Christmas countdown: new from Ashley & Co

Anyone who knows me well will tell you that I have a veritable fetish for scented candles, and they are the perfect accompaniment to winter days and nights spent indoors as well as balmy summer nights. I have a “wardrobe” of candles that I like to choose from, dependant on mood and time of day, and am constantly on the hunt for new additions. I am known to drop major coin on my candles at times (shhhhhh), and so take caring for them pretty seriously, and love a new seasonal scent to accompany Christmas in particular.

One of my favourites for this year has been a key player in the Christmas Collection by Ashley & Co, who aim to present a modern, contemporary take on scent- ing the festive season with two new products that epitomise the brand. They refer to their candle offerings as ‘Waxed Perfume’, and the limited edition Christmas offering for 2019 is The Caroler, a melodic wee number made up of sweet tart Citrus, flowering Orris and a base chorus of Cedarwood and White Musk.

“The lead up to Christmas is crazy and busy, and be honest, at times a little stressful,” says founder Jackie Ashley, “but I still love it. That’s why I wanted to create a fragrance to lead you into Christmas, and product that you could light and take a moment. The scent may be unpredictable, but with a mix of woody base and light florals, it will blend in sweetly to ones surround and festivities on this side of the world, or the other.”  Crafted to perfection and individually hand poured in New Zealand with 50 hours burn time, it is defiantly different from the usual Christmas offerings and I absolutely love it.

The clever company has also created great gifting options in the way of Holding Aces — the Ashley & Co hydrate & nourish Hand & Lip Kit.  Available in two different fragrances, each kit contains a Soothe Tube and a Lip Punch, neatly packaged together in a paper canister. The latter is an Air New Zealand long distance travellers’ favourite, and I always make sure to pop the complimentary one in my handbag for the journey on. A rich buttery balm with natural beeswax, arnica and essential oils, it nourishes like a charm, and a little goes a long way. For the hands, Soothe Tube is a rich, yet non– greasy aromatic natural blend that combines shea butter, camomile extract and vitamin E to create an intensive hydrating cream. 

The two Soothe Tube fragrances to choose from include Blossom & Gilt, a floral bouquet of Tuberose and Jasmine, and Mortar & Pestle, a 100 per cent natural parfum with notes of Exotic Elemi and Black Tea. 

The Caroler has an RRP of $54.95 and Holding Aces RRP $29.95, refer to ashleyandco.co/stockists for a list of stockists nationwide.