Maltese master aromatherapist has captured the essence of Valletta ... and Christmas

Gozitan perfumer Stephen Cordina, has spent over a decade hand-crafting combinations of essential oils. Each blend of ingredients, formulated using his knowledge and experience as an Aromatherapist, creates a product which not only emits a beautiful fragrance but is beneficial to health when used. The final addition to each recipe is one or more essential oils designed to target the “spirit” and thus promote a feeling of wellbeing.

Now, inspired by ancient Phoenician materials which used to pass through Malta, and his own childhood memories of visits to the Maltese capital with his mother, Stephen has launched ‘The Valletta Scent’. 

I have used mainly jasmine, oud and grapefruit mixed with other notes. This original mix of smells is what makes The Valletta Scent so original with its earthy, elegant, leathery and rich tones coupled with freshness and energy. It is a product that I truly believe represents our capital.

Valletta is where Stephen first discovered exotic fruits like coconuts and pineapples and where his visits to the old market and the specialised shops selling spices sowed the seeds of what was to become his passion and his career. Slipping out of his mother’s sight, Stephen would explore original perfume shops like Franks and delight in the elegant coffee shops like Caffe Cordina, tasting the ambiance and the perfumes then fashionable with smart ladies and businessmen. Stephen associates Valletta with a sense of exoticism and freshness that’s interlaced with a richness and elegance that make our baroque capital so unique. 

Stephen explains the ingredients that go into the scent. The ingredients that capture the life and vitality of Valletta: “I have used mainly jasmine, oud and grapefruit mixed with other notes. This original mix of smells is what makes The Valletta Scent so original with its earthy, elegant, leathery and rich tones coupled with freshness and energy. It is a product that I truly believe represents our capital.”

Hands down, these are some beautiful gifts for practically anyone in your life over the holidays. Here are our favourites from Stephen Cordina this holiday season, of course starting with The Valletta Scent.

The Valletta Scent

Stephen associates Valletta with a sense of exoticism and freshness interlaced with richness and elegance

As part of The Valletta Collection, Stephen has created a diffuser and scented candle. Like all his other candles, this lavishly scented product melts to become a hand balm that can be applied to the skin as a therapeutic body cream and massage oil. (Coming soon -The Valletta Scent will become a perfume for him and her!)

Diffuser €26.49, Get it on Stephen's website online, Visit his shop at Tigne Point for more!

Crackers about Crackers!

Stephen Cordina's festive holiday cracker packaging

Delightful aromas always fill the air at Christmas – roasting chestnuts, dancing fires and sweet treats baking in the oven. To complement all those wonderful scents, Stephen Cordina has put together sumptuous-smelling goodies in these delightfully Christmas-y crackers gift sets.

A delightful gift of the very best aromatherapy

Each cracker contains products including mini bottles of shower gel, shampoo, bath salts, pillow sprays and candles, as well as the all-new soap-on-a-rope, which Mr Cordina also launched this season. 

Visit Stephen's website online or his store at Tigne Point, Sliema

The Rope Soaps

Stephen Cordina's rope soaps are only €7

The rope soaps are actually set to become a big hit for Christmas – priced at €7 (yep! €7!) they come in a variety of fragrances, including a body-scrub soap made from Shea Butter and one made from Australian iron clay.

Visit Stephen's website online or his store at Tigne Point, Sliema

The Fenici Fragrance

“This scent is perfect for the whole of winter because it combines citrus and amber; it’s fitting without being too Christmassy, so it will remain fresh and relevant for the whole season.”

This is available in two formats: hand-balm candle or room diffuser.

Visit Stephen's website online or his store at Tigne Point, Sliema

Stephen Cordina's dynamic background has certainly made him an expert in the field. After studying in Switzerland and the UK and tutored by various Master Perfumers (aka “noses”) he spent many years working on combinations of essential oils and other materials to create his own private recipe book. Each blend of ingredients, formulated using his knowledge and experience as a practicing aromatherapist, creates a product which not only emits a beautiful fragrance but is also beneficial to health.

Find all these candles at www.stephencordina.com or visit his store at Tigne Point, Sliema!