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Second only to roses is my love of lavender. It's an obsession, which to be honest is a little bit out of control (and one that is well-documented). It's the first essential oil that I ever bought and for that it will always have a special place in my heart. Plus, the sheer versatility of this plant is almost second to none.
At the moment, I am loving Omorovicza's Gentle Buffing Cleanser, which along with Pineapple and Rosemary extracts sloughs away dead skin. But the scent of this wonder is of deep and calming lavender.
The genius that is John Masters Organics actually fused together two of my favourite things in the world: sea salt spray for hair with a scent of lavender. Hair is left with a lingering perfume of lavender and a natural beach-babe wave.
Sue Devitt's eye pencils are little miracle workers. This colour, Victoria Falls, is a gorgeous violet blue and will make any eye colour pop. I even got a compliment from my boyfriend on that one. Smudge during the day and intensify with pure pigment for evening.
Knackered Cow, with lavender, by Cowshed is my herbaceous bathroom staple. And for my morning shower, Mitchell and Peach wake me up. Made with English Lavender, Violet and Ylang-Ylang essential oils that have been matured over nine months, it is an English garden in a bottle. Heaven.
Omorovicza Gentle Buffing Cleanser, £42.00
Mitchell and Peach Shower Wash, £20.00
Sue Devitt, Eye Intensifier Pencil, £17.50
Cowshed Room Fragrance, £22.00
There is something very nostalgic for me about the beautiful smell of roses. Half reminiscent of my grandmother's potpourri, half of the roses that my great-grandmother had growing outside the front of her house. I used to smell them excitedly whenever I came to visit.
I also believe whole-heartly in the benefits of rose extract in my beauty products. In other words, if it has rose in it, I am interested. In terms of the smell, like I said in my article about lavender, I am very particular. My current favourites include:
- Weleda Wild Rose range: not only is this range incredible value for money, but it's also incredibly effective. It is very soft, gentle and amazingly beneficial for calming sensitive skin. Great for winter. Their facial-oil capsules are literally pure bubbles of moisture.
- Aromatherapy Associates Rose Hydrating Face Mask: this is about as soothing as slathering your face with rose petals. This aloe vera-based mask is great for restoring plumpess to dry skin.
- For bathtime, one of the best rose-scented bubble baths I've tried is Brown & Harris' English Rose variety. Luscious and delicate rose smell.
At the moment, I'm looking at life through rose-tinted specs.
Weleda Wild Rose from £12.50
Aromatherapy Associates Rose Hydrating Face Mask, £28.50
Brown & Harris English Rose Bath Essence, £6.95
As I have already established my love of all things coconuts and all things roses, falling straight in to third place, or higher sometimes, is my love of all things lavender.
There is nothing more soothing a smell than lavender. And actually, when I thought about it, I have lavender all over the house. In little pouches in my drawer (thanks Natasha!), in dried form in my grandma's old vase, in my soapdish and even the scent of my mothballs. The last being the least exciting.
For the most relaxing scent lavender is king. I have actually sniffed out a lot of lavender on the high street and L'Occitane's range has the most authentic smell. I have found others too sweet (Roger & Gallet), too cologne-y (Crabtree & Evelyn) or just not right (Yardley). This one smells like the real deal. The Bath Foam is so scented, it's the next best thing to having a bath in the middle of a lavender field. It's utter bliss. And add the lavender candle for good measure. You'll have a total lavender-fest on your hands. And a guaranteed good night's sleep of course.
The genius that is John Masters Organics actually fused together two of my favourite things in the world: sea salt spray for hair with a scent of lavender. Hair is left with a lingering perfume of lavender and a natural beach-babe wave. 
