So much spring goodness!
Mimosas for International Women's Day, Cos launches scents, Dyson drops a new dryer, Louis Vuitton launches make-up range, and much more.
Good morning, happy Saturday, and International Women’s Day!
I love that, in Italy, it’s traditional to give bouquets of mimosas to mark the day. The vibrant, sunshine yellow flowers grow in abundance on the Ligurian coast, and just over the border, in the South of France, along the Côte d'Azur.
Back to the mimosas in a moment. But, first of all, the SUNNIEST of welcomes to everyone who has joined us this week, I’m so happy you’re here! This edition, as always, goes out in full to paid subscribers each Saturday, along with all weekday posts, while The Monthly Edit is free for all to read on the first weekend of the month. Right now, there’s 75% off all paid subscriptions, to celebrate the first anniversary of the MBE, for both monthly or annual subs (if you’re considering an upgrade, now’s the perfect time!).
Back to the mimosas. The bright, mini pom-pom blossoms of the acacia dealbata tree—to go Gardeners World for a sec—aren’t only a visual herald of spring. They’ve also inspired some beautiful scents.
A few weeks ago, when we were still in the depths of winter and I was craving a lighter, more spring-like scented candle after all the heavy, spicy and Christmassy ones, I came across Diptyque’s Mimosa Candle. Described by Diptyque as “a bloom on the riviera”, it’s a fresh, soft, almost powdery floral with a hint of sweetness. (“Honeyed” is a word that often comes up when describing the scent.)
Diptyque candles are, obviously, at the luxe-y end of the market (I think prices have risen recently, too). That said, as suggested in this week’s No Buy Beauty Guide, once finished, the jars make lovely, upcycled holders for makeup brushes and other bits and pieces on a dressing table.
Less pricey and absolutely beautiful, I think, is & Other Stories’ Fleur de Mimosa fragrance. I LOVE the scent, and just picked it up in the roll-on Perfume Oil. It’s just gorgeous for wearing right now, when it’s not warm enough to start casting off all the layers, but you want to smell like it might be. And as I mentioned last weekend, these little rollerballs have great staying power.
Fluer de Mimosa also comes in all the accompanying body products— , of , commented last weekend that she rates the & Other Stories hand soaps and body washes, too.
I spy mimosa on the bottom shelf.
Actually, the Hand Cream (£6) would be perfect to pop in your bag and get a waft of spring whenever you slather it on. (Although, my family has placed restrictions on me doing this in the car. Such is the potency of a good scented hand cream.)
Other mimosa-inspired fragrances include Jo Malone London’s Mimosa & Cardamom Cologne, which is a softly spicier take on the scent, with warm tonka bean and sandalwood notes, too. Fittingly for the Italians, Prada has Les Infusion de Mimosa, part of its Les Infusions range, with a dash of mandarin.
Sidenote: if you’re in London this weekend, there’s a Prada Picnic pop-up event in Covent Garden. It’s in the piazza, and free to enter from 10am.
The Cashmere Mist comeback!!!
I was disproportionately excited-nostalgic about the news this week that Donna Karan is reintroducing the OG Cashmere Mist fragrance. For me, the late Nineties happened in a cloud of Cashmere Mist—that and Chaos, Donna’s amazing, spicy-woody powerhouse which came in a bottle that looked kind of like a chunk of Kryptonite. The iconic, distinctive bottles of both scents were designed by Donna’s late husband, sculptor Stephen Weiss.
With the relaunch of the Cashmere Mist Eau de Parfum, which first landed on counters in 1994, the brand is setting out to “honor its rich legacy while embracing the future, inviting a new generation to discover its unmatched sophistication and sensuality,” according to Jean Madar, Chairman & CEO, Inter Parfums, Inc.. The super-soft floral—with notes including orchid flower, Moroccan jasmine, ylang ylang,among others—has a nuzzly-warm base of sandalwood, vanilla, amber, cedarwood, and patchouli.
Speaking of scent, calling all Cos fans— Cos Perfumery is coming next month.
Created in Grasse by perfumers Sophie Labbé, Ilias Ermenidis and Nathalie Lorson, the first four scents—Auburn, Mythe Fleuriste, and Solaire—will be accompanied by a range of scented candles, for the full Cos olfactory experience.
Solaire, in particular, sounds amazing, with notes of Frankincense, myrrh, benzoin, amber and Mediterranean cistus flower.
The range will go online and in stores, globally, on April 16.
In other beauty newness, Louis Vuitton announced that its first makeup range will drop this autumn—with makeup Pat McGrath at the helm.
Called La Beauté Louis Vuitton, if the initial peeks (revealed this week by WWD) are anything to go by, we can expect many a LV logo-embossed powder, and chic, Vuitton-inspired packaging.
To read the rest of this edition, with more beauty news and this weekend’s Midlife Style In The Wild, join the MBE as a paid subscriber, on a monthly or annual sub (at roughly £1 a month, until the anniversary offer ends).