PAUSE ROOM DIFFUSER by Eloise Hall

In the same way that some people have a “fragrance wardrobe” for different seasons, it’s not uncommon to see candles side-lined in the warmer months in favour of diffusers. Candles always remain popular for garden tables and alfresco dining but, inside the home, there is a definite pull towards the constantly scenting properties of a diffuser. There are many excellent ones on the market, even if they can often lack a certain originality, but if you’re looking to bring a little of the garden into your home then you need to discover Pause, one of Eloise Hall’s range of natural room diffusers that really are a breath of fresh air.

The story of Eloise Hall, who is a real person by the way, is refreshingly simple. Having originally trained as a milliner, and going on to set up a very successful hat business, Eloise still wanted to use her artistic abilities in different areas. She started creating intricate collages and the success of these saw her produce beautiful art prints, greeting cards, and notebooks. Eloise then says that a move from London to Somerset saw her rediscover the beauty of the countryside and she wanted to try to represent this within a home range, incorporating her beautiful illustrations, and for them to be completely natural.

Let’s pause for a moment to look at what we mean by “natural”. We’re referring to both the oils that form the scent and also the substance that the fragrance is ultimately contained in, for example alcohol in a diffuser or a natural wax in a candle. You also see products listed as “vegan” but it doesn't necessarily mean that they are “natural”. This just refers to them not using any animal products, for example ambergris, but they can legitimately contain synthetic fragrance oils. Now, both synthetic and essential oils are subject to the same strict safety rules but, if you do have a preference, just make sure that you’re getting what it says on the tin.

To create the natural scents for her diffusers Eloise turned to Richard Howard of Arcania Apothecary. With a career stretching back over twenty years, he was the perfect person to bring these fragrances to life and says that he loves “the infinite complexity of nature’s design.” He was given the task of creating three fragrances and the results were Contentment, focusing on patchouli and rose, Optimism, which concentrates on grapefruit and petitgrain, and finally Pause, which uses notes of geranium and lavender. The whole collection is stunningly beautiful but, for me, Pause nudged ahead with its aromatic blue hues.

Pause promises to calm the mind, allowing you to have a moment to yourself, and you really do get a wonderful feeling of relaxation from the scent. Imagine the idea of sitting in a walled garden, surrounded by aromatic plants, with just a book for company. That is how I visualise Pause. There’s a wonderful blend of sunny lavender contrasted with earthy geranium leaf in here but, right through the middle, you’re also hit with a tangy verbena-like mandarin. A touch of spearmint helps with that secluded herb garden quality and, in combination with the other scents, really does bring the feeling of the outside into your home.

The full range of diffusers is available from Eloise Hall’s website at eloisehall.co.uk and are priced at £29 for 100ml. [Sample provided by Eloise Hall]

Posted by Stephan Matthews at 07:00:00

Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest

Labels: Arcania Apothecary, Beauty Shortlist Award, Eloise Hall, Independent, Natural, Niche, Pause, Richard Howard, Room Diffuser, Somerset