I love the Autumn Season….it brings with it a certain inevitability as Summer slips over the horizon. Nights start to draw in as the days get shorter, and carefree summer days become a distant memory.

Trees begin to shed their leaves in a blaze of fire hued glory - the final performance before they bare their souls to the wintry demons that lay in wait just around the corner.

That cold crisp early morning start with the sunrise shimmering just above the horizon. Sunday afternoon strolls inhaling the rich musty smell of the soil, a sweet cloying scent hinting at the decay yet to come - a whiff of woodsmoke or an early afternoon bonfire - the ritual burning of the last of the garden finery.

Iridescent cobwebs bejewelled with the gems of early morning dew, a vague haze of mist forming a make-shift blanket over meadows and streams.

Kicking crisp copper leaves underfoot, hunting for the biggest and best conkers to soak in vinegar overnight. Plump hedgehogs waddling across the back lawn into the rotting undergrowth. Spinning Jennys performing gymnastic displays as they fall to earth, twisting and twirling - the sound of geese honking overhead as they prepare to migrate from one location to another.

As hedgehogs, squirrels, badgers, foxes and bats prepare for their winter hibernation, so too do I. Warm cozy nights in front of a roaring log fire (I wish! It’s gas all the way – but a girl can dream eh?!) with the blinds drawn and a good book. Changing into PJ’s as soon as you get home from work with the odd glass of wine thrown in for good measure. Autumn is a time to take stock, recharge your batteries and plan for new beginnings that only the Spring can bring.

I’d like to share this beautiful poem that I’ve recently found, that sums up the season perfectly

Come Little Leaves

Come little leaves said the wind one day,

Come O’er the meadows with me and play,

Put on your dress of red and gold,

For the Summer is gone and the days grow cold,

Down they came fluttering one and all,

Over the brown fields they danced and flew,

Singing the soft little songs they knew,

Dancing and whirling the little leaves went,

Winter had called them, and they were content,

Soon, fast asleep in their earthly beds,

The snow laid  a coverlet over their heads

…By George Cooper

We have some lovely evocative new fragrances that are suitable for burner oils, candles, soaps and reeds to help you relax and unwind whilst enjoying the scents of the season. If there are any that you would like to try, then please just contact either myself or Helen and we will arrange a small sample for you.

Library 34308

Come on in – sit yourself down and let this enveloping scent settle around you like a comforting blanket. Immerse yourself in leather backed books and well worn furniture. Contains essential oils of cedarwood, guaiacwood, smooth sandalwood, earthy patchouli and spicy ginger.

Oakwood 20497

Close your eyes and imagine relaxing into an oversized chesterfield sofa. The scent of vintage leather and tweed overcoats combine with rich woody undertones – a timeless masterpiece containing essential oils of cedarwood and geranium.

 Autumn Leaves 33092

Take a bracing walk through russet and copper coloured fallen leaves. This scent encompasses smouldering leaves, damp softwood and the fresh clean herbal notes of crisp october mornings. Containing essential oils of rosemary, eucalyptus, geranium, mimosa, bergamot, cedarwood and sandalwood.

Cocoa & Log Fire 24313

Curl yourself up in front of a crackling blazing log fire and cup your hands around a sweet mug of hot chocolate. This wonderful aroma is warm and comforting with essential oils of patchouli, cedarwood, lemon, sweet vanilla, clary sage and olibanum.

We have a vast array of the more intense, heavier fragrances traditionally associated with colder seasons and are currently working on our Spring 2013 ranges – please email for further information on upcoming trends - our contact details are available here on the website.

We are always having a look at the latest fragrances on the market, whether that is a new washing powder, or a new shampoo or a new designer perfume launch. It helps us to know that we are keeping up to date with all the latest market trends. There is however, something that we have noticed over the past few months – there seems to be a merging of the sexes.

Many of the newer fragrances that are aimed at men seem to have become the new favourites of our female office staff, with many of us naming one of them as our spritz of choice at the minute, in particular Carolina Herrera’s 212 VIP for men and Viktor & Rolfs Spicebomb.

I decided to ask around family and friends and came up with the same results….it seems that spritzing a sneaky squirt of your boyfriend/husbands aftershave is as widespread as borrowing his razor!

Back in the early perfume heyday of the 18th century there was no dividing line between male and female fragrances – in fact the dividing line was one of class and social standing instead. The most powerful men drenched their lapels and handkerchiefs with fragrance – usually a heavy floral blend, whilst the downtrodden masses blended into the background with the unforgettable stench of ‘Eau de Filth’.

The notion of gender in perfumery only came around in the early 20th century, coinciding with the influences of modern advertising methods. Fragrance became intertwined with fashion and so the flapper girls of the 1920′s became the new target demographic. Ms Monroe heaped glamour onto fragrance by the bucket load in the 50′s with her now infamous quote of wearing only Chanel No.5 to bed - it would have had to have been a brave man to wear a floral scent after that revelation!

The first efforts to woo the male back onboard were heavily advertised as a shaving routine add-on. And so the humble aftershave was born and the whole world seemed to smell of either Old Spice, English Leather or Burma Shave.

Eventually more and more colognes (note – NOT perfumes!!) became available embracing notes that were considered to be a masculine domain – spicy, leathery, woodsy and musky.

Fresh and lighter citrus notes have been an attempt to close the gap – think CK1 – and even more recently the addition of woody and musk notes being added to many female targeted scents have closed it even further.

Ancient men and women knew the power of aromatics, smearing them all over their bodies without any regard for whether spikenard or myrrh were considered to be feminine or masculine. Its a matter of what works well on your skin – so the next time you are looking for a new bottle of perfume – why not check out some of the newly launched male intentions – i’m off to top up my spicebomb!!

We have a large range of fragrance submissions here at Carvansons that are designed to be the creme de la creme of the current trending scents – if you have any new products that need a fragrance then please contact either myself or Helen, and we will be more than happy to send some samples for you to have a look at – all of which comply with current IFRA regulations.

 Even with the very best intentions in the world I dont think there’ll be many people who can say they managed to stay away from calorie laden chocolate eggs et al this past weekend.  If you did then I send you the most heartfelt congratulations (and just how the heck did you manage it!!!).

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

It’s always good to be British, but 2012 seems to be the year for us Brits to show off our fine country as eyes from all over the world will be upon us as we celebrate our Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and of course the hosting of the Olympic Games.

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

Well we’re only half way through January, and I, like probably half the female population, have embarked on a new improved diet. A survey by XLS-Medical has suggested that 92% of us have fallen off the waggon already anyway!

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.

Quick flight to Surabaya, only 40 mins but I gain an hour on UK time, so am now only 6 hours behind. So thats a whole day knocked off the jetlag recovery time when I get home – apparently it takes a full day for every hour of time difference to get your body clock back to normal.

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

We have had a busy couple of weeks here at Carvansons. I am out of the office a couple of days a week now and my trusty sidekick Helen has quite capably filled the gap in the office for me, helping customers to select the correct fragrance for their application and see the process through the labs and then off in the safe hands of the Royal Mail.

As a company, we have increased business year on year, and so it was with this in mind that we decided it would be a good idea for me to get out on the road, not only as a means of encouraging new custom, but also to support our existing customers and say a big thankyou for all the business that we have lucky enough to be involved with over the years. It has been nice for me to put faces to names that have long been just disembodied voices over the phone for the past 9 years (and am hoping my customers can say the same!).

Helen attended a couple of seminars the NEC exhibition Centre in Birmingham this week, so we are currently working on the new fragrance trend collections for 2012 – one of them is definitely an Old English Vintage theme with an up to date twist. We should have the new collections ready for the end of the month, so if you want to receive one then please just get in touch either through here or via our facebook page or by the old fashioned method of using the telephone. If you ask to speak to either Helen or myself then we will arrange samples to be sent out for you.

Thats all for this week, have a great weekend

Isnt it amazing how much nicer the world seems when the sun is shining?

 I dont know whether it is the fact that we are all a lot happier wearing less layers, or whether it is the warmth of the sun on our skin setting off our happiness hormones, but there is definitely an uplift in the general atmosphere. Even at work it doesnt seem quite as bad knowing that the sun will still shining on our way home, (and the annual firemens trip around the factory to check the safety of the building DEFINITELY lifted the mood amongst us ladies in the office!). Also, the evenings are getting longer and brighter, so there is always the chance of a late night sneaky glass of vino in the back garden in the dappled disappearing sunlight.

Like most people I know, my life has it’s fair share of ups and downs, amounting to a certain level of stress on a daily basis. What with working full-time, trying to run a family home, and family members with long term ill health, I often resort to using some form of aromatherapy or other to soothe my shattered soul.

This usually takes the form of a beautifully scented candle (I do seem to keep Jo Malone, Diptyque and the like in business single handedly!), or maybe a few drops of essential oil in my bath. I’m never quite sure whether it is the actual properties of the oils themselves that manage to calm and de-stress me or whether its the whole aromachology aspect of the scent, but something definitely hits the spot!

I was asked the other day what the difference was between aromatherapy and aromachology, so here is a quick description for both…

Aromatherapy is the systematic use of volatile plant oils (essential oils) for the treatment or prevention of disease. Essential oils have been used since ancient times as a healing aid and work by assisting the body’s natural ability to balance, regulate, heal and maintain itself. The oils consist of tiny aromatic molecules that are readily absorbed via the skin, and whilst breathing, through the lungs. These molecules then enter the bloodstream and are carried around the body where they can deliver their beneficial healing powers.

Aromachology is seen as the study of how a variety of aromas affect the brain and the physiological makeup of the human body. In brief, it is about how we act and react to individual fragrances and how our body reacts when we experience them. In essence it is a study of how fragrances in general can provide a feel good factor and affect your general mood.

Here are a few of the main essential oils along with an odour description and their main properties.

• Aniseed – sweet odour – softening, soothing and moisturising
• Basil – green aromatic – relaxing
• Bay – strong clove like – softening, soothing
• Benzoin – sweet vanilla like – relaxing, stimulating, soothing, moisturising
• Bergamot – spicy citrus – refreshing, uplifting
• Camphor – pungent – stimulating
• Cedarwood – sweet turpentine like – relaxing, aphrodisiac
• Chamomile – sweet herbal – relaxing, calming
• Cinnamon – warm, spicy – stimulant, aphrodisiac
• Clary Sage – warm, nutty – relaxing, aphrodisiac
• Cypress – smoky, woody – relaxing
• Eucalyptus – medicinal aromatic – stimulant, relaxing
• Frankincense – spicy, balsamic – relaxing
• Geranium – strong floral – relaxing, soothing
• Jasmine – intense powdery floral -  calming, aphrodisiac, uplifting
• Lavender – sweet floral – relaxing, stimulant
• Lemon – sharp citrus – uplifting, stimulant, refreshing
• Myrhh – camphor like aromatic – relaxing, soothing
• Neroli – sweet floral – soothing, relaxing, calming
• Nutmeg – sweet spicy – stimulating
• Patchouli – sweet rich herbaceous - relaxing, aphrodisiac
• Peppermint – clean menthol – relaxing, stimulating
• Pine – clean, balsamic – revitalising
• Rose – soft sweet floral – relaxing, aphrodisiac
• Rosemary – warm, medicinal woody
• Sandalwood – warm creamy woody – relaxing, aphrodisiac
• Ylang – intense sweet – relaxing, soothing, aphrodisiac

So the next time you are in need of a relaxing evening make sure your candle is scented with the likes of rose and sandalwood, or for an uplifting fragrance, use a sharp lemon, orange or grapefruit, and let me know whether it has the desired effect.

As for me i’ll be dreaming of chilling on a deserted beach with a good book and the wind in my hair………Have a happy Easter weekend.

Following on from Carvansons debut on The One Show last Friday, we were asked by the producers of BBC Radio Manchester to give a little interview explaining how the process of creating fragrances begins here in Hollins Village, Bury. One of our partners Luke Whowell took the Radio presenter on a little tour of the factory yesterday and the interview was broadcast on yesterdays evening show.

If you click the link below and take the bar across to 55 mins, you will be able to listen to Lukes interview.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/p00frw8p

A few weeks ago we had the pleasure of being involved in creating some aromas for a new BBC2 programme – Filthy Cities – being aired on Friday 1st April, and hosted by the delicious Mr. Dan Snow. Make sure you book the TV remote, and let me know what you thought…..

As a manufacturer, we often work hand in hand with companies to create winning fragrances that are used in many different applications and on this occasion we had the pleasure of working with Val Lord from the aromaco. Aromaco are Europe’s leading provider of marketing & communications, incorporating the sense of smell and  therefore giving product marketing a multi sensory appeal.

We have a few more exciting projects in the pipeline, and are always more than happy to chat  about new up and coming fragrance trends that we feel may be suitable for your new products.

We look forward to hearing from you and in the meantime have a good weekend, it finally looks like Spring has sprung!!!