Coco Chanel was born on August 19, although I suspect she would have preferred to have been born on May 5. The number 5 was of great importance to her, and as for the creation of her signature perfume, Chanel No.5, she was presented a number of samples and ultimately chose the fifth sample. As she remarked, “I present my dress collections on the fifth of May, the fifth month of the year and so we will let this sample number five keep the name it has already, it will bring good luck.”
In honor of her birth, I want to address a common question: “After a thorough cleaning, what are the natural ways to get my home to be as sweet smelling as freshly picked flowers?”
- Keep an assortment of household plants. The best plants for air purification include the golden pothos, peace lily, Boston fern, snake plant, English ivy, dracaena, bamboo palm, dragon tree, lady palm, and spider plant.
- Himalayan salt lamps. Yes, really. These lamps are made of natural salt crystals from the Himalayan Mountains and purify the air by emitting negative ions.
- Beeswax candles. These candles burn with almost no smoke or scent and like the salt lamp, release negative ions into the air. As an added benefit they burn longer than regular paraffin candles.
- Bamboo charcoal bags. Filled with high-density bamboo charcoal, these bags help eliminate pollutants and allergens from the air.
- Given Coco’s love of the number 5, I don’t think she mind one bit if you sprayed a little Chanel No.5 around your house—and I’d suggest you do so on the fifth of every month.
Amitiés,
Jocelyne
