It’s interesting to consider why Jean-Claude Ellena attracts as much reverence as he does. The simplest explanation might be that he deserves it for his work. After all, Déclaration, Terre…
Image: Papillio Asking whether a perfume contains real East Indian sandalwood is almost as pointless as asking whether it contains real oud: as has been widely reported, the finest quality…
For the next few weeks, I’m going to try to focus my attention not on my laptop, but on the business of getting some much-needed rest and relaxation, which means…
It’s always tricky going for a unifying theme when creating a fragrance range. Some ideas seem more forced than others: the ‘Indian history’ approach of Neela Vermeire Creations generally attracted…
Yesterday, The Observer published Rachel Cooke’s review of Jean-Claude Ellena’s new book. Sadly, her appraisal did little more than remind me that mainstream media really shouldn’t tackle the subject of…
In the catalogue of olfactory families, there’s a sub-set of florals that do everything they should with no unnecessary fanfare. They’re clever without being show-offs. They display excellent tenacity without…
Although the man himself may need an introduction, his work almost certainly doesn’t. Elle (YSL), Dune Pour Homme (Dior), Midnight Poison (Dior), Light Blue (Dolce & Gabbana) and of course…
Just a few quickies from me today. Firstly, it was wonderful to see an article on Basenotes last Tuesday reporting the imminent publication of my perfume guide. Please click here…
The subject of inspiration in perfumery often attracts sniggers. According to some critics, it’s acceptable for a creator to claim that a particular scent emerged from the experience of smelling…
I try to resist the pressure to think about and assess perfume in terms of inter-sex relations. But I was prompted to re-consider my stance by a fascinating Robin Dunbar…
Some of you will recall that in May, I published the list of nominees for the FiFi UK 2012 Hall Of Fame. The winner was determined by votes that were…
Persolaise