Persolaise Waiting For The Right Time – Christine Nagel On The Creation Of Hermes Barenia Intense
– Some perfumes arrive on the market not at the right time. I have a good example — Wrappings from Clinique. I love this perfume. But it arrived too early.…
Tauer Vanilla Absolue, Arquiste Nocturnality, Granado Apotecario and other reviews – 2025
There was a time when the word ‘Tauer’ was almost entirely synonymous with the idea of independent perfumery. Zurich-based Andy Tauer — a self-taught perfumer who started his brand by…
Hiram Green, Live Interview On The Launch Of Ultra
I was delighted to welcome self-taught, Holland-based perfumer Hiram Green into my virtual studio a few days ago. He discussed his latest release, Ultra — which he describes as channelling…
Creed Oud Zarian, Bon Parfumeur 403 Myrrh Shadow, Chambre 52 Soleil Tonka and other reviews – 2025
Please click on the link below to be taken to my Substack reviews of the following perfumes: Room 1015 Jasmine FreakStephane Humbert Lucas God Of FireMaison Mataha Printemps BlancBon Parfumeur…
The Black Narcissus & Persolaise On Chanel Antaeus
My friend Neil Chapman (of The Black Narcissus) and I recently indulged in a chat about a vintage bottle of Chanel Antaeus, but if you don’t mind, I won’t write…
Top 10 Perfumes For Autumn 2025 – Celebrating Simple Pleasures
Regular readers and viewers invariably tell me that autumn is when they enjoy pulling out the more baroque scents in their collections: the rich, Mitsouko-esque chypres, the darker florals, the…
Valerie & Remi Pulverail, Les Indemodables, Live Interview On The Launch Of Vanille Havane – Cuir Des Abysses
I never cease to be amazed by the stories behind the creation of some perfumery ingredients. The latest one to be brought to my attention is linked to a shipwreck…
Chanel Bleu L’Exclusif review – Olivier Polge; 2025
– Regular readers will know that I’m not what you’d call the world’s biggest fan of Bleu. I remain an admirer of Chanel. I believe they continue to give us…
Parfum D’Empire Madagascar Le Baume Vanille, Diptyque Lazulio, Le Labo Osmanthus 19 and other reviews – 2025
Osmanthus 19 4:10Eucalyptus 20 15:20 One of the few enjoyable things about summer ending is that it means I get to resume my YouTube broadcasts and my interactions with all…
Guerlain Shalimar L’Essence review – Delphine Jelk; 2025
– How do you mark the 100th anniversary of the release of one of the most important perfumes of all time? If you’re at Guerlain, then the answer would appear…
Cartier L’Envol (Mathilde Laurent; 2016) & Guerlain Coriolan (Jean-Paul Guerlain; 1998) perfume reviews
– In recent months, I’ve found myself thinking what a shame it is that Cartier L’Envol seems to have vanished for good. Released as an eau de parfum in 2016…
Floris Purple Memoire review – Penny Ellis & Nicola Pozzani; 2025
– For reasons that are probably related to various twists and turns of history, several perfume brands with British roots seem to have gone through extended periods of experiencing an…
L’Entropiste perfume showcase review – Bertrand Duchaufour; 2025
– A few years ago, the main trend in the perfume industry was the creation of high-end, exclusive (read: expensively-priced) ranges from established brands: Chanel’s Exclusifs, Dior’s Collection Privee, Hermes’…
Before & After – Quentin Bisch – La Fin Du Monde & Aldebaran
– I first became aware of Quentin Bisch not by smelling one of his works but by seeing him on my TV screen. In the second episode of Ian Denyer’s…
Before & After – A New Series On My Substack, Charting The Development Of Renowned Perfumers
– This is almost pointless. A fact that’s slightly ironic given that, on paper, the idea looks as though it shouldn’t be the least bit tricky to pull off. Step…
Christian Dior Bois Talisman review – Francis Kurkdjian; 2025
– It all seems to have gone a bit topsy turvy in the world of Captain Kurk. His latest version of Dior Homme was a pleasant surprise, displaying a real…
Top 10 Modern Retro Perfumes + Guerlain Vetiver Fauve review (Delphine Jelk; 2025)
I suspect Guerlain didn’t think that a vetiver composition would turn out to be polarising, but this is exactly what seems to be happening with Vetiver Fauve, their latest addition…
Parfums De Marly Castley, 27 87 Hakuna Matata, Nicolai showcase and other reviews – 2025
It’s pleasing to see that Nicolai are enjoying increasing success and acclaim in the UK at the moment. Goodness knows, we could certainly do with a few more perfumers possessed…
Zara Leather Jardin, Bulgari Eau Parfumee – The Vert eau de toilette and other reviews – 2025
The power of a good recommendation. A little while ago, a long-time viewer suggested that I need to get my nose on Zara Leather Jardin, so I duly obliged and…
Balenciaga 2025 releases, Nissaba Les Alpes, Prada Paradigme and other reviews – 2025
Five reviews in brief 9:21Le Dix 12:50Getaria 17:09Extra 23:10Muscara 27:07No Comment 31:17 A few years ago, brands followed the ‘why make one when you can make three’ strategy of perfume…