Review: Mon Parfum Chéri from Annick Goutal, Lumière Noire Pour Femme Elixir and Aqua Universalis Forte Elixir from Maison Francis Kurkdjian (2011)
Persolaise The moment I tried Goutal’s latest, I knew I
So Tell Me… Do You REALLY Like Tweeting…?
I need to seek your help again. I’m just putting the finishing touches to a presentation I’ll soon be delivering at a Fragrance Foundation UK event on the subject of…
Review: The Disappointments (2011)
Here’s something that doesn’t happen very often: I don’t have a perfume I’d like to review this week. To be more precise, I’ve got plenty which I could review, but…
I’ll Just Put The Kettle On
Sometimes, the most potent scent memories are the ones that come as a complete surprise. Deliberately smelling some vintage Fidji or Aramis in order to conjure a recollection of a…
Review: Jardin Du Poete from Eau d’Italie and Bang Bang from Marc Jacobs (2011)
The pixies and elves of Marketing Land would have us believe that Bang Bang is for “men who
Vintage Sample Winner + Symine Salimpour Interview On Estellana
Oh look, September’s nearly over, but good old Blighty’s decided to rewind to August for a few days. Time to put the jumpers away again! Yes indeed, it seems we’re…
London Perfume Evening + Give-Away Reminder
I hope you’re all having a good weekend, wherever you are. Just two brief items from me today. Firstly, please don’t forget that you’ve got until 10 pm tomorrow night…
Italians Don’t Like Shalimar + End Of Summer Give-Away
I need a few lessons in basic Buddhism. One of the main problems with having an extremely busy Day Job and a tendency to go away on long holidays is…
Review: No. 19 Poudré from Chanel (2011) and Miriam from Tableau De Parfums (2011) + Miriam Winners
There’s a lot of anti-Chanel feeling around at the moment. Before the venerable house had given everyone an opportunity to recover from the various Chance flankers, they released Bleu which…
This Is How It’s Done: Tanagra And Bouteille On The Côte d’Azur
Although Madame Persolaise’s French is pretty good, she thought it might be useful for us to take a culinary dictionary on our travels this year, just to make the process…
Review: Kokorico from Jean-Paul Gaultier (2011)
There’s at least one person in the world who thinks Kokorico is a work of genius. A couple of weeks ago, when I picked up the scent’s tester at a…
Evelyn Avenue Interview + Miriam Give-Away
Some of you will no doubt be aware that perfumer Andy Tauer has entered into an intriguing collaboration with film-maker Brian Pera (of Evelyn Avenue). Over the course of the…
Give-Away Teaser + Reasons To Be Thankful
We’re surrounded by empty suitcases. The washing machine has been whirring away for hours. There’s a heap of unopened junk mail in the bin. All this means we’re back at…
Review: Vitriol d’Oeillet from Serge Lutens (2011)
Uncle Serge and Christopher Sheldrake have been up to their old tricks again. Their latest release could easily be dismissed as an old-fashioned feminine, a woody floral stuck somewhere in…
New Cure For Insomnia: Counting Perfume Releases
It’s the final week of August, the holiday’s nearly over and life will soon have to return to normal at Maison Persolaise. It’s going to take a little while for…
Reviews: Yuzu Man from Caron (2011) & Hiroshima Mon Amour from Nez À Nez (2011)
The spirit of orientalism is alive in the latest masculine from Caron. Yuzu takes its inspiration from the East Asian (predominantly Japanese) fruit of the same name, and as you’d…
What’s My Credit Card Limit Again…?
It’s always at this point in our epic summer holidays that Madame Persolaise and I wish we could slow down time. There’s still so much to do, so much to…
Reviews: Juniper Sling, Esprit Du Roi & Eau Sans Pareil from Penhaligon’s (2011)
Would it be too cruel to say that Penhaligon’s Anthology series of re-issues comes to a close not with a bang, but a whimper? Eau Sans Pareil is pleasant enough,…
Review: Stecca from Hilde Soliani (2008)
If I must have a fragrance that isn’t flawless in its entirety, then I’ll choose one whose weak section is the top notes: at least they fade away fairly rapidly.…