How to bring the outside in, with the most fragrant flower power for bath, body, face and beyond …
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1 Is C.Atherley Geranium Bath Oil the loveliest beauty buy in the world right now? We feel that it is. Head to gorgeous garden shop Howbert & Mays to smell it for yourself (and perhaps pick up some actual geraniums, too) – I’m wearing it dabbed on wrists as it’s as beautiful as a perfume. There’s more than geranium bourbon flower oil in here (though this is high up on the ingredients list) – there’s also lavender, lemon myrtle, grapefruit, chamomile and cedarwood oils, among others. Which is why it smells just divine.
The range, created by Cath Kidston-Padgham, also includes a candle, body oil, lotion and hand cream, and is a great example of a creative person’s second brand being equally as good as (if not better than) their first (see also Bobbi Brown’s Jones Road, and Jo Malone’s Jo Loves perfumes). C. Atherley, from €12; exclusive to Howbert & Mays in Ireland; www.howbertandmays.ie.
2 The Bamford face and body range is centred on gorgeous geraniums. It’s stocked at Cashel Palace Hotel’s fabulous five-star Spa, one of Ireland’s loveliest: you can have facials (from €130) and body treatments using the natural, vegan formulas with their uplifting gentle fragrance (the full-body Ritual, €200 for 90 minutes, sounds insanely relaxing; www.cashelpalacehotel.ie). You can also find it at Space NK, where the Geranium hand and body wash (€32.20) is a bestseller. Love the geranium natural candle, too (€57.50); www.spacenk.com.
3 The Think Positive essential oil blend from The Nature of Things is an uplifting mix of ginger, lemon, pink pepper and geranium, to “support positive thinking”. It’s in our diffuser, and it’s making the house smell like a garden (instead of a dog’s dinner). €16; www.thenatureofthings.ie.
4 We constantly return to geranium lip colours – there’s something very uplifting about such a bright, beautiful red that’s somehow less harsh than other reds can be. I haven’t used anything by Nars for a long time, but their updated lip pencils, now called Powermatte High Intensity Lip Pencil (€27 at www.next.ie), are absolutely great. In fact they are not crazily, lip-dryingly matte, but actually pretty soft and forgiving on the lips, and a real pleasure to wear (and easy to apply on the bus). Dragon Girl is the perfect geranium shade. For me, it’s one of the great lip shades of the summer. The nudey pink one, called American Woman, is also lovely if you’d rather dial it down a bit.
Check out Fenty Beauty, too (new into Brown Thomas), for the perfect geranium-coloured flush, Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Blush, €25.
5 Geranium plays a pivotal part in perfume – it works so well with other ingredients, adding an almost peppery fresh greenness. For the ultimate combination of geranium and leather, for example, go to Cloon Keen and smell Énbarr – there’s spice in there too (saffron), oud wood and glorious hits of plum and patchouli. I defy you to leave the shop without becoming obsessed with it.
Many perfumes, particularly male ones, have geranium as a side note, from Chanel Les Exclusifs No18 to Maison Margiela’s From the Garden. Want a concentration of geranium? Brands from Diptyque to Le Labo (Geranium 30), Sisley (the gardeny herbacious Eau Revee d’Hubert) and Frederic Malle all do geranium-centred scents. Geranium Pour Monsieur (from €190) is a classic that is too good to be worn solely by guys – I remember Malle himself saying he was wearing Geranium Pour Monsieur during lockdown as it “made me feel stronger and kept me company. We are not dressing up or going out. Instead it’s a moment when you seek to comfort and soothe yourself – and a perfume can do that for you. It’s a general mood affecting artists in general: the seeking of something more cosy, intimate, for yourself.”
And the one we long to smell? Portuguese soap and scent brand Claus Porto’s Agua Geranium, a cool and leafy fougère cologne, from €26, with “balsamic notes and an undertone of warm tonka”.
6 Geranium oil is a key beauty ingredient – everything from Jones Road Miracle Balm to Augustinus Bader’s skin oil contains geranium, as it has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties; it’s good for a multitude of things, such as cleansing, balancing and soothing skin.
Dilute Little Red’s geranium essential oil (€9) with a carrier oil or your own moisturiser. The West Cork skincare guru, Fiona Burke, who specialises in seaweed-based organic face and body products, also makes a lovely bergamot and geranium face cream, €30.
Or cleansing, treat yourself to a gentle botanical Irish beauty: Oxmantown’s Deep Cleansing Facial Oil (€32) with camellia and geranium oil.
Yon-Ka skincare features a wealth of beautiful essential oils, and geranium leaf oil (Pelargonium Graveolens) is one of several core ingredients, appearing in many of their formulations, from the Lotion PNG (€25), a fresh revitalising (alcohol-free) spray that’s gorgeous for summer, and their Purifying Lotion (€51), ideal for breakouts, blemishes and oily skin in general. Also check out their Serum CBD, a stress-relieving and sleep-enhancing night treatment.
7 For the body and beyond, look to Davines, a beautiful Italian brand with integrity. Their unique HQ just outside Parma is a model of sustainability and consideration for the environment. Try the Authentic Nourishing Oil for face, hair and body (€38.75; www.rominadaniel.com), which is awash with beautiful natural essential oils, including geranium, mandarin orange, lemon peel, rose, juniper and bergamot, which all give it a silky texture and profoundly relaxing natural scent.
Another luxurious treat for silky soft skin is the Augustinus Bader Geranium Rose Body Oil. “We have infused the oil with natural geranium and rose to help soothe and relax,” says Professor Bader. Such a pretty bottle, too. €93 at Brown Thomas.
We’ve always loved Aesop’s take on geranium – they do a body scrub, body balm, hand cream and more in geranium. Treat yourself to Geranium Leaf Body Cleanser (€41 for a generous 500ml) or Body Balm (€33), in its neat green tube. Go and visit the lovely friendly Dopl shop on Wicklow Street (they have the best range of Birkenstock shoes, too); www.dopl.ie.
