We need to talk about jasmine. It’s an antidote to the greyest of days, the most dismal of political news, the general malaise of feeling tired or dumpy or unfeminine. Jasmine’s intoxicating aroma has been used in cultures across India and the Middle East for centuries as a mood-lifting antiseptic aphrodisiac(!), but if you’re not quite adept at the intricate flower weaving techniques needed to make a traditional Indian gajra garland, then we’ve picked our favourite floral products to have you smelling, well, like jasmines.
Vilhelm Parfumerie Don’t Tell Jasmine 100ml, £145 from Liberty
Don’t tell anyone but Don’t Tell Jasmine is just about the most intoxicatingly luxurious take on the summery flower that we’ve ever come across. The little white jasmine packs some serious punch in Vilhelm Parfumerie’s newest recipe; with a little levity added through the lemon and kir top notes, it is a heady, summery concoction that feels more like sticking your head in a jasmine bush than catching the flower’s gentle fragrance on a summer breeze. Encased in the now iconic, rippling amber bottle, this looks as good as it smells.
Leonor Greyl Masque Fleurs de Jasmin, 200ml, £37 at Cult Beauty
For a long time the Parisian haircare brand Leonor Greyl was another of those Parisian-woman secrets but then the secret got out, thank god. Based on botanical recipes and benefits these are stalwart haircare staples that were focused on “organic” before you were even born. This buttery hair mask is silicon, coal tar, paraben and sodium laureth sulfate free, has a light jasmine fragrance, and never leaves the hair feeling greasy. The amino acids and acacia collagen are perfect for giving volume and strength to thinner hair, but it also makes an ideal reparative treatment for all hair types.
Chantecaille Magnolia, Jasmine and Lily Healing Emulsion, 50ml, £105 from Net-A-Porter
Chantecaille is one of those brands with its fingers in many skincare pies, it does many things and it does them well, combining the benefits of Chinese medicine with a knowledge of aromatherapy, the power of quality with the importance of natural remedies. This Magnolia, Jasmine and Lily emulsion is immediately calming and light remedy for stressed or reactive skin. It can be worked into the regime in the morning or the evening, used religiously or impulsively (when the redness hits): the magnolia brings down inflammation, while the jasmine replenishes damaged skin cells and the lily provides hydration.
Rodin Olio Lusso Luxury Body Oil 120ml, £80 from Panache Cosmetics
Linda Rodin’s famous jasmine and neroli blend of oils are the quintessence of decadent. Launched in 2007, this rich body oil will obliterate any need for body milks, lotions or creams. We love slathering this over our limbs after a shower, it gives us a holiday feeling from the comfort of a London bathroom – did we say room? We meant shoebox! – and it has the transformative power to makes us look as shiny and supple as one of Gauguin’s Tahitian beach girls.
Chanel Huile de Jasmine Revitalising Face Oil 50ml
Based on Coco Chanel’s original recipe from 1927, this new lightweight facial oil contains jasmine harvested from Chanel’s flower fields in Grasse, France. Combined with the milky aroma of jojoba and the rich antioxidant camelia, the oil is luminising without leaving you greasy, with supple and beautifully scented skin.