The Bath House | British-Made Perfumes, Candles And More....

I've just come back from a wonderful weekend in the Lake District celebrating the marriage of one of my oldest friends. Whilst there I was lucky enough to have chance to explore the area a little and wandering through the pretty town of Bowness on the edge of Lake Windermere, I stumbled upon the Bath House and was immediately impressed. Think Jo Malone, but less spendy.

With the C word coming up (shhh, I'm in denial that it's summer no longer) I wanted to blog about it because their beautiful British made all-natural products have got 'gift' written all over them. Some natural beauty products can be a bit worthy. You know it may be doing your skin good, but it just doesn't feel great to use. Not here. The entire range is luxurious with lovely packaging and is just the right side of affordable. How it's managed to escape my notice before now is beyond me.

Their perfumes deserve a special mention. Mixed in amongst classic fragrance combinations are some unique scents that are perfect if you want a scent that's a little bit different. My boyfriend described Patchouli and Black Pepper as something Boadecia would wear - all spicy and sensual. White Tea and Rose bears more than a passing resemblance to Chloe's signature fragrance. This offering is a little lighter perhaps, but an excellent dupe at a fraction of the price. Damask Rose and Violet is the kind of traditional rose scent I love. Slightly grannyish and super feminine yet somehow still contemporary. White Cedar and Pear - my favourite - is perfectly autumnal and manages to be both fresh and warm at the same time.

Wear time on the two I tried (Patchouli and Black Pepper and White Cedar and Pear) was excellent, with the scent still lingering an impressive 12 hours later. At £28 for a 50ml bottle compared with £42 for a 30ml Jo Malone cologne, they offer excellent value for money and I know where I'll be spending my pennies in future. Bath House also do a 12ml handbag sized version giving you the chance to try a scent without committing to the large bottle. These would make perfect gifts.

Other things to look out for are the beautiful bath oils and bath salts. Who wouldn't want to display these in their bathrooms then indulge in a soak after a long day? I've also got my eye on the candles which smelt amazing and promise to scent a room without even being lit. The soap and lip balms would make perfect stocking fillers too.

The Bowness store is sensory heaven and there are four other stores in the North West. For most people though, the Bath House online shop will be the place to look. If you're put off by buying fragrance online, their descriptions of the scents are clear and accurate, and there's free delivery on orders over £40. 

I'm so pleased to have found this store. High quality, chemical-free, British made products in gorgeous packaging to suit all ages and tastes, I'm seriously impressed. My challenge will be parting with the gifts I buy for other people and not keeping them all to myself. 

www.thebathhouseshop.com.

Lyn Harris Perfume Update

Earlier in the week I wrote a post about a Miller Harris diffusion line on sale for just £12.50 at Marks and Spencer. Since then, I may or may not (I may) have been back to M&S to bag La Poudree and La Rose from this soon to be deceased range. Oops.

La Poudree

La Poudree is a feminine, blousy fragrance with a distinctly old-fashioned feel. Old-fashioned in a good way. Glamorous old-fashioned. Initially powdery as the name suggests, it settles down to a soft sweet, vanilla scent. It's not a perfume I'd usually plump for, but it makes me feel pretty and girly and I'm surprised at how much I like it.

La Rose

I'm a granny at heart and it's a fact universally acknowledged that all good grannies love a rosy scent. Surprisingly though, this offering is not in the least bit grannyish, making it ideal for the non-granny contingent amongst you. Yes it's floral, but it's got a sharpness to it which keeps it feeling fresh and modern. Me likes. A lot.

Perfume alchemy

After spraying the testers before purchasing, I was left with La Poudree on my left wrist and La Rose on my right. It got me to thinking that the sweetness of the former would work well with the sharpness of the latter. So this morning, I layered the two scents together to see if my nose was onto something. It was. With a layer of La Rose atop a spritz of La Poudree I smelt absolutely bloomin' gorgeous. If I do say so myself. Best of all, my custom scent was still going strong a whole 9 hours later. Not even my favourite premium scents last that long. Very impressive.

For just £12.50, these fragrances offer superb quality at a knock down price. They're sold out online and likely to be discontinued, so grab a bottle in your local M&S while you still can.

Affordable new perfume anyone? Be quick, these won't stick around for long.

If you're in the market for a new perfume at an affordable price, get yourself down to Marks and Spencer quick sharp. Half price scents from Britain's leading classical perfumer won't stick around for long.

50% off the entire Lyn Harris range at Marks and Spencer

When Lyn Harris, of Miller Harris fame, launched an exclusive collection with Marks and Spencer in 2012, it was greeted with squeals of delight from the beauty press. With a bottle of Miller Harris perfume retailing at £65 and the M&S scents coming in at £25, I can see why.

Fast forward two years and I've just spied 50% off the entire range in store. Sold out online, this leads me to suspect that the collaboration is not long for this world. There are six scents in the range - three for women, three for men:

La Poudrée (f)
"A fruity oriental classic. Raspberry and peach nectar with soft rose and orange flower on a base of Florentine iris, vanilla and musk."

La Rose (f)
"An elegant rose classic. Rose petals with sparkling green notes of galbanum and red berry on a base of patchouli, sweet musk and amber."

La Fleur (f)
"A white floral classic. White gardenia and Indian tuberose flowers set the tone with gentle woods, vanilla bourbon and musk."

Le Cologne (m)
"A vibrant citrus classic. Sicilian bergamot, lemon and Seville orange with French rosemary on a base of fresh vetiver and amber."

Le Sauvage (m)
"An invigorating zesty classic. Grapefruit and Seville orange with cardamom and coriander seeds on a base of oakmoss and vetiver."

Le Noir (m)

"A rich woody classic. Italian bergamot, green mandarin with lavender and tarragon on a base of pimento, patchouli and rich amber."

Despite belonging in the male range, Le Sauvage is my favourite. Its fresh, almost cologne style appeals to me and it makes a great daytime scent, especially in the warmer months. I picked up a gift set which included a shower gel and a full-sized 50ml bottle of perfume, all for £12.50. Bargain.