Di Palomo

I've been lusting after this for absolutely ages.

By ages, I mean years.  At least 5 years. Probably longer thinking about it.

Di Palomo's White Grape with Aloe is the sister scent to one of my all time favourites, Wild Fig and Grape (they have a bit of a thing for grapes in their scents).  The Wild Fig is wonderfully rich and spicey, deep and cosy and perfect for winter.  If I bury my nose into my scarves, I can smell the lingering traces of ripe fig and mimosa mixed with the distant memories of sandlewood and vanilla.  Delicious.

The White Grape with Aloe is everything that the Wild Fig and Grape isn't.  It is clean, fresh and sharp and blows away the cobwebs of winter like a cleansing spring breeze.

I used to go into town without any perfume on, just so I could pop into Fenwicks and spritz some on myself.  However, I was a poor student at the time and couldn't justify the £35 spend on the bottle, especially as I was always torn between this one and the Wild Fig.

Well, I finally caved.  I've been gradually working my way through and using up all my half open bottles of perfume in a vain attempt to try and de-clutter a bit, and when I finally got rid of 4 half used bottles, I replaced them all with this one.

Di Palomo scents are tricky to track down on the high street.  Most perfume shop assistants stare blankly at you when you mention them, and Fenwicks have now stopped carrying the line.  John Lewis still have them but in all honesty, the easiest place to get hold of a bottle is the website.

They are an English company (based in Devon to be exact), and all their products are made in the UK but inspired by the scents of Italy.  The White Grape with Aloe is influenced by the fresh scent of grapes in the vineyards above Lake Corbora in the early morning as dew droplets still linger on each ripe, plump grape.

Sharp top notes of green leaf and aloe mellow out into a lingering light aroma of jasmine, white grape and pear, all resting on base notes of white musk, wood and amber. Is crisp and sparkling, the equivalent of a chilled Sauvignon Blanc after months of treacly Merlot. 

The Di Palomo range has a medium length longevity, with most of the impact having faded by mid afternoon and requiring a top up and the silage is not too extreme either (a positive for me as I dislike being a walking perfume bomb).  There are a whole host of goodies in each range you can use to layer the scents if you wish to extend the longevity of the perfume, including bath elixirs, shower gels, body and hand creams, body butters, dry oils and even fragrance sticks, a fact that I have taken advantage of from the Wild Fig and Grape products.  All the products are filled with natural oils, such as fig, honey and aloe and as such leave your skin feeling silky soft.  I've been known to sit on the sofa with my legs in the air rubbing my calves together going 'but they feel so soft!' after moisturising.

The range is, in my opinion, also very good value for money.  This is a 100ml bottle and will last for a good few months for £35.  There are four varieties to choose from, all inspired by those heady Italian summer days.  In addition to the two I love, there is also Tuscan Rose, inspired by the courtyard of a Tuscan villa overhung with Linden trees and the newest range (and the next one I want to try), Orange Blossom with Wild Honey and Olive, inspired by the scent given off by the olive and orange groves in the heat of the day.

As the days grow lighter, green starts to return to trees and the first hints of spring are in the air, this, for me, is the perfect scent to welcome in the new season.

In case you were wondering, yes, I did stick the bottle of perfume and a bunch of grapes in the bottom of my bathtub, climb in, lie down face first with my legs up the slope of the bath and take these pictures.  What of it?

This post was not sponsored by Di Palomo.  I bought the bottle of perfume with my own money, and, as far as I am aware, Di Palomo don't have the first blue clue that I have written about them.  I will be informing them on Twitter though, so there.

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