I've always loved scents, well not all scents obviously, but I'm a firm believer in the power of scent to affect one's mood and help de-stress which is something that we all need right now. Despite not going out, I find that I'm wearing perfume each day, more than ever before, which was something that I'd usually only put on if I was going out. I find that a nice aroma helps me to relax, it's a mindful, simple pick me up that cheers me when things are so crazy now in the the outside world. Scent is such a personal thing, and I quite like the uniqueness of it, as one person may love a scent and others hate it. Saying that, here are some of my own favourite personal scents and why I like them.

1)* Liz Earle Perfumes, especially No.15, No.9 and No.100 (though I like them all!). Liz Earle fragrances are natural fragrances made using pure essential oils and smell different on each individual. No.15 is probably my overall favourite and is a heady oriental fragrance. No.9 is a fruity, blackcurrant chypre and No.100 smells like a beautiful flower garden.
2)* Elemis Frangipani bath products and hydrating body mist . The frangipani flower has a wonderful scent that's hard to describe, it's kind of like a heady vanilla mixed with a spicy sort of freshness. It's gorgeous though and I love it.
3) Dr Organic Rose Skin Lotion smells incredible. It really smells of fresh cut roses and is purse friendly too.
4) Soap and Glory's The Righteous Butter has a lovely pink smell (like the colour of the tub it is in). It is a kind of fruit smell but not too overpowering and it's also good value.
5) Lush's Karma fragrance and bubble bar smell gorgeous, a kind of modern patchouli scent without too much mustiness.
6) Nux Huile De Prodigieuse in both it's original and florale fragrance is divine. It has a subtle richness to it and better still the oil is great at moisturising dry skin on both the face and body and you can even put it in your hair. A true multi-tasker!
7)* Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish and Gentle Face Exfoliator both smell amazing and really help when you have a cold and or hayfever, (as I have now) because the gentle scent of the eucalyptus is a real tonic to stuffy noses without being too overpowering.
8)* Elemis Cleansing Balm in Neroli is absolutely heady gorgeous scent of orange blossom and it is fantastic at completely removing all make up, even waterproof mascara. As it is oil based, I was nervous about using it on my combination skin but it morphs into a milk when you add water, so doesn't stay oily for too long.
9)* L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream is something I've recently discovered, as I had heard that it was good and it is very moisturising for my poor mitts which are suffering due to increased hand-washing. It smells to me of clean laundry hanging out to dry.
10) Balance Me Super Moisturising Hand Cream is another saviour at times like these. I do suffer from contact dermatitis which has certainly flared up recently and I've found this gorgeously scented hand-cream that doesn't bring my sensitive skin into a flare up (though everyone's skin is different of course). This cream is scented with bergamot, lavender and patchouli.

* For more cost effective ways to buy these brands then check out QVC Beauty as they often have great deals (including individual Today's Special Values,' and easy pays) from time to time, allowing us to enjoy these premium products at more affordable prices.

Also, as you may have seen already on previous posts, we are in the process of creating a garden and I have tried to plant as many scents as possible into our borders. All the roses that we currently have (nine and counting) are scented. We have planted a herb garden with curry plant, (smells gorgeously spicy after rain), lavender, thymes, oregano and mints and I am going to plant some chamomile soon too. For our annuals, we have about sixty sweet pea plants, night scented stocks, phlox and mock orange blossom. Today I just ordered some strawberry plants of the Mara Des Bois variety which are supposed to have a gorgeously fragrant scent. According to the website I bought them from, this variety of strawberries are beloved by chefs and sold in French Farmer's Markets. Since we're unable to get to said markets at the mo, growing our own could be the next best thing. My cousin in Brighton is going to plant a gorgeously scented wisteria and hopefully some other plants too, maybe jasmine, which I wish we could grow, but think it wouldn't survive the winter up north. If we ever get a greenhouse or conservatory though, jasmine is definitely one I'd plant!

So that's my little round up for now. Scent is just one thing, as well as gardening, reading and spending quality time with Matt that's helping me cope through this strange time, when other things have been put on hold. Enjoying and appreciating these mindful activities, is helpful and something that I hope to carry through this time into the future.

Hello! This is the newly relaunched blog for Cultural Life Connection. It is a space where I'm going to talk about not just culture but also include topics that will encompass 'life' / lifestyle and 'connection.' So you'll find a bit about books, films, art but also gardens, decor, beauty, relationships and health.

For this first post, I thought I'd take the opportunity to write a little bit more about myself. Above this post is a photo that was taken in the Spring of 2000, so at the moment, it is around twenty years old - yikes! It is a photo of myself and my husband Matt, a few months after we first got together and we are together still, after all this time and many house moves later! 

When I was seventeen years old I visited a fortune teller who looked at my palm and began to tell me lots of interesting things about what my life would be like. I went to see them, not really convinced that what they would say was true. The most remarkable thing that they said was that I would have one significant romantic relationship in my adult life, which at the time I thought was complete rubbish! At the time, I had images of being this kind of jet setting person who wouldn't have many ties of that kind. However, after what is now twenty years with Matt, perhaps there was some truth to that part of the prediction! 😂 I am often asked by friends for relationship advice or how to keep a successful long term relationship going, so thought I'd write what I've learnt from experience on here.

I met Matt at my Saturday job at Watersones in my home town of Chelmsford. We were friends for a year before we dated. We had not been together long (only a month) when I got viral meningitis, followed a month later by glandular fever. Unfortunately the legacy of these illnesses persists with me still, as I have a chronic long term health condition called Chronic Systemic Angioedema that affects my day to day life. However, I don't let it get me down and have found lots of easy everyday things that help and keep me upbeat in the face of challenges. My illness doesn't define my identity or who I am though it does place limits on what I am able to do, I am positive in the face of overcoming challenges and am always looking for solutions to things. I want to use this blog to talk and share things that I find help with long term health conditions and also things that don't. (I am not a medical health professional so will use signposts where appropriate). I will talk a bit more about my personal health journey over time and am always keen to learn from others too, so hopefully we can get some dialogue going on the matter.

As for Matt and I, it seems amazing that we've been together for over two decades now. We moved house earlier on this year and are excited about sorting out the garden we've got to play with, so I look forward to sharing info about that here with you all. It would be great to hear about you too and what you'd like me to include on here, so feel free to comment or get in touch via Twitter, Facebook or Instagram.

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