On our recent trip to the US we visited several stunning national parks in California such as Yosemite National Park, Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park, Joshua Tree National Park and John Muir National Monument. The latter is the national park with the mighty Redwood Trees and is named after the naturalist John Muir, a name that you will come across several times when travelling in California. Instrumental in the preservation of the wilderness he petitioned the US Congress for the National Park Bill that was passed in 1890, establishing Yosemite National Park.

It was naturally music to my ears, when I learned that the giftsets for the upcoming year of Australian skincare brand – and one of my own personal favourites – Aesop celebrate six of the most important naturalists incl. John Muir. The six giftsets collectively entitled Pursuits of Passion celebrate the passion of these six extraordinary people. They all feature different ranges of Aesop skincare products and are wrapped in sleeves with lovely drawings by Norwegian artist Bendik Kaltenborn. Each kit with Aesop skincare is named for its naturalist and they are:
The Impassioned Wanderer, John Muir: haircare
The Intent Observer, Leonard Jenyns: facial skincare

The Intrepid Gent, Andrew Leith Adams: men’s skin- and bodycare

The Avid Explorer, Maria Sibylla Merian: hand- and bodycare

The Constant Gatherer, Minakata Kumagusu: bodycare

The Persistent Collector, Etheldred Benett: facial skincare