Your must-have summer holiday accessory?
My Olympus Pen camera – it makes any video and photo you take seem like a professional – you can even shoot in 4D and has a lovely retro design.
Your top tip for an al fresco drinking and dining experience? My favourite way of cooling down a glass of red or white wine is to freeze bunches of red and green grapes. Use about three frozen grapes as ice in a glass. They don’t disintegrate, they don’t impart any flavour, they cool down the wine, and because they are from the same family, the effect is beautiful! We are posting summer recipes with fragrance on the new addition to our website Gourmande Jayne. There is also a beautiful recipe with figs and goats cheese which is very simple to make and disappears within minutes!
Your summer beauty advice? I take a box of Travel Sprays with me in a few different floral fragrances – each one holds 8mls and you can take them onboard. One of my favourites for the hottest part of summer is ‘White Gold’, inspired by the beauty of white, jasmine absolute, white musk and orchids. It reminds me of warm golden sunshine and you can wear it day or night, and it will become your second skin.
Heat, humidity and sweat all cause faster evaporation, but you can prolong your scent. Citrus notes are uplifting, but also fade faster; you can choose a higher perfume concentrations which will make it last longer without being overpowering or cloying. I like Osmanthus poured at 40% for hot summer days. Floriental perfumes with Oudh also have more staying power, and we tend to sell out of Nawab of Oudh come August, especially amongst the clients living in the Middle East. Spray perfume onto warm, clean skin when you are just out of the shower and your heartbeat is faster. If in doubt, spray onto cotton or linen clothing. Rubbing your wrists together breaks down fragrance molecules, so simply spritz and go. For added intensity, spray onto your hairbrush and then run it through your hair.
How do you dress for summer society events?
I went to Frida Escobedo’s opening evening at the Serpentine Gallery on a sweltering summer evening and London’s most glamorous seemed to be there! One stunning lady was dressed in an Alice Archer cotton embroidered jumpsuit and looked cool, elegant and fabulous. I was dressed in a backless halter neck full length from the American Olsen twins label The Row.
What is your holiday read this year? I have two on the go at the moment: one is The Coroner by Matthew Hall, who also wrote Keeping Faith, which I was gripped by earlier this year on TV. It’s dark and brilliantly written. I am also reading The Escape Room by Australian writer Megan Goldin, which is very clever and unpredictable.
What is your favourite holiday destination?
In winter it’s Megève, Zermatt and Madonna di Campiglio. In summer Corsica and Amalfi. I love St Tropez too, but only in May.
Have you ever had a ‘lightbulb’ moment related to your business or career while taking some downtime?
No, not really lightbulb, they have come always come when I am in the thick of it. But holidays have provided inspiration from local plants, colours and traditions.
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