We know that ladies love their perfume and fragranced toiletries, but todays modern man has been catching up in leaps and bounds. Just take note of the groaning supermarket shelves the next time you nip in to do the weekly shop…you’ll find many a man loitering with intent, eyeing up the plethora of products on offer.

So, have Chanel read the marketplace correctly? Are we ready to have a male selling us a female scent….to be honest, i’m not sure i’m with them on this….maybe the bandwaggon heading toward a Jolie/Pitt wedding might have tipped the balance for them. Its a bold, if somewhat strange path to tread, and it will be interesting to see what happens.

Chanel No.5 is a plush elegant juice including extremely feminine accords of jasmine, rose and ylang, and has stood the test of time since it was first introduced in 1921, but with well over 1000 fragrances being launched every single year, maybe this is needed to lifts its head above its rivals.

Whatever happens, we’ll soon find out, as its been reported that Brad and his family have already encamped in Richmond as shooting the ad campaign begins this week. Part of the 7 figure deal has, apparently, been 4 tickets to see the Stone Roses in Heaton Park, much to Helens delight as she has tickets for the same day!….Just make sure you are wearing Chanel No.5 Helen and you’ll soon be in the VIP area

I’d be delighted to hear any thoughts you may have on this…….

So I thought we would dedicate this weeks blog to one of the worlds favourite indulgencies. First of all I’d like to run a few facts by you for good measure….

It is thought that Cocoa is a mis-spelling of the Mayan word Cacao meaning ‘God Food’ originating over 2500 years ago. It was held in such high regard that it was even used as currency.

17000 people in Belgium work in the chocolate industry.

It takes up to 270 cocoa beans to make up 1 pound of chocolate.

Almost half of the worlds chocolate is consumed in America.

More than twice as many women than men crave and eat chocolate and it has been observed that no other sweets or candies can satisfy the craving – just the chocolate itself.

Chocolate notes crop up in fragrances with quite some regularity, and apart from the obvious choices such as Thierry Muglers Angel series of perfumes, which are seen as the quintessential chocolate scents, there are quite a few others on the shelf that may surprise you.

Ralph Lauren launched Big Pony (for men) which has a winning combination of velvet musks and dark chocolate.  Armani Diamonds for men is another best seller, but this time the chocolate is hidden away in the base notes, and so leaves a subtle trail in your wake.  If  just a hint of indulgence is required, then Lacoste Elegance (another male fragrance) combines chocolate with spicy nutmeg and fresh top notes for a surprisingly light scent.

Womens scents include Gucci Flora Glamorous Magnolia which uses a subtle cocoa hint to anchor the citrus zest and green leaves that make up the main composition. Boutique desinger Annick Goutal used creamy chocolate notes to balance girlish playful blackcurrant buds and luscious vanilla pods in her Eau de Charlotte fragrance.

We have a good range of chocolate and candy fragrances to curb that craving without the calories – and you cant say fairer than that can you! How about a chocolate lime or a chocolate orange, or even good old fashioned sweets such as peardrops, lemon bonbons and strawberry laces.

If it all gets a tad too much, it has been noted that a splash of vanilla across the wrist does a sterling job of sating the appetite. Well thats all from me, I’m off for a penny chew or two

And just so that no-one feels left out here are a few versions from around our green and pleasant land of how to say Great Britain…

If you dwell in Wales you may know it better as Prydain Fawr, for Gaelic speakers it would be An Bhretain Mhor (there are spelling variations dependant on whether you are Irish or Scottish Gaelic )…even Cornwall has its own Cornish term, Breten Veur.

It is the time to celebrate our creative talents, our traditional industries and of course our eccentricities.

Parades and pageants will abound as Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her 60th year on the throne. A 3 day event involving dancers, musicians, equestrian and military displays will take place at Windsor Castle in May, but the thing I am most looking forward to is the Thames river pageant. This event takes place on Sunday 3rd June and will be one the largest flotillas ever assembled on the River Thames. Over 1000 vessels of all shapes and sizes will be beautifully dressed with streamers, flags and the like, recalling both its royal heritage and its heyday as a busy working, bustling river.

On the Monday there will be a live concert followed by the lighting of thousands of beacons around the world to commemorate her reign over the UK and to celebrate her role as head of the commonwealth. I do hope that some of our lesser well known traditions get an airing as well this year on the global stage. You cant beat a bit of welly wanging, or a good old hanky waving morris dancer prancing around on the cobbles.

We could always televise the world championship black pudding throwing contest, where the age old Lancashire / Yorkshire rivalry is played out by trying to knock Yorkshire puddings off a 20ft ledge with a Lancashire black pudding in the local town of Ramsbottom!  And if none of that appeals, then how about trying your hand at the dangerous sport of cheese rolling, a sedate game of lawn croquet or that peculiarly British phenomenon of a titilating streak across a cricket/rugby/football pitch!

Anyway, back to matters in hand. To celebrate with the nation we have created a very British collection of fragrances all based on Her Majestys (alleged) favourite flowers and fruits. They contain notes of lily, tulip and rose, with fruity notes such as watermelon, pomegranate and marmalade.

Tigers Eye

Classic Pearl

Pink Diamond

Emerald Jade

Sapphire Skies

Ruby Rose

If you would like any further information about these or any other of our fragrances, then please just give either myself or Helen a ring at the office, or just drop me an email at julie@carvansons.co.uk

So on this note I have been interested to read recent articles that cleaning products have for some while been upping their ante on the fragrance front. Apparently we have been a little too blase about the standard lemon or pine household fragrances of old for far too long, and so the supermarket shelves bulge and groan with an enormous array of products such as washing up liquids that all more or less do the same job, but now we have a choice of winter spices, pomegranate & passionflower, tea tree & peppermint, green tea, apple blossom - in fact you could almost name any aroma and find it on the aisle ready to brighten your mood AND your dishes.

The happier you are – the cleaner your house (so goes the theory) and so manufacturers vie for our attention with the biggest brightest fragranced products enticing you to pop into your shopping trolley.

I have to admit to never buying a product without taking the top off (off the product, not off me!!) and smelling it first. The fragrance rather than the brand name usually has the sway factor for me, but I have yet to find the aroma that would really lift my mood whilst washing the pots. I am, however the eternal optimist, and so my quest continues to find that elusive smell that will elevate my mood so much that I will dance around the house every night duster in hand, smile on my face .

PS..If you find it before me, please let me know

And to finish off here is a little poem, penned by my own fair hand, that kind of sums up my cleaning regime!

Time for dusting, mopping and sweeping

Wiping and swiping, completely spring cleaning,

Cupboards are wiped and the kitchen is gleaming

then the alarm clock goes off – Oh no, I’m just dreaming!

We all need as many extra tips as we can get and so I have been researching if and how everyday fragrances can help to boost weight loss.

The average human nose recognises over 10,000 scents, and so you would think that at least some of those might aid appetite suppression….well I have good news for you, there are a few oils that will.

According to researchers in Osaka University Japan, rats exposed to the scent of grapefruit oil for 15 minute intervals, 3 times a week had reduced appetites and also lost weight.

The Smell & Taste Institute in Chicago studied a  group of 3,000 overweight people, giving half of them scents of either banana, green apple or peppermint to smell whenever they had a craving coming on, and overall, they lost around 5lb a month more than the non-sniffing group.

Other studies have used cinnamon, vanilla and fruits with varying results. Peppermint oil has been proven to improve awareness and alertness, and if sniffed throughout a workout, reduces perceived fatigue, resulting in greater stamina and a better gym performance.

Aromatherapy has the enhanced benefit of tricking the body into feeling fuller with less food. This is also seen in the newly discovered Christmas Dinner Syndrome. This is the theory that surrounding yourself in food scents suppresses your appetite significantly. This is borne out by the fact that the chef/cook who has spent all day in the kitchen preparing the Christmas meal (or dinner party fayre), sits down to eat, only to realise that they are no longer hungry – the cravings have disappeared (personally I’m not sure whether that’s just because you are tasting everything as you go along – or is that just me ).

So there you have it, I will be frantically sniffing a concoction of banana, apple & grapefruit oils for the rest of the week to see whether it makes a difference, and failing that I shall be treating myself to a new set of plates – blue is a supposed natural appetite suppressant! ;P

Let me know if you have tried any of the above or if you have any extra information as to whether it works.

Apparently the Boswellia papyifera tree species is under threat and the frankincense forests in general are in decline. The old trees are dying continuously and germination of the new saplings is notoriously difficult. Although the resin is obtained from cutting the bark, this in itself is not the whole reason for the decline – although constant tapping does affect the number of seeds a tree can produce. The bark and any new seedlings are favoured by marauding goats and the tree also finds itself under attack from the long horn beetle. The locals have realised that the land yields more profit when used for other purposes such as housing construction and agriculture, and therefore some dedication to the cultivation of the frankincense resin has been lost.

Each tree can produce around 3kg of resin per year, and research suggests that after tapping for 5 years, the tree should be rested for a similar period in order for it to recover.

Frankincense is collected by creating an incision into the tree bark. A sticky white sap is then produced intended by the plant to seal the wound in the same way our bodies would respond to a cut by creating a scab. The first flow from the tree is the most revered and has a yellow colour. As the tree continues to attempt to seal its wound, the resin gum becoms darker and darker. Collectors wait until the sap has hardened, and then chip off the reddish glass like masses.

Frankincense has a long and spiritual history. It is mentioned in the Bible many times as a result of being used in temple worship. Israelite law governed what could and couldnt be burned in the temple. Frankincense was one of the oils and resins that were deemed worthy enough to be included. Scholars have estimated that the temple in Jerusalem would have used in excess of 700 pounds of frankincense a year. The Boswellia trees do not pour out the resin gum freely and as a result it was an expensive commodity that only the wealthy could afford.

Incense making, like perfume making was an art and a science. The knowledge of how to make the incense was passed down from one generation to the next, and there was a lot of mystery surrounding its make up. For this reason the exact ingredients used in the ancient sacred incenses are unknown - although the ingredients allowed in the incense were laid down by law, the exact proportions were only known by Artisans. The oldest known temple recipe contained just 4 ingredients as follows….

Stacte (most probably Myrrh, but could also have been Balsam)

Onycha (musk)

Galbanum

Frankincense

In olden times, frankincense was seen as a spiritual medicine – being burned to create a connection between life on earth and the spiritual realm. It was a healing herb for many conditions such as anxiety, depression, arthritis, the healing of infected wounds and also as a sedative. In fact, it was used to intoxicate criminals and put them into a state of relaxation before their execution. Frankincense was the ancient equivalent of Prozac, creating clarity of the mind and a long term relaxing calming state.

The Egyptians were also no strangers to frankincense, using it in temples, medicines and cosmetology.  It was used in the embalming process of turning a Pharoah into a mummy and also left in the sarcophagus to ease the way from one realm to the next. Kohl was created by the egyptians by using the burnt ash from frankincense along with other fragrant substances and using this mix to dress up their eyes, making themselves feel more attractive.

As stated earlier, frankincense was used to calm a troubled mind, and maybe in the last minute run up to Christmas day I might borrow a little essential oil from the lab which can be used as a bath additive for a truly relaxing festive soak…..if it works, you’ll be the first to know

Our final note for Christmas and the New Year is a poem I found a couple of years ago that I would like to share with you…

Seek out a forgotten friend
Share some treasure
Give a soft answer
Encourage youth
Keep a promise
Find the time
Listen
Apologise if you were wrong
Be gentle
Laugh a little
Laugh a little more
Express your gratitude
Welcome a stranger
Gladden the heart of a child
Take pleasure in the beauty
and wonder of the earth
Speak your love
Speak it again
Speak it still once again

All the best for the New Year from all at Carvansons.

There are a couple of major trends that we are predicting for 2012. One of these is a return to nature – old english hedgerow fragrances such as clover, wood sorrel, columbine, mallow, cowslips etc. The other is a nod toward the heavens. We are entering the Age of Aquarius and there has been a definite upsurge in all things cosmic – although that may have something to do with Brian Cox and his enthusiasm for the quantum universe.  The end of the Mayan calendar in December 2012 has also caused a bit of a stir, inspiring films, songs and all sorts of mass hysteria.

There has even been a rose that has been flown off to a space based plant research centre to check the effects of zero gravity on essential oils and volatile plant compounds produced by living flowers. The end result turned out to be of much greater interest than first thought. Researchers had expected a slight shift in the scent of the rose but discovered that the rose had in fact produced an entirely different scent that was definitely not like anything previously smelled on Earth. This discovery of the SpaceRose has opened up a whole new dimension for the extraction of flavours and fragrances and further uses are hotly anticipated.

With all this in mind we have created a collection under the the heading ASTROSCENTUAL. Our inspiration for this collection has been taken from the clouds of cosmic dust that scatter the skies at night refracting light and matter, forever shifting shape and sparkling its way through the cosmos. There is an element of the unknown within these meteoric formations that appeals to our inquisitive nature.

If you wish to request a collection tin for your products for this trend or indeed any other direction, then please get in touch with either myself or Helen at our offices in Bury.

Then its find a taxi, check it has seatbelts, get in, pay the fare and then as we set off we realise too late that the seatbelts are for show only and don’t actually work! So its a free white knuckle ride to the hotel, zipping from lane to lane, squeezing into impossibly tiny gaps with frequent braking participating in a couple of very close incidents along the way!

We arrive at the hotel at 9pm, so its a quick bite to eat in the hotel cafe and up to my room for 10pm. Oh good, free wifi – oh no – no signal at all!!!! Cant even get a strong enough mobile signal to ring home and check all is well….the joys of travelling.

Anyway its just a 1 night thing….I’m awake at 5.40am so I might as well get up as we are checking out at half 7…I feel like a proper business traveller!  No re-packing required….I only opened the suitcase lid!!

The mud flow is still going strong some 5 years after I last came to this area. It stems from an underground volcano that erupted in May 2006, and at its peak it was spewing mud out at a rate of 180,000 m³ of mud per day! The mud has a rotten egg aroma caused by the release of hydrogen sulphide, and as it continues to flow it is creating an unstable surrounding area as it begins to collapse in on itself. Geologists have predicted that Lusi as it is known in Indonesia, will probably flow for 25-30 years yet.

It has blocked one of the 2 main routes linking Surabaya and Malang (tonights destination), so the longer route will take almost 2 hours instead of an hour as it used to do (and in fact the journey was nearer 3 hours in the end!). The government keep building the retaining wall higher and higher to contain the liquid mudflow and the locals are very worried that the higher the wall, the weaker it gets and that at some point  the dam will burst free and swallow up more of the surrounding areas – villages and road links.

Our meetings in Surabaya included meeting up with an old friend and customer Mr Ah Lung….a lovely man and his wife who always lend us their driver and car when we are in town..he had recently visited the UK for the first time last month and so we spent an hour at lunch going through his photographs….many of them in my nearest city of Manchester, that I haven’t even visited myself!

Throughout Indonesia, there are many differing preferences for fragrances in general. Jasmine is always a safe bet, but some areas prefer it to be heavy and some prefer it to be a background note instead. Sweet candy like fragrances always go down well here  and light florals such as rose too. Grapefruit and sharp lime notes are deemed too sour, and cherry is too medicinal. Fresh, clean citrusy aromas tend to be found in most products.

As we make our way back to Jakarta for my last night in Indonesia, I am looking forward to a hot bath and a mojito before the long flight back to the UK. I hope you enjoyed my adventures here as much as I did

 I have been here once before in 2007, and i felt that it was a very spiritual place – I couldn’t really put my finger on why….. I hope that my second visit leaves the same impression.

Its night time when I arrive, and one thing I hadn’t noticed before was the shape of the moon. When we have part moons in the UK , we get a crescent shape, but the moon here is lit from the underside making it look like a large Cheshire cat smile in the sky.

As you can imagine its very warm here even at 9pm but guess what, they even have hoodies here in Bali! They are all hanging around the airport asking if you need any help with your bags. I arrive at my hotel and am given a beautiful free garland of flowers and a glass of fruit nectar! The flowers smell divine  – a combination of fragrant Jasmine blossoms and small red rose buds, and the aroma hangs around for 3 days (much longer than the delicious drink!)

The following day I am collected from my hotel by our local agent for Bali, Mr Benny and our Indonesian agent Andy for today’s visits. I notice that a lot of the trees and the roadside statues have checked cloths around them. I ask the reason for this and am told that they denote cosmic duality – the concept of good versus evil. The Balinese see the world in terms of opposites, night and day, good and bad, mountain and sea. One cannot exist without the other. The cloth is known as Poleng and is the perfect representation of this view – the squares are of equal size, perfect black and perfect white. Grey squares contain both black and white strands to show that you cannot have one without the other.

Most of the statues are also shaded by ornate parasols which are seen as symbols of protection for obvious reasons.

There seems to be an awful lot of activity around the temples and this is because there are many public cremations to be held today. In Denpasar alone there are a total of 40 bodies waiting to be cremated. It is a day of great ceremony –  all the villagers help to build the funeral pyres, even the children help to thread the flower garlands that will decorate the cemeteries  and the bodies. Cremations are an important and elaborate event in Bali, but because of the monetary cost, most people can’t afford to have their departed cremated straight away. Families therefore, often wait months for the public cremation so that the villagers can pool resources and have a ceremonious send off. I think the fact that everyone is involved whether you have anyone to cremate or not brings the village together as a whole and also de-mystifies the process of death….here it is always a celebration of life rather than a sad occasion. I like the idea of death being so much a normal part of life.

Our main business here in Bali is fragrance for Incense. The whole island has a fragrant aroma, with incense being burned on every street corner, in every home and every temple. It is burnt as an offering to the Gods. No-one knows exactly where the Gods might be at any given time, but the Balinese believe that smoke from the incense will find its way to the Gods, assuring that the relevant prayers and offerings will be delivered.

As I leave Bali on my way up to Jakarta, I spy a wooden lizard in one of the craft stalls at the airport. The lizard now adorns my lounge wall and is known to everyone as Mr Benny!

Next stop Surabaya and Jakarta…..

The dogs for example….there isn’t the same affiliation to dogs here. The dogs travel in packs of around 6 or so, and perilously make their way through life. It struck me that they are a bit like teenagers, sticking together, snarling at anyone that tries to help, going their own way….or is that just Tonge Moor?

The attitude to cows is another major issue. Cows are sacred animals and are treated as such. So even if the cows are wandering across a busy highway, you have to just slow down and manoeuvre your way around them. It’s very strange to see them in the city instead of in fields grazing.

The radio songs are interspersed with uplifting messages or messages to help the citizens become more caring toward one another. For example – “When you park your car, please ensure that you park within the painted lines, otherwise you will spoil someone elses day and risk them getting upset and angry that they cant use the space next to you.” Another one is not to raise your voice in public” or ”help someone lift their shopping into their car.” Its quite nice actually to be reminded and I think it’s something we could well try and take onboard – go on - try and make a difference to someone today!

This message is also borne out by slogan t-shirts.

Not quite the same as the ones we have back home….these have statements on them instead. Make peace / keep calm / have a smile / work hard / give way / love one another  etc….It’s just a nice touch.

We went to visit Dr Tan today, one of our customers in KL. He is a lovely man and insists on making us Chinese tea. This is a very ceremonious process. The small terracotta bowl and lid with holes in it comes out, thimble size terracotta cups that sit on top, the cups have to be warmed first with boiled water. A selection of tea is put into the small teapot, brewed for a specific length of time (depends on the type of tea leaf used), poured, offered and repeated as the 3 mouthfuls of tea liquor are consumed. We discuss business; he has a lucrative contract on the go with the Middle East and shows us some of the luxury soaps that will be offered to the Arabs…they have actual gold flecks in them – real gold! Anyway, after business we discuss the Chinese prophecies of what December 21^st 2012 holds, but i’ll save all that for a later blog next year instead –  a very pleasant afternoon meeting all in all.

On the way back to the hotel, we pass the Carlsberg factory again, and sure enough, there are the workers outside in the shade with glasses of amber nectar!

Well, its check out time -  Goodbye to Malaysia and your happy smiling people. I hope to see you again soon.

Bali next……