TIDELANDS HOUSE - HERBARIUM No. XVII Fleurs & Feuillages Fine Facial Essence

A field study of the garden, gathered at peak season and captured through copper distillation.

Herbarium No. XVII is a single-origin distillation of twelve herbs, flowers and aromatic leaves gathered together from one abundant garden at the height of its seasonal expression. Rooted in lush, fertile ground where the soil remains cool and damp beneath the foliage and morning dew lingers heavily over leaf and blossom, each plant was gathered in its moment of particular vitality, then carried together through the copper still.

The composition moves between flower and foliage, cultivated herb and wilder growth. Anise hyssop rises above the garden with its green, softly liquorice-like sweetness; apple mint and spearmint lend a cool, crushed-leaf brightness. Blackcurrant leaf brings its unmistakable dark greenness, tart and almost fruit-like, with the peculiar richness of currant bushes warmed by the day. Dill contributes a feathery aromatic sharpness, while sage and northern bayberry lend depth and a more resinous, herbaceous backbone.

Among them bloom the softer notes: chamomile with its hay-like, apple tenderness; blue borage flowers; umbels of yarrow; plumes of goldenrod; and broad sunflower petals gathered at the height of summer. Together they become less a bouquet than an aromatic portrait of the whole garden, green, damp, flowering and intensely alive.

The resulting essence is fresh and herbaceous, opening with cool wild mint and green leaf before revealing the softly anisic character of hyssop, the dark fruit-leaf complexity of blackcurrant and a quiet meadow-like floralcy beneath. It smells not of perfume, but of the garden itself disturbed by hand, stems broken, leaves crushed between the fingers, flowers gathered while still cool from morning.

Copper distillation carries this extraordinary gathering into a fine aromatic water for face and body, leaving behind the weight of the plant material while capturing its delicate volatile character. On the complexion, the mist feels weightless, cooling and softly replenishing, offering a veil of botanical moisture before oils, serums and balms.

Unlike a traditional single-botanical hydrosol, Herbarium is conceived as an ongoing series of distiller’s field studies, each one preserving the character of a particular botanical gathering through water. No. XVII is Fleurs & Feuillages: flowers and foliage, captured together at their seasonal height.

Mist generously over freshly cleansed face, neck and décolletage. Allow the droplets to settle, then press gently into the skin. Follow with facial serum or botanical oil while skin is still damp, and finish with balm if desired.

Mist through freshly washed or dry hair, or over shoulders, arms and décolletage after bathing. Reapply throughout the day as a cooling aromatic mist.

Use beneath facial oils or between lighter and richer skincare preparations. For a refreshing application on warm days, use cool from the refrigerator.

Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum), Apple Mint (Mentha suaveolens), Spearmint (Mentha spicata), Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla), Borage Blossom (Borago officinalis), Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), Goldenrod Blossom (Solidago canadensis), Northern Bayberry (Morella pensylvanica), Sage (Salvia officinalis), Dill (Anethum graveolens), Blackcurrant Leaf (Ribes nigrum), Sunflower Petals (Helianthus annuus)