Most people who live in, visit or plan to visit London have all heard of ‘The London Eye’, have any of you heard about ‘The London Nose’ ?
Well you have now….
As anyone with an interest in or knowledge of Perfumery will know, Perfumers are referred to as ‘The Nose’
Here at PAIRFUM London we are proud to have ‘The London Nose’ creating Perfumes for us…
With the upcoming launch of PAIRFUM London’s New Niche Perfumes
We decided to have a ‘Nose’ around the Capital (excuse the intended pun) to see what was on offer that would entice our olfactory senses…
The City really does offer something for everyone and the upcoming London Craft Week it’s 5th annual event, returns to the capital from the 8-12 May 2019.
This year the festival brings together over 240 established and emerging makers, designers, brands and galleries from London and around the world.
With events as wide ranging as the City is diverse, from a series of workshops hosted by Tom Dixon of ‘Grow’ in Coal Drops Yard, that informs and inspires new ways of using plants, where the seeds for the idea as wonderful as ‘Gardening can save the World’ were first sown.
To a Whisky tasting Masterclass with a guided tasting of Bruichladdich Distillery’s cult Islay Single Malts, where they also promise to let you in on the meaning of the name ‘Bruichladdich’ being held in the original 321-year-old shop at Berry Bros. & Rudd, what is not to like, Whiskey & secrets….
The programs on offer that caught our attention were and it will come as no surprise I’m sure were ‘Nose’ related…
Where Anatomē launches London’s first ‘sleep bar’, where someone will be on hand to offer bespoke sleep oils based on personal sleep challenges.
Or… how about a collaboration between The Beaumont Hotel and individual Perfumers to create bespoke perfumes, inspired by the hotel’s gallery of famous rebels and rogues. The Exhibition runs from the 8th to the 12th of May 10:30 – 20:30.
It may be that you wish to know more about candle making, dress making or interior design the craft week’s calendar is packed with ideas & classes for everyone.
So from everyone here at PAIRFUM London, have a wonderful weekend…
We are often asked: What is Niche Perfume? So, … we decided to share with you our Top 10 Things that define a niche fragrance.
If you are one of those people who have heard the terms Niche Perfume, Artisan Parfum, Indie Scent or Boutique Fragrance bandied about and wondered what they really mean, then you should read on.
You are not alone, as we receive emails regularly from people wanting to understand what we or others mean when they use these terms.
There are specific elements that define a niche fragrance and set it apart from the Mass Market Brands we are accustomed to from Couture Houses and Designer Labels.
Although, when you define a niche fragrance, these lines become sometimes blurred when large worldwide brands describe their offerings as ‘Niche’ or introduce ‘Private Collections’. The fact that a product is available at every Airport, in every retailer and on every High Street worldwide would by definition exclude it from being considered a Niche Creation.
We equally believe a Niche Fragrance House that is owned by a global corporation no longer qualifies as being Niche. The list is long of these small perfumery houses that were bought-out. Examples are Jo Malone, Creed, Frederic Malle, L’Artisan Parfumeur, … It is not easy to spot these ‘Niche Wannabees’.
So when looking for a genuine Niche or Artisan Fragrance, the list below will help you to separate the true Niche from the ‘Niche Wannabee’
Well the following are our Top 10 Things that Define a Niche Fragrance:
A Perfume House, founded by a Perfumer who’s wish is to create Unique Fragrances – like the original Fragrance Houses of Old
An in-house Perfumer, that is unencumbered by the restrictions of mass consumerism, and is allowed to recreate the ‘artistry of the unique’ in luxury fragrances.
Limited Availability – not on sale in every shop, store and airport worldwide.
Art and Creativity – like Painters, Poets, Writers, Chefs, Wine Makers, Gardner’s, Designers, as the founder of PAIRFUM London Huib Maat said “Who would want to create a copy of the same thing again and again if they have the ability and creativity to create an original? – no true Artist would”
The use of Natural, Unusual or Unique Perfumery ingredients and Accords, i.e. note combinations.
Selective approach to Distribution – not available everywhere
A different approach to PR & Marketing – where the best form of advertising is – through ‘Word of Mouth’ passed from one Fragrance Aficionado to another ( and with a little help from the right type of Magazine article)…
With the attention to detail given to the creation of a Niche Perfume, it assures the wearer that the Perfume is of the highest quality.
Something that is rare is always more precious – Clientele will seek out and love something different – because we were born unique – so why not celebrate it..
Not owned by a global, multi-national Corporation or produced on a large scale factory floor but in small batches and independently owned.
Keep these in mind when shopping for Niche Fragrances.
Pairfum London’s in-house Perfumer Huib Maat created our collection of Natural Eau de Parfum Intense and we also introduced the Perfume Experience Box to try and sample these exquisite creations.
We are frequently being asked: “How do you smell perfume?”
Today on day two of National Fragrance week, organised by the Fragrance Foundation, we are taking a look at (and not for the first time) how do you evaluate or test perfume?
It may seem that the obvious answer is “with your nose” – and in a sense (no pun intended) that is correct.
However, there is so much more to smelling a perfume, than simply taking a sniff …
In an earlier post we discussed how as individuals we have an olfactory blueprint that is totally unique to us.
So, … how we smell perfume or interpret a fragrance or note, will be as individual and unique as you are..
We know that memory formation is linked to our sense of smell.
So if you think how different your life’s experiences or your life’s road map has been when compared to those around you, it explains why some of us love certain notes while others may loathe them…
With National Fragrance Week now underway, what better time to try new Fragrances or Notes and evaluate them as only You can.
From everyone here at PAIRFUM London we just want to say “Try it, Enjoy it” and “Be Your Authentic Self”.
International Women’s Day was first organised by the Socialist Party of America in 1909. In 1910 it was proposed to celebrate it annually every year on the 8th of March.
In some countries International Women’s Day is a public holiday, in others it is a day of protest, however for the most part it is largely ignored.
The fact that we need to have or celebrate an International Women’s Day in 2019, points to the fact that Women over the World do not yet have equal rights. The World Bank has just released a study that found ‘Only Six Countries’ have equal rights for men and women,
YES! you read that correctly only Six countries – just in case you are wondering ‘Who’ these six countries are? then I would hazard a guess that the answer will surprise you as much it did us….
They are – Belgium, Denmark, France, Latvia, Luxembourg and Sweden. The surprise was not that these countries have equal rights, the surprise was how many names missing from the list… are from the countries so many of us are proud to call Home.
In this quote, Warren Buffett highlights his view on the potential equal rights for women offer our society: “It’s one of the things that makes me optimistic about America because when I look at what we have accomplished using half our talent for a couple of centuries, and now I think of doubling the talent that is effectively employed — or at least has the chance to be — it makes me very optimistic about this country,”
So from everyone here at PAIRFUM London we want to wish every Woman, who ever you are, what ever you do and where ever you are in the World – “A Happy International Women’s Day”, because without YOU this World would not exist xx
One of our favourite ‘health tips’ is that you can boost your health, mood and memory through the use of perfume.
Did you know that your sense of smell is the strongest of all the five senses as well as being the oldest ?
Or, that 75% of all emotions generated every day are due to smell? Just think about that for a moment… 75% of how you have felt or the emotions you had during a single day were due to scent !!
The reason for this, is that it is the one sense most connected to memory and emotion, and research has proven that we are 100 times more likely to remember something we smell over something we see, hear or touch.
Again, if you think about this for a moment – we are 100 times more lightly to remember something we smell over something we read, see or hear…. and yet we spend years in an education system that teaches us to remember important information, without ever using the strongest sense we have ‘Smell’ to help embed this information into memory…
Mother Nature designed our sense of smell to be the one sense to go directly to the fore brain without going to the thalamus, and one of the most obvious reasons for this is that the information our sense of smell provides us with is so important to our survival, that it needs to reach our brain in as fast a time as possible.
To give you an idea of just how fast the information is relayed – if you are impressed that Formula One race cars can go from 0-60 in as fast as 1.6 seconds,…then Formula One needs to get in the back seat as the entire procedure of olfactory processing takes a mere 200 milliseconds!
Odours and scents affect us all in different ways, by becoming aware of how a particular scent affects you personally, you will be able to enhance your health, mood and indeed memory. A particular scent or odour has no personal significance until it is connected to a space, a moment in time or something that has meaning to us.
Theresa Molnar, executive director of the Sense of Smell Institute, the research and educational arm of the perfume industry’s Fragrance Foundation. Has said that “Scents can have positive effects on mood, stress reduction, sleep enhancement, self-confidence, and physical and cognitive performance,”.
So if we associate a particular scent or perfume with an action or a particular time of day, for example getting ready to fall asleep, relaxing, studying, or waking-up in the morning. Then the brain will form memories or associations to coincide with the inhalation of that specific note.
So if you do wish to improve your health, mood or memory a very simple way to do this is to include one of your favourite perfume notes when preparing for bed, sitting down to relax and unwind or preparing for an exam. It is such an easy thing to do, light one of your favourite perfumed candles, or spray the area you are using with a natural room spray, or place one of your reed diffusers in the room.
From the initial and subsequent encounters with the aroma, you begin forming nerve connections that intertwine the smell with emotions, so by choosing a scent or aroma that you love you can immediately alter your feelings in a positive, healthy and mood enhancing way.
Final Question: Did you enjoy this tip? Would you like us to write more about health tips linked to scent? Alternatively, what are your favourite health tips linked to fragrance or perfume?
Anosmia – what does it mean and why should we care?
Well for those that have not heard of it before and would like to know!
Anosmia is a complete loss of the ability to smell…..
When taken in context in regards to your other senses, the loss of your sense of smell should be nothing more than an inconvenience at most ? If you did loose it would you even miss it?
We would also love to know, would you ever ‘Voluntarily Give Up’ one of your senses?
In a survey carried out of 7,000 young people from around the world, approximately half of those between the age of 16 and 30 said that they would rather ‘Lose their Sense of Smell’ than give up access to technology like laptops or cell phones.
Well there is a saying that “Fair exchange is no robbery”, so it begs the question how much did these people know about the importance of their sense of smell to their health and well-being?
The second question would have to be, that if they did know and still choose to lose a sense rather than access to an electronic device! then how much sense do they have to lose in the first place? – ‘common’ or otherwise? and why is it called ‘Common Sense’ when it is such a rare commodity?
Research by Leslie Vosshall from The Rockefeller University estimated that the average person can detect at least one trillion different smells, and that the one trillion is probably an underestimation of the true number of smells we can detect, but for now I am sure it is enough for us to be getting on with… In fact, new research suggests that our noses can outperform our eyes and ears, which can discriminate between several million colours and approximately half a million tones.
The 27th of February is ‘Anosmia Awareness Day’ – it is a day to spread awareness about Anosmia and about how it effects the lives of those who suffer from it. As there are few outward signs of the disorder, the practical difficulties associated with it and how the nature of olfactory dysfunction and its consequences for an individual’s safety and quality of life are not widely appreciated or understood.
PAIRFUM London fully agrees with Dr. Vosshall who says that – “It’s time to give our sense of smell the recognition it deserves,”. We would go even further and say that current ongoing and future research will show just how important and underrated our sense of smell is to our health and lives.
Are you having a problem falling asleep or trying to get a good night’s sleep? Yes, … then using a Deep Sleep Spray can help you solve this problem.
One of our most popular products, that customers come back for repeatedly, is our Natural Sleep Spray, that can be used on your pillows, bed sheets, duvet covers, night clothes, or sprayed into the air.
We all know that there are a number of contributing factors for why we can’t jump into bed and sleep, ranging from the age and condition of your mattress and pillow to the temperature in your room. Not to mention noise levels and how dark and electronic free your resting place is.
Some of the causes for a disturbed nights sleep may seem very obvious, but it is surprising how many people, do not consider them a factor when trying to eliminate or alleviate the cause of a sleepless or restless night.
One of the most obvious things is that you do not go to sleep in a brightly lit room, bright light especially blue-ish light that is emitted from T.V.’s, Computer Screens, Mobile phones, all send a signal to our brains that it’s still daytime and prevents the body’s natural release of chemicals critical for restful & deep sleep.
Our bodies release chemicals in a 24-hour cycle, telling us to do certain things at certain times.
Each of these cycles is called a circadian rhythm, one of the most important chemicals involved in this process is melatonin, a hormone that makes us feel sleepy.
The amount of melatonin in our bodies starts increasing in the evening, as natural light decreases, and peaks in the middle of the night, letting us know it is time to sleep.
It then decreases by morning, allowing us to wake up refreshed.
Why is it so important that we get a good nights sleep?
Studies show that four in every ten Americans don’t even get the minimum of seven hours of sleep doctors recommend, and the important word in the previous sentence is ‘MINIMUM’.
This is now considered a public health emergency, as lack of sleep and fatigue leads to both short and long term mental and physical health problems.
Recent studies have shown that Americans currently average only 6.8 hours of sleep per night, down an hour from 1942, which means that they have lost ‘One Full’ hour’s sleep per night since then.
Think of it as having to set your alarm clock an hour earlier every morning … !
This is not something that effects only people living in the USA, but they have recognised the problem and are studying the causes and effects.
As I have mentioned above, study after study has shown that watching a screen before bedtime or while you are lying in bed is an absolute ‘No-no’ – if you wish to drift off to the land of nod and stay there until morning.
So, … whether it’s a TV screen, your laptop, tablet or phone, if you want to fall asleep ditch the pixels until morning.
Expert Tips
The following are some simple tips that will help improve your nights sleep:
Lavender has been shown to decrease heart rate and blood pressure, potentially putting you in a more relaxed state.
In one study, researchers monitored the brain waves of subjects at night and found that those who sniffed lavender before bed had a deeper nights sleep and felt more invigorated in the morning
If Lavender helps us get a better nights sleep – then “Why is that”?
Well, … you will be delighted to know that there is scientific proof to backup the claim:
Lavender oil is mainly composed of linalyl acetate (which is a naturally occurring phytochemical found in many flowers and spice plants, and is one of the principal components of the essential oils of Lavender and Bergamot) and linalool.
Both are natural chemicals that are rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream.
Studies on mice have shown that these compounds inhibit several neurotransmitters and have a sedative and pain-relieving effect.
In humans, lavender has been proven to lower the heart rate and reduces anxiety, leading to a more relaxed and peaceful sleep.
Dr. Chris Winter, MD, is a renowned sleep specialist and author of the book: ‘The Sleep Solution – Why Your Sleep Is Broken and How To Fix It” – He has also been called “The Sleep Whisperer”.
I love this nick name, as it is better to whisper, so you do not wake anyone up.
He stated that scent plays a role in helping people drift off to sleep, with the proviso that the formula contains lavender.
“There are a number of studies that indicate it might have sleep-promoting effects,” he says.
Other notes that are known to help promote relaxation and sleep are Chamomile, Bergamot, Jasmine, Rose, Sandalwood and Valerian.
Recommendations from the Harvard Medical School suggest using dim red lights in the evenings and to expose yourself to bright lights during the day time help to reset your sleep schedule (your internal clock).
In a recent Bedroom Poll by the National Sleep Foundation in the US, 53% of their respondents rated sleeping on sheets with a fresh scent an important contributor to their sleep experience.
If Lavender is not one of your favourite notes, other fragrances that you associate with happy events in your life are also perfect to use.
For example notes or smells that evoke or awaken happy, calming memories, such as walks on the beach or in the woods, a wonderful relaxing holiday, times spent with loved ones, or memories of childhood when sleep came easily at the end of a day well spent.
Dr. Winter, the ‘Sleep Whisperer’, also said that “Sprays can be helpful if we pair a certain smell in our minds with the act of sleep. This is particularly true with travel. If you associate a certain smell with your bedroom, spraying that in your hotel room can trick your brain into thinking you’re at home.”
This is the reason why here at PAIRFUM London, we developed the ‘Voyage’ Spray, it is the perfect travelling partner to take with you on Holiday.
We are a London based Natural Niche Perfumery House and we have been working on Sleep Aid Perfume Sprays for a number of years.
Today across the World we celebrate St Valentine’s Day which has become the day associated with LOVE and Lovers, so from everyone here at PAIRFUM London “Happy Valentine’s Day”
History tell us that St Valentine was a Priest or Bishop who helped young people to get married against the strict instructions of the Roman Emperor Aurelian in 273. Although not much of St. Valentine’s life is reliably known, and whether or not the stories involve two different saints by the same name has also not been officially decided, it is widely accepted that he was the Saint of Courtly Love.
In other circles it is believed to have first become associated with romantic love thanks to a poem by Geoffrey Chaucer (1343–1400?), titled ‘Parchement of Foules’ or the ‘The Parliament of Birds’ which contains one of the earliest references to the idea that St. Valentine’s Day is a special day for lovers.
It was not until the 18th Century that it rose to prominence, when people began to send cards or letters and give gifts to their loved ones – or to those they wished were their Amour.
Whichever version of the wonderful story of how St Valentine became associated with the 14th of February tugs at your Heart strings, we wanted to wish you a Happy Valentine’s Day that we hope you can share with the ones you LOVE xx