There’s nothing I enjoy more than spending an hour or two wandering around the brocante markets in France, and usually coming away with far too many things to fit in my suitcase! So, with travel still a little limited, it’s wonderful that these types of elevated flea markets seem to have really taken off in the UK as well. It’s the excitement of finding the missing piece of a dinner set, a lost childhood memory, or even something that you wonder how you've ever lived without. Kilted Quarter is one of these new UK companies, but they’ve also launched a range of brocante-inspired candles that are guaranteed to have perfume lovers rushing to order.
When we think about candles our first instinct is to picture one of the many fragranced options that come in a glass jar. These guaranteed providers of a scented boost are present in almost every home or, if they’re not, the equally impressive diffuser is sure to be close at hand. We surround ourselves with so many scents, from washing powder to room sprays, that it can begin to feel a little overpowering. The idea of an unscented candle might seem alien to many but, when they’re as stunning as the ones from Askews, they really can hold their own. So, it’s time to travel back in time and enjoy a little fragrance free magic.
So National Fragrance Week is behind us for another year but there’s one aspect of it that continues for the full twelve months, and that is #ScentMemories. It’s a way for industry insiders, perfumers, writers and also fragrance fans to talk about the perfumed memories that have made a lasting impression on them. This isn’t always a fragrance, sometimes it’s a place or an experience, because different types of smells trigger different memories. My contribution this year concerned my mother’s obsession with cleaning and, in particular, her “joined at the hip” love affair with Pledge Furniture Polish. Let me explain.
