The Experimental Perfume Club

Perfume can lift our spirits and improve our mood – you only have to have had a session of aromatherapy to know this or tried a few drops of Lavender oil on your pillow to aid relaxation. But what’s really fun is making your own perfume! At the Experimental Perfume Club in London you can do just this! EPC do perfume making sessions at their London store for all the smells and all the feels. Not in London? Try a perfume making kit from £95 – you can blend your own from three to four samples or wear the perfumes as stand alone scents. I’m taken with the Iris Carmin scent that EPC do, a warm and golden scent bringing together the comfort of orange blossom absolute, the brightness of neroli and the greenness of fig leaves, basil and petitgrain. From £32.

experimentalperfumeclub.com. - Erica Crompton

I’ve said it earlier on in this issue (page 16-17) and I’ll say it again – food improves my mood and can help make me feel happy! Comfort food especially can help sooth anxious and gurgling stomachs. For this special happy edition of Hopezine I ordered my favourite comfort food at Moshimo restaurant in Brighton – dumplings! I ate pork and beef dumplings and washed them back with some heavenly plum wine. I love dumplings so much I once read a book dedicated to them! Here are some fun dumplings facts I can remember: in Cantonese ‘wonton’ means ‘swallowing clouds’ and the shape of Italian tortellini is thought to be inspired by the Pope’s daughter’s navel! My Brightonian dumplings were carefully parcelled and fried and I shared a whole two plates for a starter with Paul!

Visit Moshimo at Bartholomew Square. Brighton. BN1 1JS www.moshimo.co.uk – Erica Crompton

Terre a Terre

Paul and I went veggie for this issue of Hopezine and it was surprisingly good! Terre a Terre is a restaurant set within Brighton’s famous ‘Lanes’ that has a reputation for the best vegan and vegetarian food in the UK. Now, I was surprised Paul agreed to visit with me as he’s quite the carnivore! However he liked the look of the batter-fried halloumi and chips, pictured here. He said it was a little rich for him and that he might of preferred a meat dish, but that didn’t stop him from clearing his plate! Terre à Terre was founded in 1993 by friends Amanda Powley and Philip Taylor. Both classically trained chefs, they met in Brighton by chance after cooking their way around the world, and soon decided to join forces to upturn the worlds perception of meat-free cooking and see how far they could push the boundaries. They also have a happy ‘Happy Hour’ which is guaranteed to please – if you see me at the bar, mine’s a vegantastic Bloody Mary!

terreaterre.co.uk

– Erica Crompton