What's Top Of Your Xmas wish list? Mine Includes Wild Fig and Pink Cedar/Boutique tried at Purefoy restaurant

What's Top Ten On my Xmas wish list? 

Always something perfumed for an aromatic high to start the day. But what can you use and replenish all day, just as if you were in a five star hotel bathroom? Because I can't remember, can't spell, can't find my notes, it's easier to photograph the restaurant and hotel brand names of hand wash which I thought smelled gorgeous and which I'd like to buy. Unless my phone has died, in which case I have to rely on notes. Here are some of my favourites.

1) Wild Fig and Pink Cedar - brand name BOUTIQUE, tried at Purefoy restaurant.

2) SANCTUARY SPA brand Hand wash which I tried at the home of a friend who was hosting a wine appreciation club wine dinner.

3) CHAMPNEYS brand Spa Treatment Pure Touch Hand Wash (seen and tried at the Harrow Restaurant at Little Bedwyn). 

4)  CHAMPNEYS Citrus Blush Hand Lotion (seen and tried at the Harrow Restaurant at Little Bedwyn). The 250 ml size was £10 from boots.com (order on line and pick up in store).

 In my previous post I mentioned
5) Penhaligon's Quercus which I enjoyed in the Langham hotel in London.
You can visit the Penhaligon's shops in central London. Quercus deodorant is £14; Quercus liquid soaps £19; hand and nail lotion £19; three soap x 100g at £23. Penhaligon scent library £16. Delivery £5.50 from the shop; delivery free from Amazon (especially if you are combining your order with another delivery from Amazon). Quercus is the Latin name for English oak.


Penhaligon's shop in London. Photo from Wikipedia, photo by Gryffindor.

6) H2K (in Harrogate), Mischief Eucalyptus and Frankincense.
£22 for 500 ml.
www.h2kskincare.com

7) Duck Island Mandarin and Bergamot which I saw and liked at Restaurant Tristan.




If your memory and maths aren't too good, print out the online prices to take with you to the duty free shops at airport and when shopping in department stores overseas. Shopping in duty free and department stores might save you delivery charges. On the other hand, if you are likely to get stopped for carrying liquids on a plane, you are better off having goods delivered to your destination.

When buying on line check the sizes. It's easy to be misled, by the site or wishful thinking, into believing that you are ordering a full size hand wash, the sort attached to a dispenser in a public rest room, when what you are ordering is a gift set or miniatures. Some sites specify mini for those of us who can't compare sizes easily.

Angela Lansbury, author, blogger, photojournalist, speaker.