BCN Handmade – Adore

Alexandra Nodes

As I told you yesterday, today I have a new BCN Handmade for you, and I am really happy about it, because it’s taken a while to organise this one. Today I am introducing you to the very lovely Alexandra Nodes, who makes the most scrumptious handmade, natural beauty products, which smell unbelievably yummie. Here goes: BCN Handmade – Adore…

I heard about Adore Natural Skincare products some time ago, when Openhouse started retailing them. And as I am a great fan of all things natural, I opened the first jar, then the second, and the third, fourth… and took a whiff of each… and was completely blown away by the delicious, powerful yet at the same time subtle perfumes of the range.

Learning that the Adore products are handmade in Barcelona, I asked for details and got in touch with Alex(andra) straight away. She reacted with enthusiasm to my idea of including Adore in the BCN Handmade series, but as with all good things that need some time to mature, it took a while before the day arrived that I was to go to her home (where in her kitchen she makes her heavenly range of creams, scrubs, beauty oils and balms) to shoot some photos.

Yesterday was when that happened, during a lengthy session that included a cup of tea and a chat on Alex’s lovely porch-like terrace (draped in heady jasmine), meeting her Dachshund Dora (who loves to sunbathe) and being shown and told how the products are made, what they contain and what benefits they have, both for the skin and the soul.

But let me stop rambling and share the photos I took with you, and afterwards you can read in Alex’s own words how Adore Natural Skincare came to be…

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Where are you from?

I was born and raised in central London to a Spanish mother and French father.

What does Barcelona mean to you?

For me Barcelona embodies the spirit of the Mediterranean city; history and culture, food, light, sea, conviviality and tolerance.

Favourite spot?

Iced tea with a friend on a sunny day in the patio of the Frederic Marès museum.

Favourite restaurant?

Any place where you are barefoot in the sand, with the twinkle of the sunlight on thesea and catch of the day on my plate.

Background?

At university I studied modern languages and then history of fine and decorative art. I then worked for private collectors, museums and then in design consultancy developing new museums and exhibitions around the world. I came to Barcelona in 2008, did the same here for a while and then decided to turn everything upside down and start again developing my own range of natural skincare products.

How did you get here?

I wanted to bring together the best ingredients and approach making skincare in the manner of a traditional artisanal craftsman. To use my head as well as my hands. So that each step of the way the products are being made with utmost thought, love, and care. I then wanted to package these products in a way that was fitting and relevant to the way we live today. Lots of small steps, determination, a desire to do things ‘my way’ and wonderful people around me have all helped me along the way.

What inspires you?

Nature inspires me and my travel experiences inform everything that I do. For me nothing beats a walk in the forest or arriving in some fun new city to get me thinking.

When / how does inspiration strike?

Inspiration usually strikes when I am travelling by plane or bus, I find it easy to express and rationalise ideas and plans when I am going from a to b. In fact, the idea to move to Barcelona came to me on the 360 bus in London.

What do you find satisfying about your making process?

Every step of this process is wonderful, but blending essential oils is one of my favourite parts. The smell of each essential oil is so distinct and triggers so many different memories and emotions; such as a long forgotten but familiar childhood smell – mine is chamomile flowers, – tropical flowers on some lost far-flung island, or juicy invigorating orange or grapefruit. I love working with essential oils and also using their therapeutic properties to make the most effective skincare products possible. I know that as city dwellers our desire to be close to nature is ever growing.
I like to harness this feeling in my work and create skincare products the very own naturalness and therapeutic properties of which take us beyond the city limits and into nature.

Dreams, hopes?

To keep on learning, to travel the world seeking out beauty elixirs and bringing a little pleasure into people’s lives along the way. And one day to plant my own apothecary’s herb garden, to be able to harvest some of my own

If only you could smell this!

Thanks Alex for your warm welcome into your home and also for your passionate sharing of memories, anecdotes, knowledge and dreams. Preparing this post has been such a great pleasure!

Check out the Adore website here, and the Facebook page here, and be sure to lay your hands on her products when you get the chance!!

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