Persolaise.com Is Three Years Old
Persolaise One cause for celebration leads to another: today is my blog’s third anniversary! I’ll mark the occasion properly on Friday (there’ll be a special post as well as a give-away;…
Persolaise Wins Second Jasmine Award
Richard E Grant dropped the F-bomb. Air kisses were executed with a level of skill normally reserved for Olympic sports. And I finally got to meet Bois De Jasmin‘s charming…
Piccadilly Smells Of Jasmine…
First thing tomorrow morning, I’ll be off to BAFTA HQ to attend this year’s Jasmine Awards ceremony. Good luck to all the finalists and may the best articles win! Speaking…
Persolaise Review: Euphoria + Devil’s Nightcap from Gorilla Perfume (Simon & Mark Constantine; 2012)
If you had to make a list of perfumery ingredients which convey intense excitement, what would be on it? Sparkling citrus oils? Fizzy aldehydes? Sensuous vanilla? How about clary sage?…
Persolaise In Parfum Plus, The Middle East’s New Perfume Magazine
ParfumPlus, a brand new perfume magazine, has been launched in the Middle East, and I’m pleased to announce that its debut issue contains an article by yours truly (regular readers…
Persolaise Review: 1932 from Chanel (Jacques Polge; 2013)
I’ve finally understood my problem with 1932: its conclusion doesn’t live up to the promise shown by its opening. That’s hardly a profound insight – and I’m almost embarrassed to…
Does No. 5 Contain Bionic Moss?
Yesterday, during my interview with Talk Radio Europe, I was asked about the implications of the proposed anti-allergen legislation which received media attention last year. This led to a brief…
Today’s Miss Dior Is Not Quite The Same As Yesterday’s
I rarely paste excerpts from press releases on this blog; there are other sites that do a far better job than I ever could of keeping up with the stream…
Persolaise Review: Cuir De Nacre + Perle De Mousse from Ann Gerard (Bertrand Duchaufour; 2012)
I should think the overlap between jewellery and fragrance is fascinating for perfumers to explore, and Bertrand Duchaufour certainly seems to have had a great deal of fun with the…
Just Cavalli’s Debut Scent Launched In London
What do Bart Simpson, Georgia May Jagger and Just Cavalli’s Just have in common? Click here to pop over to my latest Basenotes article and find out… Persolaise.
Persolaise Review: The Voice Of Reason, Flower’s Barrow + Lord Of Goathorn from Gorilla Perfume (Simon & Mark Constantine; 2012)
It’s one thing to start a perfume range with a large number of scents, but it’s quite another to add 10 fragrances overnight to an existing – and well-regarded –…
Twenty Blotters For… Dora Arnaud
Pick a blotter… read the question… give a short, snappy answer! I have a feeling we’re going to hear Dora Arnaud‘s name more and more in the months to come.…
Persolaise Review: Cuir Velours from Naomi Goodsir (Julien Rasquinet; 2012)
It’s so wonderful to be able to approach a perfume with almost no prior knowledge of its construction, especially when it turns out to be as impressive as Cuir Velours.…
Review Of Le Snob: Perfume On The Unseen Censer
My thanks to Judith of The Unseen Censer for a great review of my book. Here’s a brief extract: It’s beautifully made and clearly, helpfully written, and very rewarding whether…
Persolaise Review: Beloved Man from Amouage (Alexandra Carlin; 2013)
It’s not often I’m relieved to discover that a perfume is less than spectacular. I’ve got so many ‘must buy’ Amouages on my list, that the prospect of yet another…
Persolaise Review: La Fille De Berlin from Serge Lutens (Christopher Sheldrake; 2013)
The latest from Lutens and Sheldrake is a delightful exercise in wrong-footing the wearer. At first, a potential buyer is likely to notice its colour: dense, purple and almost opaque,…
Look Good Feel Better & Selfridges Present Festival Of Fragrance
The UK branch of Look Good Feel Better has teamed up with Selfridges to put together a week-long Festival Of Fragrance at the beginning of March. I’m deeply honoured to…
Persolaise Review: Jour D’Hermès from Hermès (Jean-Claude Ellena; 2012)
Although it’s been around only for a couple of months, Jean-Claude Ellena‘s latest creation for Hermès‘ ‘mainstream’ collection has already attracted tremendous amounts of praise. Despite an embargo on media…
Persolaise Review: Tea For Two from L’Artisan Parfumeur (Olivia Giacobetti; 2000)
I have no problem at all with the fact that brands need to streamline their portfolios every now and then, but I confess I wanted to curse the gods of…
If The Devil Wears Prada, What Does The Haddock Wear?
If I were to say, “Women with fish lips,” I suspect many of you would know what I’m talking about. Apparently it’s called the California look: botox, plastic surgery and…