Cottage Industries have long been a lifeline for many stay at home mums, but the advent of the internet, and the ability to create a product from start to finish then sell it without ever leaving your home, seems to be the way forward for mums, dads, grandparents, teens and start again businessmen to launch a minimal cost business platform from which to purvey your wares.

We know all of the high street big brand names, but lately these seem to be churning out fragrance after fragrance, candles, soap or other home fragranced products, with no time factored in to nuture it, build the potential and construct the illicit dream. This gives the inpression of them not really caring about us, their end customer. It all seems to be a money game – which of course we knew anyway, but all pretence seems to have been stripped away.

This is where the local industries have built their niche. They have the time to build a story based on local heritage, long forgotten customs and trends, and we are all more than happy to spend a few extra pounds to buy into their dreams instead.

Thanks to the interweb, anyone can become an overnight guru and because of this, the big brand names now seem to be for people who dont know any better, who are happy to follow rather than lead or consumers who lack the confidence to go with their convictions. The more educated that consumers become, the more they tend to seek out bespoke fragrance, wanting only the best in the field.

 The trend towards Indie perfumed products push the boundaries of defining scent and our perception of it. Home crafted products should be a magical blend of familiarity with a dash of quirkiness, something unique that draws the eye or indeed the nose in our case.

Local Heritage societies have launched their own collections with themes of castles and medieval market gardens, or you could look out for Scottish Moors, Glens and Thistles making an appearance, or Manx 3 Legged soaps. We are proud to invite guests into our homes and let them see that we support our local traders -it makes us feel that we are somehow making a difference - that we care about all things traditional.

Canny manufacturers have cottoned on at last, powering on towards the future whilst drawing nostalgic inspiration from the past – using a blend of locally sourced flora and fauna and basing new products around ancient practices and formulations handed down through the generations.

We have many collections of fragrances based around local themes such as the above. We prefer to create new fragrances with a story to back them up. It makes things easier for us and certainly easier for you to sell them in your end product with a bit of marketing blurb behind them.

We feel that the new trend direction that will run alongside the natural garden flowers that we expect to see dominating the spring 2013 shelves, will have a spicy Brazilian Party theme.

This will encompass various aspects of Brazilian Culture, in fact we may end up with 3 or 4 collections in order to cover everything! We wanted to bring the carnival atmosphere into our fragrances, as these are such a massive part of Brazil’s unique heritage. The main Rio carnival is held over a 6 week period culminating around the Catholic period of Lent. This legendary gala draws crowds of almost 5 million spectators, all keen to join in the festivities and parades.

 Our fragrances in these collections will include notes of sweet pink peppercorns, hot jalapenos, fiery ginger root and fresh cilantro. Floral notes will include the Brazilian national emblem, the sunshine yellow Ipe amarelo, an arm of the Tecomo genus of which there are almost 400 sub species, alongside amarylis, camelia rosa, almanda and tobacco flower.

Rich woody notes will arise from the Brazilwood – a native tree that in all probability gave the country its name. Its sultry red bark was used for many years in the 1500′s as the main source of red dye for luxury fabrics used throughout European Courts. Although now a lot rarer, it is still used to produce prime quality bows for violins throughout the world.

We will also incorporate food and drink flavour notes  such as the delicious caipirinha cocktail, which is an intoxicting blend of sugar cane rum and tahitian lime poured over crushed ice, along with passionfruit, chimarrao and cashew fruits.

If you would like any further information or would like to pre-order a collection tin, please contact either myself or Helen and we will be only too happy to help.

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.

January saw me jetting off to the Far East – Malaysia and the Philippines to be precise, to meet up with our agents from Unifragrance and also Proessences. Each year in January we hold a seminar in Manila, that allows us to present the latest fragrance trends in the market. The four main trends at the minute are as follows:-

A LOOK TO THE PAST

Economic stress sees us automatically look to the past with nostalgia. We look to history to provide us with a glimpse of the future. During difficult times consumers seek comfort in familiarity, tending to gravitate towards classic florals. Over the next few months, be on the lookout for new perfumes dominated by floral notes such as rose and violet. These scents remind us of simpler times, and that memory can be of great comfort when you are surrounded by stress.

A BRIGHTER FUTURE

New fragrance launches coming down the pipeline are going to be bold, vibrant exciting with an element of fantasy. As we begin to move out of sobering economic times, consumers will seek escape and colour and this will translate as a collection of unusual technicolour ingredients. We will become more adventurous, with sophisticated rich woody notes as the heart and soul of new fragrances. These notes have depth and character and have traditionally only previously been seen in men’s fragrances.

BE YOUR OWN NOSE

Once an area only reserved for those in the know, personalised, custom fragrances are gaining popularity thanks to newer, more accessible ways to get it. The $10,000 bespoke blend still exists but customized perfume is now happily at a realistic price point. Consumers want to express their individuality, and there are now many affordable ways to achieve this. Fragrance houses such as Dolce & Gabbana and Ralph Lauren launched fragrance collections that could be worn alone or layered to achieve a personalized scent. Custom fragrance bars are appearing in shopping centres where a consultant can guide you through the notes and accords, and you walk away with a truly original signature scent. Designing your own personal fragrance is well worth the time and experimentation.

TELL A TALE….

Perfume companies have realised that it takes more than a whiff of a scent to get people hooked. Right now, story telling is especially relevant. People want to know how a fragrance has been created and the work that has been put into it, as well as being able to tap into the emotional connection of the designer. It is a quest for authenticity, and when you know why the perfumer chose those particular notes and accords and his inspiration, the whole experience becomes more genuine.

Once you know the current trends it is much easier to select a new fragrance direction for your product. Although at the moment the trends apply to designer type perfumes, this is always just the pre-cursor for soaps, candles, detergent powders, air fresheners and a myriad of all types of household products.

We currently have a selection of fragrances that cover all aspects of the trends mentioned above so please feel free to email or ring our office where one of our helpful staff will guide you through the best fragrances for your particular product – all designed to help you become  the market leader in your field.