Pot pourri goes into rehab (at last)
Pot pourri has acquired a truly dreadful name, over the years. It’s become associated with orange-tinged woodshavings nestling among a bowlful of dry, rusty-tinted leaves, left to moulder in great aunts’ spare rooms. Odette Toilette, however – the ‘nom de parfum’ of a deliciously scent-obsessed organiser of truly fabulous, fascinating fragrance events (she calls herself a ‘Purveyor of Olfactory Adventures’) – has set out to rehabilitate pot pourri, by going back to its roots. Says Odette, ‘Pot pourri flourished in country homes and sophisticated drawing rooms until the 20th Century’… But despite the disappearance of real (as opposed to oh-so-fake) pot pourri, Odette has discovered that the art of its creation is alive and well.
She worked with Darasina Perfume – who specialize in historic formulations – to develop this exclusive blend, which is available in a limited edition Yorkshire hand-made black pot (just 250 are available).
Unstopper the cork, and you’ll experience Blend #1, based on over 20 different ingredients (including two litres of hand-picked English rosepetals in every single jar). The ingredients were salt-cured in the trad style for months, to develop their delicious, perfect-for-the-season fragrance, which will last for ages.
Do explore Odette’s website, too: as well as events, you’ll enjoy her blog, and can buy tickets for future events, as well as discovering her Life in Scents podcasts: like Desert Island Discs, but for the nose.
Truly, both Odette – and her pot pourri – are worth sniffing out…
• Odette Toilette Pot Pourri Blend #1, £45 at www.odettetoilette.com - buy here
