There are many beautiful shops and boutiques hiding in the arcades around Piccadilly. One of them is Ormond Jayne inside Royal Arcade on Old Bond Street. Although Ormond Jayne is an international brand with beautiful shops and corners everywhere, I personally think this one is truly unique. The boutique was redesigned from scratch and the first thing you notice when you're approaching it, is the 20ft bright orange velvet curtains that set a theatrical backdrop for the transformation inside.
The boutique hides more surprises like the centre counter where the perfumes are displayed and a creative light fitting above, both designed in the shape of a perfume overcap.
A new service is also offered; you can get your favourite Ormond Jayne perfume from the Signature Range "Made to Measure" by choosing the concentration of the perfume extract. While you wait for your perfume to be bottled, you can sip champagne and nibble delicious chocolates and get you bottle engraved as well as wrapped in beautiful origami - inspired design.
A couple of months ago I had the pleasure to visit the boutique and see the new Parfum D' Ambiance diffusers. The bottles are quite amazing; they hold 500ml of room fragrance and look more like elegant decorative pieces that you'd love to have anywhere at home.
Casablanca Lily is a narcotic scent, perfect for the kitchen and dining rooms, Ormonde, with its unconventional woody aroma is great for the entrance hall, Frangipani a rich creamy floral, is fantastic for the sitting room and guest rooms, Ta’if, with its seductive rose needless to say goes in the bedroom and Ambre Royal with its glorious floral amber character can be easily placed anywhere. Of course you can choose a signature scent for your entire home or change according to mood or season.
If you visit Ormond Jayne's website you will see a new section, Gourmand Jayne, that includes recipes, lifestyle tips and advice how to incorporate scent in all aspects of our lives. My favourite recipes include Baked Figs with Goat's Cheese and Rose Essence Mini Meringues but there are so many more. Especially now for Christmas I can't think of a better way to impress your guests!
Since we're talking about the holidays, there is also a Festive Candle Collection with 3 candles that celebrate the Christmas spirit.
Nocturne is smooth and warm, with cedarwood, cardamom, tonka, amber and sandalwood plus a festive touch of mandarin, deep and rich, a perfect winter scent.
Mystere, with Bergamot, Mandarin, Lime, Tea Notes, Cedar Wood and Pine Needles, bright and sparkly; quite refreshing!
Etoile, my favourite, is the absolute Christmas scent with warm, festive notes of mandarin, cardamom, cinnamon, bay, amber and tonka, it's sweet, sparkly and festive at the same time!
Happy Holidays everyone!