Thursday 9 May 2019

DELICATE ROMANCE by Lola's Apothecary

In the perfume calendar there can’t be a more beautiful month than May because, after a year of hard pruning and careful tending, the expansive rose fields of Grasse and Bulgaria succumb to the start of their annual harvest. This is still carried out by hand and so is incredibly labour-intensive. When you think that it requires around ten thousand kilograms of rose blossoms to produce one kilogram of oil then you can understand the sheer workload that is involved. Now, we can’t all go and pitch in with the pickers but we can bring a little of the rose scented magic home in the form of Delicate Romance by Lola’s Apothecary.

When we talk about roses we often think of the crisp and fresh ones that almost fizz in the air, and that could also be said for the Grasse variety, the famous rose de mai. You also get a wonderful touch of raspberry in this famous bloom and that is something that it shares with its Bulgarian relation. However, when the oils from these delicious petals are carefully extracted you find that the scent deepens to a velvety richness in the absolute, and it’s this aspect of the scent that Lola’s Apothecary have highlighted in their Delicate Romance candle.

Lola’s Apothecary was founded back in 2013 and what started simply as a craft-market enterprise would go on to become a worldwide bestseller. Alongside picking up a coveted Beauty Shortlist Award in 2016, the company eventually moved from London to Devon but made the deliberate decision to continue producing products in small batches and, most importantly, by hand. In an industry that is dominated by large scale manufacturing, Lola’s Apothecary vowed to “capture the magic of Devon and our joyful love of nature,” and this is definitely a promise that they have managed to achieve with Delicate Romance.

In the six years that the company have been established it is worth noting that the selection of products on offer has not dramatically increased. A very careful series of additions has kept the heart and ethos of the company intact, and has also managed to secure a fiercely loyal following. In the same way that the brand is built upon a natural foundation, their range of candles is also 100% natural. They use a blend of plant waxes, which give an exceptional burn, and the throw of scent is delicate whilst, at the same time, expansive.

Delicate Romance is built around a central heart of rose but it is deepened with a wonderfully earthy combination of geranium and lavender. This velvety aromatic core is brightened, and made more vibrant, by the use of sweet orange and lemon. However, the perfumer skilfully manages to make the citrus seem as though it is fading in and out of focus, which is also why the woody base doesn’t dominate. This pairing of patchouli and sandalwood seems to give us an almost sun-scorched earth quality to the fragrance and is one of the reasons why Delicate Romance is definitely a scent to be savoured.

Delicate Romance is available from selected stockists and also the website at lolasapothecary.com priced at £42 for 220g. [Sample provided by Lola’s Apothecary]

2 comments:

  1. Sounds lovely Stephan. I'm not a massive rose lover, but geranium and lavender....now we're talking :)and patchouli and sandalwood, perfect.

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    1. Hello Barry, the aromatic notes really take this candle in a different direction and make the rose wonderfully deep. Best, Stephan

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