A NEW SCENTSATION

The distilled scent of real nature is part of a new language of luxury, says

When a beauty product not only invites a new ritual but compels you to keep on doing it, you know you’ve found a winner. Homegrown label elett kincare scooped est ew kincare rand at the prestigious Pure eauty lobal Awards last month. Their products are all the things you’d expect from a modern, inclusive, ethical brand crueltyfree, vegan, Halal-certified and with no artificial additives or dyes. The hero product,

e uvenating oil , comes with directions for a worthwhile -step facial massage. ut what sets it apart, and is perhaps the key to making a habit that sticks, is the scent.

There’s something about the smell and feel of a beautiful skincare product that is true self-care,” says founder arah acon. ynthetic perfumes give her headaches knew from the beginning had to have a scent that was natural. love the smell of asmine. t has incredible healing and antioxidant properties universal appeal and it’s not artificial.” The fact that this facial oil smells like a walk in a summer garden is right on the money, because the distilled scent of real nature is part of a new language of luxury.

t’s a lexicon that’s in common use at Abel, a sophisticated fragrance brand with an international following that began in Amsterdam but is now based in ellington.

To be a luxury, a perfume has to smell ama ing, but it also has to make you feel ama ing,” says founder rances hoemack.

ecause ours are natural and use essential oils they have real properties they are actually good for you. or me, that’s true luxury.”

There’s another good reason to appreciate a natural fragrance There’s no state, federal or global authority regulating the safety or use of ingredients in perfume,” explains hoemack.

f the ingredients used by the industry more than are petrochemical derived, and only tested for safety of those that are tested, many are shown to be carcinogenic, endocrine disrupting and non-biodegradable .

asically, your average customer has no idea their perfume is essentially a petrochemical soup. e want to change that ”

ounds wise. hile Abel’s sweet, salty yan ori eau de parfum is the global best seller, their recently launched Parfum xtrait blends take it up a notch in the sensuality stakes. ich in concentrated, therapeuticgrade essential oils, each mini bottle the scent is strong, you don’t need much and when you do run out, Abel offers a refill service at a discount , is labelled with its uni ue mood enhancing ualities. They lend themselves to layering. ecome your own apothecary a dab of Pink ris for calm over some reen edar for vitality is an effective combination.

This new variation on luxury points towards an upscale, organic spin on the good life, with a healthy amount of eco-awareness thrown in. t’s why you find Aēsop products in the bathrooms of some of the smartest restaurants and hotels around the world. The Australian brand gives a stylish, minimalist polish to our desire for nature via some heady and unusual botanic-heavy fragrances. iraceti evokes incense and seaweed on the bree e”, while remia conveys a world where the vegetal strength of moss and wildflowers coexists”.

This is ncense is another Australian company keen to take us on a sensual ourney. Their incense sticks are packed in sweet pastel-coloured boxes with gold-lettering that in another world might contain fancy chocolates. They’re about as far from elemental oss sticks as you can get.

The perfect winter essential to take you away to your special summer places, like oosa, yron,” says founder ophie

arshall of the sticks dipped in Australian essential oils. ’ve been burning my way through a box of their argaret iver a sandalwood and mandarin mix that’s a bit musky and a bit fruity since discovered them over lockdown. They’re starting to smell like home to me.

ut the hands down winner of all things home-scented is anta aria

ovella’s PotPourri . Poured out of the pack, the flower petals, buds and leaves are an immediate throwback to the s home essential, but it’s the scent that’s truly transporting.

lightly medicinal and herbaceous, you can well imagine it made by the

ominican athers who established the lorentine pharmacy that’s been producing it for more than years. ’ve not yet met a person who doesn’t fall under its spell, which is why the fine stationery store Passion for Paper that stocks it, handily keeps a waiting list.