Persolaise DS & Durga Black Magenta, Big Sur Eucalyptus and Deep Dark Vanilla reviews – David Seth Moltz; 2023/2024
— Rightly or wrongly, most perfumery output is still measured against the standards and aesthetics of French styles. If a scent is considered not to ‘work’ in some way, or…
Top 10 Perfumes For Halloween 2024 – Scents Of Darkness
It’s that time of year again when demons, witches and goblins take over the world. I’ve never been one for ‘celebrating’ Halloween, but as you know, I can’t resist a…
25,000 Subscribers On YouTube! — Celebrating With A Special ‘Ask Me Anything’ Video
I reached a celebration-worthy milestone over on YouTube the other day when I crossed the 25,000 subscriber mark. So, to mark the occasion, I broadcast a special, ‘Ask Me Anything’…
Papillon Epona, Burberry Goddess edp intense, Aesop Virere and other reviews – 2024
We went from A to B to… P in a recent episode of Love At First Scent, with reviews of new releases from Aesop, Burberry, Boadicea The Victorious, Bentley and…
120 Years Of Disruption – Coty Celebrates Anniversary In Paris
— With somewhat Bond-villainesque theatricality, buttons were pressed, the lighting changed, and our gaze was drawn to a frieze depicting a desert landscape: a cue for us to be presented…
Renaud Salmon, Amouage, Live Interview On The Brand New Essences Collection + 500th Episode Of Love At First Scent
Just a few days ago, Amouage released a new collection of scents they’re calling the Essences, comprising Reasons by Bertrand Duchaufour, Lustre by Julien Rasquinet and Paul Guerlain, and Outlands…
Creed Centaurus & Delphinus, Matiere Premiere extraits, vintage Caron Yatagan & Jean Patou Joy reviews – 2024
If ever there was a set of videos that highlighted the stark difference between modern perfume releases and those from a few decades ago, it was the one I broadcast…
Cartier Declaration review – The Favourites – Jean-Claude Ellena; 1998
— Back in the 80s, in the UAE, a soap was launched onto the market. Little did we know that it came from a brand that had actually been established…
Valerie & Remi Pulverail, Les Indemodables, Live Interview On The Launch Of Coeur De Oud
An oud-based flanker is perhaps the last release we would have expected from Les Indemodables, but that’s precisely what they’ve given us in the form of Vanille Havane – Coeur…
Top 10 Perfumes For Autumn 2024 – Scents To Bring Us Together
If all the spam advertising emails are to be believed, autumn is the time for curling up on a sofa with a warm blanket and a mug of hot chocolate.…
Guerlain Shalimar Millesime Jasmin review – Delphine Jelk; 2024
On paper, the idea of a jasmine-inflected Shalimar promises something absolutely terrific — not only would it emphasise the 1925 scent’s floral, animalic aspects, but it would also make sense…
Carlos Huber, Arquiste, Live Interview
We finally made it happen! A few days ago, Carlos Huber, founder of Arquiste, popped into my virtual studio for a long-overdue interview in which he chatted about his two…
Personal Post – One More Run For Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital
A few months ago, I embarked on my own fundraiser for Great Ormond Street Hospital, to which many of you responded with tremendous, extremely touching generosity. I recently discovered that…
Hermes Barenia, Le Labo Coriandre 39 and other City Exclusives reviews – 2024
As though determined to send us fragrance nerds into fits of apoplexy, Hermes are calling their latest release, Barenia, their very first chypre. Yes, you may well gasp. But dubious…
Finding A Simple Happiness – An Interview With Marc-Antoine Barrois On The Launch Of Tilia
— There are two people Quentin Bisch loves to work with. I hope he loves to work with me. And he has great admiration for Renaud Salmon . The lucky…
Guerlain Patchouli Paris, Diptyque Les Essences and Jo Malone London Hinoki & Cedarwood reviews – 2024
Japan, France and a coral reef at the bottom of an ocean were just three of our ports of call in a recent session of Love At First Scent, in…
Serge Lutens Point Du Jour, Penhaligon’s The Dandy, Akro Smile and other reviews – 2024
Given that Love At First Scent has been off the air for several weeks, it was perhaps appropriate that the first post-summer review was of a scent inspired by daybreak:…
Born To Stand Out Showcase Review – various perfumers; 2024
– It’s difficult not to be suspicious about a brand that calls itself Born To Stand Out (sorry, I refuse to remove the spaces between the words). It carries more…
Sometimes Magic Happens – An Interview With Guerlain’s Delphine Jelk
– I thought about two lovers hanging out in Paris, during the night. I imagined that patchouli is my lover and that I have to tame it, to make it…
Celestial Scents – Persolaise In Harper’s Bazaar UK
If you’re based in Britain, you might be interested to learn that the September 2024 issue of Harper’s Bazaar UK (out now) contains an article by yours truly on the…