent and restful sleep.

Here at PAIRFUM London the product that we have designed/created to help people sleep is our ‘Pillow Spray’ – For A Deep Night’s Sleep ( well we didn’t create it to help them sleep at work – but if the product works that well – what more need we say).