By Edwina Ings-chambers For You Magazine

Published: 17:31 EDT, 18 June 2022 | Updated: 13:00 EDT, 23 June 2022

In much fragrance coverage there are a few classics that are all too often overlooked. Something to do with the aromas in question being the offspring of a brand younger customers might deem a bit fuddy-duddy. After all, so much of a product’s appeal these days lies in its looks (and its Instagramability).

So I was glad to hear that Roger & Gallet – one of the original eau de cologne makers and, since 1809, an official supplier to royal courts – has had a bit of a makeover. (Not that it needed it; I found the old packaging rather dignified and if you did too, snap it up now as the redesign is slowly being phased in.) Its new look is more pared down and has a restrained elegance with dashes of colour, making it appear both classic and modern. 

Thus far, the makeover has only been applied to the brand’s Fragrant Wellbeing Waters, which are lightweight takes on classic fragrance notes. I love the Fleur de Figuier (£35, from your local chemist), which was created by perfumer Francis Kurkdjian, but there are other Fragrant Wellbeing Waters with rose, cedar and more, all worked on by leading noses – which is code for saying these really are something. All have ancillary products including body lotion and soap. 

Edwina Ings-Chambers has chosen the best classic fragrances on the market. She was glad to hear that Roger & Gallet is an official supplier to royal courts

Another much overlooked but perfectly formed fragrance is Fragonard Fleur d’Oranger eau de toilette (£32, marksandspencer.com). Honestly, I’ve heard some of the biggest fragrance professionals in the country describe this as the seminal olfactory take on orange blossom; it’s a benchmark against which others are judged. 

On the lighter side of fragrance is the new Eau Extraordinaire from Clarins (£38, clarins.co.uk), which is part of the brand’s treatment fragrance range

And yet it is so little talked about, as if it is locked away, Cinderella-style, while some great pretenders are flouncing around trying to garner all the attention. I urge you to change its modern-day fortunes, hotfoot it to your nearest Marks & Spencer beauty hall and take a sniff. It’s beautiful, joyful, all things summery and carefree and love-filled. 

Another much overlooked but perfectly formed fragrance is Fragonard Fleur d’Oranger eau de toilette (£32, marksandspencer.com)

Also on the lighter side of fragrance is the new Eau Extraordinaire from Clarins (£38, clarins.co.uk), which is part of the brand’s treatment fragrance range. This stands next to the classic Eau Dynamisante and is meant to be sprayed liberally and all over as a hit of feel-good. The blend is a mix of citrus and red ginger with jasmine and patchouli. It has a light and optimistic sensibility and – let’s face it – who doesn’t want to spray that liberally at the moment?

In my heady days of youth I loved to spend hours on my hair and, as part of that, developed a great commitment to hair mousse. I’d apply it at night on the multiple tiny plaits that I’d tied into my hair so that I could wake up the next morning with a mass of waves. 

Edwina is super grateful to Larry King for his My Nanna’s Mousse (£19, larryking.co.uk)

In truth, it was probably more of a crinkly mop. It was certainly sticky and pretty difficult (read: almost impossible) to get a comb through. But no matter, I’d shake it out a bit by hand and off I’d trot, thinking I looked totally on point. The day would progress and shape-shift the way days do, but my hair remained in place and as stiff as a board. 

Once that phase passed, I could hardly bear to use mousse at all, eschewing hair that couldn’t move in preference for the more undone look. 

Thankfully, though, a new generation of mousse is upon us, and I am super grateful to Larry King for his My Nanna’s Mousse (£19, larryking.co.uk). Don’t worry, the ode to his grandmother’s big bouncy blow-dry and the nostalgic aroma of lilies and washed linen hanging in the garden are the only retro elements. Otherwise, this is a super-modern, wonderfully efficient but delightfully lightweight mousse that gives hold yet still allows hair to move while also looking and feeling fuller and shinier. 

You don’t need much, just a small squirt into the palm of a hand, rub hands together and distribute the product evenly through wet hair. Then blow dry as normal or as you like, knowing that whatever style you give yourself will stay in place while also looking as though that’s your hair’s natural state, happy and carefree, rather than like it’s been wrestled into a hairstyle straitjacket. 

Other information worth imparting is that this is vegan and also alcohol- and sulphate-free, so less dehydrating for hair, too. All in all, this is a mousse for modern hair and a genuine delight to use. 

The new Body Superfood moisturisers from Garnier boast 97 per cent natural-origin ingredients

The new Body Superfood moisturisers from Garnier boast 97 per cent natural-origin ingredients, vegan formulas and come in four varieties with extracts from watermelon, aloe vera, cocoa butter or avocado oil. They absorb quickly and leave skin feeling hydrated. All this in a giant 380ml tub for £8.99 at lookfantastic.com. 

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