There’s something wonderfully atmospheric about a kitchen in use. Coffee brewing in the morning, herbs being chopped, and something slowly cooking on the hob all bring their own aromas to the room. Scent is naturally part of the experience, so the products we use can add to it too. A beautifully fragranced hand wash and lotion turns an everyday moment into something more luxurious, while lighting a candle as you cook can change the mood. The kitchen may be one of the most practical rooms in the home, but it can still be beautiful. That idea fits perfectly with Heathcote & Ivory’s William Morris At Home Kitchen Garden collection.
Niche perfumery has come a long way from being the slightly eccentric alternative to the big fragrance houses. Fragrance has been one of beauty's great success stories, growing by around 8% a year in recent years, and it’s expected to continue growing by about 6% annually into 2030. High-end niche fragrances are expected to be one of the biggest drivers, and it's easy to see why; smaller houses can take risks, use unusual materials and create perfumes that don't have to appeal to everyone. Luca Turin has enthusiastically said, “I think it's terrific – the more the better,” and Neshama's Ninth Wave is a perfect example.
Fragrance is all around us, often in places we barely give a second thought. It’s in the shower gel we use first thing, the fabric conditioner that makes freshly washed clothes smell so good, and even the hand wash sitting beside the sink. Fine fragrance might get most of the attention, but functional fragrance is just as much a part of our everyday lives. In fact, there’s an argument that one scented product gets closer to our skin, more regularly, than almost anything else. Deodorant is there every day, so why shouldn’t it be something we actually enjoy using? That’s where London-based Rollr comes into the picture.
Fragrance in skincare has traditionally been seen as something of an added extra. A beautifully scented cream or lotion might make the experience more enjoyable, but the fragrance itself rarely contributes to what the product is actually trying to achieve. Skincare looks after the skin, while scent appeals to our emotions and senses. However, those boundaries are increasingly disappearing as companies explore how the scented ingredients can also add to the product's potency. One new British brand taking this idea in an interesting direction is Mor & Meadow, beginning its story with the beautifully conceived Cornish Bloom.
