RUNNING IN HEELS: FLORAL FAVOURITES

From Charles Anastase and Antonio Berardi to Erdem and Jason Wu too, the S/S 2011 catwalks burst into bountiful bloom this season. With the runway awash in bouquets of fresh colours – peony pinks, shocking fuchsias, daffodil yellows and tea rose pinks – what a spring awakening it is set to be.

So whilst you wait for the weather outside to catch up, enjoy this pick of our favourite floral beauty products. Inspired by the season just around the corner they are guaranteed to bring the promise of spring to your dressing table, bathroom and beyond!

And where better to begin than with a floral favourite: the rose? For the most indulgent and beautifully scented bath, try Ren’s Moroccan Rose Otto Bath Oil. Whilst this award winning product boasts the stress relieving, skin softening properties one would expect, its brilliance lies in its quality. Heralded as the queen of flower Oils – Rose Otto oil is one of the most expensive essential oils in the world. If this isn’t enough to ensure you luxuriate appropriately of an evening, it’s worth bearing in mind that the petals are even harvested at dawn. A totally natural, uplifting and undeniably luxe product. Follow up with Jo Malone’s iconic Red Roses Body and Hand Lotion to lock in the moisture the oil affords.

Emerging delicately from a rose scented bath is one thing, but how wonderful would it be to hop skip and jump from there to fresh, crisp, floral sheets? Pretty darn wonderful I hear you cry. Kai Linen Spray holdsthe key to a wonderful night’s sleep in a bottle. This Hollywood fragrance has nothing less than a cult following – counting Kate Bosworth, Jennifer Aniston and Sophie Dahl (a perfume critic for Vogue no less) amongst its numerous devotees. Gardenia, tuberose, jasmine and lily make up this wonderfully clean scent which will work calming wonders on your bedding. Oprah has described it as a ‘bouquet in a bottle’ for bed linens. It is exotic yet fresh, and never overpowering – simply spray lightly onto sheets or around the room to conjure up sweet dreams of Spring.

Diptyque are known for their wonderful candles, and their floral offerings are amongst the best in their collection. So often scented candles can be cloying and smell utterly unnatural, but this is never so with Diptyque. Their wonderfully natural-scented candles are a pleasure to burn all year round and fill a room with their perfume. RIH’s favourite has to be Mimosa. These little yellow blossoms are found on the French Riviera, and the Parisian artisans at Diptyque say they aim to conjure up brimming mimosa flowers dotting the hills leading down to the sea. An idyllic image for an equally idyllic scent.

Whilst floral themed products may find a natural home in the bathroom, their worth elsewhere is not to be underestimated and we have a bevy of favourite products that work wonders for the face. During the day try Benefit’s Dandelion face powder on your cheekbones and brow-bone for an instant, petal pink glow. This iridescent powder illuminates every complexion and will make you look enviously refreshed with just the sweep of a brush.

MAC has recently added a Sweet Orange & Lavender facial oil to its coveted line, and it could not be more perfect for this in-between weather leading up to Spring. After your usual cleansing routine, massage in the orange and lavender oil (a mini facial at home don’t you know) in place of your usual moisturiser. The smell is beautiful, with more than a hint of chocolate orange about it, and is a lovely, comforting way to end the day.

It would be a crime when reminiscing about our favourite floral buys not to pick out a perfume or two. Step up Byredo – one of the best kept secrets of the perfume world. Based in Stockholm the brand specialises in those elusive fragrances that we spend years searching for, eager to claim as our signature scent. Perfect floral offerings make up a large proportion of their perfumes. From woody, oriental, sweet and subtly spicy mixes, they are all utter delights. For Spring we’d recommend both Blanche and Tulipe. Described as ‘simple in structure but extreme in character’, Blanche is based on the colour white. With white rose, violet, neroli and peony it is a truly clean yet captivating bouquet, perfect for Spring. While Blanche is a strong contender, Tulipe takes the top prize for the ultimate seasonal scent. As one of the first flowers to open in the new season the Tulip symbolises the rebirth of spring for Byredo perfumer Ben Gorham. Top notes of freesia, cyclamen and rhubarb dry down to blonde woods and vetiver, encasing the delicate single heart note of Tulip. Trust us when we say, this couldn’t be a more perfect, floral introduction to a season that is getting set to blossom in just a few more weeks.

(An article I wrote for this month's issue of Running In Heels)