Last month we finally got our bathroom done, the first room to get a makeover in what turns out to be a long list of home improvements. This warrants cracking open a new… bottle of bubbles I hear you say? Yes, but not the alcoholic type. I christened the new bath with Breathe Aromatherapy, a beauty and wellness brand born in Mumbai 25 years ago and inspired by the aromatherapeutic benefits of essential oil. The video on the website’s homepage already makes me want to re-design my bathroom: if only I had a whole floor to dedicate to a bathroom/boudoir/alchemist office-type room… that chandelier, those apothecary-style drawers, and that bath in the middle of the room, whilst sprinkling rose petals and luxuriating in it, American Beauty-style. You get the picture. But if you don’t, seriously go check out that video and swoon. In the meantime, here are some product reviews. 

Himalayan Flowers Luxurious Body Wash

Seeing as I was creating a new bathing ritual with Breathe Aromatherapy’s Himalayan Flowers collection, it only seemed right to use this body wash as a foaming bath rather than a shower gel. So I liberally poured into the bath to create a delicately fragrant steam and soft layer of froth. Thankfully this body wash contains nourishing almond oil and moisturising jojoba oil so my skin remained hydrated despite being seeped in this bubble bath for a good 20 minutes. And the calming scent of Indian jasmine oil and Ylang Ylang makes for a definite perk. 25ml RRP £18.75

Himalayan Flowers Luxurious Body Lotion

I’ve previously lauded the benefits of layering fragrance, so following up the body wash with its matching body lotion to me helps prolong the pleasure of a beautiful scent. A powdery floral without a hint of grandma about it, Himalayan Flowers remains decidedly feminine without veering into the twee. This is slightly thicker than what I would expect from a body lotion, and all the better for it as it feels as nourishing as a cream thanks to extra virgin olive oil and Kumkummadi, an oil I’d never heard of before that apparently nourishes, brightens and balances. Add antioxidant and brightening Turmeric (have you ever tried it as a radiance facial mask?) plus vitamin E-rich Wheatgerm oil to repair damaged skin, and you have yourself a formula that sounds more like skincare than bodycare. A proper treat for my body that rarely gets the same level of treatment as my face. 250ml RRP £21.50

Himalayan Flowers Nourishing Bath & Skin Oil

If there’s one thing I admire it’s a truly multipurpose beauty product, and this one can be used in an impressive 5 different ways:

• As a massage oil post-shower (or bath)
• As a bath oil by pouring a capful into a hot bath
• As an aromatherapy oil applied to pulse points for a relaxing effect
• As part of your bedtime routine, as a facial oil
• And finally as part of a meditation, breathing in the aroma for a couple of minutes 

Wow. It’s a little too rich and fragrant for me to feel comfortable using it on my face, but on my pulse points as part of my bedtime routine, absolutely. It’s the perfect way to round off that bathing ritual. 100ml RRP £25.00

Natural Vitamin E Exfoliating Soap

Since shampoo bars exploded onto the beauty market a few years ago, I’ve been reintroducing the solid format into many areas, from cleansing bars to solid facial moisturisers. This generously sized soap is practically too pretty to use, with the brand’s tree logo embossed in the centre, but its traditional soap fragrance reminds me of the Savon de Marseille, so I will be making a start on it soon. Again the ingredients read more like skincare than body or hand care, with healing orange oil, antioxidant wheatgerm oil and exfoliating walnut kernel. 175g RRP £10.00

Bouquet de Fleurs Fragrant Oil

Well I’m glad I read the directions of use for this product before applying it as I would a fragrance. Apparently this delicate floral fragrance should be used to fragrance your home rather than your body. Another multipurpose product, it can be used in a diffuser or burner, diluted in a spray bottle to scent linen, or a capful can be added to a bucket of water to clean floors. I just cannot reconcile this little glass bottle housed in a pretty carton with the cleaning products I keep under the kitchen sink. But it does smell so much nicer than Flash. 20ml RRP £7.50

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