Meet the Maker – T London

T London is a British home fragrance, bath & body brand inspired by founder Jayne’s travel experiences. They blend aromatic spices, floral and essential oils to create fragrances which bring these memories to life. Each is blended for their effects on the mind and body to enhance specific moods. T London is vegan friendly and they don’t test on animals, their long lasting reed diffusers are formulated with a soy derivative, their candles are 100% hand poured vegetable wax and the skin-friendly bath & body formulas are safe and reassuringly natural with 94- 99% active botanical content and free from parabens, SLS/SLES and artificial colours. To find out more about how the company started, what inspires them and what’s in stall for the future, read our interview with Jayne, founder of T London…

How did it all start?

I remember that moment quite vividly, I used to work for Molton Brown, and was responsible for global development of the hotel division which meant lots of travel. It was my dream job, flying all over the world experiencing wonderful places and meeting people from different cultures.  I felt so lucky, I had a job I enjoyed and at the same time fulfilled my thirst for travel.  It was after a full on month of travel criss crossing time zones that I was in a meeting in Singapore when my vision went blurred and I became dizzy. It was a wake up call – I was overdoing things and it made me realise I needed to find a balance.

Several weeks later, in Mexico, as part of my new plan, I had extended my business trip and took in a weekend at my then favourite hotel. I sat overlooking the turquoise waters of the Mayan Riviera, there was a hint of lime blossom on the breeze and I remember thinking “if only you could bottle this and share the experience”.  I suppose that was the moment the seed of T London was sown….

Aromas trigger emotions, moods and memories – I set out to capture these emotions through fragrance, which is why each one is so personal to me.

The story behind the name…

The T is for my beloved travel but I am always happy to return home.

I have been fortunate to visit so many incredible places, see and experience wild & wonderful scenery… so many memories.

Each of the fragrances is personal to me and is blended to capture a specific mood or moment from my travels.

Where are you based?

Currently in London. Last year on my way home from Country Living’s show at RHS Malvern I took a wrong turn and ended up driving through the country lanes of Oxfordshire. Originally from Gloucestershire, it made me realise just how much I missed the countryside. As a result of that diversion we decided to start looking for a country home. I’m so excited by the prospect.

What inspires you?

TRAVEL -it’s my biggest passion! From an early age I had

the bug and went away for months at a time once I left school. I also love animals and have been fortunate to visit many parts of the world on quests to see a specific animal such as Orangutans in Borneo; Toucans in Costa Rica and Tigers in India and I picked up the Safari bug several years back – I adore elephants… nothing like being up close to them and feeling the rumble of their infrasonic vibrations travel through your body or hearing the roar of a magnificent lion calling in the wild.  These experiences are my inspiration, and to try and ensure future generations have the chance to have similar experiences I donate a percentage of my sales to save these animals. This year my Tukuyu collection, which was inspired by a safari in Tanzania, has been raising money for a small anti-poaching dog unit in the Thornybush reserve, near Kruger National Park.  I was due to visit them in July, although that may have to be deferred due to the Corona virus restrictions.

What is your creation process?

The memory comes first. At the moment I am working on an experience from the Danum Valley in Borneo where we tracked and saw the Orangutans.  I took inspiration from that particular adventure, selecting various elements of the memory that I want to translate into an aroma. For example, I vividly remember a hint of smoke on the breeze in the humid rainforest. I decided to incorporate a smoky note as well as a woody base note to rekindle the surrounding forest. I’ve also been working on the addition of a floral hint as on every excursion we would be stopped in our tracks by something intoxicating coming from within the forest. Sometimes it was jasmine, sometimes orchids but always intriguing. When the fragrance is right we begin testing in the various bases starting with reed diffuser and candle first. This phase can go on for months whilst the reed diffuser is tweaked to get the right throw in a  room. Then we start on the Bath & Body. To give you some idea of my perfectionism, the Tukuyu collection took 2 years to get right!

What makes you, your brand or products unique?

They are unique because they are my own memories and not just a fragrance selected from a library. Each one is a personal experience designed to inspire my lovely customers!

What is your next project?

I’ve got 2 new fragrances in development. As I said earlier, I’m currently working on a memory from Borneo where I was lucky enough to see a wild Orangutan making a nest for the night (and I am also working on an English summer garden fragrance from my childhood). As before, I will be giving a portion of the sales on this collection to help save orangutans. My most challenging project is one I’m in the middle of right now – to make T London as environmentally responsible as possible – so the decision has been made to introduce 500ml refill bottles for all products including Bath & Body products. These bottles will be made from 100% recycled plastics. They cost me a little more but I believe it is the right thing to do. I did a lot of research into this glass versus plastic debate and they both have pros and cons– I was alarmed to read in several reports that sand(required for glass production) is dredged from seabed’s, wrecking marine habitats. I think it should be compulsory to recycle. If we all did this our planet would have a much better chance of surviving.

What is your biggest achievement?

Setting up T London! In my previous life I was in business development (sales) and I have had to learn so many new things from accounts to product development to packaging and design. I learn something new every day I’ve got to get my head around social media marketing next…. My next challenge!

What is your best-selling product/line?

At the moment it’s Tukuyu – a safari memory combining warm Amberwood’s with frankincense, basil & rock-rose… I also donate a portion of the sales to a small canine anti poaching unit in Thornybush The Country Living community have been so generous, even donating a little bit extra for the cause.

What do you love about Country Living Fairs?

I love being able to talk to the customers face to face. I meet such interesting people from all walks of life and we usually end up swapping travel stories and having a good old natter. It’s definitely different from many of the other fairs we go to

Your three top tips for crafters and makers…

• Have a clear plan. Never rush it – make sure everything is fully thought through. Take input from all angles but make your own decision at the end.
• Do what you love and love what you do.
• Make it easy for your customers to buy your goods.

Any advice for fledgling businesses…

Trust your gut instinct

Interact with your customers in a way that gets you honest and  invaluable feedback. I’ve learnt so much from my customers that has helped me develop my products.

Shop their products online at www.t-london.com