Perfume review: Cartier Declaration D'Un Soir & Eau De Cartier Essence De Bois, Acqua Di Parma Colonia Intensa Oud
I haven’t quite managed to get back onto the frenetic merry-go-round that I fondly call Normal Life (my soul is still on a lilo, bobbing along to the tune of…
I don’t envy anyone trying to start a niche perfume brand today. In an environment where over 1000 fragrances are released every year, standing out from the crowd is virtually…
Normal service is on the verge of being resumed. I hope you’ve all been well during my blogging break and that you’ve enjoyed the reviews that popped up during my…
Most of Dior’s recent alterations to their main fragrance range (fiddling around with the names of the various Miss Diors, tinkering with the Addicts etc) have been baffling, to say…
Every now and then, the question of the value of negative reviews raises its head, which is why a recent article by the restaurant critic Jay Rayner grabbed my attention.…
It’s always round about this time of year (can’t think why) that I tend to be asked what makes so-called Arabic-style perfumes smell so… Arabic. If I were a chemist…
Fashion Fragrances & Cosmetics Ltd – the company that currently owns the licence for Robert Piguet Parfums – was always going to face a tricky, ‘turning the corner’ moment at…
Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire perfume review by award-winning critic, Persolaise (2012, Thierry Wasser, fragrance)
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