From the mixing studio - June 2021

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Our June blend makes me think of summer in its broadest sense – sun, rest, food, joy, and of course smells.

Much like cooking there are some “ingredients” which sit well together and some that jar.

This month I wanted to bring Fennel into the mix as I am quite obsessed with it at the moment in all its guises… but it is one of the super strong essential oils, much like Basil or Peppermint, so you have to use it extremely sparingly.

Here I have put the slightest amount in the blend…now that you know, you will smell its liquorice sweetness almost immediately....although there is less than 5% of it in the mix!

Nothing goes better with Fennel than Orange, so I’ve tweaked that slightly to match it with top notes of Mandarin which I find a bit more playful (difficult to explain that one!) and Bergamot, a much more mature smelling citrus, like a cross between a bitter orange and lime – this stops the Mandarin from scampering off...and I couldn't resist a bit of Neroli to add some class and a slight floral edge.

To root the scent and give it some longevity I have added Petitgrain, derived from the wood and twigs of the bitter orange tree, so a relative that gets on well with the top notes in this blend, but introduces a more woody note to the scent once the Mandarin and Bergamot have scampered off! 

And finally, a bit of Cypress. Cypress can sometimes smell a bit antiseptic, but blended well I feel it adds an element of forests falling into the sea, somewhere in Southern Europe, definitely a summer holiday vibe. I hope you agree that this gives an extra dimension to this blend.

I hope you enjoy it, and don’t forget to feed back all and any opinions via our facebook group. Smell is a very individual sense so its always good to see what you all think.

Happy June 🍊 🌲 

Kim