NEOM opens its first Scottish store at St James Quarter, Edinburgh

You’ll probably smell the new NEOM shop before you see it.

This natural and organic beauty brand has just launched its first standalone Scottish store, which is just inside Edinburgh’s St James Quarter if you enter from Princes Street.

If you’re not familiar with their products, they’re big on essential oils.

There is nothing fragrance free in this shop, which has violet strip lights above the door and white shelves that are stacked with smellies.

You’re hit with a waft of lavender on arrival. That’s perfect for me. I love perfumed products, and especially aromatherapy, which tends to get forgotten about in the age of CBD oils and medical grade skincare.

There’s a relaxed vibe in here, and you’re free to peruse products like their best-selling Perfect Night’s Sleep Pillow Mist, face oils, diffusing pods, which puff scented steam into the air, and the magnesium-laden body butters.

It may seem a bit premature, but there’s also a new line of Christmas stuff, in colourful circus-inspired packaging. This includes a candle in the limited-edition Cosy Nights scent, which smells as smoky as a log fire.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by choice, you can always recruit one of their white T-shirt clad NEOMologists to help you navigate their offerings.

They’ll talk you through a Scent Discovery, which involves smelling four of their Wellbeing Range candles, without looking at the labels, to work out which of your needs to address.

You just let your olfactory system choose from Sleep, De-Stress, Energy and Moodboosting.

I’m immediately drawn to the Real Luxury candle, designed to De-stress. Ironic, really, since this was their first ever launch, and was created by their founder Nicola Elliott, to deal with the strain of working a 60 hour week as a journalist on a glossy magazine.

It features lavender, jasmine and Brazilian rosewood, and the combination is heady and totally addictive.

Once you’ve identified your preferred scent, they can show you to the section that has matching products. They recommend that you choose one of these to inhale, so a candle, or diffuser, and something to absorb, like the body lotion.

You can always try one of these potions, as well as the Body Scrub, up at their treatment counter, where they’re doing free hand and arm massages for the foreseeable. These last from five to 10 minutes, or a bit longer if they’re feeling generous.

If you want to hunt the newest NEOM down, just follow your nose.

NEOM, Level 2, Unit 2.25a, St. James Quarter, Edinburgh. EH1 3SR. For more information, see www.neomorganics.com