Mayka Merino, after Miu Miu, Paris, October 2015.
As summer makes way for autumn and finally, winter, thoughts turn to deeper, darker hues....including lipstick. The lip colour after Miu Miu reminded me of berried ivy (hedera helix) and deep red chrysanthemums.
During summer, I love filling the house with plants (many many plants!) and pretty scented flowers or foliage but when the nights start to draw in I crave candles: scented and beeswax. Lighting a candle seems to lift my spirits.... the beautiful scent + the flickering warmth. Once the leaves on the trees start changing colour, and begin tumbling to the ground, I feel a little sadness: summer is at the end for another year and there will inevitably be long grey months ahead (the cold, I love. The grey, not so much). Once autumn is in full swing though - the trees ablaze with orange, red and yellow, and the air crisp and cool - my spirits will lift again.....and there is Christmas to look forward to as well (and perhaps some snow!).
As I type this I am burning a new favorite candle* which feels just right for now, late summer:
Bella Freud Je T'aime Jane scented candle. If you like the smell of tiger lily flowers, you will love this candle. I think it smells exactly like the flowers....heady, strong, intoxicating - a smell you can readily identify when you walk into a room. Only a few weeks ago someone gave me a bunch of tiger lilies as a thank you gift. I haven't even considered them as a cut flower since I have been going to the New Covent Garden Flower Market each week - too many other beautiful, new-to-me flowers to choose from. But those lilies, and
this candle, have reignited my love for them. And the best thing about the candle? No yellow lily pollen stains to deal with! This particular candle has a strong throw, even unlit. So if you get headaches from tiger lily flowers (or any strong floral scent), this might not be the right candle for you.
*I absolutely love scented candles and whenever I receive a gift voucher, or am asked what I would like for a present, candles are at the top of my list!
